Which one should you use?
The default form お酒が飲みたい uses the particle が, but you can also use お酒を飲みたい (osake o nomitai) to express the same desire, as using the particle を is also grammatically correct and common. For a more blunt or casual feeling, you can drop the honorific prefix お to say 酒が飲みたい (sake ga nomitai).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal request, you can say お酒をください (Osake o kudasai), which means "Please give me alcohol." An informal way to say "I want sake" is 酒ほしい (Sake hoshii).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Okinawa, you can specify a local preference by saying 泡盛が欲しい (Awamori ga hoshii) to mean "I want Awamori."
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the expression お酒が飲みたい polite and suitable for use with acquaintances or in social settings, add です to the end to get お酒が飲みたいです (osake ga nomitai desu).
How do you pronounce it?
osake ga nomitai
Did you know?
- In Japanese business culture, it is a common social custom for the highest-ranking person to be poured お酒 first. Pouring your own drink is often seen as antisocial or a sign that you have nothing left to discuss with your companions.
- While お酒 is the general term, there is a specific word 酒癖 (sakuse) that describes a person's 'drinking habit' or how their personality changes when they are drunk.
- In Japanese, the word 酒 (sake) can refer to any alcoholic beverage in a general sense, not just the specific rice wine known as 'sake' in English.
Examples in context
- 今日はお酒が飲みたい。Kyō wa osake ga nomitai.I want to drink alcohol today.
- 仕事の後は、お酒が飲みたい気分です。Shigoto no ato wa, osake ga nomitai kibun desu.After work, I feel like I want to drink alcohol.
- 休みの日には、お酒が飲みたい。Yasumi no hi ni wa, osake ga nomitai.On my days off, I want to drink alcohol.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their plans after work.
- 大翔 Hiroto仕事が終わったし、お酒が飲みたいね。Shigoto ga owatta shi, osake ga nomitai ne.Work is finished, so I want a drink, right?
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。どこに行きましょうか。Ii desu ne. Doko ni ikimashou ka.That sounds good. Where shall we go?
- 大翔 Hiroto駅の近くにいい店があるよ。Eki no chikaku ni ii mise ga aru yo.There is a good place near the station.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、そこにしましょう。Jaa, soko ni shimashou.Then, let's go there.
