Translation guide
In Japanese, 'dried fish' can refer to various preserved seafood products, from everyday snacks to traditional ingredients. The most common term is 干物 (himono), but specific types have their own names.
The speaker wants to refer to dried fish as a common food item, often grilled and eaten with rice.
The most common and general term for dried fish, typically salted and semi-dried, then grilled. A staple in Japanese home cooking.
朝ごはんに干物を焼いた。
I grilled some dried fish for breakfast.
この干物はちょっとしょっぱい。
This dried fish is a bit salty.
Literally 'fish himono', used when you need to be clear you're talking about fish (not squid or other seafood).
魚の干物は日持ちがする。
Dried fish keeps for a long time.
The speaker is referring to small, crunchy dried fish eaten as a snack or used as a topping.
Small dried sardines, often used for making dashi broth, but also eaten as a snack or topping. Very common.
The speaker is referring to very hard, fully dried fish used as a preserved food or ingredient.
The speaker specifically means the shaved dried fish used as a topping or for dashi.
The speaker is talking about dried fish in a historical or cultural sense, such as a regional specialty.
干物 (himono) usually refers to fish that is salted and semi-dried, meant to be grilled. 干し魚 (hoshiuo) is fully dried and hard, often used in preserved foods or rehydrated in cooking. In casual conversation, 干物 is the default.
If you want to buy dried fish at a supermarket, look for 干物 (himono) in the fish section. For small dried fish like niboshi or jako, check the dried goods aisle.
市場で干物を買った。
I bought some dried fish at the market.
干物は良質なタンパク源だ。
Dried fish is a good source of protein.
煮干しでだしをとる。
I make broth from dried sardines.
煮干しをそのまま食べるとカルシウムがとれる。
Eating dried sardines as they are gives you calcium.
Tiny dried fish (often baby sardines). Used as a topping for rice, in salads, or as a snack. Also called ちりめんじゃこ.
ごはんにじゃこをかける。
I sprinkle tiny dried fish over rice.
Literally 'small fish', often used for mixed small dried fish snacks. Can also refer to fresh small fish.
小魚の佃煮が好きだ。
I like small fish simmered in soy sauce.
A general term for fish that has been completely dried until hard. Often used in traditional preserved foods.
干し魚は保存食として重宝される。
Dried fish is valued as a preserved food.
While 干物 usually refers to semi-dried fish, it can also encompass fully dried fish in some contexts.
この干物はカチカチだ。
This dried fish is rock hard.
Dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna. Shaved into flakes, it's a fundamental Japanese ingredient.
お好み焼きに鰹節をかける。
I put dried bonito flakes on okonomiyaki.
Still the go-to word, but often used in names of local specialties.
この地域の干物は有名だ。
The dried fish from this region is famous.
Can sound more traditional or rustic.
昔は干し魚が貴重なタンパク源だった。
In the past, dried fish was a valuable source of protein.