シア
shia
The Japanese word for shea is シア (shia).
シア refers to the shea fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
shia
Did you know?
- If you look for 'shea' in a Japanese supermarket, you are unlikely to find the fruit itself. Instead, you will find the term used almost exclusively in the 'cosmetics' section for skin products.
- Because シア is a foreign loanword, it is written using Katakana rather than Kanji or Hiragana. This script is typically reserved for words that entered the Japanese language from other countries.
- In Japanese, there is no distinction in the word シア between the tree, the fruit, or the fat extracted from it. The single Katakana term covers the entire concept of the shea plant in common usage.
Examples in context
- シアバターはシアから作られます。shia bātā wa shia kara tsukuraremasu.Shea butter is made from shea.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at exotic fruits in a market.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮、このシアを見たことがありますか。Ren, kono shea o mita koto ga arimasu ka.Ren, have you seen this shea before?
- 蓮 Renいいえ、シアは初めて見ました。Iie, shea wa hajimete mimashita.No, it is the first time I've seen shea.
- 美咲 Misaki味はどうなんだろうね。Aji wa dou nan darou ne.I wonder what it tastes like.
- 蓮 Ren一つ買って試してみようか。Hitotsu katte tameshitemiyou ka.Shall we buy one and try it?
