(うとう)

うとう
noun
tea drinker; teetotaler; person who doesn't drink alcohol
personculture
1. tea drinker; teetotaler; person who doesn't drink alcohol
A person who prefers tea or other non-alcoholic beverages over alcohol. An older, somewhat playful expression contrasting with 左党(さとう) (a drinker). Derives from the traditional association of the right hand with rice (and by extension, non-alcoholic drinks).
My father is a teetotaler and doesn't drink alcohol at all.
This drinking party has a menu that non-drinkers can enjoy too.
My friend who drinks and I who don't enjoy drinking parties in different ways.

The origin of this term relates to traditional Japanese customs. In the drinking culture, the (ひだり) (left) side was associated with sake (because craftsmen held their chisel in the left hand and their hammer — (つち), homophonous with a sake vessel — in the right), so 左党(さとう) came to mean a drinker. 右党(うとう) is its counterpart for non-drinkers.

This is an older expression that is still understood but less commonly used in modern casual conversation, where 下戸(げこ) (non-drinker) is more typical.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 左党(さとう): drinker, sake lover — the opposite term for someone who enjoys alcohol
  • 下戸(げこ): non-drinker — the more common word for someone who can't or doesn't drink
  • 上戸(じょうご): heavy drinker — someone who can drink a lot