伊勢海老
ise ebi[ise̞ e̞bʲi]
The English phrase "spiny lobster" is translated into Japanese as 伊勢海老 (ise ebi).
伊勢海老 is a noun used to refer to crustaceans of the family Palinuridae.
Meaning: crustacean of the family Palinuridae (noun)
When do people say it?
In Japan, 伊勢海老 is considered a high-end luxury food and a symbol of longevity due to its long antennae.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, 海老 are often depicted in art and textiles as symbols of long life because their bent backs resemble old age.
- The term 伊勢海老 specifically refers to the spiny lobster, but if you see ロブスター (robustā) on a menu, it usually refers to the clawed species common in the West.
- The term 伊勢海老 uses 'jukujikun', a linguistic phenomenon where kanji are assigned to a word based on meaning rather than their individual phonetic readings.
Examples in context
- 美味しい伊勢海老が食べられるお店に連れて行って下さい。I want you to take me to a restaurant where you can eat delicious spiny lobster.This sentence is useful for requesting to be taken to a restaurant where you can eat delicious 伊勢海老.Tatoeba #8646366 by newt, translation #9988613 by tsp_2
- みんなで伊勢海老を頼もう！Let's order spiny lobster for everyone!
- 伊勢海老はとても高価な食材です。Ise ebi wa totemo kouka na shokuzai desu.Spiny lobster is a very expensive ingredient.
- 今日の夕食は伊勢海老にしましょう。Kyou no yuushoku wa ise ebi ni shimashou.Let's have spiny lobster for dinner today.
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to order at a high-end seafood restaurant.
- 結衣 Yuiこの伊勢海老、すごく美味しそう！Kono ise ebi, sugoku oishisou!This spiny lobster looks delicious!
- 健太 Kenta本当だね。奮発して注文しようか。Hontou dane. Funpatsu shite chuumon shiyou ka.True. Shall we splurge and order it?
- 結衣 Yui健太さん、いいアイデアだと思う！Kenta-san, ii aidea da to omou!Kenta, I think that's a great idea!
- 健太 Kentaじゃあ、店員さんを呼ぼう。Jaa, tenin-san o yobou.Then, let's call the waiter.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 伊勢海老, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 伊勢海老, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
