The kanji 酉 primarily represents a "chicken," "cock," or "rooster." It can also refer more broadly to poultry or the tenth of the twelve Earthly Branches in the traditional Chinese zodiac, representing the hour of 5-7 PM and the month of September. This kanji is often associated with the concept of alcoholic beverages due to its connection to the brewing process, historically involving the use of chickens or fowl for divination.

・On-yomi (音読み): ユウ (yuu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): とり (tori)

⚫︎ 酉年 (とりどし) Translation: The Year of the Rooster (in the Chinese zodiac) ⚫︎ 酉の刻 (とりのこく) Translation: The hour of the rooster; 6 PM (historically) ⚫︎ 清酒 (せいしゅ) Translation: Sake (although this word doesn't directly use 酉, it relates to alcohol which is associated with the kanji)

The kanji 酉 is a pictograph. ⚫︎ It originally depicted a wine vessel. ⚫︎ Over time, this evolved to represent a bird (specifically, a chicken). ⚫︎ The connection to birds likely stems from the use of chickens in ancient divination practices related to brewing or other activities done in a similar context.