Japanese Conversation · Level 31
90 words
Japanese word
鮭
Pronunciation
Romajisake
Meaning
- nounsalmon
Example
この鮭は新鮮です。ko no sake wa shin sen de su
This salmon is fresh.
More examples
おにぎりの具に鮭を使います。o ni gi ri no gu ni sake o tsuka i ma su
I use salmon as a filling for rice balls.
Core concept
Names a fish that spends much of its life in the sea and swims upstream to freshwater rivers to spawn.
Common phrases
鮭のおにぎりsake no o ni gi ri
a salmon rice ball
鮭を使うsake o tsuka u
use salmon
鮭の塩焼きsake no shio ya ki
salt-grilled salmon
Similar words
サーモンsāmon: A common loanword for the fish, especially in food names and restaurant menus.
Definition in Japanese
海で成長し、産卵期に川を上って繁殖する魚。umi de sei chō shi san ran ki ni kawa o nobo tte han shoku su ru sakana
Word origin
The Japanese word さけ (sake) means salmon, while 鮭 (sake, "salmon") is the kanji assigned to the word; no certain deeper etymology is established.
Usage tips
- English uses salmon in the phrase salmon run for the seasonal movement of salmon upstream to reproduce, linking the word with a well-known natural event.