Kanpai: Japanese people use it to say “cheers” in Japanese

What does “kanpai” mean in Japanese?

There are some homophones, but Japanese native speakers say “kanpai” to mean ‘cheers’ at parties. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “kanpai” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “kanpai”
• Kanpai in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “cheers” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “kanpai”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “kanpai”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kanpai”.

• kanpai – 乾杯 (かんぱい) : a noun, but often used like an interjection to say “cheers” in Japanese.

Grammatically this word is a noun. Japanese native speakers, however, use this like an interjection to say “cheers” at parties.

The definition and meaning are not that difficult, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

Kanpai in kanji

The kanji expression of “kanpai” consists of the following two characters:

• 乾 : a kanji character used to express the act of drying or dehydrating in Japanese.
• 杯 : a kanji character used to mean ‘glass’, ‘cup’, or such in Japanese.

These two kanji characters tell us that “kanpai” literally means ‘drying a glass’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still understandable as a metaphor for chugging. Drying a glass requires drinking something in the glass in one gulp. In reality, however, this interjection does not require us to do so.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kanpai” through the detailed kanji check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “kanpai” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “cheers” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say to whom a statement goes. In the example, this is used after “watashi tachi” to indicate the object to which “kanpai” is directed.
• to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after the clause to indicate what “kanojo” said.
• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
• it – 言っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iu”, which means ‘to say’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.

This is a typical usage of “kanpai”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “ni”, to have the object – to say “cheers to” in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “kanpai”

This is another typical usage of “kanpai”. Like in this example, it can also work as an answer to this interjection itself. Also in this regard, this Japanese word is very similar to “cheers”.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kanpai” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• kanpai – 乾杯 (かんぱい) : a noun, but often used like an interjection to say “cheers” in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘drying a glass’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still understandable as a metaphor for chugging. Drying a glass requires drinking something in the glass in one gulp. In reality, however, this interjection does not require us to do so.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.