キャベツ
kyabetsu[kʲa̠be̞t͡sɨ]
Cabbage in Japanese is キャベツ (kyabetsu). If unsure, use キャベツ. Wiktionary also lists 甘藍 (kanran) and 玉菜 (tamana).
Meaning: leaves of this plant eaten as a vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| キャベツ | kyabetsu | [kʲa̠be̞t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 甘藍 | kanran | [kã̠n̺ɾã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 玉菜 | tamana | [ta̠ma̠na̠] (narrow) |
The term refers to the leaves of the plant eaten as a vegetable.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
キャベツ is the standard way to say cabbage in everyday conversation. In contrast, 甘藍 is a technical or botanical term that is rarely used in daily speech.
How do you pronounce it?
kyabetsu
Did you know?
- In Japan, キャベツ is famously served raw and shredded as a side dish for almost every meal of 'tonkatsu' or 'koro-kke'. It is often used as a palate cleanser or to add volume to the plate rather than being a main vegetable.
- The term 甘藍 literally breaks down into 'sweet' and 'indigo'. This reflects the ancient Chinese perception of the plant's color and taste before the English loanword became standard.
- While キャベツ is the standard, you may see the kanji 玉菜 in older texts or specific culinary contexts. It literally translates to 'jewel vegetable' or 'ball vegetable', referring to the round shape of the head.
Examples in context
- キャベツは生でも食べられる。Cabbage can be eaten raw.This sentence is useful for noting that cabbage can be eaten raw.Tatoeba #225838 by bunbuku, translation #63177 by CK
- キャベツとレタスって何が違うの？What's the difference between cabbage and lettuce?This sentence is useful for asking about the difference between cabbage and lettuce.Tatoeba #2702350 by tommy_san, translation #2703324 by WestofEden
- あ、キャベツ買うの忘れたね。どうする？Oh, I forgot to buy the cabbage. What should we do?This sentence is useful for discussing a forgotten purchase of cabbage.Tatoeba #8902597 by tommy_san, translation #10069571 by tsp_2
- Watashi wa yasai ga suki desu. Kyabetsu wa ichiban suki desu. (私は野菜が好きです。キャベツは一番好きです。)I like vegetables. Cabbage is my favorite.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a supermarket in the produce section.
- 大翔 Hirotoキャベツはどれがいいかな？Kyabetsu wa dore ga ii kana?Which cabbage looks good?
- 結衣 Yuiこのキャベツが重くて美味しそうだよ。Kono kyabetsu ga omokute oishisou dayo.This cabbage looks heavy and delicious.
- 大翔 Hirotoじゃあ、これにしよう。Jaa, kore ni shiyou.Then, let's go with this one.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった、カゴに入れておくね。Wakatta, kago ni irete oku ne.Okay, I'll put it in the basket.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cabbage” translations and entries キャベツ, 甘藍, 玉菜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
