Japanese word

醤油

Pronunciation

Romajishōyu

Meaning

  • nounsoy sauce

Example

醤油を取ってください。shō yu o to tte ku da sa i

Please pass the soy sauce.

Illustration for 醤油 (soy sauce)

More examples

焼き魚に醤油をかけます。ya ki zakana ni shō yu o ka ke ma su

I pour soy sauce over grilled fish.

Core concept

Describes a salty, savory liquid seasoning traditionally made by fermenting soybeans and grains.

Common phrases

  • 醤油をかけるshō yu o ka ke ru

    pour soy sauce over

  • 醤油につけるshō yu ni tsu ke ru

    dip in soy sauce

  • 醤油で味付けするshō yu de aji tsu ke su ru

    season with soy sauce

Similar words

ソイソースsoisōsu: A loanword for the same salty seasoning, often used in product names or casual speech.

Definition in Japanese

大豆などを発酵させて作る、塩味と独特の風味を持つ液体調味料。dai zu na do o hak kō sa se te tsuku ru shio aji to doku toku no fū mi o mo tsu eki tai chō mi ryō

Word origin

醤油 (shōyu) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 醤 (shō, "fermented paste") and 油 (yu, "oil"), with both characters indicating the traditional form of the seasoning.

Usage tips

  • English speakers commonly use soy sauce as the full name of the condiment, while soy alone usually refers to the bean or products made from it.

Word lists with this word