Japanese word

包丁

Pronunciation

Romajihōchō

Meaning

  • nounkitchen knife

Example

包丁を使うときは気をつけます。hō chō o tsuka u to ki wa ki o tsu ke ma su

I am careful when using a kitchen knife.

Illustration for 包丁 (kitchen knife)

More examples

野菜は包丁で食べやすい大きさに切ります。ya sai wa hō chō de ta be ya su i ō ki sa ni ki ri ma su

I cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces with a kitchen knife.

Core concept

It denotes a handheld blade used to cut and prepare food in a kitchen.

Common phrases

  • 包丁で切るhō chō de ki ru

    cut with a kitchen knife

  • 包丁を使うhō chō o tsuka u

    use a kitchen knife

  • 包丁を洗うhō chō o ara u

    wash a kitchen knife

Similar words

ナイフnaifu: A cutting tool with a sharp blade, often used for food preparation or general cutting.

Definition in Japanese

台所で食材を切ったり調理したりするための刃物。dai dokoro de shoku zai o ki tta ri chō ri shi ta ri su ru ta me no ha mono

Word origin

包丁 (hōchō) derives from the classical Chinese term 庖丁 (hōchō), which refers to a cook or kitchen worker in the Zhuangzi and later came to mean a kitchen knife in Japanese.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese cooking, 包丁 (hōchō) refers broadly to kitchen knives, including knives designed for particular foods and cutting tasks.

Word lists with this word