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焼酎 (しょうちゅう, shouchuu) Japanese meaning: shōchū | Kotomora
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I'll have a shōchū with hot water, please.
This shōchū has a distinctive flavor.
Usage patterns 焼しょう 酎ちゅう を 〈 物もの 〉 で 割わ る to dilute shochu with (water, hot water, soda, etc.)
Drinking shochu diluted with hot water warms you up.
〈 物もの 〉 に 焼しょう 酎ちゅう が 合あ う shochu goes well with (a certain food)
Shochu goes well with grilled fish.
Related words 泡盛 is an Okinawan distilled spirit made from Thai rice and black koji, while 焼酎 refers to mainland Japanese distilled spirits made from sweet potato, barley, rice, etc.
日本酒 is brewed (like beer or wine) and has a lower alcohol content, whereas 焼酎 is distilled and typically stronger.
ウイスキー is a Western grain-based spirit while 焼酎 is a traditional Japanese distilled liquor usually made from sweet potato, barley, or rice.
ウォッカ is the Russian-style distilled spirit, while 焼酎 is a Japanese distilled liquor made from ingredients like barley or sweet potato.
Don't confuse with 焼酎 is the plain distilled spirit itself, while 酎ハイ is the mixed drink made by combining 焼酎 with soda and flavoring.
掌中 (in one's grasp) and 焼酎 (a distilled Japanese liquor) are pronounced identically but are completely unrelated in meaning.
焼酎 is a distilled spirit (often from sweet potato, barley, or rice), while 日本酒 is brewed, not distilled, and generally has a lower alcohol content.
焼酎 is a Japanese distilled spirit while シュナップス is a German-style fruit brandy, so learners may mix them up as generic strong liquor.
Word family· 13 chestnut shōchū
rice shōchū
sweet potato shōchū
barley shōchū
Written forms 焼しょう 酎ちゅう Usage 98%
Standard kanji spelling for the distilled spirit.
しょうちゅう Usage 2%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially on menus and labels.
Etymology From Chinese 燒酒 (shāojiǔ), literally 'burned liquor', referring to the distillation process. The kanji 焼 means 'burn/heat' and 酎 is a character specifically for distilled spirits.
shiso shōchū; red perilla shōchū