How to Say "Ginger" in Japanese

生姜

shōga[ɕo̞ːɡa̠]

The Japanese word for ginger is 生姜, pronounced shōga.

生姜 (shōga) refers to the spice in its general form, whether it is fresh, dried or powdered.

Meaning: spice (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of the kanji 生, meaning raw or fresh and 姜, meaning ginger.

While 生姜 is the standard way to write the word, you will often see it written in katakana as ショウガ on food packaging or in recipes.

shōga

Unlike in English where 'ginger' can describe a person's hair color, 生姜 (shōga) is strictly used for the plant and cannot be used to describe a person.
The kanji 姜 used in 'shōga' is so ancient that it is rarely used in modern Japanese outside of this specific word or historical names.
If you are looking for 'pickled ginger' to go with your sushi, you should look for the term 'gari' rather than 'shōga'.

生姜って、好き？
Do you like ginger?
This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes 生姜.
Tatoeba #10603891 by small_snow, translation #10164896 by ddnktr
お寿司にはよく甘酢生姜が添えられています。
Sushi is often served with pickled ginger.
This sentence shows how 生姜 is often served with sushi.
Tatoeba #11878763 by small_snow, translation #11715213 by ddnktr
生姜は体を温める食材なので、冷え性の人にはお勧めです。
Ginger is a food that warms up the body, so it is recommended for people sensitive to cold.
This sentence explains that 生姜 is a food used to warm the body.
Tatoeba #892991 by bunbuku, translation #5270325 by Jesse
私は生姜が大好きです。
I love ginger.
この料理に生姜を加えましょう。
Let's add ginger to this dish.
生姜の粉を手に入れた。
I got some ginger powder.
このカレーには生のショウガを入れると美味しいよ。
This curry will taste delicious if you add fresh ginger.
漢方薬には生姜粉が使われていることが多い。
Traditional Chinese medicine often uses ginger powder.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Yui and Hiroto are cooking dinner together.

結衣 Yui

大翔、生姜をすりおろしてくれますか？
Hiroto, shōga o surioroshite kuremasu ka?
Hiroto, could you grate the ginger?
大翔 Hiroto

いいよ。どのくらい必要？
Ii yo. Dono kurai hitsuyō?
Sure. How much do you need?
結衣 Yui

小さじ一杯分で大丈夫です。
Kosaji ippai-bun de daijōbu desu.
One teaspoon will be enough.
大翔 Hiroto

分かった。すぐにやるね。
Wakatta. Sugu ni yaru ne.
Got it. I'll do it right away.

Sources

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