清醒

qīng xǐng

clear-headed; sober; come to/round

HSK Level 4

Example Sentences

他终于清醒了。

tā zhōngyú qīngxǐngle.

He finally woke up.

我必须保持清醒。

wǒ bìxū bǎochí qīngxǐng.

I must stay awake.

他喝醉了,现在还没有清醒。

tā hēzuìle, xiànzài hái méiyǒu qīngxǐng.

He got drunk and hasn't sobered up yet.

Synonyms

清醒 (qǐngxǐng)

sober

清醒 (qǐngxǐng)

awake

Antonyms

糊涂 (hú tu)

confused

迷糊 (mí hu)

dazed

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 清醒 (qīng xǐng) is composed of two characters: 清 (qīng) and 醒 (xǐng). The character 清 originally meant "clear water" or "pure water", and later extended to mean "clear", "bright", or "clean". The character 醒 originally meant "to wake up" or "to become sober", and later extended to mean "to be aware" or "to be conscious". When combined, the two characters 清醒 form a compound word that means "to be clear-headed" or "to be sober-minded". In a figurative sense, 清醒 can also mean "to be rational" or "to be free from illusion".

Start Learning with HSK Tracker

Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.

Get Started Free
HSK Tracker Preview