Understanding the Terminology of Sake

Sake is written as 酒 in Kanji, or さけ in Hiragana. The Kanji ‘酒’ can also be pronounced as Shu when used as a suffix.

The word Sake (酒) also means alcoholic beverages in general, so there are other names that specifically refer to Sake:

• Nihonshu (日本酒): Literally meaning ‘Japanese Sake’. This term is commonly used among Japanese people when they refer to Sake.
• Seishu (清酒): This is a legal term referring to Sake. You will see this word on the label of a Sake bottle, instead of just Sake (酒) or Nihonshu (日本酒).