How to Write 醄 (táo) — Meaning “drunk and happy”

Imagine a wine jug (酉) next to a happy person dancing with arms raised — the right part 匋 looks like a person with open arms and a round body. This helps you remember that 醄 means being happily drunk.

Write the left radical 酉 first with 7 strokes, then the right part 匋 — note that 匋 starts with 勹 (a wrapping stroke) followed by 缶 (a pottery jar shape). Keep the left side narrow and the right side wide, and be careful not to confuse the bottom of 匋 with similar components like 缶 or 䍃.

酩 (mǐng) is used in 酩酊 to mean very drunk and unsteady, while 酪 (lào) means cheese or thick juice and has no connection to alcohol. 醄 specifically describes a cheerful, happy drunk state, and its right side 匋 is unique — 酩 has 名 and 酪 has 各 on the right.

醄 is a rare character not in HSK, mostly found in classical literature or poetic descriptions of joyful intoxication. You might see it in phrases like 醉醄醄 (happily drunk) or 陶醄 (carefree and cheerful), often to express a lighthearted, pleasant drunkenness rather than heavy intoxication.

Common words containing 醄 include: 醄醄 (táo táo) — joyfully intoxicated; 醉醄醄 (zuì táo táo) — happily drunk; 陶醄 (táo táo) — happy and carefree.