春巻き
harumaki[ha̠ɾɯ̟ma̠kʲi]
The English phrase egg roll is translated into Japanese as 春巻き (harumaki).
春巻き is a noun referring to a food made by wrapping a combination of ingredients.
Meaning: a food made by wrapping a combination of ingredients (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term consists of haru (spring) and maki (roll), literally meaning 'spring roll'.
How do you pronounce it?
harumaki
When do people say it?
While the English term 'egg roll' often refers to a specific American-Chinese dish, harumaki in Japan refers to the broader category of much more similar Chinese-style spring rolls.
Did you know?
- You can find 春巻き flavored snacks in Japan, such as potato chips or crackers, which mimic the savory taste of the fried roll.
- In Japan, 春巻き are a staple of 'bento' lunch boxes, but they are often packed with a small piece of parchment paper to keep the pastry from getting soggy from the other foods.
- While 春巻き usually refers to the fried appetizer, Japan also has 'namaki', which are non-fried, fresh rolls similar to Vietnamese summer rolls.
Examples in context
- 春巻きはとてもおいしいです。Harumaki wa totemo oishii desu.Egg rolls are very delicious.
- 今日の夕食は春巻きです。Kyou no yuushoku wa harumaki desu.Today's dinner is egg rolls.
- 中華料理屋で春巻きを注文しました。Chuukaryouriya de harumaki o chuumon shimashita.I ordered egg rolls at a Chinese restaurant.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 健太 Kentaお昼に春巻きを食べませんか？Ohiru ni harumaki o tabemasen ka?Would you like to eat egg rolls for lunch?
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね、食べたいです。Ii desu ne, tabetai desu.That sounds good, I want to eat them.
- 健太 Kenta近くにいいお店がありますよ。Chikaku ni ii omise ga arimasu yo.There is a good shop nearby.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、そこに行きましょう。Jaa, soko ni ikimashou.Then, let's go there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 春巻き, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
