おかず

Writing

Can be written 御菜(おかず) or 御数(おかず), but hiragana is most common.

Cultural note

A standard home meal is rice, soup (味噌汁(みそしる)), and おかず: everything else eaten with the rice, whether the main meat or fish dish or small vegetable dishes. 今日(きょう)のおかず何(なに)? asks what's for dinner.

Common collocations

• ご飯(はん)のおかず (something to eat with rice)
• おかずになる (to make a good dish to go with rice)
• ご飯(はん)が進(すす)むおかず (a dish that makes you eat more rice)

Similar words

• 主菜(しゅさい) / 副菜(ふくさい): the formal terms for the main dish and the smaller vegetable side dishes; おかず covers both
• 惣菜(そうざい): ready-made dishes bought at a deli or supermarket
• 付(つ)け合(あ)わせ: a garnish on the same plate as a main dish