字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

sake, alcohol

On’yomi シュ
Kun’yomi さけ、さか-
Nanori き、さ、し

Origin

The character combines two components: water on the left and a symbol for fermentation or alcohol on the right. Water is an essential ingredient in making sake, while the right side represents the fermented substance itself. Together, they visually communicate the idea of an alcoholic drink made through fermentation in liquid form. This compound-ideographic approach lets the character show both the main ingredient and the process, creating a direct visual representation of what sake is.

酒 10 strokes

Components

  • 氵 radical left
  • 酉 radical right

Common words

  • 飲酒 いんしゅ drinking alcohol
  • 禁酒 きんしゅ abstinence from alcohol; temperance
  • 酒屋 さかや liquor store; wine shop
  • 酒場 さかば bar; pub
  • 酒造 しゅぞう brewing (sake); distilling (e.g. whisky)
  • 酒類 しゅるい alcoholic drinks; liquor
  • 清酒 せいしゅ refined sake
  • 梅酒 うめしゅ ume liqueur; Japanese plum brandy

Related kanji

Same radical

Reference

Strokes
10
Kangxi radical
164
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#1006 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+09152