Translation guide
A heavy, broad-bladed knife used for chopping through meat and bone. In Japanese kitchens, the equivalent tool is the 中華包丁 (Chinese-style cleaver) or the heavier 骨切り包丁 (bone-cutting knife). The word 'cleaver' can also refer to a Western-style butcher's cleaver.
A rectangular, all-purpose knife used in Chinese and Japanese cooking for slicing, chopping, and mincing vegetables, meat, and fish. Not primarily for bones.
Literally 'Chinese kitchen knife'. The standard term for a Chinese-style cleaver. It is versatile and commonly used in Japanese home cooking for vegetables and meat.
中華包丁は野菜を切るのに便利です。
A Chinese cleaver is convenient for cutting vegetables.
Abbreviation of 中華包丁. Used in casual contexts among cooking enthusiasts.
この中華はよく切れる。
This Chinese cleaver cuts well.
A thick, heavy knife specifically designed for chopping through bones and tough joints.
Literally 'bone-cutting knife'. A specialized cleaver for cutting through bones. Heavier and thicker than a general-purpose Chinese cleaver.
骨切り包丁で鶏の骨を切った。
I cut the chicken bones with a bone cleaver.
A traditional Japanese knife with a thick spine, used for filleting fish and cutting through fish bones. Not a cleaver in shape, but serves a similar heavy-duty purpose for fish.
出刃包丁で鯛の頭を割った。
I split the sea bream's head with a deba knife.
A large, rectangular, heavy knife with a hole in the blade, used in Western butchery for splitting large cuts of meat and bone.
Loanword from English 'cleaver'. Refers specifically to the Western-style butcher's cleaver. Recognizable but not as common as 中華包丁 in everyday Japanese.
肉屋で大きなクレバーを見た。
I saw a big cleaver at the butcher shop.
Generic term for Western-style kitchen knives, but can be used to refer to a Western cleaver in context.
この西洋包丁は骨を切るのに使います。
This Western knife is used for cutting bones.
If you're talking about the common rectangular knife used in Japanese and Chinese cooking, use 中華包丁. For a heavy bone-chopping tool, specify 骨切り包丁. In a Western context, クレバー is understood.
The word 包丁 (ほうちょう) simply means 'kitchen knife'. Avoid using it alone to mean 'cleaver', as it usually refers to a standard chef's knife. Always specify the type.
A heavy knife for cutting meat, sometimes used for chopping bones. Less common than 骨切り包丁.
肉切り包丁は分厚い肉も簡単に切れる。
A meat cleaver can easily cut through thick meat.