strong liquor

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The on reading is ちゅう, and no kun reading is listed. It has 10 strokes. It appears in words for Japanese distilled spirits and mixed drinks made from them.
• Basic usage: 焼酎 is read しょうちゅう, and 酎ハイ is read ちゅうはい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 焼酎 / 酎ハイ
  • 焼酎 means Japanese distilled spirit and is read しょうちゅう. It refers to shochu, a Japanese distilled spirit.
  • 父は夕食に少量の焼酎を楽しんだ。 means “My father enjoyed a small amount of Japanese distilled spirit with dinner.”
  • 酎ハイ means distilled-spirit highball and is read ちゅうはい. It refers to a highball made with a distilled spirit, carbonated water, and flavoring.
  • 食事と一緒に柑橘味の酎ハイを一杯頼んだ。 means “I ordered a citrus-flavored distilled-spirit highball with my meal.”