バルサミコ酢
barusamiko-su[ba̠ɾɯ̟sa̠mʲiko̞sɨ]
Balsamic vinegar in Japanese is バルサミコ酢 (barusamiko-su).
The term refers to a dark, sweet vinegar made from reduced white wine.
Meaning: a dark, sweet vinegar, made from reduced white wine (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of バルサミコ, which is the katakana transliteration of 'balsamic' and 酢, the kanji for vinegar.
Which one should you use?
バルサミコ酢 is the complete term, while バルサミコ is a shortened version used in informal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
barusamiko-su
Did you know?
- Because it is a foreign concept, the word 'balsamic' is written in katakana, a phonetic alphabet used primarily for loanwords. This signals to a Japanese reader immediately that the ingredient is not a traditional Japanese product.
- In Japanese cuisine, バルサミコ酢 is often paired with traditional ingredients like soy sauce to create 'fusion' dressings that balance Italian acidity with Japanese umami.
- The word 'balsamic' in Japanese is a phonetic imitation of the Italian pronunciation. However, because Japanese phonology has limited sounds, the 'l' sound is replaced by a series of 'r' sounds in バルサミコ.
Examples in context
- トムはモデナでバルサミコ酢を購入しました。Tom bought a bottle of balsamic vinegar in Modena.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use バルサミコ酢 in a sentence about purchasing a bottle in Modena.Tatoeba #10582931 by small_snow, translation #4638698 by Hybrid
- バルサミコ酢は、イタリア料理でよく使用されます。Balsamic vinegar is commonly used in Italian cuisine.
- すごくおいしいバルサミックビネガーソースですね！This balsamic vinegar sauce is really delicious!
- バルサミコは、サラダにピッタリですよ。Balsamic vinegar is perfect for salads.
- このサラダにはバルサミコ酢が合います。Kono sarada ni wa barusamiko-su ga aimasu.Balsamic vinegar goes well with this salad.
- 高級なバルサミコ酢を買いました。Koukyuu na barusamiko-su o kaimashita.I bought some high-quality balsamic vinegar.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are preparing a salad together in the kitchen.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、バルサミコ酢はどこにある？Hiroto, barusamiko-su wa doko ni aru?Hiroto, where is the balsamic vinegar?
- 大翔 Hiroto棚の上の右側にありますよ。Tana no ue no migigawa ni arimasu yo.It's on the right side on top of the shelf.
- 美咲 Misakiあった！これでおしゃれな味になるね。Atta! Kore de oshare na aji ni naru ne.Found it! This will give it a sophisticated taste.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。楽しみだね。Sou da ne. Tanoshimi da ne.You're right. I'm looking forward to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “balsamic vinegar” translations and entries バルサミコ酢, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
