日本酒
nihonshu[ɲ̟ihõ̞ɰ̃ɕɨ]
In Japanese, the word for sake is 日本酒 (nihonshu).
日本酒 is used specifically to refer to Japanese rice wine.
Meaning: cause, interest or account (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 日本酒 is composed of 日本 (Japan) and 酒 (alcohol/liquor).
Which one should you use?
While 日本酒 specifically refers to Japanese rice wine, the word 酒 can refer to any alcoholic beverage in general.
How do you pronounce it?
nihonshu
When do people say it?
When making a toast to say "Cheers!", you can say 乾杯！
Did you know?
- The word 酒 is a homophone for the word 'salmon' (鮭), which can lead to humorous puns in Japanese wordplay.
- In traditional settings, it is considered impolite to pour your own 日本酒. Instead, you should pour for others and wait for someone to return the favor.
- In ancient Japan, 酒 was not only a drink but was used in Shinto rituals to bridge the gap between the human world and the spirits.
Examples in context
- 日本酒を飲もうよ。Let's have sake.This sentence is useful for suggesting drinking 日本酒.Tatoeba #9994407 by small_snow, translation #64382 by orcrist
- 日本酒は飲めません。I am not able to drink sake.This sentence is useful for expressing an inability to drink 日本酒.Tatoeba #10547023 by small_snow, translation #10574498 by terrywallwork
- トムは日本酒が嫌いなの。Tom doesn't like sake.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike for 日本酒.Tatoeba #9661174 by small_snow, translation #9661067 by DJ_Saidez
- 美味しい日本酒を飲みたいです！I want to drink delicious sake!
- 関西で有名な清酒を味わいたい！I want to taste the famous sake in Kansai!
- 旅館でどんなお酒が飲めるのかな？I wonder what kind of alcohol we can drink at the ryokan?
- 東北のお酒が楽しみだね！I'm excited to try sake from Tohoku!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are at a Japanese restaurant.
- 美咲 Misaki日本酒を注文しましょうか。Nihonshu o chumon shimashoka.Shall we order some sake?
- 蓮 Renいいですね。お願いします。Ii desu ne. Onegaishimasu.That sounds good. Please do.
- 美咲 Misakiおすすめの日本酒は何ですか。Osusume no nihonshu wa nan desu ka.What sake do you recommend?
- 蓮 Renこの日本酒が一番人気です。Kono nihonshu ga ichiban ninki desu.This sake is the most popular.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 日本酒, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
