Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 酒 (wine/alcohol) evolved from ancient pictographs showing liquid contained in vessels. In oracle bone script, it often appeared as 酉 (wine vessel) with water dots (氵) indicating liquid. The modern form combines the water radical (氵) with 酉, representing fermented liquid in a container. This character has consistently meant 'alcoholic beverage' throughout Chinese history, reflecting the ancient tradition of rice and grain fermentation. Arrived in Japan: The character 酒 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with other Chinese characters through Korean scribes and Buddhist texts. It appears in early Japanese writings like the Kojiki (712 CE) and Manyoshu (8th century), where it was read as 'sake' - the Japanese word for rice wine that now specifically refers to Japanese rice alcohol.