(わん)

おわん
noun
soup bowl
1. soup bowl, lacquered wooden bowl
A small bowl, typically made of lacquered wood, used for serving miso soup and other Japanese soups. Features a lid to keep the soup warm.
Ladle miso soup into the bowl.
Lacquered soup bowls require careful maintenance.
Steam rose when I removed the lid of the soup bowl.
I carefully use the lacquered soup bowl I received from my grandmother.
In Japanese cuisine, it is proper etiquette to hold the soup bowl in your hand and drink from it directly.

MATERIALS AND TYPES:

  • (うるし)()りのお(わん) (lacquered soup bowl) - traditional, higher quality
  • 木製(もくせい)のお(わん) (wooden soup bowl)
  • プラスチックのお(わん) (plastic soup bowl) - common in casual settings

VS OTHER BOWLS:

  • (わん) - specifically for soup, usually with a lid
  • 茶碗(ちゃわん) - rice bowl (or tea cup in tea ceremony)
  • (どんぶり) - larger bowl for donburi dishes
  • (はち) - general bowl, often deeper

USAGE IN JAPANESE DINING: お(わん) is part of a traditional Japanese meal setting. It's held in the left hand while eating, and the lid is placed inverted on the table. At the end of the meal, replace the lid.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (わん)()る (to serve in a bowl)
  • (わん)(ふた) (lid of the soup bowl)
  • ()りのお(わん) (lacquered soup bowl)