Helpful Japanese Food Phrases
by Elisabeth Friedeman, (16 November, 2005) in dining > lifestyle
Finding palatable Japanese food can sometimes be hard for even the most adventurous of eaters. It can be doubly hard for folks who don’t want their fish raw, their beans fermented or their bread white. It can be nearly impossible for those who stick to diets rarely heard of in Japan, like kosher or vegan.
The first step in finding food you can eat, though, is knowing how to ask for it. Here are some words and phrases you can use the next time you find yourself in a situation where you don’t want MSG in your dish or need to eat in accordance with Islamic regulations.
Helpful phrases
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| I am allergic to (food). |
(food) no arerugi ga arimasu |
(food)のアレルギーがあります |
| I cannot eat things with (food) in them. |
(food) ga haitte iru mono wa taberaremasen |
(food)が入っているものは食べられません |
| Does this have (food) in it? |
kore ni (food) wa haitte imasu ka? |
これに(food)は入っていますか |
| Hold the fish flakes, please. |
sore ni katsuobushi o kakenaide kudasai |
それにかつおぶしをかけないで下さい |
| (I) don’t eat any animal products (meat, seafood, eggs, cheese, milk). |
doubutsusei shokuhin (niku, shiifoodo, tamago, chiizu, miruku) o zenbu tabemasen |
動物性食品（肉、シーフード、卵、チーズ、ミルク）を全部食べません |
| I don’t eat (food). |
watashi wa (food) o tabemasen |
私は(food）を食べません |
| I don’t drink (beverage). |
watashi wa (beverage) o nomimasen |
私は(beverage）を飲みません |
| I only eat animals slaughtered in accordance with Islamic regulations. |
isuramukyou no kisoku ni motodzuite korosareta doubutsu shika tabenai |
イスラム教の規則に基づいて殺された動物しか食べない |
| I only eat animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cud. |
hansuu suru guuteirui doubutsu shika tabenai |
反芻する偶蹄類動物しか食べない |
| I only eat fish that have both scales and fins. No bottom-feeders. |
uroko mo hire mo aru sakana shika tabenai. sokouo mo tabenai. |
うろこもひれもある魚しか食べない。底魚も食べない |
| I only consume meat and alcohol prepared in accordance with Jewish regulations. |
yudayakyou no kisoku ni motodzuite sabaita niku o tabe, seizou shita sake shika nomanai |
ユダヤ教の規則に基づいてさばいた肉を食べ,製造した酒しか飲まない |
| I don’t mix milk and meat in the same meal. |
ikkai no shokuji de niku to nyuuseihin o mazenai |
一回の食事で肉と乳製品を混ぜない |
| I am hypoglycemic. |
teikettou desu |
低血糖です |
| I only eat raw/uncooked foods. |
nama no ryouri shika tabenai |
生の料理しか食べない |
| I am diabetic. |
tounyoubyou kanｊa desu |
糖尿病患者です |
| Please inject this into my thigh. |
kore o momo ni chuusha shite kudasai |
これを腿に注射してください |
| anaphylactic shock |
anafirakishii shokku |
アナフィラキシーショック |
Diets
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| Vegetarian |
saishoku shugi sha |
菜食主義者 |
| Chinese Buddhist Vegetarian |
chuugoku bukkyouto no saishoku shugi sha |
中国仏教徒の菜食主義者 |
| Vegan |
beegan |
ベーガン |
| Eats only vegetables (vegan / CBV) |
kanzen saishoku shugi sha |
完全菜食主義者 |
| Halal (Muslim) |
haraaru (isuramu kyou) |
ハラール（イスラム教) |
| Kosher (Jewish) |
kooshaa (yudayakyou) |
コーシャー（ユダヤ教) |
| Hinduism |
hinzuukyou |
ヒンズー教 |
Vegetables
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| garlic |
nin’niku |
にんにく |
| green onions / onions |
tamanegi / negi |
たまねぎ / ねぎ |
| leeks |
poronegi |
ポロねぎ |
Meats
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| meat |
niku |
肉 |
| pork |
butaniku |
豚肉 |
| chicken |
toriniku |
鶏肉 |
| rabbit |
usagi |
ウサギ |
| beef |
gyuuniku |
牛肉 |
| horse meat |
baniku |
馬肉 |
| soup stock made from fish or animals |
niku sakana hone no nidashi jiru de totta suupu |
肉･魚･骨の煮出し汁で取ったスープ |
| animal fat |
doubutsu yushi |
動物油脂 |
| food cooked in animal fat |
doubutsusei yushi de ageta ryouri |
動物性油脂で揚げた料理 |
| beer and wine clarified using animal products |
seibutsu seihin o tsukatte roka sareta biiru to wain |
動物性品を使ってろ過されたビールとワイン |
| carnivorous animals |
nikushoku sei doubutsu |
肉食性動物 |
| omnivorous animals |
zasshoku sei doubutsu |
雑食性動物 |
| dog meat |
inu no niku |
犬肉 |
Seafood
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| lobster |
robustaa |
ロブスター |
| shrimp |
ebi |
海老 |
| shellfish (crustaceans) |
kairui (or) kai |
貝類 (or) 貝 |
| fish |
sakana |
魚 |
Dairy
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| milk products |
nyuuseihin |
乳製品 |
| ice cream |
aisukuriimu |
アイスクリーム |
| cheese |
chiizu |
チーズ |
| emulsifiers |
nyuukazai |
乳化剤 |
| butter |
bataa |
バター |
| clarified butter |
sumashi bataa |
澄ましバター |
| milk fat / butter fat |
nyuushibou |
乳脂肪 |
Ingredients
| English |
Romaji |
Kana/kanji |
| ingredients |
genzairyou mei |
原材料名 |
| salt |
shio |
塩 |
| gluten |
guruten |
グルテン |
| wheat / wheat flour |
komugi / komugiko |
小麦 / 小麦粉 |
| sake/alchohol |
osake |
お酒 |
| honey |
hachimitsu |
はちみつ |
| yeast |
panshu / iisuto |
パン種 / イースト |
| peanuts |
piinattsu |
ピーナッツ |
| nuts |
kenka |
堅果 |
| refined sugar |
seitou |
製糖 |
| white rice |
hakumai |
白米 |
| white flour |
shiro komugiko |
白小麦粉 |
| tofu |
toufu |
豆腐 |
| soy products |
daizu seihin |
大豆製品 |
| caffeine |
kafein |
カフェイン |
| fermented products |
hakkou saseta mono |
発酵させたもの |
| fried food / deep fried |
itame mono / ageta mono |
炒め物 / 揚げた物 |
| raw (n) / raw (adj) |
nama / nama no |
生 / 生の |
| monosodium glutamate (msg) |
kagaku choumiryou / aji no moto |
化学調味料 / 味のもと |
