辛から口くち

か

ら

く

ち

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

dry; not sweet

Most common with alcoholic drinks such as sake and wine; means dry or low in sweetness, not necessarily spicy.

私わたしは辛から口くちの日本にほん酒しゅが好

す

き

です

。

I like dry sake.

この白しろワインはすっきりした辛から口くちだ。

This white wine is a crisp dry wine.

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

liking for sake; sake lover

Rare and old-fashioned as a noun for a fondness for sake or a person who likes sake; modern Japanese usually says 酒好き for this idea.

古ふるい用よう法ほうでは、「辛から口くち」が酒さけ好ずきの人ひとを指さすことがある。
In an older usage, 辛口 can refer to a person who likes sake.

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

salty; strongly salted

Taste use meaning salty or strongly seasoned with salt. This is context-dependent and is separate from the dry-sake sense.

昔むかしながらの辛から口くちの塩しお鮭ざけをご飯はんと食たべた。
I ate traditionally salty salted salmon with rice.

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

harsh; scathing; sharp-tongued

Figurative use for comments, criticism, reviewers, and evaluators that are severe, unsparing, or sharply worded.

彼かの女じょは映えい画がに辛から口くちの批ひ評ひょうを書かいた。
She wrote a harsh review of the film.
上じょう司しから辛から口くちのコメントをもらった。
I received some blunt comments from my boss.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉は辛から口くちだ(a drink) is dry / not sweet
このワインは辛から口くちだ。
This wine is dry.
辛から口くちな評ひょう価かをするto give a harsh, unsparing assessment
その評ひょう論ろん家かは新しん作さく映えい画がに辛から口くちな評ひょう価かをした。
The critic gave the new film a scathing review.
辛から口くちの味あじ付つけstrongly salted seasoning
この漁ぎょ師し料りょう理りは辛から口くちの味あじ付つけが特とく徴ちょうだ。
This fisherman's dish is known for its strongly salted seasoning.
〈人ひと〉に辛から口くちだto be harsh or critical toward someone
監かん督とくは選せん手しゅに辛から口くちだ。
The coach is harsh with his players.

Expressions

やや辛から口くちsemi-dry; semi-secco
辛から口くちの酒さけdry sake

Kanji

辛spicy, bitter, hot
口mouth

Related words

酒さけ好ずき sense 2
酒好き is the everyday word for someone who likes sake, while the rare sense of 辛口 meaning 'sake lover' sounds old-fashioned and is rarely used today.
手て厳きびしい sense 4
手厳しい is a plain adjective for harsh or unsparing criticism, while 辛口 keeps the metaphor of a sharp taste when describing severe comments.
ドライN1
辛口 is the common Japanese word for a dry (not sweet) drink and can also mean sharply critical, while ドライ covers the same 'not sweet' sense for drinks but also means emotionally detached or businesslike.

Opposites

甘あま口くちN1sense 1
辛口 describes a dry, not-sweet taste (or a harsh critique), while 甘口 describes a sweet, mild taste (or a lenient critique).

Don't confuse with

塩しお辛からいN3sense 3
塩辛い simply means a food tastes salty, whereas 辛口 in this sense labels a dish or seasoning style as strongly salted, often as a category rather than a direct taste description.
辛から党とうN1
辛口 describes a spicy or dry taste (or a harsh critical tone), while 辛党 refers to a person who is a drinker or likes spicy food.

Etymology

A transparent compound of 辛い／辛 meaning sharp, pungent, salty, or severe, and 口 meaning mouth or taste. The taste-related meanings are basic, and the harsh-comment sense is a figurative extension.