肉なし
niku nashi
In Japanese, the phrase for "no meat" is 肉なし (niku nashi).
肉なし is used to describe food or a diet that does not contain any meat. While 肉なし describes the state of having no meat, if you are referring to the specific action of removing meat from a dish or a recipe, you would use 肉抜き.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun 肉 (niku), meaning meat and the suffix なし (nashi), meaning without or no.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, you may hear Niku wa taben, which means "I don't eat meat."
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 肉なし to modify a noun directly, such as "no meat dish", you must add the particle の to form 肉なしの. To use the phrase adverbially, such as when saying "Please make it without meat" or "I will eat it without meat", use the form 肉なしで.
How do you pronounce it?
niku nashi
Did you know?
- The suffix used in 肉なし (niku nashi), which is なし (nashi), is also the name for a Japanese pear. This creates a linguistic coincidence where 'no meat' and 'pear' sound identical.
- The traditional meatless diet of Buddhist monks has its own dedicated name, 精進料理 (shojin ryori), rather than just being called 'meatless food'.
- Because fish is often categorized separately from 肉 (meat), ordering a 'meatless' meal in Japan may still result in a dish containing seafood.
Examples in context
- 肉なしのメニューはありますか？nikunashi no menyū wa arimasu ka?Is there a no meat menu?
- 今日は肉なしの料理にしましょう。kyō wa nikunashi no ryōri ni shimashō.Let's have no meat dishes today.
- 肉なしのカレーをお願いします。nikunashi no karē o onegaishimasu.A no meat curry, please.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are looking at a restaurant menu together.
- 陽太 Yota美咲さんは、何にする？Misaki-san wa, nani ni suru?Misaki, what are you going to have?
- 美咲 Misaki私は肉なしのパスタにしようかな。Watashi wa nikunashi no pasuta ni shiyou kana.I think I'll go with the pasta with no meat.
- 陽太 Yotaいい考えだね。美味しそうだよ。Ii kangae da ne. Oishisou da yo.That's a good idea. It looks delicious.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう。陽太さんは？Arigatou. Yota-san wa?Thanks. How about you, Yota?
