Contents
Meaning
酒の肴 (sake no sakana) refers to food or snacks eaten while drinking alcohol — essentially anything you nibble on alongside a drink to enhance the experience.
Etymology — なぜ「肴」なのか？
The word 肴 (sakana) originally meant “fish” (same reading as 魚), because fish dishes were the most common accompaniment to sake in traditional Japan. Over time, it broadened to mean any food or snack paired with alcohol.
English Equivalents
| 英語 | ニュアンス |
|---|---|
| Bar snacks | casual, pub-style nibbles |
| Drinking food | informal, broad term |
| Appetizers / nibbles | light bites alongside drinks |
| Pub grub | British English, casual bar food |
| Drinking snacks | straightforward, everyday term |
There is no single perfect English equivalent — the concept is best captured as “food enjoyed alongside drinks” or “snacks to go with alcohol.”
Nuance to Know
酒の肴 carries a warm, convivial feeling. It’s not just about the food itself — it implies a relaxed social setting where drinks and conversation flow together. In that sense, it’s close to the Spanish idea of tapas culture, where eating and drinking are inseparable social rituals.
In modern usage, 酒の肴 can also be used metaphorically to mean “a topic of conversation” or “something to gossip about over drinks” — for example:
「彼の失敗談が酒の肴になった。」 “His blunder became the perfect topic to chat about over drinks.”
Example sentences
酒の肴 — 例文20選
1
枝豆は定番の酒の肴だ。 Edamame is a classic drinking snack.
2
このお店は酒の肴の種類が豊富で、何時間でもいられる。 This place has such a wide variety of bar snacks that you could stay for hours.
3
冷奴は夏の酒の肴として最高だ。 Chilled tofu is the perfect drinking snack for summer.
4
彼は酒の肴に柿ピーを欠かさない。 He never goes without Kaki-pi as his snack with drinks.
5
唐揚げはビールの酒の肴にぴったりだ。 Fried chicken is the perfect accompaniment to beer.
6
母が手作りの酒の肴をいくつか用意してくれた。 My mother prepared several homemade snacks to go with our drinks.
7
酒の肴があると、ついもう一杯飲んでしまう。 When there are good snacks alongside the drinks, I always end up having one more glass.
8
燻製チーズは赤ワインの酒の肴として人気が高い。 Smoked cheese is a popular snack to pair with red wine.
9
日本酒には、やはり和食の酒の肴が合う。 Japanese cuisine is still the best accompaniment to sake.
10
彼女は酒の肴だけで晩酌を楽しむのが好きだ。 She enjoys her evening drinks accompanied by nothing but small bites.
11
この居酒屋は酒の肴が安くて美味しいと評判だ。 This izakaya has a reputation for cheap and delicious drinking food.
12
冷蔵庫にある残り物を酒の肴にした。 I used the leftovers in the fridge as snacks to go with my drinks.
13
刺身は日本酒の酒の肴の中でも最高峰だと思う。 I think sashimi is the finest of all food pairings with Japanese sake.
14
おつまみとして売られているものの多くが酒の肴になる。 Most things sold as “otsukami” snacks make great accompaniments to drinks.
15
彼の武勇伝がいつの間にか酒の肴になっていた。 Before anyone realized it, his tales of bravado had become the perfect topic to chew over with drinks.
16
シンプルな塩辛が最高の酒の肴になることもある。 Sometimes a simple salted fermented dish makes the finest drinking snack.
17
その失敗談は仲間内での酒の肴として長く語り継がれた。 That story of failure was passed around for years as a favorite topic over drinks among friends.
18
ワインに合う酒の肴をいくつか覚えておくと、ホームパーティーで役立つ。 Knowing a few good snacks that pair well with wine will come in handy at home parties.
19
近所のスーパーで買ってきたものでも、工夫次第で立派な酒の肴になる。 Even something picked up at the local supermarket can become a respectable drinking snack with a little creativity.
20
酒の肴は料理の腕より、その場の雰囲気が大事だと父はよく言っていた。 My father always used to say that when it comes to drinking food, the atmosphere of the moment matters more than cooking skill.
Conversation example
酒の肴 — 会話例
会話 1 ｜ 居酒屋での友人同士
A： 何か酒の肴、頼もうか。何がいい？ Should we order some snacks to go with our drinks? What do you feel like?
B： そうだね、とりあえず枝豆と唐揚げでいいんじゃない？ Hmm, for starters, edamame and fried chicken should do, right?
A： あと刺身の盛り合わせも頼もう。日本酒には刺身が一番だから。 Let’s also order an assorted sashimi plate. Sashimi is the best pairing with sake, after all.
B： 完璧だね。今夜は長くなりそうだ。 Perfect. Sounds like it’s going to be a long night.
会話 2 ｜ 自宅での晩酌
妻： 今日は何か酒の肴、作ろうか？ Shall I make something to snack on with your drinks tonight?
夫： 気を遣わなくていいよ。冷蔵庫に残ってる漬物とチーズがあれば十分だよ。 Don’t go to any trouble. Some leftover pickles and cheese from the fridge will be plenty.
妻： じゃあ、冷奴も出すね。簡単だし、ビールに合うから。 Then I’ll put out some chilled tofu too. It’s easy to prepare and goes great with beer.
夫： ありがとう。やっぱり家の酒の肴が一番落ち着くな。 Thank you. Homemade snacks with drinks are still the most relaxing, aren’t they.
会話 3 ｜ 同僚との飲み会の前
A： 今夜の飲み会、どこにするか決まった？ Have we decided where to go for drinks tonight?
B： 駅前の居酒屋はどう？酒の肴が充実してるって聞いたよ。 How about the izakaya by the station? I heard they have a great selection of drinking food.
A： いいね。予算はどのくらい？ Sounds good. What’s our budget?
B： 飲み放題に酒の肴を何品か頼んで、一人3000円くらいじゃない？ With all-you-can-drink and a few snacks, maybe around 3,000 yen per person?
A： それで十分だよ。じゃあ7時に現地集合にしよう。 That’s more than enough. Let’s meet there at 7 then.
会話 4 ｜ 料理好きな友人との会話
A： 昨日、家で友達を呼んでワイン会をしたんだよ。 Yesterday I hosted a little wine gathering at home.
B： いいね！酒の肴は何を用意したの？ Nice! What did you prepare for snacks to go with the wine?
A： スモークサーモン、数種類のチーズ、それとオリーブの盛り合わせを作ったよ。 I put together smoked salmon, a few kinds of cheese, and an olive platter.
B： それはおしゃれだね。ワインの酒の肴って、センスが出るよね。 That sounds really stylish. Wine snacks really show off your taste, don’t they.
A： 次は自家製のカルパッチョにも挑戦しようと思ってる。 Next time I’m thinking of trying homemade carpaccio.
会話 5 ｜ 上司と部下の雑談（比喩的な使い方）
上司： 昨日の会議、田中部長が大失言したの知ってる？ Did you hear about the major blunder Director Tanaka made in yesterday’s meeting?
部下： え、知りません！何があったんですか？ No, I hadn’t heard! What happened?
上司： 取引先の名前を思いっきり間違えたんだよ。もう社内で大騒ぎで。 He completely mixed up the client’s name. The whole office is in an uproar over it.
部下： それは…なんとも言えないですね（笑）。 That’s… well, what can you say. (laughs)
上司： 今夜の飲み会の酒の肴にはちょうどいいね。 It’ll make for perfect conversation over drinks tonight.
部下： 確かに（笑）。でも本人には内緒にしておきます。 That’s true. (laughs) But I’ll make sure to keep it from him.
