レア
れあ
adjective (na), noun
rare, uncommon
1.
rare, uncommon, hard to find
Something that is scarce, unusual, or difficult to obtain. Widely used in collecting, gaming, and everyday conversation.
レアなカードを手に入れた。
I got a rare card.
これはかなりレアな品物ですよ。
This is quite a rare item, you know.
野生のパンダを見られるのはとてもレアな体験だ。
Seeing a wild panda is a very rare experience.
2.
rare (cooking)
Meat cooked so that the inside remains red and barely cooked, especially for steak.
ステーキはレアでお願いします。
I'd like my steak rare, please.
レアに焼いた牛肉が好きだ。
I like beef cooked rare.
ミディアムレアくらいの焼き加減が一番美味しいと思う。
I think medium-rare is the most delicious level of doneness.
USAGE:
Sense 1 is extremely common in gaming and collecting culture, where items are graded by rarity (レア, スーパーレア, ウルトラレア). It has spread into general conversation as a casual way to say something is uncommon or special. The Japanese word 珍しい covers similar ground but is the standard native word.
Sense 2 is used when ordering steak at restaurants. The doneness scale in Japanese is: レア → ミディアムレア → ミディアム → ウェルダン.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- レアな体験: rare experience
- レアもの / レア品: rare item
- レアで焼く: to cook rare