酗 xù violent
violent; raging drunk; blotto
How to remember 酗: 酉 whisky bottle + 凶 culprit = violent. After emptying a whole whisky bottle, the culprit who smashed the bar window was violent.
Component breakdown
酗 = 酉 whisky bottle + 凶 culprit
- 酉 whisky bottle
- 凶 culprit
After emptying a whole whisky bottle, the culprit who smashed the bar window was violent.
How it is used
- Bound to drinking-to-excess: 酗酒 (xùjiǔ) to drink heavily / be a drunkard, as in 他因酗酒丢了工作 (tā yīn xùjiǔ diūle gōngzuò) he lost his job over his drinking.
- Not neutral 喝酒 (drink alcohol) - 酗酒 carries the abuse/problem-drinking sense, the kind doctors and courts talk about.
- Almost never appears outside 酗酒; treat it as half of that compound.