劝 (quàn): This character means “to advise,” “to urge,” or “to persuade.” It's composed of 又 (yòu, again) and 力 (lì, strength/effort), suggesting the act of repeatedly applying effort to persuade someone.
酒 (jiǔ): This character means “alcohol,” “wine,” or “liquor.” The radical on the left, `氵` (shuǐ), indicates it is a liquid. The right side, 酉 (yǒu), is a pictograph of an ancient wine vessel.
Combining them, 劝酒 (quànjiǔ) literally means “to urge alcohol,” perfectly capturing the essence of persuading someone to drink.
`劝酒` is one of the most important aspects of 酒桌文化 (jiǔzhuō wénhuà), or “drinking table culture,” in China. It's a social tool used to measure and build relationships.
Building 关系 (guānxi): In business and personal life, drinking together is a fast track to building trust and rapport. Successfully persuading someone to drink with you is seen as a sign of sincerity and can strengthen your bond.
Showing Respect and Hospitality: A host is expected to `劝酒` their guests to show generosity and warmth (
热情, rèqíng). Subordinates or younger people `劝酒` their superiors or elders to show respect. This is often done via a specific, respectful toast, known as `
敬酒 (jìngjiǔ)`.
The Concept of 面子 (miànzi) - “Face”: The act of `劝酒` is deeply tied to social face. If you `劝酒` someone and they refuse, you can “lose face” as your gesture of goodwill has been rejected. Conversely, the person refusing might worry about making the other person lose face, creating a cycle of pressure.
Comparison to Western Culture: In the West, “peer pressure to drink” has an almost exclusively negative connotation, associated with immaturity or binge drinking. While `劝酒` can certainly become negative pressure, it originates from a cultural framework of hospitality and relationship-building. A Western “toast” is typically a collective, pre-planned gesture. `劝酒` is often a series of individual, spontaneous (though culturally scripted) challenges and invitations that occur throughout a meal.