甘党

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 甘党, read あまとう, and it combines 甘, meaning sweet, with 党, meaning a group sharing a preference.
• Basic usage: 甘党 means a person with a sweet tooth who particularly enjoys candy, desserts, or other sweet foods.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A preference describing a person and a reason for choosing a gift
  • Both examples use the form 甘党. A father's habit of eating sweets after meals reveals his preference, while a friend's love of sweets guides the choice of a fruit cake.
• A father's after-meal dessert and a fruit cake for a friend
  • 父は甘党で、食後によく菓子を食べる。 — My father has a sweet tooth and often eats dessert after meals.
  • 甘党の友人に果物のケーキを贈った。 — I gave a fruit cake to a friend who loves sweets.