白湯さゆ

also: しらゆ · はくとう

さ

ゆ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

plain hot water; boiled water

Refers to hot water without tea, coffee, or other additives; often served as a drink or used for warming sake.

風邪かぜをひいたときは、白湯さゆを飲のむといいですよ。
When you have a cold, it's good to drink plain hot water.
朝あさ起おきたら、まず白湯さゆを一いっ杯ぱい飲のむようにしている。
I make it a habit to drink a cup of plain hot water first thing in the morning.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

白white
湯hot water, bath, hot spring
素elementary, principle, naked

Related words

お湯ゆ
お湯 is general hot water, often used for bathing or cooking; 白湯 specifically means plain hot water for drinking or medicinal use, without any additives.
湯ゆ冷ざまし
湯冷まし is boiled water that has been cooled down, often given to babies; 白湯 is served hot.

Written forms

白湯Usage100%
- さゆ
  Standard kanji spelling for plain hot water, read さゆ.
- しらゆ
  Alternate reading of the same kanji; less common than さゆ.
- はくとう
  Sino-Japanese reading; mainly used in formal or technical contexts.
さ湯ゆ
Mixed kana-kanji spelling sometimes seen in informal writing.
素湯さゆ
Uncommon variant using 素; rarely encountered.
しらゆ
はくとう

Etymology

白 (white/pure) + 湯 (hot water). The reading さゆ is a native Japanese reading (kun'yomi) of the kanji, while はくとう is the Sino-Japanese reading. The exact origin of さゆ is uncertain, but it has been used historically to refer to plain hot water.