Words Related to Tableware -DAILY NIHONGO-

【お箸（おはし）】”OHASHI”

Meaning: 

chopsticks

Usage: 

「ポテトチップスはお箸で食べると手が油まみれにならなくていいですよ。」
（ぽてとちっぷすはおはしでたべるとてがあぶらまみれにならなくていいですよ。）
(Potetochippusu wa ohashi de taberuto te ga aburamamire ni naranakute īdesuyo.)
” You can eat potato chips with chopsticks so your hands don’t get greasy.”

• Some people use chopsticks to eat potato chips while they are playing games or using their smartphones or laptops because it will make their controllers and devices greasy. Chopsticks (tongs) specially designed for potato chips are also sold in Japan.
• 「～まみれ」is a useful expression! You can use it when something is covered with something.
  • 油まみれ (あぶらまみれ / abura-mamire)
    “covered with oil”
  • 血まみれ (ちまみれ / chi-mamire)
    “covered with blood”
  • 汗まみれ (あせまみれ / ase-mamire)
    “covered with sweat”
  • 泥まみれ (どろまみれ / doro-mamire)
    “covered with dirt”
  • ホコリまみれ (ほこりまみれ / hokori-mamire)
    “covered with dust”

Glossary:

• ポテトチップス（ぽてとちっぷす）: potato chips
• お箸（おはし）: chopsticks
• 食べる（たべる）: to eat
• 手（て）: hand
• 油（あぶら）: oil
• ～まみれ: covered with […]
• 油まみれ（あぶら）: covered with oil
• ～にならない: will not get […], will not become […]
• いい: good

【スプーン（すぷーん）】”SUPŪN”

Meaning:

spoon

Usage:

「スプーンとフォークが合体した、ラーメンを食べるための道具があります。」
（すぷーんとふぉーくががったいした、らーめんをたべるためのどうぐがあります。）
(Supūn to fōku ga gattai shita, rāmen o taberutame no dōgu ga arimasu.)
“There is a tool for eating ramen that is a combination of a spoon and a fork.”

• There is cutlery developed so that you can taste the soup and noodles at the same time. It is called the “Ramen Fork” and was developed by the founder of Sugakiya, a ramen restaurant that mainly has stores in Aichi Prefecture. The idea and design of this product were recognized and were sold in the store of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Glossary:

• スプーン（すぷーん）: spoon
• と: and
• フォーク（ふぉーく）: fork
• 合体する（がったいする）: to combine
• ラーメン（らーめん）: ramen
• 食べる（たべる）: to eat
• ～ため: for […], to [do …]
• 道具（どうぐ）: tool

【フォーク（ふぉーく）】”FŌKU”

Meaning:

fork

Usage:

「環境のために木のフォークを使う人が増えている。」
（かんきょうのためにきのふぉーくをつかうひとがふえている。）
(Kankyō no tame ni ki no fōku o tsukau hito ga fueteiru.)
“More and more people are using wooden forks for the environment.”

• Japan is also working to reduce the amount of plastic consumption. Disposable spoons given at convenience stores and take-out restaurants are gradually being replaced by wooden ones. In places around Japan where bamboo is famous, bamboo spoons are starting to become popular as souvenirs. When you visit rural areas in Japan, find some eco-friendly bamboo spoons and tableware.
• 「木 (き / ki)」means “tree”. When you say 「木の～ (きの / kino)」or「木製の～ (もくせいの / mokuseino)」, that means “wooden”.

Glossary:

• 環境（かんきょう）: environment, circumstance
• ～のため: for […], to [do …]
• 木（き）: tree
• 木の～（きの）: wooden […]
• フォーク（ふぉーく）: fork
• 使う（つかう）: to use
• 人（ひと）: person, people, human being
• 増える（ふえる）: increase

【ナイフ（ないふ）】”NAIFU”

Meaning:

knife

Usage:

「日本では、食事中にナイフを使うことはほとんどありません。」
（にほんでは、しょくじちゅうにないふをつかうことはほとんどありません。）
(Nihon dewa, shokujichū ni naifu o tsukaukoto wa hotondo arimasen.)
“In Japan, it is not common to use a knife during a meal.”

• 「日本」 can be read as either 「にほん (nihon)」 or 「にっぽん (nippon)」, but 「にほん (nihon)」 is the one mostly used in daily conversation, while 「にっぽん (nippon)」 is often used for national broadcasting (NHK) and company names.
• At home in Japan, we usually prepare only chopsticks unless you have small children, or if you eat curry or spaghetti (in this case we prepare spoons or forks). In my case, we prepare knives only once every six months or so.

Glossary:

• 日本（にほん / にっぽん）: Japan
• 食事（ほね）: meal
• 食事中（おれる）: during meal, while eating
• ナイフ（ないふ）: knife
• 使う（つかう）: to use
• ほとんど～ない: hardly

【ストロー（すとろー）】”SUTORŌ”

Meaning:

straw

Usage:

「スタバのストローは紙のやつになった。」
（すたばのすとろーはかみのやつになった。）
(Sutaba no sutorō wa kamino yatsu ni natta.)
“Starbucks straws are now paper ones.”

• Starbucks Coffee is 「スターバックスコーヒー (すたーばっくすこーひー / Sutābakkusu kōhī) in Japanese, but in everyday conversation it is called 「スタバ (すたば / Sutaba)」 for short.
• 「やつ (yatsu)」 is a word similar to the English pronoun “one”. It refers to a thing or person that has been previously mentioned or is easily identified. If you use the word when referring to things, use it in casual conversation. Please note that it is quite a rude word when referring to people. Avoid using it as much as possible. (However, in manga and anime expressions, this word is sometimes used for close friends, relatives, and those younger than you.)

Glossary:

• スタバ（すたば）: Starbucks Coffee (for short)
• ストロー（すとろー）: straw
• 紙（かみ）:  paper
• やつ: guy, person, thing, one (pronoun)
• なる: to become, to result in

【お皿（おさら）】”OSARA”

Meaning:

plate, dish

Usage:

「回転ずしでは食べたお皿の枚数で、会計を計算します。」
（かいてんずしではたべたおさらのまいすうで、かいけいをけいさんします。）
(Kaitenzushi dewa tabeta osara no maisū de, kaikē [kaikei] o keisan shimasu.)
“At Kaitenzushi (“conveyor belt sushi”), the bill is calculated based on the number of plates you eat.”

• There are two types of kaitenzushi: the one where the price of the sushi is (basically) fixed, and the other where the price of the sushi changes depending on the color of the plate. The former is usually priced around 100 yen and is popular among families because of the variety of menu items for children (hamburger steak sushi, fried shrimp sushi, etc.). The latter is popular with couples as it is easy to enjoy the authentic taste for about 400 yen.
• Have you ever heard of (learned) Japanese counters? To count flat things (such as papers, fabrics, coins, plates, etc.), we use 「枚 (まい / mai)」after numbers.
  • 1 plate = 1枚 (いちまい / ichimai)
  • 2 plates = 2枚 (にまい / nimai)
  • 3 plates = 3枚 (さんまい / sanmai) and so on
• 「会計 (かいけい / kaikē)」means bill or check. If you would like to ask for the check, tell the staff 「お会計をお願いします (おかいけいをおねがいします / Okaikē o onegai shimasu)」.

Glossary:

• 回転ずし（かいてんずし）: conveyor belt sushi
• 食べる（たべる）: to eat
• お皿（おさら）: plate, dish
• 枚数（まいすう）: the number of plates (「枚（まい）」can be used when you count flat things like paper and cookies.)
• 会計（かいけい）: bill, check
• 計算（けいさん）: culculation
• 計算する（けいさんする）: to caluculate

【子供用の…（こどもようの）】”KODOMOYŌNO…”

Meaning:

for children

Usage:

「子供用のお皿とフォークをください。」
（こどもようのおさらとふぉーくをください。）
(Kodomoyō no osara to fōku o kudasai.)
“Could I have a plate and fork for children?”

• Most restaurants (except for pubs, bars, high-end restaurants, and fancy restaurants) provide tableware for children. If you would like to share a dish with your child, or if you would like to let a meal cool for them, you can ask the staff as in the usage above. Refer to the words below when asking for something else.
  • 子供用のお皿 (こどもようのおさら / kodomoyō no osara)
    “plate [/dish/bowl] for children”
  • 子供用のスプーン (こどもようにすぷーん / kodomoyō no supūn)
    “spoon for children”
  • 子供用のフォーク (こどもようのフォーク / kodomoyō no fōku)
    “fork for children”
  • 子供用の椅子 (こどもようのいす / kodomoyō no isu)
    “chair for children”
    *If available, they will bring you a chair or a booster seat for children.
  • 子供用のお水 (こどもようのおみず / kodomoyō no omizu)
    “water for children”
    *Some restaurants (especially Japanese ones) serve you hot tea as soon as you get seated. If your kids can’t drink hot things or tea, you can ask for water by using this phrase. (It’s not rude 🙂 Don’t worry. )

Glossary:

• 子供（こども）: child/ren, kid/s
• ～用（よう）: for […]
• 子供用の～（こどもようの）: […] for children
• お皿（おさら）: plate, dish
• フォーク（ふぉーく）:  fork
• ～をください: please give me […]