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Kotomora

酒

sake, alcohol

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • シュ

Kun'yomi

  • さけ
  • さか-

Nanori

  • き
  • さ
  • し

Meaning

酒 centers on alcoholic beverages, especially sake, the traditional Japanese rice wine. It broadly covers alcohol in general.

Most common words using 酒

20 of 294
  • 酒さけ
    N4

    alcohol; sake

  • 居酒屋いざかや
    N3

    izakaya; tavern, bar, etc. that also serves various dishes and snacks

  • 飲酒いんしゅ
    N3

    drinking alcohol

  • 酒場さかば
    N2

    bar; pub; tavern

  • 酒造しゅぞう

    brewing (sake); distilling (e.g. whisky)

  • 梅酒うめしゅ

    ume liqueur; Japanese plum brandy; unripe ume infused in liquor (esp. shōchū) with added sugar

  • 禁酒きんしゅ
    N1

    abstinence from alcohol; temperance

  • 酒屋さかや
    N1

    liquor store; wine shop; bottle shop

  • 酒飲みさけのみ

    (heavy) drinker; drunkard; tippler; boozer

  • 甘酒あまざけ

    sweet half sake; sweet drink made from fermented rice

  • 酒類しゅるい

    alcoholic drinks; liquor

  • 酒蔵さかぐら

    sake brewery

  • 神酒しんしゅ

    sacred wine; sacred sake; sake offered to the gods

  • 地酒じざけ

    local sake

  • 清酒せいしゅ

    refined sake

  • 酒好きさけずき

    love of drink; fondness for alcohol; person who likes to drink; drinker

  • 原酒げんしゅ

    refined sake not diluted in water; undiluted sake; unblended whisky (whiskey)

  • 酒かすさけかす

    sake lees

  • 洋酒ようしゅ
    N1

    Western wine and spirits; Western liquor

  • 酒気しゅき

    liquor smell

Explore all words using 酒 →

Study

Etymology

酒 combines 氵 (water/liquid) with 酉, a pictograph of a wine jar, to represent an alcoholic liquid. The modern form preserves this clear component relationship.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 氵 is liquid, and the right side 酉 looks like a sake jar with a lid. Picture pouring liquid from the jar: it's alcohol.

Reading mnemonic

For シュ, imagine a shoe-shaped sake cup: shoe -> シュ, and you sip sake from it.