How to Write 酌 (zhuó) — Meaning “To pour wine / To drink / To consider”

Imagine a spoon (勺) scooping wine from a jar (酉) — this action is exactly what 酌 means: to pour or drink. You can also link the pinyin "zhuó" to the English word "draw" as in drawing wine from a jar.

The left part 酉 has 7 strokes, starting with a horizontal stroke, then a left-falling stroke, and a bottom horizontal; make sure the inner 'scoop' shape is closed properly. The right part 勺 is only 3 strokes — do not make it too large or stretch it below the 酉. Common mistakes include misplacing the dot inside 酉 or writing the spoon too wide.

酊 (dǐng) is used in words like 酩酊 (mǐng dǐng) meaning "very drunk" and focuses on drunkenness, not the act of pouring. 酋 (qiú) means "tribal chief" or "leader" and has no connection to drinking — its shape also lacks the spoon component. Visually, 酌 has a spoon 勺 on the right, while 酊 has a nail 丁 and 酋 has a different top structure with 八 above 酉.

酌 is used in formal or literary expressions like 斟酌 (zhēn zhuó, to deliberate) and 小酌 (xiǎo zhuó, to have a casual drink). It appears in polite invitations such as "有空小酌?" (Free for a light drink?). Culturally, 酌 carries a refined, classical feel and is often used to describe careful consideration or modest social drinking, reflecting traditional hospitality.

Common words containing 酌 include: 斟酌 (zhēn zhuó) — To deliberate / To consider; 小酌 (xiǎo zhuó) — to have a casual drink; 对酌 (duì zhuó) — Drinking together..