1.
low sugar, slightly sweetened
A label used primarily on canned coffee and other beverages to indicate a small amount of added sugar, less than regular sweetened versions but not sugar-free.
微糖のコーヒーを買った。
I bought a low-sugar coffee.
甘いのは苦手なので微糖にした。
I don't like sweet things, so I went with low sugar.
自動販売機に微糖と無糖の缶コーヒーが並んでいる。
The vending machine has low-sugar and sugar-free canned coffees lined up.
Extremely common on Japanese beverage labels, especially canned coffee. The sweetness levels for canned coffee in Japan typically follow this scale:
- 加糖: sweetened (standard sugar)
- 微糖: slightly sweetened / low sugar
- 無糖: unsweetened / sugar-free
- ブラック: black (no sugar or milk)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 微糖コーヒー: low-sugar coffee
- 微糖タイプ: low-sugar type
CULTURAL NOTE:
The exact sugar content for 微糖 is not legally defined in Japan, so it varies by manufacturer. It generally contains less sugar than 加糖 but is not zero.