When you go to a restaurant or a supermarket in Japan, you'll often see the word 豚肉 (butaniku). This means 'pork'. It's a combination of 豚 (buta), which means 'pig', and 肉 (niku), which means 'meat'.
So, 豚肉 literally translates to 'pig meat'. You'll use this word when talking about pork dishes likeトンカツ (tonkatsu - pork cutlet) or豚骨ラーメン (tonkotsu ramen - pork bone ramen). Knowing this word will definitely help you navigate menus and grocery stores!
§ What does 豚肉 mean and when do people use it?
豚肉 (butaniku) literally translates to 'pig meat' and it is the standard, most common way to say 'pork' in Japanese. You will encounter this word frequently, whether you're grocery shopping, looking at restaurant menus, or discussing recipes.
- DEFINITION
- Pork (meat from pigs)
In Japan, pork is a very popular meat, used in a huge variety of dishes. Knowing 豚肉 is essential for anyone wanting to navigate Japanese cuisine, cook Japanese food, or simply talk about food in general.
You'll hear and see 豚肉 in many everyday situations. For example, when you're at the supermarket, you'll see packaging clearly labeled with 豚肉 to indicate cuts of pork. When ordering at a ramen shop, you might see 'チャーシュー麺' (chāshū-men), which is ramen with sliced roast pork, and sometimes menus will specify if it's 豚肉チャーシュー (butaniku chāshū).
このスーパーで豚肉を買いました。
Hint: I bought pork at this supermarket.
夕食は豚肉の生姜焼きにしよう。
Hint: Let's have pork ginger stir-fry for dinner.
It's also common to see it as part of compound words describing dishes or specific cuts. For instance:
- 豚肉料理 (butaniku ryōri): pork dish
- 豚肉炒め (butaniku itame): stir-fried pork
- 豚肉スライス (butaniku suraisu): sliced pork
Understanding 豚肉 is a foundational step in building your Japanese food vocabulary. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this word will be a constant companion in your culinary Japanese journey. Pay attention to how it's used in different contexts, especially on menus and in recipes, to solidify your understanding. It's a simple, direct term that gets straight to the point: you're talking about pork.
§ What is "Butaniku"?
豚肉 (butaniku) is the Japanese word for pork. It’s a combination of 豚 (buta), meaning 'pig,' and 肉 (niku), meaning 'meat.' So, literally, 'pig meat.' This is a very common word you'll hear in everyday Japanese, especially when talking about food.
- Japanese Word
- 豚肉 (butaniku)
- Meaning
- Pork (meat from pigs)
- CEFR Level
- A2
§ How to use "Butaniku"
You'll mostly use 豚肉 when you're talking about the meat itself, whether you're ordering at a restaurant, buying it at a store, or discussing ingredients for a recipe. It's a straightforward term.
この豚肉はとてもおいしいです。
This pork is very delicious.
スーパーで豚肉を買いました。
I bought pork at the supermarket.
豚肉の生姜焼きを作ります。
I will make pork stir-fried with ginger (shogayaki).
§ Similar words and when to use this one vs alternatives
While 豚肉 is pretty straightforward, it's good to know other related words so you don't get confused. Here’s how 豚肉 compares to other terms:
- 豚 (buta): This simply means 'pig' or 'hog,' the animal itself. You wouldn't use 豚 to refer to pork in a culinary context.
- 肉 (niku): This is the general word for 'meat.' If the context is clear (e.g., you're only discussing pork), you might just say 肉, but 豚肉 is more specific. If someone asks “肉を食べますか?” (Do you eat meat?), and you want to clarify you eat pork, you’d then specify 豚肉.
Here are some other common types of meat to help you distinguish:
- 牛肉 (gyuuniku): Beef. This comes from 牛 (ushi), meaning 'cow.'
- 鶏肉 (toriniku): Chicken meat. This comes from 鶏 (tori), meaning 'chicken.'
- ラム肉 (ramuniku): Lamb meat. This is a loanword from English, often written in katakana.
So, to sum it up:
- Use 豚肉 when you specifically mean pork.
- Use 豚 when you're talking about the live animal.
- Use 肉 when talking about meat in general, or when the context clearly implies pork.
By keeping these distinctions in mind, you'll be able to communicate clearly about meat in Japanese. Good job!
تلازمات شائعة
العبارات الشائعة
豚肉は好きですか？
Do you like pork?
豚肉を食べます。
I eat pork.
豚肉を買いました。
I bought pork.
豚肉を料理します。
I will cook pork.
豚肉と野菜を炒める。
Stir-fry pork and vegetables.
豚肉の値段が高い。
The price of pork is high.
この豚肉は新鮮です。
This pork is fresh.
豚肉はヘルシーです。
Pork is healthy.
豚肉料理を作ります。
I will make a pork dish.
豚肉を冷凍する。
Freeze pork.
تعبيرات اصطلاحية
"豚肉を食べる"
To eat pork
私は豚肉を食べます。
neutral"豚肉料理"
Pork dish
豚肉料理は好きですか？
neutral"豚肉の生姜焼き"
Ginger pork (a common Japanese dish)
今日の夕食は豚肉の生姜焼きでした。
neutral"豚肉の角煮"
Braised pork belly (a common Japanese dish)
沖縄料理に豚肉の角煮があります。
neutral"豚肉アレルギー"
Pork allergy
彼は豚肉アレルギーです。
neutral"豚肉の薄切り"
Thinly sliced pork
豚肉の薄切りを買いました。
neutral"豚肉の塊"
Block/chunk of pork
豚肉の塊を調理します。
neutral"豚肉専門店"
Specialty pork restaurant/shop
この街には豚肉専門店が多いです。
neutral"豚肉と野菜の炒め物"
Stir-fried pork and vegetables
夕食に豚肉と野菜の炒め物を作りました。
neutral"豚肉の部位"
Cuts of pork
豚肉の部位によって味が違います。
neutralاختبر نفسك 30 أسئلة
私は___を食べません。(I don't eat ___.)
The sentence is about not eating a specific type of meat. '豚肉' means pork.
このカレーには___が入っています。(This curry contains ___.)
The sentence describes an ingredient in curry. '豚肉' is a common ingredient in Japanese curry.
日本のラーメンによく___が使われます。(___ is often used in Japanese ramen.)
'豚肉' (pork) is a very common topping in Japanese ramen.
スーパーで___を買いました。(I bought ___ at the supermarket.)
This sentence is about buying groceries, and '豚肉' is a common item to buy.
今日の夕食は___の炒め物です。(Tonight's dinner is stir-fried ___.)
'豚肉' is a common ingredient for stir-fry dishes.
彼は___が好きです。(He likes ___.)
This sentence expresses a preference for a type of food. '豚肉' is a valid choice here.
Which of these is 'pork' in Japanese?
豚肉 (buta niku) specifically means 'pork' in Japanese.
You want to order pork at a restaurant. Which word would you use?
豚肉 (buta niku) is the Japanese word for pork, which you would use to order it.
What does 「これは豚肉ですか？」 mean?
これは (kore wa) means 'this is', and 豚肉 (buta niku) means 'pork'. The question mark makes it 'Is this pork?'.
豚肉 (buta niku) is chicken.
豚肉 (buta niku) is pork, not chicken. Chicken is 鶏肉 (tori niku).
You can find 豚肉 (buta niku) at a butcher shop.
豚肉 (buta niku) is pork, and butcher shops sell meat.
豚肉 (buta niku) is a type of vegetable.
豚肉 (buta niku) is meat (pork), not a vegetable. Vegetables are 野菜 (yasai).
What was bought at the supermarket on the weekend?
What is being described as fresh and perfect for dinner?
What ingredients were stir-fried to make a simple dish?
Read this aloud:
今日の夕食は豚肉の生姜焼きにしようと思います。
Focus: 豚肉の生姜焼き (Butaniku no Shōgayaki)
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
この地域の豚肉は特に美味しいと評判です。
Focus: 評判 (Hyōban)
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
豚肉を使った料理は、世界中で人気があります。
Focus: 世界中 (Sekaijū)
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Think about popular dishes in a restaurant.
Consider what ingredients are being stir-fried for dinner.
Focus on the reason for avoiding certain dishes.
Read this aloud:
豚肉の生姜焼きは、日本の家庭料理の定番です。
Focus: Butaniku no shōgayaki wa, Nihon no kateiryōri no teiban desu.
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
このスープには豚肉の旨味が凝縮されています。
Focus: Kono sūpu ni wa butaniku no umami ga gyōshuku sarete imasu.
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
豚肉を薄切りにして、しゃぶしゃぶにしました。
Focus: Butaniku o usugiri ni shite, shabushabu ni shimashita.
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 多くの国では、_______を食べることが宗教的な理由で禁じられています。
イスラム教やユダヤ教などの一部の宗教では、豚肉の摂取が禁じられています。
次の文で、「豚肉」と最も関連性の低い単語はどれですか？「彼は健康上の理由から_______を控えている。」
豚肉は一般的に高脂肪でコレステロールが多いとされ、健康上の理由で控える場合、これらが関連します。低カロリーは豚肉を控える理由としては不適切です。
「豚肉」という単語が含まれることわざや慣用句として最も適切なものを選びなさい。
「豚に真珠」は、価値の分からない者に貴重なものを与えても無駄であるという意味のことわざです。
しゃぶしゃぶやすき焼きでは、牛肉だけでなく豚肉も一般的に使用される。
はい、しゃぶしゃぶやすき焼きでは、牛肉だけでなく豚肉もしばしば使われます。特に豚肉のしゃぶしゃぶは人気があります。
日本の伝統的な料理では、豚肉は牛肉よりも歴史が浅く、明治時代以降に広く食べられるようになった。
はい、その通りです。仏教の影響で肉食が忌避されていた時代が長く、豚肉が一般的に食卓に上るようになったのは、明治時代以降、西洋文化が流入してからです。
沖縄料理で有名な「ラフテー」は、豚肉ではなく鶏肉を使った料理である。
「ラフテー」は、沖縄の伝統的な豚肉料理で、角煮のように甘辛く煮込まれたものです。
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
مثال
豚肉と野菜を炒めます。
محتوى ذو صلة
مزيد من كلمات food
少々
B1A little; a few.
〜ほど
B1About; approximately; degree.
~ほど
B1About, approximately; to the extent of ~.
豊富な
B1Abundant, rich in.
ふんだんに
B1Lavishly; abundantly; generously (e.g., using ingredients).
足す
B1To add (e.g., to a sum, to ingredients).
添加物
B1Additive.
〜てから
B1After doing ~.
~てから
B1After doing (an action).
熟成させる
B1To age; to mature (food).
