Explore 酒 in words for alcoholic drinks, shops and cooking. Learn each reading with the whole word.

The idea

酒 has 10 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 酒 is さけ on its own, while 日本酒 is にほんしゅ, 酒屋 is さかや and 梅酒 is うめしゅ. The reading changes with the word.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
酒さけalcoholic drink
日本酒にほんしゅJapanese sake
酒屋さかやliquor store
梅酒うめしゅplum liqueur

Examples

  • 父ちちは酒さけを飲のみません。My father does not drink alcohol.
  • 日本酒にほんしゅを少すこし料理りょうりに使つかいます。I use a little sake in cooking.
  • 駅前えきまえに酒屋さかやがあります。There is a liquor store in front of the station.
  • 母ははは梅酒うめしゅを作つくります。My mother makes plum liqueur.
  • 友達ともだちはお酒さけの代かわりにお茶ちゃを飲のみました。My friend drank tea instead of alcohol.
  • この店みせでは地元じもとの酒さけを売うっています。This shop sells local alcoholic drinks.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

酒 or polite お酒 can mean alcohol generally; 日本酒 specifies Japanese sake. 酒屋 uses さか, not さけ, before 屋.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 酒 in 酒を飲みます in hiragana.

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    さけ

    酒 in 酒を飲みます is さけ: the word means an alcoholic drink.

  2. Write the reading of 日本酒 in hiragana.

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    にほんしゅ

    日本酒 is にほんしゅ; 酒 is read しゅ in this compound.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: 梅＿（うめしゅ）［酒／酉］.

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    酒

    酒 completes 梅酒（うめしゅ）, plum liqueur. 酉 lacks the three water strokes on the left.

Use it today

Write 酒 using the diagram, cover the table and read the four words. Make a sentence with one.