おにぎり

noun

rice ball

1. rice ball, onigiri

A Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, often wrapped in nori and containing a filling.

おにぎりを握(にぎ)る。

Make rice balls (by shaping with hands).

握る literally means to grip/grasp

コンビニでおにぎりを買(か)った。

I bought a rice ball at the convenience store.

梅干(うめぼ)し入(い)りのおにぎりが好(す)きです。

I like rice balls with pickled plum inside.

遠足(えんそく)のお弁当(べんとう)に母(はは)がおにぎりを作(つく)ってくれた。

My mother made rice balls for my field trip lunch.

手(て)に塩(しお)をつけて三角(さんかく)に握(にぎ)り、真(ま)ん中(なか)に鮭(さけ)を入(い)れて海苔(のり)で巻(ま)けば、おにぎりの出来上(できあ)がりだ。

Wet your hands with salt, shape the rice into a triangle, put salmon in the middle, and wrap it in seaweed, and the rice ball is done.

Also called お結(むす)び or 握(にぎ)り飯(めし). Shapes vary by region:

三角(さんかく) (triangle) - most common, standard in Kanto
俵型(たわらがた) (cylinder) - common in Kansai
丸(まる) (round) - various regions

Common fillings (具(ぐ)):

梅干(うめぼ)し (pickled plum)
鮭(さけ)/しゃけ (salmon)
昆布(こんぶ) (kelp)
ツナマヨ (canned tuna with mayonnaise)
明太子(めんたいこ) (spicy cod roe)
おかか (bonito flakes with soy sauce)

A portable, affordable food popular for lunch (弁当(べんとう)), picnics, and convenience store snacks. The 海苔(のり) wrapper keeps fingers from sticking to the rice; convenience-store onigiri pack it separately so it stays crisp.

Related Words

Related: 握(にぎ)る (to grip, to form)

Related: 弁当(べんとう) (bento, lunch box)

Synonym: おむすび (rice ball (slightly polite variant))

Related: 結(むす)び (end, conclusion, knot)

Compare: 握(にぎ)り飯(めし) (rice ball)

core

Added 2026.1.14 21:52 · Revised 2026.10.3 4:38

04500/04956_onigiri