乾杯

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 乾杯 is read as かんぱい and is a noun and する verb for raising drinks together in celebration or fellowship, or for the toast spoken at that moment.
• Basic usage: Toasting with juice appears in ジュースで乾杯する, while a host’s signal for the toast appears in 司会者の乾杯の合図.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Alcohol is not required
  • The shared celebratory act is central, so a toast can be made with juice, water, or another nonalcoholic drink.
• Difference from 祝杯
  • Compared with a celebratory cup specifically marking a success or victory, this word broadly includes ordinary social toasts.