How do you use 醉翁之意不在酒 in a sentence?
Dad said he only came to watch my soccer game, but he spent the whole time talking with the coach about our school garden. His real intention was elsewhere; it was a case of “醉翁之意不在酒.”
爸爸说他只是来看我踢足球，可他整场都在跟教练聊学校花园的事，真是“醉翁之意不在酒”。
Mia kept inviting her cousin to the library, but she was not really interested in books; she wanted to ask for help with her science project. That is “醉翁之意不在酒.”
米娅总邀请表姐去图书馆，其实她并不是真的只想看书，而是想请表姐帮她做科学作业，真是“醉翁之意不在酒”。
The mayor praised the painting contest, but everyone knew his real goal was to encourage people to care more about the town park; his praise for art was “醉翁之意不在酒.”
市长表面上在称赞绘画比赛，大家却都知道他真正的目的，是让更多人关心镇上的公园，这正是“醉翁之意不在酒”。
When does it fit — and when doesn't it?
✓ Fits
Lena said she wanted to visit Grandma for the cake, but she was really hoping to hear family stories, so this is a good example of “醉翁之意不在酒.”
丽娜说她去看奶奶是为了吃蛋糕，其实更想听家里的故事，这很适合用“醉翁之意不在酒”。
✗ Doesn't fit
Ben loves orange juice more than milk, so this is not “醉翁之意不在酒.”
本比起牛奶更喜欢橙汁，这就不适合用“醉翁之意不在酒”。
Why?
The second sentence only shows a simple preference, not a hidden real intention behind something else.
第二句只是单纯表示喜好，没有“借这个说那个”或“真正目的在别处”的意思。
Common mistake
A common mistake is using the idiom just to mean “not interested in wine” or “not interested in what is in front of you.”
常见错误是把这个成语误解成“对酒没兴趣”或“对眼前的东西没兴趣”。
Correction
Use it when someone mentions one thing, but their real purpose or deeper interest is somewhere else.
这个成语应该用来表示：表面说的是一件事，真正的目的或兴趣却在别处。
Why does this error happen?
The error happens because learners understand the words literally and miss the idiom’s figurative meaning about hidden intention.
What do exams test about this idiom?
In PSLE or HSK-style questions, this idiom is usually tested for its figurative meaning and whether students can tell when a speaker’s stated reason is not their real purpose.
小测验 · Quick Quiz
Test your understanding
1. What does 醉翁之意不在酒 mean?
醉翁之意不在酒是什么意思？
Your real intention is elsewhere: what you say you care about is only the surface, and your true focus is something else
真正的用意在别处：表面上说的是一件事，内心真正关注的其实是另一件事
To enjoy two things at the same time, like loving both the wine and the mountain equally
同时喜欢两件事，比如既爱喝酒又爱欣赏山水
To pretend you do not want something when you actually want it very much
明明很想要某样东西，却假装自己不在乎
2. When the pavilion was finished and Ouyang Xiu announced its name, what did the young attendant notice?
亭子建好后，欧阳修宣布了亭子的名字，小书童注意到了什么？
Zhi Xian the monk immediately suggested carving the name above the pavilion gate as a gift
智仙和尚立刻提议把名字刻在亭子门框上，作为贺礼
The wine jar was still mostly full, and his master was plainly not drunk, so the name left him baffled
酒壶里还有大半壶酒，主人明明一点也不醉，这个名字让他完全摸不着头脑
The people of Chuzhou climbed the mountain at once to see the new pavilion and stayed all afternoon
滁州百姓听说亭子有了名字，纷纷上山来看，一直待到傍晚
3. Which sentence uses 醉翁之意不在酒 correctly?
哪个句子正确地使用了醉翁之意不在酒？
Ben loves orange juice more than milk and always picks the sweeter drink. That is 醉翁之意不在酒.
本比起牛奶更喜欢橙汁，每次都选更甜的那个。这就是醉翁之意不在酒。
Lena said she wanted to visit Grandma for the cake, but she was really hoping to hear family stories. That is 醉翁之意不在酒.
丽娜说她去看奶奶是为了吃蛋糕，其实她更想听奶奶讲家里的故事。这才是醉翁之意不在酒。
Kai was excited about the school trip because he had never been on a bus before. He said exactly what he meant. That is 醉翁之意不在酒.
凯对学校郊游感到兴奋，因为他从没坐过大巴。他说的就是他心里想的。这就是醉翁之意不在酒。
Answers: 1A · 2B · 3B