焼きそば
yakisoba
The English phrase 'chow mein' can be translated to the Japanese 焼きそば (yakisoba).
While 'chow mein' in English often refers to a Chinese-style dish, the Japanese term 焼きそば refers to a specific Japanese-style stir-fried noodle dish that is often seasoned with a savory, slightly sweet sauce.
Meaning: Westernised Chinese dish of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat or seafood (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
yakisoba
Did you know?
- Despite the name, 焼きそば (yakisoba) contains no buckwheat at all. In this specific dish, the word そば (soba) refers to the shape of the noodles, which are actually made from wheat flour.
- Because the word そば (soba) is also used to mean 'beside' or 'near' in Japanese, the name 'yakisoba' can occasionally lead to humorous linguistic puns in wordplay.
- There is a popular variation called モダン焼き (modern-yaki) which is a hybrid between 焼きそば and お好み焼き (savory pancake). It consists of noodles grilled inside a pancake batter.
Examples in context
- レストランでチャウメンを注文しました。I ordered chow mein at the restaurant.
- 今晩は、焼きそばを作ってみようと思います。Tonight, I'm thinking of making some chow mein.
- お昼ご飯は焼きそばにしましょう。Ohirugohan wa yakisoba ni shimashou.Let's have yakisoba for lunch.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 美咲 Misaki今日の夕飯は焼きそばにしましょうか。Kyou no yuuhan wa yakisoba ni shimashou ka.Shall we have chow mein for dinner tonight?
- 蓮 Renいいですね。賛成です。Ii desu ne. Sansei desu.That sounds good. I agree.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、材料を買いに行きますね。Jaa, zairyou o kai ni ikimasu ne.Then, I'll go buy the ingredients.
- 蓮 Ren僕も一緒に手伝います。Boku mo issho ni tetsudaimasu.I will help you too.
