乾杯
かんぱい
kanpai
= a toast; ‘cheers!’ raised before drinking together
乾杯 is the word that launches almost every Japanese gathering with a drink in hand, the shared shout that turns a table of individuals into a group ready to celebrate together.
乾杯 is the call given when raising glasses for a toast, equivalent to cheers. It functions as an interjection at the moment of the toast and as a noun for the act itself (乾杯の音頭, leading the toast). It marks the official start of drinking at a party, dinner, or celebration, and is expected before anyone takes their first sip. The tone is celebratory and communal.
In a group setting, wait for the 乾杯 before you start drinking; beginning early can seem to break the shared moment. Unlike some Western toasts, glasses are usually tapped while juniors politely hold their glass slightly lower than seniors as a sign of respect. Note 乾杯 is for celebratory toasts; it is not a word you mutter to yourself while drinking alone.
乾 means to dry, and 杯 means a cup or glass for drinking, so 乾杯 literally means to dry the cup, that is, to drain it. In practice no one is required to empty their glass, but the original image is of drinking it down in one. Both characters use on’yomi, かん and ぱい, the latter voiced from はい.
Everyday use
それでは、みなさんの卒業を祝って、乾杯！
Sore dewa, minasan no sotsugyou wo iwatte, kanpai!
And now, to celebrate everyone’s graduation, cheers!
Casual / Social Media
とりあえずビールで乾杯しようよ、料理は後から頼もう。
Toriaezu biiru de kanpai shiyou yo, ryouri wa ato kara tanomou.
Let’s just toast with beer for now and order food afterward.
Formal / Cultural context
宴会の冒頭で、部長が乾杯の音頭を取ることになっている。
Enkai no boutou de, buchou ga kanpai no ondo wo toru koto ni natte iru.
At the start of the banquet, the department head is to lead the toast.
The 乾杯 is a small but important ritual of Japanese group life. At company parties, weddings, and celebrations, someone, usually the most senior person or a designated host, gives a short word and leads the toast, and only then does drinking begin. This synchronized start expresses the value placed on doing things together and marking occasions as a group rather than as separate individuals.
Etiquette around the toast quietly reflects social hierarchy. Pouring drinks for others rather than yourself, and lowering your glass beneath a superior’s during the clink, are gestures of humility and respect woven into the moment. For many learners, mastering when and how to say 乾杯 is an early lesson in how Japanese social relationships are performed through everyday rituals.