Translation help - jiu3

[runehh]

My dictionary tells me that the correct translation of "jiu3" is alcohol, and from my understanding this also makes a lot of sense. However, every single Chinese person I have ever talked to about drinking has made the translation that "jiu3" means wine in English (not just students but also teachers who normally speak almost perfect English). So, now I am wondering if there is some subtle difference that the dictionary has not told me. Does anybody know about this? If "jiu3" just means alcohol, then why this mistake by so many Chinese ? Any interesting explanation?

[maguire]

Jiu3 literally means alcohol. If you want to be specific in asking for wine made from grapes, you can use: pu2taojiu3, literally grape wine. As grape wine isn't generally that common in China, the 'wine' english translation as used by the Chinese masses generally refers to spirits fermented from grain, such as any of the baijiu's or the japanese sake.

[roddy]

Yeah, it's just a common mistranslation. Similarly, I had an amusing misunderstanding some years ago with a Chinese person who didn't realise that in English 'a drink' can often be shorthand for 'an alcoholic one, naturally'.

CP: Did Judith drink too much wine last night?

ME: No, she never drinks.

CP: Never? But . . . she will die!

Which then lead to a lively office debate on the life-giving properties of watermelon.

Roddy

PS Or perhaps more accurately, a Chinese person had a misunderstanding with me when I failed to realise that in other cultures you can't just assume drinks are alcoholic. Or now I think about it, maybe some office humour just went right over my head. Hey ho . . .

[Quest]

Alcohol is 乙醇 or 酒精。酒 is a generic name for alcoholic beverages. Usually, “什么”酒 would clear the confusion.

[runehh]

Thanks all for clarifying

[adrianlondon]

red wine is hong pu tao jiu (or hong jiu for short)

white wine is bai pu tao jiu (can't be shortened to bai jiu unless you like to melt your insides)

[againstwind]

agree with roddy and quest.

the heart of the matter is the mistranslation in that dictionary.

酒, in Chinese, means 'Intoxicating liquor containing alcohol'.

But alcohol does not only mean 'Intoxicating liquor containing alcohol' , but also 'a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid, C2H 5OH', which belongs to chemical category.

And in Chinese, if u want to express alcohol the 2nd meaning, the word should be 酒精 which is more common, or 乙醇.

[skylee]

white wine is bai pu tao jiu (can't be shortened to bai jiu unless you like to melt your insides)

I don't think I agree that it can't be called "bai jiu". 白酒 (bai jiu) is the term we use for white wine. Well we means we in Hong Kong (please don't bring up the "this is the way Cantonese speak" issue). I think terms used in different regions can be different.