Sake or Japanese rice wine originates from Japan and is a popular alcoholic beverage all over the world. But do we pronounce the word sake right? how do the English pronunciations differ from the Japanese pronunciation? Learn in the following article.
First of all, lets have a little recap about what sake actually is:
Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink that is brewed from fermented rice. Note that another word for sake is Japanese rice wine. Sake is an important part of Japanese culture and has been consumed in Japan for centuries.
Is It Pronounced Sake Or Saki?
There are many ways to pronounce sake, depending on your native language. amongst English speakers, the most common pronunciation is “sah kee”. However, this is not the correct way to pronounce sake in Japanese.
The correct way to say sake in Japanese is “sah-keh”. The emphasis should be placed on the second syllable. The word “sake” is actually a homonym in Japanese, which means that it can be pronounced in two different ways. The other way to pronounce sake is “saki”, which is the way it is usually pronounced in English.
So now you know the difference between these two pronunciations. Sake is the Japanese way to say the drink, and saki is the English way to pronounce it.
You might be wondering why there are two different ways to pronounce the same word. Well, this is because of the different writing systems that are used in Japanese and English. In Japanese, there are three writing systems: kanji, hiragana, and katakana.
Kanji are Chinese characters that were introduced to Japan in the 5th century. Hiragana and katakana are two phonetic alphabets that were developed in Japan in the 9th century.
The word “sake” is written as 酒 in a kanji character, which is read as “shi” or “sake”. However, when this word is written in hiragana or katakana, it is read as “sa-ke”. This is why there are two different ways to pronounce the word sake.
What Are Other Names For Sake?
appō-shu: This is a type of sake that contains less than the required amount of rice polishings.
Kijoshu: This is a type of sake that is made with extra sweetening.
Kimoto: This is a traditional method of making sake.
Yamahai: This is a method of making sake that uses lactic acid bacteria.
Namazake: This is unpasteurized sake.
Ginjōshu: This is a type of premium sake that is made with special rice and has a higher alcohol content.
Daiginjōshu: This is the highest quality of ginjōshu.
How Sake Is Pronounced In Different Accents?
In American English, the word is pronounced as “saki”. However, in British English, it is pronounced as “sah-kee”.
In Australian English, the word is pronounced as “sakki”. And in New Zealand English, it is pronounced as “sakee”.
These are some of the different ways to pronounce sake. No matter how you say it, sake is a delicious drink that is enjoyed by people all over the world.
So now you know how to say sake correctly in Japanese! Next time you order an alcoholic drink at a Japanese bar, be sure to ask for “sah-keh” to make a great impression and enjoy sake like a native Japanese, cheers!
