1.
salmon
The fish, especially the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) native to Japanese waters. One of the most important food fish in Japanese cuisine.
鮭を焼く。
Grill salmon.
今朝は焼き鮭と味噌汁だった。
This morning I had grilled salmon and miso soup.
北海道の川では秋になると鮭が遡上してくる。
In autumn, salmon swim upstream in the rivers of Hokkaido.
The standard word for salmon in Japanese. The reading さけ is the most common, though しゃけ is also widely used in everyday speech, especially in eastern Japan.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 焼き鮭 — grilled salmon
- 鮭の切り身 — salmon fillet
- 鮭フレーク — salmon flakes
- 鮭おにぎり — salmon rice ball
- 鮭とば — dried salmon strips (Hokkaido specialty)
PRONUNCIATION NOTE:
Both さけ and しゃけ are correct. In compound words, the reading often becomes ざけ (e.g., 焼き鮭, 塩鮭). The kanji can also be written as 鉐 but 鮭 is standard.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- サーモン — salmon (used for raw/sashimi preparations, often referring to farmed Atlantic salmon)
- 鱒 — trout (a related but distinct fish)
Related Words
Homophone:
酒 (alcohol)