酥

酥	U+9165, 酥 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9165

← 酤
[U+9164]

CJK Unified Ideographs

酦 →
[U+9166]

Translingual

Han character

酥 (Kangxi radical 164, 酉+5, 12 strokes, cangjie input 一田竹木 (MWHD), four-corner 1269₄, composition ⿰酉禾)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 1282, character 11
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 39835
Dae Jaweon: page 1782, character 11
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3579, character 1
Unihan data for U+9165

Chinese

trad.		酥
simp. ^#		酥
alternative forms		𦢦𨣺𨢭𦣑

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *sŋaː): semantic 酉 (“alcohol”) + abbreviated phonetic 穌 (OC *sŋaː).

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): sū (su¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄨ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): su¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sou¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhu¹
Gan (Wiktionary): su¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): sû

(Meixian, Guangdong): si¹
Jin (Wiktionary): su¹
Northern Min (KCR): sú
Eastern Min (BUC): sŭ
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): so͘

(Teochew, Peng'im): sou¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹su
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): sou¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sū
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄨ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: su
  - Wade–Giles: su¹
  - Yale: sū
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: su
  - Palladius: су (su)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: su¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: su
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sou¹
  - Yale: sōu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sou¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: sou¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sou̯⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhu¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬu³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: su¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sû
  - Hakka Romanization System: su^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: su¹
  - Sinological IPA: /su²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: si¹
  - Sinological IPA: /sz̩⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: su¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /su¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sú
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sŭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: so͘
  - Tâi-lô: soo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sof
  - IPA (Xiamen): /sɔ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /sɔ³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /sɔ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /sɔ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /sɔ⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: sou¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sou
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sou³³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹su
  - MiniDict: su^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹su
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /su⁵³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: sou¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /səu̯³³/

Middle Chinese: su

Rime
Character	酥
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	素姑切
Baxter	su
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/suo/
Pan Wuyun	/suo/
Shao Rongfen	/so/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sɔ/
Li Rong	/so/
Wang Li	/su/
Bernhard Karlgren	/suo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sū
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sou¹

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*sŋaː/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	酥
Reading #	1/1
No.	12094
Phonetic component
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	蘇
Old Chinese	/*sŋaː/
Notes	穌省聲

Definitions

酥

(archaic) butter
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alcohol
crispy; flaky; crunchy; crumbly
鹹酥雞／咸酥鸡 ― xiánsūjī ― salty crispy chicken
flaky pastry; shortbread
鳳梨酥／凤梨酥 ― fènglísū ― pineapple cake
weak; limp
Alternative form: (obsolete) 䜹
soft; satiny

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 脆 (“crispy”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		脆
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	脆
Northeastern Mandarin	Singapore	脆
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	脆, 酥
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	脆
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	脆, 酥
	Wanrong	脆, 酥
	Xi'an	脆, 酥
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	脆
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	酥
Cantonese	Guangzhou	脆, 酥, 爽, 爽脆
	Hong Kong	脆, 酥, 爽, 爽脆
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	脆
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	脆
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	脆
	Dongguan	爽
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	脆
Gan	Nanchang	脆, 酥
Gan	Pingxiang	酥
Hakka	Meixian	脆
	Hong Kong	酥
	Senai (Huiyang)	鬆, 酥
Huizhou	Jixi	酥
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	酥, 脆
Southern Min	Xiamen	酥
	Quanzhou	酥
	Zhangzhou	酥
	Taipei	酥 GT
	Singapore (Hokkien)	酥
	Manila (Hokkien)	脆, 酥
	Chaozhou	酥
	Shantou	酥, 脆
	Jieyang	酥
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	酥
	Haikou	酥
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	脆
Wu	Shanghai	脆
	Shanghai (Chongming)	脆
	Suzhou	脆
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Compounds

凝酥
叉燒酥 / 叉烧酥 (chāshāosū)
合桃酥
團酥 / 团酥
土酥
大辣酥
寒酥
屠酥
打剌酥
打辣酥
排骨酥
撇酥兒 / 撇酥儿
方塊酥 / 方块酥
暖酥
桃酥 (táosū)
棗泥酥 / 枣泥酥
油蔥酥 / 油葱酥
油酥 (yóusū)
流酥
清酥
滴粉搓酥
滴酥
牛脷酥
牛酥
王梨酥
玉酥
瓊酥 / 琼酥
癢酥酥 / 痒酥酥
皮蛋酥
破酥包
粉頸酥胸 / 粉颈酥胸
紅酥 / 红酥
肉酥 (ròusū)
芋頭酥 / 芋头酥
蛋黃酥 / 蛋黄酥
蟾酥 (chánsū)
軟酥酥 / 软酥酥
辣酥酥
酥乳
酥倒
酥僉 / 酥佥
酥懈
酥油 (sūyóu)
酥油茶 (sūyóuchá)
酥油草
酥湯 / 酥汤
酥潤 / 酥润
酥燈 / 酥灯
酥燒 / 酥烧
酥皮 (sūpí)
酥簽 / 酥签
酥糖
酥脆 (sūcuì)
酥胸 (sūxiōng)
酥腰
酥花
酥蜜
酥融
酥軟 / 酥软 (sūruǎn)
酥酒
酥酡
酡酥
酥酪
酥醪
酥雨
酥餅 / 酥饼 (sūbǐng)
酥鬆 / 酥松
酥麻
酪酥
酴酥
鑽冰求酥 / 钻冰求酥
靈酥 / 灵酥
香酥 (xiāngsū)
駝酥 / 驼酥
骨軟筋酥 / 骨软筋酥
骨軟肉酥 / 骨软肉酥
魚酥 / 鱼酥
鳳梨酥 / 凤梨酥 (fènglísū)
鵝黃酥 / 鹅黄酥
鹹酥 / 咸酥
鹹酥雞 / 咸酥鸡 (xiánsūjī)
鹽酥 / 盐酥
鹽酥雞 / 盐酥鸡 (yánsūjī)
麻酥糖 (másūtáng)
麻酥酥
點酥 / 点酥
點酥娘 / 点酥娘

References

Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “酥” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].
“酥”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
“酥”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

酥

(Hyōgai kanji)

milk

Readings

Go-on: す (su)
Kan-on: そ (so)
Kun: ちちざけ (chichizake)

Korean

Hanja

酥 • (so) (hangeul 소, revised so, McCune–Reischauer so, Yale so)

Vietnamese

Han character

酥: Hán Nôm readings: tô

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