How to Write 酏 (yǐ) — Meaning “Elixir / Sweet wine”

Imagine a wine jar (酉) with a snake (like the shape of 也) inside it, creating a magical elixir. The snake represents the transformative power of the drink, turning ordinary wine into a sweet elixir. This visual connects the jar (酉) with the idea of a special, potent liquid.

The left side (酉) has 7 strokes and should be written slightly narrower, with the bottom horizontal stroke extending to the right. The right side (也) has 3 strokes: first a horizontal hook, then a vertical hook, and finally a vertical stroke with a hook; make sure the right side aligns with the middle of the left side to keep the character balanced.

酏 (yǐ) means sweet wine or pharmaceutical elixir, while 酊 (dǐng) means "drunk" or "intoxicated" (as in 酩酊). 酋 (qiú) is a radical meaning "chief" or "wine ferment" and is often a component in characters like 酒 (jiǔ). Visually, 酏 has 酉 plus 也, 酊 has 酉 plus 丁 (a nail), and 酋 is taller with a different upper part.

酏 is rare in everyday modern Chinese and is mostly found in classical texts or specialized terms like 酏剂 (yǐ jì, pharmaceutical elixir) and 酏醴 (yǐ lǐ, sweet wine). It carries a classical or literary flavor, often appearing in discussions of ancient Chinese medicine or ritual beverages. Learners rarely need it unless studying traditional Chinese culture or pharmacy.

Common words containing 酏 include: 酏剂 (yǐ jì) — Elixir (pharmaceutical); 酏醴 (yǐ lǐ) — Sweet wine / Elixir; 黍酏 (shǔ yǐ) — millet porridge.