Drinks
Collocations, Stage 2chunk 1 of 24Food & drink
Water, coffee, alcohol and tea all take nomu. These are the four drinks people offer and ask about every day.
- mizu o nomudrink water
- koohii o nomudrink coffee
- osake o nomudrink (alcohol)
- ocha o nomuhave tea, drink tea
Mix-ups All four take nomu, so drill them in one frame (mizu nomu? koohii nomu?); medicine and soup take nomu too. Making the tea or coffee is ocha o ireru (in Breakfast), never ocha o tsukuru.
mizu o nomu
polite mizu o nomimasudrink water
水を飲む みずをのむ 水を飲みます
verbnomu 飲むdrink; swallow without chewingtypical 9% of mizu
Often heard as care and advice, after drinking alcohol or in the heat: mizu nonda? (have you had some water?), mizu nonde ne (make sure you drink water). Also when thirsty: nodo kawaita, mizu nomitai (I'm thirsty, I want some water). Casual speech drops o.
atsui kara, mizu chanto nonde ne.
It's hot, so make sure you drink enough water.
暑いから、水ちゃんと飲んでね。
atsui node, omizu o chanto nonde kudasai ne.
It's hot, so please make sure you drink enough water.
暑いので、お水をちゃんと飲んでくださいね。
mizu is cold or room-temperature water; hot water is oyu, not atsui mizu. In restaurants ask for omizu, which is free. In polite heat warnings you hear komame ni suibun o totte kudasai (keep taking fluids).
Same verb: gyuunyuu (milk), suupu (soup, even with a spoon), misoshiru (miso soup)Learn alongside: koohii o nomu, osake o nomu, ocha o nomuMain list: nomu (Stage 2)
koohii o nomu
polite koohii o nomimasudrink coffee
コーヒーを飲む コーヒーをのむ コーヒーを飲みます
verbnomu 飲むdrink; swallow without chewingtypical 26% of koohii
Used to offer a cup and to talk about habits: koohii nomu? (want a coffee?), koohii wa nomanai (I don't drink coffee). Casual speech drops o, and koohii demo nomu? (a coffee or something?) softens an invitation.
asa wa koohii nomanai to dame na n da.
I can't get going in the morning without coffee.
朝はコーヒー飲まないとダメなんだ。
asa wa koohii o nomanai to dame na n desu.
I can't get going in the morning without coffee.
朝はコーヒーを飲まないとダメなんです。
To order, say koohii (o) onegaishimasu or koohii ni shimasu (I'll have coffee). Making it is koohii o ireru.
Same verb: kafeore (milky coffee), kokoa (hot chocolate), juusu (juice)Learn alongside: mizu o nomu, osake o nomu, ocha o nomuMain list: nomu (Stage 2), -demo (Stage 3)
osake o nomu
polite osake o nomimasudrink (alcohol)
お酒を飲む おさけをのむ お酒を飲みます
verbnomu 飲むdrink; swallow without chewingtypical 53% of osake
trap Learners take osake to mean Japanese sake, but it covers any alcohol, beer and wine included; rice wine is nihonshu.
Used to ask about and describe drinking: osake nomu? or osake nomeru? (do you drink?), anmari nomanai (I don't drink much). Casual speech drops o, and once drinking is the topic nomu alone means alcohol: kinou nomisugita (I drank too much last night).
kyou kuruma da kara, osake wa nomenai.
I'm driving today, so I can't drink.
今日車だから、お酒は飲めない。
kyou wa kuruma na node, osake wa nomenai n desu.
I'm driving today, so I can't drink.
今日は車なので、お酒は飲めないんです。
nomi ni iku (go out for drinks) and nomikai (a drinking party) use the same nomu. How much you can take is osake ni tsuyoi / osake ni yowai, casually osake yowai n da (I'm a lightweight). Bare sake (sake nomou ze) is rougher, mostly male speech; osake is the everyday default for everyone.
Same verb: biiru (beer), wain (wine), nihonshu (Japanese sake), haibooru (highball)Learn alongside: mizu o nomu, koohii o nomu, ocha o nomuMain list: nomu (Stage 2)
ocha o nomu
polite ocha o nomimasuhave tea, drink tea
お茶を飲む おちゃをのむ お茶を飲みます
verbnomu 飲むdrink; swallow without chewingtypical 26% of ocha
trap English 'tea' means black tea, but ocha is green or other Japanese tea (mugicha, houjicha); black tea, with or without milk, is koucha.
Said at home and at work, and as a soft offer or invitation: ocha demo nomu? (fancy a cup of tea?). Casual speech drops o, and ocha means whatever Japanese tea is on hand, including cold mugicha.
chotto kyuukei shite, ocha demo nomou.
Let's take a short break and have some tea.
ちょっと休憩して、お茶でも飲もう。
chotto kyuukei shite, ocha demo nomimashou.
Let's take a short break and have some tea.
ちょっと休憩して、お茶でも飲みましょう。
ocha ni shiyou / ocha ni shimashou ka (let's stop for tea) is the usual way to call a tea break. ocha shinai? / ocha shiyou (go for tea) means a café break, coffee included. Making the tea is ocha o ireru.
Same verb: koucha (black tea), mugicha (barley tea), uuroncha (oolong tea)Learn alongside: mizu o nomu, koohii o nomu, osake o nomuMain list: nomu (Stage 2), -demo (Stage 3), -ou / -you (Stage 4)