1. Character Basics
2. Pronunciation
3. Meaning
- Cool, stylish (modern usage)
- Cold, frigid
- Cruel, harsh
- Severe, strict
4. Common Words
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "酷" has both traditional and modern meanings. Traditionally, it means cold or cruel. In modern usage, especially among younger generations, it has taken on the meaning of "cool" or "stylish" as a loanword from English.
冬天的风很酷冷。(Dōngtiān de fēng hěn kùlěng.) - The winter wind is bitterly cold.
战争是残酷的。(Zhànzhēng shì cánkù de.) - War is cruel.
他的新发型很酷。(Tā de xīn fàxíng hěn kù.) - His new hairstyle is very cool.
这辆跑车酷毙了！(Zhè liàng pǎochē kù bì le!) - This sports car is extremely cool!
6. Cultural Background
The traditional meaning of "酷" is related to coldness or cruelty, but in recent decades, it has been adopted to mean "cool" in the sense of stylish or impressive, similar to the English usage. This is an example of how Chinese characters can evolve to incorporate new meanings influenced by global culture, especially through youth and pop culture.
The character's structure combines "酉" (yǒu, wine) and "告" (gào, to tell/announce). One interpretation of the original meaning is related to the process of making wine, where temperature control (keeping things cool) is important. Over time, this concept of coldness extended to describe harsh or cruel behavior.
7. Example Sentence
他穿了一件很酷的皮夹克。
He is wearing a very cool leather jacket.
8. Memory Tips
To remember the character "酷", look at its structure: it consists of "酉" (yǒu, wine) and "告" (gào, to tell). You can imagine someone telling (告) you about a wine (酉) that is very cool or cold. The pronunciation "kù" is the same as "库" (storehouse) and "裤" (trousers).
Another way to remember it is to associate it with its modern meaning of "cool" by thinking of something that is both stylish and has a certain edge to it, similar to the English concept of "cool".