刺身
sashimi[sa̠ɕimʲi]
The Japanese word for sashimi is 刺身.
刺身 refers to a dish consisting of slices of raw fish or meat. When you are at a Japanese restaurant and wish to request this dish, you can say さしみください.
Meaning: dish of slices of raw fish or meat (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Adding the honorific prefix お to create お刺身 results in a polite yet casual tone. Using お刺身 is common when ordering at a restaurant or when speaking politely about the food.
How do you pronounce it?
sashimi
Did you know?
- Historically, 刺身 was sometimes served with a piece of raw fish 'stuck into' a vegetable, which mirrors the literal meaning of the word.
- The second part of the word, 身 (mi), does not only refer to fish, but is the same word used for 'body' or 'flesh' in a human context.
- In traditional Japanese cuisine, 刺身 is often served with a garnish called つま, which consists of shredded daikon or shiso leaves to cleanse the palate.
Examples in context
- 刺身、嫌いなんだよね？You don't like sashimi, do you?This sentence is useful for confirming if someone dislikes 刺身.Tatoeba #9725221 by small_snow, translation #245498 by CK
- 私、刺身が好きなんだよな。I like sashimi.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for 刺身.Tatoeba #8831741 by small_snow, translation #701552 by fudede
- お刺身を盛るお皿は、どれにする？Which plate should I serve sashimi on?This sentence is useful for discussing which plate to use when serving お刺身.Tatoeba #10811008 by small_snow, translation #12089782 by pip
- すみません、さしみをお願いします。Excuse me, I'd like to order sashimi, please.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Hiroto are at a Japanese restaurant.
- 陽葵 Himari今日は何にする？刺身がいいかな。Kyō wa nani ni suru? Sashimi ga ii kana.What shall we have today? I think sashimi would be good.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいね。俺も刺身が食べたい。Ii ne. Ore mo sashimi ga tabetai.Sounds good. I want to eat sashimi too.
- 陽葵 Himari盛り合わせを頼もうよ。Moriawase o tanomō yo.Let's order the assorted platter.
- 大翔 Hiroto賛成！店員さんを呼ぼう。Sansei! Ten'in-san o yobō.Agreed! Let's call the waiter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sashimi” translations and entries 刺身, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
