kono sake ha tuyoi.

It is read:

この さけ は つよい。

A few notes:

• 酒 here is read さけ
• 強い is read つよい
• The particle は is written ha but pronounced wa in this kind of sentence

So aloud, it sounds like:

kono sake wa tsuyoi

Because は is being used as a particle, specifically the topic particle.

When は is part of a word, it is usually pronounced ha.
But when it marks the topic of a sentence, it is pronounced wa.

So in this sentence:

• 酒 = the noun
• は = topic marker, pronounced wa

This is one of the first pronunciation exceptions Japanese learners memorize.

この means this and must be followed by a noun.

So:

• この 酒 = this sake / this alcohol

A very common point of confusion is the difference between:

• この = this + noun
• これ = this by itself

So you can say:

• この酒 = this alcohol
• これは = this is...

But you cannot say このは by itself, because この needs a noun after it.

酒 can mean:

• alcohol in general
• liquor
• sake / rice wine, depending on context

In everyday translation, 酒 is often rendered as sake or alcohol. The exact meaning depends on what is being talked about.

So in this sentence, it could mean:

• this sake is strong
• this liquor is strong
• this alcohol is strong

Also, the most common standalone reading is さけ, but in compounds it may have other readings, such as しゅ.

In Japanese, 強い literally means strong, and it is commonly used for things like:

• strong alcohol
• strong flavor
• strong force
• strong ability

With drinks, 強い usually means something like:

• high in alcohol
• potent
• strong-tasting, depending on context

So 酒は強い naturally means the alcohol is strong, not that it is physically powerful.

A useful comparison:

• この酒は強い。 = This alcohol is strong.
• 彼は酒に強い。 = He is strong with alcohol / He can handle alcohol well.

Those are different uses of 強い.

は marks the topic, while が more directly marks the subject.

In この酒は強い, the sentence is presenting this alcohol as the topic and saying something about it:

• As for this alcohol, it is strong.

This is very natural in Japanese.

If you used が instead:

• この酒が強い

it would sound more like:

• This alcohol is the strong one
• or it may emphasize that this one, rather than another, is strong

So for a simple descriptive sentence, は is the expected choice.

Because Japanese does not always need a separate verb like is in the same way English does.

強い is an i-adjective, and i-adjectives can function as the predicate of a sentence by themselves.

So:

• この酒は強い。 = This alcohol is strong.

There is no missing word. The sentence is complete as it is.

This is different from noun sentences, where you often use だ / です, for example:

• これは酒です。 = This is alcohol.

But with an i-adjective like 強い, you do not add だ in plain form.

Yes. 強い is an i-adjective because it ends in い.

That matters because i-adjectives behave like this:

• they can end a sentence by themselves
• they can be negated and changed into past forms directly

For example:

• 強い = strong
• 強くない = not strong
• 強かった = was strong
• 強くなかった = was not strong

So this sentence follows a very basic pattern:

[noun] は [i-adjective]

Example:

• この酒は強い。
• この水は冷たい。
• この本は面白い。

It can be, depending on the situation.

• この酒は強い。 = plain style
• このお酒は強いです。 = more polite

Two changes happened there:

1. お酒 instead of 酒
   
   • お酒 is a more polite or softer way to say alcohol / sake
2. です added for politeness
   
   • after an i-adjective, です makes the sentence polite

So in conversation with someone you do not know well, このお酒は強いです may sound more natural.

But この酒は強い。 is perfectly correct.

Not in normal Japanese writing.

Japanese is usually written without spaces:

この酒は強い。

Spaces are often added in beginner materials to make it easier to see:

• where one word ends
• where particles are
• how the sentence is built

So the spaced version is a learning aid, not standard spelling.

Yes, は can sometimes carry a slight contrastive feeling, depending on context.

For example, if several drinks are on the table, この酒は強い might imply:

• This one is strong
• maybe unlike the others

But は does not always have to be strongly contrastive. Very often it is just the normal topic marker.

So whether there is contrast depends on the situation and tone of voice.

Yes, if the context makes it clear what this refers to.

Compare:

• この酒は強い。 = This alcohol is strong.
• これは強い。 = This is strong.

The second sentence is less specific. It only works if everyone already knows what this is.

So:

• use この酒 when you want to name the thing
• use これ when the thing is obvious from context

The basic order here is very natural:

この酒 は 強い

Japanese often places the topic first and the description at the end.

You might hear variations in casual speech, such as:

• この酒、強い。
• この酒は強いね。
• この酒は強いよ。

But for a basic textbook sentence, この酒は強い。 is the standard form.

The most important thing is that the main descriptive word, 強い, comes at the end.