酔う

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 酔う (よう) is a godan verb for entering a state of intoxication or motion sickness because of alcohol or a vehicle.
• Basic usage: 酒を飲んで酔い uses the continuative form to lead into the resulting condition, whereas 船に酔わない is a negative form describing avoidance of seasickness.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Cause cues and inflected forms
  • Do not read 酔い here as a noun meaning intoxication; it is a verbal continuative linked to the next clause. In 船に酔わない, 船に identifies the cause of motion sickness and rules out the alcohol sense.