1.
non-drinker, person who can't hold their liquor
A person who does not drink alcohol, or who has a very low tolerance for it.
私は下戸です。
I don't drink alcohol.
下戸だから飲み会はちょっと苦手だ。
I'm a non-drinker, so drinking parties are a bit tough for me.
彼は下戸なのに飲み会の幹事をいつも引き受けてくれる。
Even though he's a non-drinker, he always takes on the role of organizer for drinking parties.
A traditional word for someone who cannot or does not drink alcohol. The term is not derogatory and is often used by non-drinkers to describe themselves.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 下戸だから — because I'm a non-drinker
- 下戸でも楽しめる — enjoyable even for non-drinkers
- 生まれつきの下戸 — a born non-drinker
OPPOSITE:
- 上戸 — a heavy drinker, someone who can hold their liquor
ETYMOLOGY:
Originally referred to lower-ranking households in the old tax system, which were allotted less sake. The ranking system gave more sake to higher-ranking (上戸) households and less to lower-ranking (下戸) ones.
CULTURAL NOTE:
In Japan's drinking culture, being a 下戸 can feel socially awkward at company events (飲み会), though attitudes have become more accepting in recent years.