Chinese

Noun

白酒

1. baijiu, a distilled liquor

Usage notes

To be distinguished from 白葡萄酒 (báipútáojiǔ), the Chinese name for the much weaker, undistilled white wine.

Synonyms

• 燒酒／烧酒 (shāojiǔ)

Hypernyms

• 酒 (jiǔ)

Hyponyms

• 高粱 (gāoliáng)

See also

• 黃酒／黄酒 (huángjiǔ)
• 葡萄酒 (pútáojiǔ)
• 啤酒 (píjiǔ)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Compound of 白 ‎(shiro, “white”) +‎ 酒 ‎(sake, “liquor”). The sake changes to zake due to rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɺ̠o̞za̠ke̞]

Noun

白酒 ‎(hiragana しろざけ, romaji shirozake)

1. a white, unfiltered, sweet, and sometimes thick porridge-like fermented liquor made from rice; traditionally served at 雛祭り ‎(Hina matsuri) and other festivals
2. alternate name for 濁酒 ‎(doburoku), 濁り酒 ‎(nigorizake): white unfiltered and sweet sake

Synonyms

• (thick sake served at festivals): 山川酒 (やまがわざけ) ‎(yamagawazake)
• (unfiltered sake): 濁酒 (じょくしゅく) ‎(jokushuku), 濁酒 (だくしゅ) ‎(dakushu), 濁酒 (どぶろく) ‎(doburoku)
• (unfiltered sake): 濁 (にご)り酒 (ざけ) ‎(nigorizake)

Etymology 2

Compound of 白 ‎(shiro, “white”) +‎ 酒 ‎(ki, “liquor”). The ki reading for 酒 is archaic.

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɺ̠o̞kʲi]

Noun

白酒 ‎(hiragana しろき, romaji shiroki)

1. white fermented liquor made from rice, used as an offering at Shinto rituals

   Fermented from specially selected rice, with half used as shiroki and half mixed with incense ash and used as kuroki (黒酒). Used in particular at the 大嘗祭 ‎(daijōsai) and 新嘗祭 ‎(nīnamesai) rituals held in late November, wherein the emperor would beseech the gods for a good harvest in the year to come.

See also

• 黒酒 (くろき) ‎(kuroki): black liquor
• 大嘗祭 (だいじょうさい) ‎(daijōsai), 新嘗祭 (にいなめさい) ‎(nīnamesai): Shinto rituals wherein the emperor prays for a good harvest in the year to come

Etymology 3

Compound of 白 ‎(shiro, “white”) +‎ 酒 ‎(sasa, “liquor”). The sasa reading for 酒 is a 女房詞 ‎(nyōbōshi), a term only used by women.

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɺ̠o̞sa̠sa̠]

Noun

白酒 ‎(hiragana しろささ, romaji shirosasa)

1. a 女房詞 ‎(nyōbōshi) or "women's word" for shirozake

Etymology 4

From Sinitic 白酒.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ha̠kɯᵝɕɯᵝ]

Noun

白酒 ‎(hiragana はくしゅ, romaji hakushu)

1. generic term for nigorizake, doburoku, shirozake

Usage notes

This reading using the on'yomi is considered slightly more formal, rather like how words in English that have Latin or Greek roots are considered slightly more formal than synonyms that have Anglo-Saxon roots.

See also

• 濁 (にご)り酒 (ざけ) ‎(nigorizake)
• 濁酒 (どぶろく) ‎(doburoku)

Etymology 5

From modern Chinese 白酒 ‎(báijiǔ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pa̠it͡ɕɯᵝː]

Noun

白酒 ‎(hiragana ぱいちゅう, katakana パイチュー, romaji paichū)

1. Chinese distilled liquor

Usage notes

This reading is more often spelled in katakana as パイチュー to differentiate from the default hakushu on'yomi for these characters.