おむすび

noun

rice ball

1. rice ball, onigiri

A Japanese food made of rice formed into a triangular or round shape, often with a filling and wrapped in seaweed.

おむすびを握(にぎ)る。

To make rice balls.

コンビニでおむすびを買(か)った。

I bought a rice ball at the convenience store.

遠足(えんそく)のお弁当(べんとう)におむすびを持(も)っていった。

I brought rice balls for lunch on the field trip.

A rice ball shaped by hand, typically triangular or round, often with a filling and wrapped in 海苔(のり) (seaweed). A staple of Japanese packed lunches and convenience stores.

SYNONYMS:

おにぎり: more common nationwide term, same food
握(にぎ)り飯(めし): rice ball (masculine/older term)

おむすび is slightly more polite or feminine than おにぎり. Regional preferences vary — おむすび is more common in parts of western Japan.

COMMON FILLINGS:

梅干(うめぼ)し: pickled plum
鮭(さけ): salmon
昆布(こんぶ): kelp
ツナマヨ: tuna mayonnaise
明太子(めんたいこ): spicy cod roe

ETYMOLOGY:
From 結(むす)ぶ (to tie/bind), with the polite prefix お. The name evokes shaping rice by hand.

general

Added 2026.2.5 23:56 · Revised 2026.3.25 21:24

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