Translation guide
In Japanese dining culture, small dishes served alongside alcoholic drinks are common. The most general term is おつまみ, but many specific words exist depending on the setting and type of food.
The learner wants a common, all-purpose word for food eaten while drinking alcohol, in casual or everyday situations.
The most common and versatile word for snacks or light dishes served with alcohol, especially at home or in casual bars. Can refer to anything from nuts to small cooked dishes.
ビールのおつまみに枝豆を頼んだ。
I ordered edamame as a snack with my beer.
A slightly more casual, shortened form of おつまみ. Often used by men or in very informal contexts.
つまみは何にする？
What should we get for snacks (with drinks)?
A more polite or formal version of おつまみ, sometimes used in service contexts.
おつまみものをご用意いたします。
We will prepare some snacks to go with your drinks.
The learner wants to refer to the small dishes ordered at a Japanese-style pub to accompany drinks.
A small appetizer automatically served at many izakaya and bars, often charged as a table fee. It is not ordered but brought to the table.
This is not something you order; it appears automatically. It may be called 突き出し (つきだし) in some regions.
この店のお通しはいつも美味しい。
The appetizer at this place is always delicious.
The learner wants a word for appetizers in a Western-style bar, restaurant, or party setting.
The standard word for appetizer or starter in a Western-style meal course. Can be used for drinks parties as well.
前菜の盛り合わせを頼みましょう。
Let's order an assorted appetizer platter.
Loanword from French 'hors d'oeuvre'. Used for party finger foods or a platter of small bites, often at standing parties.
Direct loanword from English 'appetizer'. Less common than 前菜 or オードブル, but understood in modern dining contexts.
The learner wants to refer to classic, often preserved or salty foods eaten with Japanese sake.
Literally 'sake snacks', this term emphasizes foods that complement the flavor of sake. Often used for traditional items like grilled fish, pickles, or fermented seafood.
酒の肴に塩辛を少しだけ食べた。
I had a little bit of salted squid guts as a sake snack.
Kansai dialect word for snacks with alcohol, equivalent to おつまみ. Common in Osaka and surrounding areas.
あてが美味しい店やな。
This place has great snacks (to go with drinks).
The learner wants a term for the small appetizer course in a traditional multi-course meal.
The first small dish served in a kaiseki or formal Japanese meal, often a morsel that pairs with the initial sake.
先付には季節の食材が使われていた。
The appetizer featured seasonal ingredients.
おつまみ is the general, everyday word for snacks with drinks. 前菜 is used for Western-style appetizers or course meals. お通し is the automatic small dish at izakaya, not ordered by the customer.
If you are at a casual Japanese bar and ask for an 'appetizer', using 前菜 may sound too formal. Use おつまみ instead. Conversely, at a French restaurant, おつまみ would be out of place.
Refers to individual dishes ordered from the menu, many of which are designed to be shared with drinks. Not exclusively snacks, but often used in this context.
一品料理を何品か注文して、みんなでシェアした。
We ordered several small dishes and shared them.
パーティーでオードブルをつまんだ。
I nibbled on hors d'oeuvres at the party.
アペタイザーに生ハムを頼んだ。
I ordered prosciutto as an appetizer.