鮭
sake[sa̠ke̞]
In Japanese, salmon is expressed as 鮭 (sake) or サーモン.
Meaning: fish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 鮭 | sake | [sa̠ke̞] (narrow) [ɕa̠ke̞] (narrow) |
| サーモン | sāmon |
The word refers to the fish species. Depending on the context, you may use the native term or the loanword from English.
Which one should you use?
The Japanese word 鮭 (sake) is typically used when referring to the biological fish or traditional Japanese dishes like grilled salmon. In contrast, the katakana word サーモン (sāmon) is typically used in modern culinary contexts, such as on sushi menus or when referring to Western-style preparations like smoked salmon.
How do you pronounce it?
sake
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may confuse the pronunciation of 鮭 (sake, meaning salmon) with the Japanese word for alcohol (sake, 酒) if they do not pay attention to the pitch or context, though in many dialects they are distinct.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 鮭を３切れ下さい。Give me three pieces of salmon.This sentence is useful for ordering salmon in slices using 鮭.Tatoeba #169565 by bunbuku, translation #244922 by CK
- 私の好きな魚は鮭です。My favorite fish is salmon.This sentence shows how to state a preference for salmon using 鮭.Tatoeba #7241269 by Aya, translation #5073753 by CK
- スモークサーモンを食べたよ。We ate smoked salmon.This sentence illustrates the use of the loanword サーモン when describing smoked salmon.Tatoeba #11156595 by small_snow, translation #7733693 by CK
- レストランで焼き鮭を注文しました。I ordered grilled salmon at the restaurant.
- 鮭の刺身は新鮮なオススメの一品です。Fresh raw salmon sashimi is a recommended dish.
- 今晩は鮭を塩焼きにして食べましょう。Let's have salt-grilled salmon for dinner tonight.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hime and Ren are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 陽葵 Himari今日の夕飯は鮭にしましょうか。Kyō no yūhan wa sake ni shimashō ka.Shall we have salmon for dinner today?
- 蓮 Renいいですね。バターで焼いてください。Ii desu ne. Batā de yaite kudasai.That sounds good. Please pan-fry it with butter.
- 陽葵 Himari鮭は栄養があるので体にいいですよ。Sake wa eiyō ga aru node karada ni ii desu yo.Salmon is nutritious, so it's good for your body.
- 蓮 Ren本当ですね。楽しみです。Hontō desu ne. Tanoshimi desu.That's true. I'm looking forward to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “salmon” translations and entries 鮭, サーモン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries サーモン, 鮭, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
