飲酒（いんしゅ、inshu）
- drinking alcohol

The Japanese word 飲酒, pronounced いんしゅ (inshu), primarily means "drinking alcohol" or "alcohol consumption." It refers to the act of consuming alcoholic beverages. It can also encompass the broader concept of alcohol-related activities or behaviors. ⚫︎ It is a formal term, often used in official contexts, news reports, or discussions about health and social issues. ⚫︎ The word is a compound word, formed by combining the kanji 飲 (in), meaning "to drink," and 酒 (shu), meaning "alcohol" or "sake."

⚫︎ 飲酒運転は法律で禁止されています。 Translation: Driving under the influence of alcohol is prohibited by law. ⚫︎ 健康のために、適度な飲酒を心がけています。 Translation: I am mindful of moderate alcohol consumption for my health. ⚫︎ 会社の忘年会では飲酒を伴うことが多いです。 Translation: The company year-end party often involves drinking alcohol.

⚫︎ Use 飲酒 when you want to discuss the act of drinking alcohol in a general or formal sense. ⚫︎ It's suitable for discussing alcohol-related policies, health recommendations, or social issues. ⚫︎ You can use it in formal conversations, written reports, or news articles. ⚫︎ While 飲酒 is a common term, other expressions might be used in more casual conversations, such as お酒を飲む (osake o nomu, to drink alcohol) or simply 飲む (nomu, to drink).

⚫︎ The word is typically written with the kanji 飲酒. ⚫︎ The reading is いんしゅ (inshu) in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 飲酒 has synonyms, although it is already a comprehensive term. ⚫︎ 飲酒 itself is the most common and direct synonym for "drinking alcohol." ⚫︎ Depending on the context, other related terms might be used: ⚫︎ 酒を飲む (sake o nomu, to drink alcohol) - more casual ⚫︎ お酒を飲む (osake o nomu, to drink alcohol) - more polite ⚫︎ 飲酒運転 (inshu unten, drunk driving) - related activity

⚫︎ There is no single direct antonym for 飲酒 as it is. ⚫︎ Depending on the context, opposite concepts might be: ⚫︎ 禁酒 (kinshu, abstinence from alcohol) - not drinking alcohol ⚫︎ ノンアルコール (non-arukōru, non-alcoholic) - not consuming alcohol ⚫︎ 断酒 (danshu, alcohol abstinence) - quitting alcohol ⚫︎ 飲まない (nomanai, do not drink)

未成年者の飲酒は法律で禁止されています。 ・Translation: Alcohol consumption by minors is prohibited by law. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 飲酒 to discuss the legal prohibition of underage drinking, a formal and general context.

飲酒は、健康に悪影響を及ぼす可能性があります。 ・Translation: Alcohol consumption can have a negative impact on health. ・Explanation: Here, 飲酒 is used in a health-related context, discussing the potential negative effects of alcohol consumption.

The word 飲酒 is a compound word derived from Chinese. The kanji 飲 (in) is the Sino-Japanese reading of "to drink," and the kanji 酒 (shu) is the Sino-Japanese reading of "alcohol" or "sake." Combining these two characters creates the word "drinking alcohol." This type of word formation, using combined kanji, is common in Japanese.