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The words すっぱい and すい I've found in a classbook that "すい" means "sour", but I know "すっぱい" means the same. Is it a mistake or these two words are similar? Maybe "すい" is a root of something. Help me please.

Answers · 3

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My dictionaries explain that すっぱい is more casual. However, I've never heard of すい except for an idiomatic expression すいもあまいもかみわける[= to know the sweets and bitters of life]. すい seems to be used in some dialects of the west side of Japan. We use 酸味(さん み)がある for the meaning in a polite manner around Tokyo.

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