What does kanpai mean? How to toast in Japanese

If you've ever been to a Japanese restaurant, an izakaya, or a party with Japanese friends, you've probably heard it: glasses up and a big, happy "kanpai!" It's the Japanese way to say cheers, and it's one of the easiest and friendliest words you can learn. Here's what kanpai means, how to say it, and how to toast like you've done it before.

What kanpai means

Kanpai is written 乾杯. The two characters are:

• 乾 (kan): dry
• 杯 (pai): cup or glass

So the literal meaning is "dry cup." That's the origin of the word, not the modern rule. Today kanpai simply means "cheers." It's a way to start a meal or a gathering together, celebrate something, or thank the people around the table. After the toast, people sip their drink and carry on with the evening at an easy pace. Nobody expects you to finish your glass.

The same two characters show up across East Asia. In Mandarin the toast is gānbēi, and in Korean it's geonbae. The pronunciation changes, but the idea is the same: a shared moment before everyone drinks.

How to pronounce kanpai

Say it kahn-pie, with two even syllables. Japanese doesn't stress syllables the way English does, so keep it flat and clear rather than punching one part.

You'll sometimes see it spelled "kampai." That's the same word. The "n" sound shifts toward "m" before the "p," so both spellings show up on menus and signs.

When people say kanpai

Kanpai usually comes at the start, not in the middle.

• At the beginning of a meal or party. In Japan, people often wait until everyone has a drink before anyone sips. Then someone leads the toast, everyone says kanpai, and the evening begins.
• At work dinners and celebrations. The host or the most senior person often gives a few words and then calls the kanpai. At an office gathering you may also hear otsukaresama, a warm "thanks for your hard work."
• For a special moment. Birthdays, weddings, a new job, a reunion. Anything worth celebrating can get a kanpai.

At a casual dinner with friends, it's much simpler. Someone raises a glass, everyone joins in, and that's it.

Simple kanpai etiquette

Japanese drinking culture has a few customs worth knowing. None of them are strict, and nobody will mind if you get one wrong, but they're a nice way to show you care.

1. Wait for the toast. Hold off on your first sip until everyone has a drink and the kanpai has been called.
2. Pour for others. It's polite to fill your friends' glasses and let someone else fill yours, rather than pouring for yourself.
3. Hold your glass with two hands when someone pours for you, or at least steady it with one hand.
4. Clink a little lower. In more formal settings, people sometimes clink with their glass slightly below the rim of a senior person's glass as a sign of respect. At a casual table, a friendly clink is all you need.
5. Sip, don't rush. After the kanpai, take a sip and enjoy it. Sake is made to be savored slowly alongside food and conversation.
6. Everyone can join. You don't need alcohol to take part. Raise a glass of tea, water, or a soft drink and say kanpai with everyone else.

For more customs, see our guide to sake etiquette.

Kanpai with sake

You can say kanpai over any drink: beer, a highball, tea, or sake. Sake is a natural fit, though, because it's Japan's national drink and so much of the culture around it is about sharing.

There's no special sake for a toast. Pour whatever you're enjoying with the meal. A chilled Junmai Ginjo is a great choice for most occasions: it's smooth, aromatic, and easy to like. If you're new to it, our guide on how to drink sake covers glasses, temperature, and pace, and what is sake explains the basics. For something long and fizzy instead, a sake highball is a great toast at a party.

Beyond kanpai: a few useful words

Word	Meaning	When to use it
Kanpai (乾杯)	Cheers	The toast
Itadakimasu	Roughly "I humbly receive"	Before you start eating
Gochisousama deshita	Roughly "thank you for the meal"	When you finish, or to thank the host
Otsukaresama	Thanks for your hard work	After work, or at a team dinner
Oishii	Delicious	Any time the food or drink is good

A couple of these at the table will earn you a smile.

Raise a can

Kanpai is about the moment, not the ceremony, and that's how we think about sake too. The WESAKE can is a Junmai Ginjo brewed in Niigata, light and smooth with a crisp, clean finish. Serve it ice cold, pour it into a glass or sip it straight from the can, raise it with your friends, and say it together: kanpai.

Want to know more about where sake comes from? Start with the complete guide to sake.