Japan has a rich drinking culture — from tea ceremonies to craft beer and konbini drinks. This guide covers all the essential Japanese drink vocabulary.
At a Glance: Common Drinks
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| お茶 | おちゃ (ocha) | Tea (general) |
| 緑茶 | りょくちゃ (ryokucha) | Green tea |
| 麦茶 | むぎちゃ (mugicha) | Barley tea (cold, common in summer) |
| コーヒー | ko-hi- | Coffee |
| 牛乳 | ぎゅうにゅう (gyuunyuu) | Milk |
| ジュース | ju-su | Juice |
| 水 | みず (mizu) | Water |
| 炭酸水 | たんさんすい | Sparkling water |
Alcohol Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| ビール | bi-ru | Beer |
| 日本酒 | にほんしゅ (nihonshu) | Japanese sake |
| 焼酎 | しょうちゅう (shouchuu) | Shochu (distilled spirit) |
| ワイン | wain | Wine |
| チューハイ | chu-hai | Canned cocktail (shochu + soda) |
| ウイスキー | uisuki- | Whisky |
Ordering Drinks
〜をください / 〜をひとつお願いします。 — One 〜 please.
氷なしでお願いします。 — Without ice, please.
ホットとアイス、どちらにしますか？ — Hot or iced?
おかわりをください。 — Refill please.
YukaWhat’s the difference between お茶 and 緑茶?
Reiお茶 is the general word for tea. In Japan, お茶 often specifically means green tea (緑茶) in context — especially if someone offers you お茶 at their house, they mean green tea. 緑茶 is more specific and specific to green tea only.
YukaI’ve seen ロック and ストレート at bars. What do those mean?
Reiロック = on the rocks (with ice). ストレート = straight (no ice, no mix). 水割り = with water. ソーダ割り = with soda. These are standard bar terms in Japan for how you want your spirits served!
5 Practice Sentences
| # | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | コーヒーをアイスでお願いします。 | Iced coffee, please. |
| 2 | ビールを二本と枝豆をください。 | Two beers and edamame, please. |
| 3 | 緑茶と麦茶はどう違いますか？ | What’s the difference between green tea and barley tea? |
| 4 | 日本酒はぬる燗でお願いします。 | Sake warmed to body temperature, please. |
| 5 | 炭酸水はありますか？ | Do you have sparkling water? |
Quick Quiz
1. What is 麦茶 (mugicha)? → Barley tea
2. How do you say “without ice”? → 氷なし (koori nashi)
3. What is チューハイ? → A canned cocktail (shochu + soda + flavor)
Practice in the Comments!
Try using one of today’s words in your own sentence and post it in the comments! Join the Top Commenters ranking!
Keep Learning: Vocabulary Hub | Restaurant Vocabulary | Food Vocabulary
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