Japanese word

こしょう

Pronunciation

Romajikoshō

Meaning

  • nounpepper

Example

サラダにこしょうをかけます。sa ra da ni ko shō o ka ke ma su

I sprinkle pepper on the salad.

Illustration for こしょう (pepper)

More examples

料理の味を見てから、こしょうを少し足します。ryō ri no aji o mi te ka ra ko shō o suko shi ta shi ma su

I add a little pepper after tasting the dish.

Core concept

Describes peppercorns processed into a seasoning that gives food a pungent flavor and fragrance.

Common phrases

  • こしょうを振るko shō o fu ru

    sprinkle pepper

Definition in Japanese

食物に振りかけたり加えたりして、特有の辛みと香りを添える粉末状などの香辛料。shoku motsu ni fu ri ka ke ta ri kuwa e ta ri shi te toku yū no kara mi to kao ri o so e ru fun matsu jō na do no kō shin ryō

Word origin

The term こしょう (koshō) comes from the Chinese-derived word written 胡椒 (koshō), combining 胡 (ko, "foreign") and 椒 (shō, "pepper").

Usage tips

  • Although English uses pepper for both the spice and many vegetables, Japanese uses こしょう (koshō) for the spice and ピーマン (pīman) for green bell pepper.

Word lists with this word