酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)

さけのさかな
noun
food to accompany sake; drinking snacks
1. food served with sake; drinking snacks
dishes meant to be enjoyed while drinking alcohol
枝豆(えだまめ)は酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)に最適(さいてき)だ。
Edamame is perfect as a drinking snack.
この刺身(さしみ)は酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)にぴったりだ。
This sashimi is perfect to go with sake.
簡単(かんたん)な酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)を作(つく)って友人(ゆうじん)を迎(むか)えた。
I made some simple drinking snacks and welcomed my friend.
2. topic of conversation while drinking
something to talk about during a drinking session (figurative)
その失敗談(しっぱいだん)は酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)になった。
That failure story became a topic of conversation while drinking.
昔話(むかしばなし)を酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)にして飲(の)む。
We drink while chatting about old times.
あの話(はなし)は酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)にしかならない。
That story is only good for drinking conversation.

ETYMOLOGY:
肴(さかな) originally meant "food served with sake" before it came to mean "fish." The word 肴(さかな) is written with a different kanji (肴) than the common word for fish (魚(さかな)).

SYNONYMS:

  • おつまみ - drinking snacks (more casual)
  • 酒肴(しゅこう) - drinking food (more formal/literary)
  • あて - Kansai dialect for drinking snacks

COMMON DRINKING SNACKS IN JAPAN:

  • 枝豆(えだまめ) (edamame)
  • 焼(や)き鳥(とり) (yakitori)
  • 冷奴(ひややっこ) (cold tofu)
  • 漬物(つけもの) (pickles)
  • 刺身(さしみ) (sashimi)
general
Added 2026.1.28 12:31
08500/08726_sakenosakana