醋 (cù) - Vinegar — a sour liquid condiment made from & also metaphorically refers to jealousy or envy.

醋Tone 4

cù ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

醋 · cù

Vinegar — a sour liquid condiment made from fermented grains;

also metaphorically refers to jealousy or envy.

Vinegar — a sour liquid condiment made fromalso metaphorically refers to jealousy or envy.

Usage highlights

vinegarto be jealousrice vinegarblack vinegarwhite vinegarbalsamic vinegar

Synonyms

  • 酸— sour (describing the taste)

Antonyms

  • 糖— sugar (sweet, opposite of sour)
  • 蜜— honey (sweet, opposite of sour)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Add vinegar to the salad dressing (醋).
  • This dish needs a little vinegar (醋).
  • She felt a pang of jealousy (吃醋).
  • Rice vinegar is common in Asian cooking (米醋).

Collocations

  • vinegar(醋)
  • to be jealous(吃醋)
  • rice vinegar(米醋)
  • black vinegar(陈醋)
  • white vinegar(白醋)
  • balsamic vinegar(香醋)

Idioms

  • Add fuel to the flames(添油加醋)
  • Jealousy and envy(争风吃醋)
  • Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy — the flavors of life(酸甜苦辣)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Vinegar has been produced in China for over 3,000 years, with Shanxi province famous for its aged vinegar.
  • The phrase 'eating vinegar' (吃醋) is a common metaphor for jealousy in romantic contexts.
  • Vinegar is one of the fundamental flavors in Chinese cuisine, alongside sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy.

FAQ