生地
kiji[kʲiʑi]
The Japanese word for dough is 生地 (kiji). Wiktionary also lists 練り粉 (neriko).
Meaning: mix of flour and other ingredients (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 生地 | kiji | [kʲiʑi] (narrow) [se̞ːt͡ɕi] (narrow) |
| 練り粉 | neriko | [ne̞ɾʲiko̞] (narrow) |
生地 is used to refer to dough in a general sense. You can create more specific terms by adding the type of food before it, such as パン生地 for bread dough or ピザ生地 for pizza dough.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 生地 is composed of the characters 生, meaning raw or unprocessed and 地, meaning ground or base, which literally translates to 'raw base'.
How do you pronounce it?
kiji
When do people say it?
When kneading dough, the playful term こねこね can be used to imitate the sound of the kneading action.
Did you know?
- In Japanese, 生地 can refer to the 'raw' foundation of something non-physical, such as a person's innate talent or natural disposition. It describes the 'material' someone is made of internally.
- In Japanese, the word 生地 (kiji) is used for both 'dough' and 'fabric'. This means the same word can describe a batch of bread dough or the raw material used to make a piece of cloth.
- The word 生地 (kiji) actually shares a historical root with the word for 'wood' rather than food. It originally described the bare, unpainted surface of a wooden object.
Examples in context
- 生地をこねます。Knead the dough.This sentence is useful for practicing the verb for kneading with 生地.Tatoeba #8942698 by bunbuku, translation #5357071 by Hybrid
- 生地を丸めましょう。Form the dough into a ball.This sentence is useful for practicing the verb for forming or rolling into a ball with 生地.Tatoeba #11584322 by small_snow, translation #5357070 by Hybrid
- 生地は、水・小麦粉・塩・ドライイーストでできています。The dough is made from water, flour, salt and instant yeast.This sentence is useful for describing the ingredients that make up the 生地.Tatoeba #11244893 by small_snow, translation #5357058 by Hybrid
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are making bread in the kitchen.
- 健太 Kenta生地はもう膨らみましたか？Kiji wa mou fukuramimashita ka?Has the dough risen yet?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、生地はとても柔らかいです。Hai, kiji wa totemo yawarakai desu.Yes, the dough is very soft.
- 健太 Kentaよかった。次はオーブンに入れますね。Yokatta. Tsugi wa oobun ni iremasu ne.That's good. Next, I'll put it in the oven.
- 陽葵 Himari楽しみですね！Tanoshimi desu ne!I'm looking forward to it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dough” translations and entries 生地, 練り粉, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 生地, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
