píjiǔ: 啤酒 - Beer

• Keywords: 啤酒, píjiǔ, beer in Chinese, Chinese beer, how to say beer in Chinese, Tsingtao beer, cheers in Chinese, drinking in China, gānbēi, shāokǎo, ordering drinks in Chinese.
• Summary: Learn how to say and use 啤酒 (píjiǔ), the Chinese word for beer. This guide covers everything from ordering a cold Tsingtao at a street-side barbecue to understanding the cultural significance of drinking and toasting with “干杯 (gānbēi)” in China. Discover the character origins, practical example sentences, and cultural nuances you need to navigate social situations and enjoy a drink with friends in modern China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): píjiǔ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: A carbonated alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain; beer.
• In a Nutshell: `啤酒 (píjiǔ)` is the direct and universal word for “beer” in Mandarin Chinese. It covers all types, from the light lagers that dominate the Chinese market to imported craft beers. More than just a drink, `啤酒` is a social lubricant, central to casual meals with friends, celebratory banquets, and late-night `烧烤 (shāokǎo)` barbecue sessions.

• 啤 (pí): This character is a phonetic loan character, meaning it was chosen primarily for its sound. It was created to mimic the sound of the English word “beer”. It has no independent meaning related to the drink itself.
• 酒 (jiǔ): This character means “alcohol,” “liquor,” or “wine.” The radical `酉` is a pictograph of an ancient wine vessel, clearly indicating its connection to fermented beverages.
• Together, `啤酒` literally translates to “beer-alcohol,” a logical construction that pairs a foreign sound with a native category, making the meaning unambiguous.

While China has an ancient history of alcohol (`酒`), modern-style beer (`啤酒`) is a relatively recent import, introduced by Germans and Russians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (most famously in the city of Qingdao). Today, China is the world's largest consumer of beer by volume. The cultural significance of `啤酒` in China differs from the craft beer scene in the West.

• Social Bonding over Connoisseurship: While an American might discuss the IBU or hop profile of an IPA, Chinese beer culture is heavily focused on social interaction. Beer is a tool for building camaraderie and showing hospitality. The act of drinking together is often more important than the specific taste of the beer itself. Light, crisp lagers like Tsingtao, Snow, and Harbin are popular because they are easy to drink in large quantities during meals.
• The Ritual of “干杯” (gānbēi): The Western “cheers” is a simple toast. The Chinese `干杯 (gānbēi)`, however, literally means “dry the glass.” In many social and business contexts, it's a challenge to finish your entire drink in one go. Refusing or failing to do so can sometimes be seen as a lack of sincerity or respect. The pressure to `干杯` is much stronger with the more potent `白酒 (báijiǔ)`, but the principle often extends to beer among friends.
• The Perfect Pairing: `啤酒` is the quintessential drink for casual, lively, and often spicy meals. It's inseparable from `烧烤 (shāokǎo)` (street barbecue) and `火锅 (huǒguō)` (hot pot). A common scene in any Chinese city on a warm evening is a group of friends sitting on plastic stools around a small table, eating skewers and drinking bottles of cold `啤酒`.

`啤酒` is used in a wide range of informal and semi-formal settings.

• At a Restaurant: This is the most common scenario. You order it by the bottle (`瓶 píng`) or sometimes on tap (`扎啤 zhāpí` or `生啤 shēngpí`).
• Social Gatherings: Whether at a KTV, a friend's house, or a public square, `啤酒` is a default social beverage.
• Business Dinners: While `白酒 (báijiǔ)` is the drink for formal toasts, `啤酒` often serves as a less intense alternative for the main part of the meal, keeping the atmosphere relaxed.
• Saying “Cheers”: You will constantly hear `干杯! (gānbēi!)` when drinking beer. It's also common to clink glasses. When toasting someone of higher status, it's customary to clink the rim of your glass lower than the rim of their glass to show respect.

• Example 1:
  • 我要一瓶啤酒。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yào yì píng píjiǔ.
  • English: I want a bottle of beer.
  • Analysis: A simple and direct way to order a beer at a restaurant or shop. `一瓶 (yì píng)` is the measure word for “one bottle.”
• Example 2:
  • 我们喝点啤酒，怎么样？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen hē diǎn píjiǔ, zěnmeyàng?
  • English: How about we have some beer?
  • Analysis: A casual suggestion to a group of friends. `喝点 (hē diǎn)` means “drink a little,” making the invitation relaxed and informal.
• Example 3:
  • 你喜欢喝什么牌子的啤酒？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xǐhuān hē shénme páizi de píjiǔ?
  • English: What brand of beer do you like to drink?
  • Analysis: `牌子 (páizi)` means “brand.” This is a great question for starting a conversation about beer preferences.
• Example 4:
  • 青岛啤酒是中国最有名的啤酒之一。
  • Pinyin: Qīngdǎo píjiǔ shì Zhōngguó zuì yǒumíng de píjiǔ zhīyī.
  • English: Tsingtao beer is one of China's most famous beers.
  • Analysis: `之一 (zhīyī)` means “one of,” a useful structure for making statements like this.
• Example 5:
  • 夏天，啤酒和烧烤是绝配。
  • Pinyin: Xiàtiān, píjiǔ hé shāokǎo shì juépèi.
  • English: In the summer, beer and barbecue are a perfect match.
  • Analysis: `绝配 (juépèi)` is a fantastic word meaning “perfect match” or “a match made in heaven.”
• Example 6:
  • 来，我们为我们的友谊干杯！
  • Pinyin: Lái, wǒmen wèi wǒmen de yǒuyì gānbēi!
  • English: Come on, let's toast to our friendship!
  • Analysis: Although this sentence doesn't contain the word `啤酒`, it's a classic phrase used while drinking beer. `为…干杯 (wèi…gānbēi)` means “to toast to…”
• Example 7:
  • 这啤酒不够冰。服务员，能换一瓶吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè píjiǔ búgòu bīng. Fúwùyuán, néng huàn yì píng ma?
  • English: This beer isn't cold enough. Waiter, can we exchange it for another bottle?
  • Analysis: Chinese beer is almost always served very cold (`冰 bīng`). This is a practical sentence for getting what you want.
• Example 8:
  • 他的酒量很好，能喝十瓶啤酒。
  • Pinyin: Tā de jiǔliàng hěn hǎo, néng hē shí píng píjiǔ.
  • English: He has a high alcohol tolerance, he can drink ten bottles of beer.
  • Analysis: `酒量 (jiǔliàng)` refers to one's capacity for alcohol and is a common topic of conversation and light-hearted bragging in drinking culture.
• Example 9:
  • 对不起，我开车了，不能喝啤酒。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ kāichē le, bùnéng hē píjiǔ.
  • English: Sorry, I drove, so I can't drink beer.
  • Analysis: This is the perfect and universally accepted reason to decline an alcoholic drink in China.
• Example 10:
  • 请问，你们有扎啤吗？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, nǐmen yǒu zhāpí ma?
  • English: Excuse me, do you have draft beer?
  • Analysis: `扎啤 (zhāpí)` is a common word for draft beer, a phonetic loan from the English word “jar” or German “Zapfen”. You can also use `生啤 (shēngpí)`.

• False Friends: “Cheers” vs. “干杯 (gānbēi)”: This is the biggest pitfall for learners. When someone says `干杯 (gānbēi)`, don't just take a small sip as you would after “cheers.” Observe others, but be prepared to finish your glass. If you don't want to, you can say `我随意，你干了 (wǒ suíyì, nǐ gānle)`, which means “I'll drink as much as I wish, but you can finish yours.” This shows respect for the custom without requiring you to go all-in.
• Not a Solo Drink: While it's becoming more common, drinking beer alone is less culturally ingrained than in the West. `啤酒` is fundamentally a social drink, meant to be shared over a meal or activity.
• The Bottle Stays on the Table: Unlike in some Western cultures where you might hold your beer bottle, in China it's customary to pour the beer into a small glass. The bottle is left on the table for everyone to share.

• 酒 (jiǔ) - The general character for any alcoholic beverage. `啤酒` is a type of `酒`.
• 白酒 (báijiǔ) - A strong, clear Chinese spirit (like sorghum liquor). The traditional choice for formal banquets and serious toasting.
• 红酒 (hóngjiǔ) - Red wine. Its popularity and cultural status are growing, especially among the urban middle and upper classes.
• 干杯 (gānbēi) - The essential toasting phrase, literally “dry glass.” It's an invitation to drink up.
• 喝酒 (hējiǔ) - The verb “to drink alcohol.”
• 烧烤 (shāokǎo) - Chinese barbecue, especially skewers (`串儿 chuànr`), the classic food pairing for beer.
• 酒量 (jiǔliàng) - A person's capacity for alcohol. Having a large `酒量` is often seen as a point of pride.
• 一瓶 (yì píng) - “One bottle.” The most common measure word for ordering beer.
• 服务员 (fúwùyuán) - Waiter/waitress. The person you'll ask for more `啤酒`.
• 夜市 (yèshì) - Night market. A prime location to find `啤酒` and street food.