湯呑み（ゆのみ、yunomi）
- teacup

The word 湯呑み (ゆのみ) refers to a Japanese teacup, specifically one that is typically used for drinking green tea or other types of tea. It is a cylindrical cup, often without a handle, designed to be held in the hand. The design and size can vary greatly. The term can refer to a single cup or the set.

⚫︎新しい湯呑みを買いました。 Translation: I bought a new teacup. ⚫︎お客様に湯呑みでお茶を出しました。 Translation: I served tea to the guest in a teacup. ⚫︎食後に温かい緑茶を湯呑みで飲むのが好きです。 Translation: I like drinking warm green tea in a teacup after a meal.

You use 湯呑み when talking about the teacups themselves. You can use it when referring to a specific cup, a set of cups, or simply the general type of cup used for tea. It's perfectly acceptable in both formal and informal contexts. When offering tea to someone, you would use 湯呑み to describe the cup you are using.

⚫︎The word 湯呑み is typically written in hiragana as ゆのみ or kanji as 湯呑み. ⚫︎The kanji 湯 means "hot water" or "hot", and 呑み is from the verb 飲む (to drink) in the "masu-stem" form plus suffix. ⚫︎There is no variation in the okurigana, it is always み.

There aren't many direct synonyms, but depending on the context, you might use more general terms like: ⚫︎茶碗 (ちゃわん) - This term can be used for a tea bowl, though it's broader and often refers to rice bowls as well. ⚫︎カップ (kappu) - (cup) - This is a loanword and not as specific to Japanese teacups as 湯呑み.

There are no direct antonyms for 湯呑み, as it is a specific type of object.

この美しい絵柄の湯呑み］は、お土産にぴったりです。 ・Translation: This teacup with a beautiful pattern is perfect for a souvenir. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 湯呑み to describe a specific teacup and suggests its suitability as a gift.

毎朝、私は湯呑み］で抹茶を飲みます。 ・Translation: Every morning, I drink matcha from a teacup. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a daily habit, using 湯呑み to specify the vessel used for drinking matcha.

The word 湯呑み is a compound word. 湯 (yu) means "hot water," and 呑み (nomi) comes from the verb 飲む (nomu), meaning "to drink." Thus, the word literally means "hot water drinking" or "a cup for drinking hot water" which is a perfect description of its use.