ポケ丼
pokedon
The English phrase 'poke bowl' is translated into Japanese as ポケ丼 (pokedon).
The term refers to a Hawaiian dish consisting of diced raw fish served over a bowl of rice.
What does it mean word for word?
ポケ丼 is a compound of ポケ (the transliteration of the Hawaiian word 'poke') and 丼 (short for donburi, which means rice bowl).
Which one should you use?
While ポケ丼 is the standard term, you may also encounter ポケボウル or the even shorter ポケ in informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
Like most nouns in Japanese, ポケ丼 does not change its form to indicate plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
pokedon
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the character 丼 can be read as don when it is a suffix, but it is pronounced donburi when it stands alone as a noun.
- In Japan, ポケ丼 is often viewed as a cousin to 海鮮丼 'kaisendon', which is a traditional Japanese bowl of assorted raw seafood. This makes the Hawaiian 'poke' feel familiar to Japanese diners despite its origins.
- If you see ポケボウル on a menu in Tokyo, it is likely a sign of a trendy, Western-style cafe rather than a traditional Japanese restaurant.
Examples in context
- ねえ、今日ランチにポケボウル食べに行こうよ！Hey, let's go have a poke bowl for lunch today!
- いいね！久しぶりにポケを食べたいな。Sounds good! I've been craving some poke for a while.
- 今日のランチはポケ丼にしよう。Kyō no ranchi wa poke don ni shiyō.Let's have a poke bowl for today's lunch.
- このポケ丼は新鮮なマグロを使っています。Kono poke don wa shinsen na maguro o tsukatte imasu.This poke bowl uses fresh tuna.
- 近くに美味しいポケ丼の店があります。Chikaku ni oishii poke don no mise ga arimasu.There is a delicious poke bowl shop nearby.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 健太 Kenta結衣、ランチは何が食べたい？Yui, ranchi wa nani ga tabetai?Yui, what do you want to eat for lunch?
- 結衣 Yui最近、ポケ丼が食べたい気分なの。Saikin, poke don ga tabetai kibun na no.I've been in the mood for a poke bowl lately.
- 健太 Kentaじゃあ、あのポケ丼のお店に行こう。Ja, ano poke don no mise ni ikō.Then, let's go to that poke bowl shop.
- 結衣 Yui賛成！楽しみ。Sansei! Tanoshimi.Agreed! I'm looking forward to it.
