Definition
酸溜溜 is an ABB-style reduplicated adjective (状态词) that describes a range of sensations and emotions tied to the core idea of 'sourness'. You can use it for literal sour tastes (like vinegar or unripe fruit), physical sensations (aching muscles, tingling), or emotional states (envy, sadness, or a sharp-tongued remark). It often carries a vivid, colloquial tone — like saying 'sour' in English to describe a jealous or bitter mood.
r.f.
sour and tart (of taste)tingling or aching (of physical sensation)sadmournfulor jealous (of emotion)sharp-tongued or pedantic (of speech)
Examples
- 酸溜溜，。Zhège cù hē qǐlái suān liū de, zhēn kāiwèi.This vinegar tastes sour and tart — it really whets the appetite.
- ，酸溜溜，。Pǎo le wǔ gōnglǐ, wǒ de tuǐ suān liū de, kuài zǒu bú dòng le.After running five kilometers, my legs are aching and I can barely walk.
- ，酸溜溜，。Kàn dào biérén huòjiǎng, tā xīnlǐ suān liū de, yǒudiǎn jídù.Seeing others win awards, he felt a bit sour inside — a little jealous.
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