手羽先
tebasaki
Chicken wings in Japanese is 手羽先 (tebasaki).
In a culinary context, 手羽先 specifically refers to the wing parts of a chicken, often used in Japanese cuisine like Nagoya-style tebasaki. 手羽先の唐揚げ is a way to refer to deep-fried chicken wings, and 手羽元の唐揚げ is a way to refer to deep-fried chicken wing bases.
How do you pronounce it?
tebasaki
Did you know?
- The term 手羽 (teba) actually contains the kanji for 'hand' (手), reflecting an ancient way of viewing the wings of birds as their 'hands'.
- In many Japanese restaurants, 手羽先 is treated as a specialty snack rather than a main course. In Nagoya, it is a famous 'soul food' often served with a unique sweet and spicy glaze.
- The character 先 (saki) in 手羽先 means 'tip' or 'ahead', which literally points to the fact that this part is the distal end of the wing. This anatomical precision is embedded directly into the name.
Examples in context
- あのお店の手羽先が大好きなの。I love the chicken wings from that restaurant.Tatoeba #11029629 by small_snow, translation #9770432 by DJ_Saidez
- 日本の居酒屋で、手羽先を食べるのが好きです。I love eating chicken wings at Japanese izakayas.
- このレストランの手羽元は肉厚で美味しいですね。The chicken wing base at this restaurant is thick and delicious.
- バスケットに入っているウィングが一番人気です。The wings in the basket are the most popular.
- 手羽先を揚げました。tebasaki o agemashita.I fried some chicken wings.
Example conversation
At a casual izakaya restaurant.
- 健太 Kenta手羽先を注文しましょう。tebasaki o chuumon shimashou.Let's order the chicken wings.
- 陽葵 Himariいいですね、健太さん。ii desu ne, Kenta-san.That sounds good, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵さんはビールを飲みますか？Himari-san wa biiru o nomimasu ka?Will you drink a beer, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、お願いします。hai, onegaishimasu.Yes, please.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 手羽先, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
