How to Say "Seaweed" in Japanese

海藻

kaisō[ka̠iso̞ː]

The Japanese word for seaweed is 海藻 (kaisō).

海藻 is used as a general biological term to refer to various types of marine algae.

Meaning: marine algae (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of the characters for 'sea' (海) and 'algae/seaweed' (藻).

kaisō

In Japan, many types of seaweed are categorized by their texture rather than their biological genus. A person might describe seaweed as とろとろ (toro-toro) to indicate a slimy, melting texture, which is a highly valued quality in certain species.
In Japanese, the concept of 'seaweed' is tied to the 'umami' taste profile, and certain types of 海藻 are used specifically to create a savory base called 'dashi' instead of acting as a main vegetable.
The word 海藻 describes the plant, but when referring to the 'forests' of kelp under the ocean, Japanese uses the term 藻場 (moba), meaning 'seaweed place'.

海藻は身体にいいですか？
Is seaweed good for you?
This sentence is useful for asking about the health benefits of the form 海藻.
Tatoeba #12164755 by small_snow, translation #11736181 by ddnktr
「今日ね、久しぶりに海藻を食べてみたんだけど、美味しかった」「日本ではよく食卓にあがるんだけど、アメリカではあまりあがらないの？」「普通の家ではよく出てるみたいだよ。でも、僕んちではあまり出てこないよ」
"I tried some seaweed today after not eating any for a while, and it was delicious." "In Japan, it's often part of a meal. Is that less common in the U.S.?" "I think it's common in most families, but not really in mine."
This sentence shows how the form 海藻 is used when discussing how common seaweed is in Japanese meals compared to other countries.
Tatoeba #10489088 by small_snow, translation #10489100 by DJ_Saidez
今晩のお味噌汁には、わかめを使っています。
I am using wakame in tonight's miso soup.
海藻を使ったサラダを食べたいです。
kaisou o tsukatta sarada o tabetai desu.
I want to eat a salad made with seaweed.

Yota and Himari are looking at a menu at a restaurant.

陽太 Yota

このサラダに海藻は入っているかな？
Kono sarada ni kaisō wa haitte iru kana?
I wonder if there is seaweed in this salad?
陽葵 Himari

書いてあるよ。海藻たっぷりのサラダだって。
Kaite aru yo. Kaisō tappuri no sarada datte.
It says so. It's a salad full of seaweed.
陽太 Yota

そうなんだ。じゃあ、それにしよう。
Sō nan da. Jaa, sore ni shiyō.
I see. Then I'll go with that.
陽葵 Himari

いいと思うよ。体にいいしね。
Ii to omou yo. Karada ni ii shi ne.
I think that's a good choice. It's healthy, after all.

Sources

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