How to Say "Shrimp" in Japanese

エビ

ebi

The Japanese word for shrimp is エビ (ebi).

The term エビ is a broad category used to refer to both shrimp and prawns.

Meaning: flesh of the crustacean (noun)

How do you pronounce it?

ebi

The Kanji for 'shrimp', 海老, literally translates to 'sea old man', a reference to the creature's curved back and long lifespan.
Because of the association with longevity, serving エビ at celebratory meals like New Year's or weddings is a way of wishing someone a long life.
In Japanese, the word エビ is often written in Katakana even when it is not a foreign loanword, because it is treated as a biological category.

あたしエビ大好きなんだ。
I love shrimp.
This sentence is useful for expressing a personal preference for エビ.
Tatoeba #10989160 by small_snow, translation #10989233 by CK
私の猫、エビが大好きなの。
My cat loves shrimp.
This sentence shows how to state that a pet loves エビ.
Tatoeba #9738192 by small_snow, translation #3820840 by CK
エビのエンパナーダを一つください。
One shrimp empanada, please.
This sentence demonstrates how to order a dish containing エビ.
Tatoeba #10901458 by small_snow, translation #10112129 by shekitten
おすしにはエビが入っています。
The sushi contains shrimp.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Kenta and Misaki are choosing food at a restaurant.

健太 Kenta

今日のランチはエビが入っているかな？
kyou no ranchi wa ebi ga haitte iru kana?
I wonder if there is shrimp in today's lunch?
美咲 Misaki

メニューにはエビのパスタがあるよ。
menyuu ni wa ebi no pasuta ga aru yo.
There is a shrimp pasta on the menu.
健太 Kenta

じゃあ、僕はそれにするよ。
jaa, boku wa sore ni suru yo.
Then, I'll go with that.
美咲 Misaki

いいと思う。私もエビにするね。
ii to omou. watashi mo ebi ni suru ne.
I think that's good. I'll have the shrimp too.

Sources

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