伊勢海老
ise ebi[ise̞ e̞bʲi]
The Japanese word for lobster is 伊勢海老 (ise ebi), which specifically refers to the spiny lobster. Wiktionary also lists オーマル ロブスター (ōmaru).
Meaning: crustacean (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 伊勢海老 | ise ebi | [ise̞ e̞bʲi] (narrow) |
| オーマル ロブスター | ōmaru |
伊勢海老 refers to the spiny lobster (Ise lobster). ザリガニ technically refers to crayfish.
What does it mean word for word?
The second part of 伊勢海老 (ise ebi) is 海老 (ebi), which means shrimp or prawn.
Which one should you use?
伊勢海老 (ise ebi) specifically refers to the spiny lobster (Ise lobster), which lacks large claws, unlike the common Western lobster.
How do you pronounce it?
ise ebi
When do people say it?
伊勢海老 (ise ebi) is considered a high-end luxury ingredient in Japanese cuisine, often served during celebrations or at fine dining restaurants.
Did you know?
- The spelling of 伊勢海老 is a linguistic oddity known as jukujikun. This means the characters were assigned meanings to form a word, rather than the characters being read phonetically as they are in other words.
- Because the word for lobster contains the character for 'shrimp', it is a traditional symbol of longevity in Japan. This is due to the lobster's curved back, which resembles an elderly person's bent posture.
- The term ロブスター is a loanword used primarily for the Western style of lobster. If you see this on a menu, you are likely eating an imported or different species than the traditional 伊勢海老.
Examples in context
- 美味しい伊勢海老が食べられるお店に連れて行って下さい。I want you to take me to a restaurant where you can eat delicious spiny lobster.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to visit a restaurant to eat delicious 伊勢海老.Tatoeba #8646366 by newt, translation #9988613 by tsp_2
- このレストランでは、伊勢海老が特別メニューにあります。In this restaurant, we have lobster on the special menu.
- ロブスターが大好物で、特にスパイシーな料理が好きです。I love lobster, especially spicy dishes.
- 伊勢海老はとても高級な食材です。Iseebi wa totemo koukyuu na shokuzai desu.Lobster is a very high-end ingredient.
- 市場で新鮮な伊勢海老を買いました。Ichiba de shinsen na Iseebi o kaimashita.I bought a fresh lobster at the market.
Example conversation
Himari and Hiroto are looking at a seafood menu.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔、伊勢海老を食べてみない？Hiroto, iseebi o tabete minai?Hiroto, do you want to try the lobster?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいね。いくらなの？Ii ne. Ikura nano?Sounds good. How much is it?
- 陽葵 Himari少し高いけど、豪華だよ。Sukoshi takai kedo, gouka dayo.It's a bit expensive, but it's luxurious.
- 大翔 Hirotoよし、伊勢海老にしよう！Yoshi, iseebi ni shiyou!Alright, let's go with the lobster!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lobster” translations and entries 伊勢海老, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ロブスター, 伊勢海老, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
