酒(さけ)の肴(さかな)

さけのさかな
noun
food to accompany sake; drinking snacks
foodconsumptionculture
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

さかな first meant any side dish eaten with sake (酒(さけ) + 菜(な)). Fish was the typical one, so the word later came to mean fish itself, now written 魚(さかな); 肴(さかな) keeps the older meaning.

Similar words

  • 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

Related Words

Compare: おつまみ (drinking snacks)
Compare: あて (Kansai dialect for drinking snacks)
Related: 塩辛(しおから) (shiokara)
general
Added 2026.1.28 12:31 · Revised 2026.9.28 19:17
08500/08726_sakenosakana