Word
乾杯
Meaning in EnglishCheers! (a toast)
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Word context
What it means
乾杯 means 'cheers' or 'to toast' and is spoken when people raise their glasses to celebrate or wish someone well before drinking.
Main meanings
- Used as a toast utterance before drinking at celebrations and meals.
- Conveys goodwill and wishes for happiness, health, or success.
- Appears in both formal ceremonies and casual gatherings, often accompanied by clinking of glasses.
How to use it
Used in both formal and casual drinking contexts to propose or respond to a toast; in ceremonies or business meals it may be delivered by a senior participant; commonly followed by clinking of glasses and drinking.
Variants and close terms
- kanpai — standard romaji reading
- カンパイ — katakana representation used in signs or casual speech
- 乾杯 — kanji form used in writing; this is the standard form
Composition
- 乾: dry, to dry or empty; 杯: cup or glass; together they imply draining the cup in a ritual toast
Etymology
Loanword from Chinese gānbēi (干杯/幹杯); phonology shifted to Japanese on'yomi kan + pai, forming kanpai
Word class
Interjection (感嘆詞)
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