Kampai I

Kampai is a Japanese term, most often translated as "Cheers!" in English. It is typically uttered during a toast, similar to "Salud!" in Spanish or "Prost!" in German. The word signifies a celebratory acknowledgement shared between people before drinking alcoholic beverages together, often in a social setting.

The act of kampai involves raising one's glass with others, often clinking glasses together, and then taking a sip of the beverage. While usually associated with alcoholic drinks, it can sometimes be used with non-alcoholic beverages in celebratory circumstances, though this is less common.

The term kampai can also function as a verb meaning "to toast" or "to drink a toast." The word itself is believed to originate from the Sino-Japanese word meaning "dry the cup," implying an expectation to finish one's drink, though this expectation is less rigidly enforced in modern usage.

Etymologically, the word "kampai" (乾杯) is composed of two kanji: 乾 (kan), meaning "dry" or "empty," and 杯 (pai), meaning "cup" or "glass." Thus, the literal translation is closer to "dry cup," reflecting the historical connotation of drinking until the cup is empty. However, current usage emphasizes the celebratory aspect of the toast more than the literal emptying of the glass.