オリーブ
orību[o̞ɾʲiːbɯ̟]
The English word "olive" is translated into Japanese as オリーブ (orību).
The term オリーブ refers to the olive fruit. When you wish to describe the color olive, you should use the related form オリーブ色 or the kanji form 橄欖色.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
orību
Did you know?
- While オリーブ is the common word for the fruit, the ancient kanji 橄欖 refers specifically to a different, indigenous East Asian olive called the 'Chinese olive'.
- The term オリーブ is actually a phonetic transcription of the French word 'olive' rather than a direct borrowing from English.
- Due to its foreign origin, オリーブ is often used in Japan as a symbol of 'Western-style' or 'Mediterranean' aesthetics in interior design and branding.
Examples in context
- オリーブオイルを足して。Add some olive oil.This sentence demonstrates the use of オリーブ in the context of cooking with oil.Tatoeba #11808986 by small_snow, translation #10116362 by ddnktr
- オリーブオイルは好きですか？Do you like olive oil?This sentence uses オリーブ to ask about a preference for olive oil.Tatoeba #10038387 by small_snow, translation #10038341 by CK
- オリーブオイルは傷みやすい。Olive oil is perishable.Tatoeba #10038534 by small_snow, translation #8173456 by Hybrid
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are looking at a platter of appetizers.
- 健太 Kentaこのオリーブ、とても美味しいね。Kono orību, totemo oishii ne.These olives are very delicious, aren't they?
- 美咲 Misaki本当だね。塩気がちょうどいい。Hontō da ne. Shioke ga chōdo ii.You're right. The saltiness is just right.
- 健太 Kenta美咲はオリーブが好きなの？Misaki wa orību ga suki nano?Do you like olives, Misaki?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、大好きだよ。Un, daisuki dayo.Yes, I love them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “olive” translations and entries オリーブ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries オリーブ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
