How do you say "salt" in Japanese?

塩

shio

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "salt" is 塩 (shio).

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Pronunciation

塩 is written using kanji. Romanised as shio, it sounds roughly like "shee-oh" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Shio is a fundamental kanji for salt, a primary seasoning in Japanese cuisine. It appears in compounds for saltiness, salt water, and seasoning vocabulary.

Example sentence

冷蔵庫に塩が入っています。

Reizoko ni Shio ga haitte imasu.

There is salt in the fridge.

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How to remember 塩

Shio (塩) looks like three salt crystals or grains clustered together in the right half of the character.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more bakery words.

Questions about 塩

How do you pronounce 塩?

塩 is romanised as shio. Say it roughly like "shee-oh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 塩 formal or casual?

塩 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 塩 written in Japanese?

塩 is written using kanji. Shio is a fundamental kanji for salt, a primary seasoning in Japanese cuisine.

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.

"Salt" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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