ツナ
つな
noun
tuna (canned)
1.
tuna (especially canned tuna)
Canned or prepared tuna fish, commonly used in salads, sandwiches, and onigiri.
ツナの缶詰を開けた。
I opened a can of tuna.
ツナサンドを作る。
To make a tuna sandwich.
ツナマヨのおにぎりが好きだ。
I like tuna mayo rice balls.
ツナ refers specifically to canned or processed tuna, not fresh tuna. From English "tuna."
CONTRAST WITH 鮪:
- ツナ: canned/processed tuna — used in sandwiches, salads, and onigiri
- 鮪: fresh tuna — used for sushi, sashimi, and seafood dishes
This distinction is important: you would never call sushi tuna ツナ, and you would not call canned tuna 鮪.
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- ツナ缶: can of tuna
- ツナサラダ: tuna salad
- ツナサンド: tuna sandwich
- ツナマヨ: tuna mixed with mayonnaise (very popular onigiri filling)
CULTURE:
シーチキン (Sea Chicken) is a well-known brand name for canned tuna in Japan, sometimes used generically like "Band-Aid" in English. ツナマヨ is consistently one of the top-selling onigiri flavors in convenience stores.