酒

• Reading: さけ
• Romaji: sake
• Kanji breakdown: 酒 (sake/shu) — alcohol, sake
• Pronunciation: /sa.ke/

Meaning

Alcohol; sake; alcoholic beverage. General term for alcoholic drinks, or specifically Japanese rice wine.

A noun with two overlapping uses: (1) alcohol in general (any alcoholic drink), and (2) specifically Japanese rice wine (nihonshu). In everyday speech, お酒 (with honorific prefix) is the standard form. Common compounds: 日本酒 (Japanese sake), 酒屋 (liquor store), 居酒屋 (izakaya, Japanese pub). The word is fundamental to Japanese social culture.

Examples

1. 週末に友達とお酒を飲んだ。 I had drinks with friends over the weekend.
2. お酒は二十歳になってから飲めます。 You can drink alcohol once you turn twenty.
3. 父はお酒に強いが、私は弱い。 My dad can hold his liquor, but I'm a lightweight.

Usage Guide

Context: social life, dining, culture

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 酒 combines 氵 (water radical) and 酉 (wine vessel, tenth zodiac sign). The vessel radical 酉 originally depicted a jar for fermenting alcohol, clearly connecting to the meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal