お箸(はし)

おはし

noun

chopsticks

1. chopsticks

A pair of thin sticks used for eating, held in one hand. The polite form with the prefix お is the standard everyday term.

お箸(はし)をください。

Chopsticks, please.

お箸(はし)の持(も)ち方(かた)がきれいですね。

You hold your chopsticks beautifully.

割(わ)り箸(ばし)はお箸(はし)が付(つ)いてこないときに使(つか)います。

You use disposable chopsticks when chopsticks aren't provided.

The お prefix is standard and not overly formal — most speakers say お箸(はし) rather than just 箸(はし) in everyday speech. Dropping the お sounds slightly rough.

MATERIALS AND TYPES:

割(わ)り箸(ばし) — disposable (split) chopsticks
塗(ぬ)り箸(ばし) — lacquered chopsticks
マイ箸(はし) — one's own personal chopsticks (eco trend)

CHOPSTICK MANNERS (箸(はし)のマナー): There are many taboos around chopstick use in Japan, including 刺(さ)し箸(ばし) (stabbing food), 渡(わた)し箸(ばし) (passing food chopstick-to-chopstick, associated with funeral rites), and 迷(まよ)い箸(ばし) (hovering over dishes).

general

Added 2026.2.6 3:06

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