How to Write 酬 (chóu) — Meaning “to reward or repay”

Imagine you receive a bottle of wine (酉) as a reward for finishing a project. The right part 州 looks like three small islands or sections, each representing a different type of reward: money, gifts, and praise.

Write the left radical 酉 first with 7 strokes, keeping it narrow. Then add the right side 州, which has 6 strokes — note that the three dots in 州 are written as short strokes, not full characters, and the whole character should be balanced evenly left to right.

酬 means reward or socialize, while 酕 (máo) is a rare character meaning "drunk" and 酖 (chén) means "to drink heavily" or "addicted to wine." Visually, 酬 has the right component 州, whereas 酕 has 毛 (hair) and 酖 has 冘 (a person carrying a load), so the meanings and shapes are distinct.

酬 appears in words like 报酬 (pay) and 应酬 (social engagements). In Chinese culture, 应酬 is important — it refers to obligatory social activities like dinners or parties, often used to maintain relationships or repay favors, showing the character's link to social reciprocity.

Common words containing 酬 include: 报酬 (bào chóu) — reward; remuneration; pay; 酬劳 (chóu láo) — reward or compensation; 应酬 (yìng chóu) — socializing; social engagement.