醋 (cù) — vinegar / jealousy

醋 (cù)

醋 is primarily the condiment vinegar, essential in Chinese cooking for its sharp, sour flavor. Colloquially, 吃醋 (eat vinegar) means to feel jealous, especially in a romantic relationship — a vivid metaphor for the sour feeling of envy.

Meanings

1. [noun] Vinegar (the condiment).
2. [noun / colloquial] Jealousy (romantic), in the phrase 吃醋.

Example Sentences

做饺子的时候可以蘸醋吃。 Zuò jiǎozi de shíhòu kěyǐ zhàn cù chī. When eating dumplings you can dip them in vinegar.

这道菜放了太多醋，太酸了。 Zhè dào cài fàng le tài duō cù, tài suān le. This dish has too much vinegar — it is too sour.

他看到她和别人说话就吃醋了。 Tā kàndào tā hé biérén shuōhuà jiù chīcù le. He got jealous when he saw her talking to someone else.

你别吃醋，我们只是普通朋友。 Nǐ bié chīcù, wǒmen zhǐshì pǔtōng péngyǒu. Don't be jealous — we are just ordinary friends.

Collocations

Memory Hook

醋 has the wine/liquid radical 酉 on the left — a container for fermented liquids. Add 昔 (past / former times) on the right: vinegar is wine that has fermented past its prime, turning sharp and sour with time.