汁椀
shiruwan[ɕiɾɯ̟β̞ã̠ɴ]
In Japanese, soup bowl can be translated as 汁椀 (shiruwan) or スープボウル.
Meaning: a deep bowl, designed for serving soup (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 汁椀 | shiruwan | [ɕiɾɯ̟β̞ã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| スープボウル | sūpu bōru | [sɨːpɯ̟ bo̞ːɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term refers to a deep bowl designed for serving soup.
Which one should you use?
Use 汁椀 (shiruwan) when referring to traditional Japanese lacquerware bowls used for miso soup, whereas スープボウル (sūpu bōru) is used for Western-style soup bowls. The katakana term スープボウル (sūpu bōru) specifically implies a Western-style ceramic or glass bowl.
How do you pronounce it?
shiruwan
Did you know?
- When using a traditional 汁椀, it is customary to lift the bowl from the table to your hands to drink the soup, rather than leaving it on the table and using a spoon.
- The word 椀 (wan) for bowl is a loanword from the Chinese word for a bowl, which in turn may have been influenced by early Sanskrit terms.
- High-end 汁椀 are waterproofed using 'urushi', a natural resin that can allow a single bowl to last for many decades.
Examples in context
- 御椀をお取りください。Please take a soup bowl.
- 御椀にお味噌汁を盛ります。I will serve miso soup in a soup bowl.
- お椀を持ってきて。Bring a soup bowl.
- お椀の中に味噌汁をよそって。Scoop miso soup into the soup bowl.
- 新しい汁椀を買いました。atarashii shiruan o kaimashita.I bought a new soup bowl.
- この汁椀はとても温かいです。kono shiruan wa totemo atatakai desu.This soup bowl is very warm.
- 木製の汁椀を使っています。mokusei no shiruan o tsukatte imasu.I am using a wooden soup bowl.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Himari are setting the table for dinner.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵、汁椀をテーブルに並べてくれる？Himari, shiruwan o teburu ni narabete kureru?Himari, can you set the soup bowls on the table?
- 陽葵 Himariいいよ。大翔は箸を持ってきてね。Ii yo. Hiroto wa hashi o motte kite ne.Sure. Hiroto, please bring the chopsticks.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。この汁椀はきれいだね。Wakatta. Kono shiruwan wa kirei da ne.Got it. This soup bowl is beautiful.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう。最近買ったばかりなの。Arigatou. Saikin katta bakari nano.Thanks. I just bought them recently.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soup bowl” translations and entries 汁椀, スープボウル, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries スープボウル, 汁椀, CC BY-SA 4.0.
