wan3醞酝

Jyutpingwan3

Yalewan

Definition

To brew, ferment, or make alcohol.

colloquialfooddrink

How it's used

Focuses on the slow, internal process of creation or development, whether for liquids like alcohol or abstract concepts like emotions. It implies patience and a passage of time where something matures or intensifies. While it can apply to literal fermentation, it is frequently used metaphorically for brewing up trouble or developing a feeling.

Examples

le1呢zeon1樽zau2酒wan3醞zo2咗hou2好noi6耐㗎gaa2喇。

This bottle of wine has been brewing for a long time.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知dim2點joeng2樣wan3醞le1呢zung3種zau2酒aa4呀？

Do you know how to brew this kind of wine?

Common phrases

cing4情seoi5緒

to brew up emotions

hei3氣fan1氛

to build up an atmosphere

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 釀, which is the more common character for the act of brewing or winemaking in written contexts. 醞 is often reserved for the process of fermentation or the slow development of an atmosphere or mood.