貝類(かいるい)

かいるい
noun
shellfish; mollusks
1. shellfish; mollusks; shell-bearing animals
A general term for animals that have shells, including clams, oysters, snails, and other mollusks. Used both in everyday contexts (cooking, seafood) and scientific contexts (biology).
貝類(かいるい)のアレルギーがある。
I have a shellfish allergy.
この市場(いちば)では新鮮(しんせん)な貝類(かいるい)が手(て)に入(はい)る。
You can get fresh shellfish at this market.
干潟(ひがた)には様々(さまざま)な貝類(かいるい)が生息(せいそく)していて、潮干狩(しおひが)りの名所(めいしょ)になっている。
Various shellfish live in the tidal flats, making it a popular spot for clam digging.

Composed of 貝(かい) (shell, shellfish) + 類(るい) (kind, category). This is the general category term for all shell-bearing mollusks. In cooking and food contexts, it typically refers to edible shellfish like clams, oysters, and mussels.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 貝類(かいるい)アレルギー: shellfish allergy
  • 貝類(かいるい)の採取(さいしゅ): shellfish harvesting
  • 二枚貝(にまいがい)類(るい): bivalves (clams, oysters, mussels)
  • 巻(まき)貝類(かいるい): gastropods (snails, whelks)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 貝(かい): shell; shellfish — the basic word, can refer to both the animal and the shell
  • 甲殻類(こうかくるい): crustaceans — crabs, shrimp, lobsters (different from shellfish)
  • 魚介類(ぎょかいるい): seafood — the broader category including fish and shellfish
general
Added 2026.4.7 2:30 · Revised 2026.4.10 17:28
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