酸
suān
The Chinese word for sour is 酸 (suān).
酸 is an adjective used to describe a taste that is acidic, sharp or tangy. Metaphorically, it can also describe a physical sensation of aching or soreness, such as when your muscles feel sore (肌肉很酸).
Meaning: having an acidic, sharp or tangy taste (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 酸 is the standard way to say sour, you may encounter other forms like 酸溜溜 to describe something as sour in a playful way or 酸爽 to describe a taste that is both sour and refreshing.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective 酸 to describe a noun, it is grammatically natural to precede it with an intensifier like 很 (very) rather than using the verb 'to be'. For example, you would say 很酸 (very sour).
How do you pronounce it?
suān
Did you know?
- The word 酸 is a cognate with the Mizo word thûr, meaning 'acid' or 'sour', tracing back to a shared Proto-Sino-Tibetan root.
- In Chinese, you might hear someone describe a person's attitude as 酸 (sour). This is a common way to describe someone who is being sarcastic, overly pedantic, or acting 'bitter' out of jealousy.
- The phrase 酸心 was historically used in some contexts to describe a feeling of deep grief or heartbreak, treating the emotion as a physical acidity in the heart.
Examples in context
- 這些橘子很酸。These oranges are very sour.This sentence shows how to use 酸 to describe the acidity of oranges.Tatoeba #6947342 by verdastelo9604, translation #2259515 by _undertoad
- 这份沙拉不够酸。This salad is not sour enough.This sentence demonstrates how to express that a salad lacks enough 酸.Tatoeba #13944531 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #3931724 by maaster
- 這個果汁喝起來酸酸的。This juice tastes sour.This sentence uses 酸 to describe the taste of juice.Tatoeba #5548492 by egg0073, translation #61020 by CK
- 这个柠檬很酸。This lemon is very sour.
- 她喜欢吃酸的食物。She likes to eat sour food.
- 这个酸味很浓烈。This sour taste is very strong.
- 小葡萄有一种特殊的酸味。Small grapes have a unique sour taste.
- 那个西瓜真酸溜溜的。That watermelon is super sour.
- 这杯柠檬水又酸又爽。This glass of lemonade is sour and refreshing.
- 尝一口这个酸爽的水果沙拉。Have a taste of this sour and refreshing fruit salad.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Jia Yi are eating a lemon in the kitchen.
- 伟 Wei這個檸檬真的很酸。Zhège níngméng zhēnde hěn suān.This lemon is really sour.
- 佳怡 Jiayi對，味道非常酸。Duì, wèidào fēicháng suān.Yes, the taste is very sour.
- 伟 Wei妳想要喝點水嗎？Nǐ xiǎng yào hē diǎn shuǐ ma?Do you want to drink some water?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想喝點甜的。Wǒ xiǎng hē diǎn tián de.I want to drink something sweet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sour” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 酸, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
