How do you say "appetizer" in Japanese?

前菜

zensai

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "appetizer" is 前菜 (zensai).

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Pronunciation

Zensai is two clean syllables, 'zen-sai', with the second half rhyming with the English word 'sigh'.

Writing and usage

前菜 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

夕食前に前菜を分け合いました。

yuushoku mae ni zensai wo wake ai mashita.

We shared an appetizer before dinner.

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How to remember 前菜

Zensai sounds like 'zen sigh' -- a small, calm appetizer that makes you sigh contentedly before the main meal arrives.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 前菜

How do you pronounce 前菜?

Zensai is two clean syllables, 'zen-sai', with the second half rhyming with the English word 'sigh'.

Is 前菜 formal or casual?

前菜 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 前菜 written in Japanese?

前菜 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as zensai.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Appetizer" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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