How to say "sake" in Japanese

• 酒さけJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe drink. It means alcohol in general, but it also refers to sake itself, so it fits contexts like ordering a drink or talking about drinking.
  僕ぼくは酒さけも煙草たばこもやらないんだ。↗

  I neither drink nor smoke.
• 日本酒にほんしゅCommon
  nounAlso the drink, but specific: it names sake as rice wine, and is what you use when you need to distinguish sake from other alcoholic drinks, as on a menu.
  うっ！日本酒にほんしゅが効きいてきた。視点してんがあわなくてまっすぐ歩あるけない。↗

  Whoo! I'm feeling that sake. I'm getting blurred vision and I can't walk straight.
• ためJLPT N4approx.Common
  noun, adverbNot the drink at all: this is the 'for the sake of' sense, meaning purpose or aim, as in doing something for someone's sake; it is usually written in kana alone.
  １月がつ３０日にち、３１日にちは葬式そうしきのため休やすみます。↗

  I'm taking bereavement leave on Jan. 30 and 31.

For the drink, 酒 is the general word for alcohol and also covers sake; use 日本酒 when you want to specify rice wine; for the purpose sense, as in 'for someone's sake', use 「ため」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 酒さけalcohol
• 日本酒にほんしゅsake (rice wine)
• 酒ささalcohol
• 粗酒そしゅsake (implied to be low-grade)
• ポン酒ポンしゅsake
• お酒おさけalcohol
• 御酒ごしゅalcohol
• きちがい水きちがいみずalcohol
• 酒さかalcohol
• ためsake
• お神酒おみきsake
• 正宗まさむねsake
• 九献くこんsake (secret language of court ladies)
• 三水さんずいalcohol
• 気付け薬きつけぐすりalcohol
• 玉箒たまははきliquor