Meaning

Primary

Sake

Alternative

Alcohol

Word Type

noun

Explanation

This is just the noun version of the kanji - it has an there to be nice. This word can mean both alcohol (like the parent kanji) or sake (the main kind of Japanese alcohol, at least back in the kanji days).

Reading

おさけ
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading is kun'yomi, which isn't what you learned with the kanji. But, it should be pretty easy. You know what Japanese alcohol is called already, right? It's さけ, simple as that. So long as you've heard of sake you should be A-Okay with this reading.

Context

Pattern of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • お酒を飲む

    to drink alcohol

    お酒を買う

    to buy alcohol

    お酒をたしなむ

    to like to drink alcohol every now and then, to drink just to be sociable

Context Sentences

このドリンクはお酒が入ってますか?

Does this drink contain alcohol?

日本で、お酒を飲めるのは二十才以上の大人だけです。

In Japan, only adults over twenty years old can drink.

お酒に弱いので、お茶をいただきます。

I don't have much alcohol tolerance, so I will have tea.

Kanji Composition