How to Write 酽 (yàn) — Meaning “strong (of tea or liquid)”

Imagine a cup of tea so strong that it is "strict" (严) with its flavor, and it comes from a wine container (酉). You can picture a strict teacher holding a mug of very dark tea, saying "This tea is 酽!" to help link the components to the meaning.

Pay attention to the left radical 酉: it has seven strokes, and its bottom is written as a horizontal line with two small vertical drops, not a full box. The right part 严 is written with a horizontal line on top, then two dots, then a longer horizontal stroke below, and finally a short vertical stroke through it—avoid making the top too wide.

酽 (yàn) describes a strong, concentrated liquid, like tea or vinegar. 酡 (tuó) means a flushed face from drinking alcohol — it uses the same 酉 radical but with 它 (tuō). 酢 (cù) can mean vinegar or a toast in ancient texts — it uses 乍 (zhà) and is unrelated to strength. Visually, the right sides are different characters.

酽 is not a common character in daily conversation, but you will see it in written descriptions of very strong tea, such as 酽茶 (yàn chá) for a dark, bitter brew. It can also describe strong vinegar (酽醋) or strong wine (酽酒). Culturally, drinking 酽茶 is linked to traditional Chinese tea culture, especially in older generations who enjoy a heavy, robust flavor.

Common words containing 酽 include: 酽茶 (yàn chá) — strong tea; 酽醋 (yàn cù) — strong vinegar; 酽酒 (yàn jiǔ) — strong wine.