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What is the Kanji for 'Vinegar'? | 酢

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Vinegar', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Vinegar' is 酢.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Vinegar

    Reading

    kunyomi

    su

    onyomiさく

    saku

    Parts

    Bird of the zodiac

    Example Word

    酢: vinegar. The Japanese noun '酢 (す)' means 'vinegar'. It refers to the sour liquid made through fermentation, commonly used in cooking, seasoning, or preserving food. In Japanese cuisine, vinegar is a key ingredient in dishes like sushi rice, salads, and pickles. Example sentences: I added vinegar to the salad「サラダに酢を入れました」(サラダにすをいれました). This vinegar is very sour「この酢はとても酸っぱいです」(このすはとてもすっぱいです). Vinegar is also used in traditional Japanese remedies and cleaning due to its antibacterial properties.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    12

    JLPT

    N1

    Grade

    9

    Frequency

    2025

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    radical

    Meaning

    Bird of the zodiac

    component

Words Using

This kanji is used in 1 word:

    word

    Meaning

    Vinegar

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 13 kanji contain the part 酉 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Alcohol, Sake

    kanji

    Meaning

    Distribute

    kanji

    Meaning

    Drunk

    kanji

    Meaning

    Bitter, Acid

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ugly

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cruel, Severe

    kanji

    Meaning

    Brew

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ferment, Fermentation

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pour wine, Bartending

    kanji

    Meaning

    Dairy produce, Dairy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reward, Repay

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sake

    kanji

    Meaning

    Awakening

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 2 kanji contain the part 乍 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Yesterday, Previous

    kanji

    Meaning

    Lie, Swindle

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 酢 mean?

酢 means 'Vinegar'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Senior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N1 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.