豚肉
butaniku[bɯ̟ta̠ɲ̟ikɯ̟]
The Japanese word for pork is 豚肉 (butaniku). Wiktionary also lists ポーク (pōku).
Meaning: meat of a pig (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 豚肉 | butaniku | [bɯ̟ta̠ɲ̟ikɯ̟] (narrow) [tõ̞ɲ̟ːikɯ̟] (narrow) |
| ポーク | pōku |
The term refers to the meat of a pig.
What does it mean word for word?
豚肉 is a compound of 豚, meaning pig and 肉, meaning meat.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, the loanword ポーク is often used in specific contexts such as brand names or on menus, for example in terms like 'pork cutlet'. Additionally, while 豚 refers to the animal itself, 豚肉 refers specifically to the meat.
How do you pronounce it?
butaniku
Did you know?
- The word 豚 (pig) is used in the term 豚箱 (pig box) to describe a police paddy wagon. This slang implies that those inside are being treated like livestock being led to slaughter.
- The phrase 豚に真珠 (pearls to pigs) is a common Japanese idiom used to describe someone who cannot appreciate the value of a fine object.
- In Japanese, the word for 'pig' is '豚', which is pronounced 'ton' in many compound words but 'buta' when used alone.
Examples in context
- 豚肉は私には合わない。Pork doesn't agree with me.Tatoeba #123261 by bunbuku, translation #280737 by CK
- 豚肉は食べれないんです。I can't eat pork.Tatoeba #10915433 by small_snow, translation #1907940 by Spamster
- これは牛肉？それとも豚肉？Is this beef or pork?Tatoeba #8760856 by bunbuku, translation #4013689 by CK
- トンカツは豚肉で作られます。Tonkatsu is made with pork.
- 私は豚肉が好きです。I like pork.
- 今晩はポークカレーを作るよ。I'm going to make pork curry tonight.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a dinner party, Hiroto and Yui are discussing the menu.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日のメインは豚肉ですよ。kyou no mein wa butaniku desu yo.Today's main dish is pork.
- 結衣 Yuiわあ、美味しそうですね！waa, oishisou desu ne!Wow, that looks delicious!
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんは豚肉は大丈夫ですか？Yui-san wa butaniku wa daijoubu desu ka?Is pork okay for you, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、大好きです。hai, daisuki desu.Yes, I love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pork” translations and entries 豚肉, ポーク, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
