1.
light and clean; crisp and dry
Describes sake or other beverages that have a clean, light flavor without heaviness or strong sweetness. A key term in sake classification.
淡麗辛口の日本酒。
A light, dry sake.
この酒は淡麗で飲みやすい。
This sake is light and easy to drink.
新潟の地酒は淡麗な味わいで知られている。
Niigata's local sake is known for its light, clean flavor.
2.
delicate and graceful; refined beauty
Describes something with a clean, delicate beauty. A literary usage applied to appearance, scenery, or artistic works.
淡麗な容姿。
Delicate, refined looks.
淡麗な水彩画。
A delicate watercolor painting.
彼女は淡麗な顔立ちで、周囲の目を引いた。
She had refined, delicate features that drew people's attention.
A compound of 淡 (light, pale) and 麗 (beautiful, elegant). The two characters together suggest something that is beautiful in its lightness and purity.
USAGE:
Sense 1 (sake) is by far the most common modern usage. Japanese sake is often classified along two axes: 淡麗 vs. 濃醇 (rich, full-bodied) and 辛口 (dry) vs. 甘口 (sweet). 淡麗辛口 (light and dry) is the most popular style, especially from 新潟 prefecture.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 淡麗辛口 — light and dry (sake style)
- 淡麗な味わい — clean, light flavor
- 淡麗な容姿 — delicate, refined appearance
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 端麗 — handsome, beautiful; a homophone that focuses on well-proportioned beauty
- 濃醇 — rich and full-bodied (sake); the opposite in sake classification
- 上品 — elegant, refined; a more general term for refinement