Translation guide
A fried egg is a common breakfast food. In Japanese, the most natural way to refer to it depends on how it's cooked and the context. The most common term is 目玉焼き (sunny-side up), but other terms exist for different styles.
目玉焼き
fried egg (sunny-side up)
A fried egg cooked on one side with the yolk intact and runny, not flipped.
Literally 'eyeball fry', this is the standard word for a sunny-side up fried egg. It's the most common way to refer to a fried egg in Japanese.
朝ごはんに目玉焼きを作った。
I made a fried egg for breakfast.
目玉焼きは半熟が好きです。
I like my fried eggs sunny-side up with a runny yolk.
Literally 'fried egg', but this usually refers to a rolled omelette (tamagoyaki). In some contexts, it can mean a simple fried egg, but 目玉焼き is clearer.
卵焼き often implies the rolled Japanese omelette, not a Western-style fried egg. Use 目玉焼き to avoid confusion.
卵焼きを作ってください。
Please make a fried egg. (Could be interpreted as tamagoyaki.)
A fried egg flipped and cooked on both sides, with varying yolk doneness.
Loanword from English 'turn over', used for flipped fried eggs. Often combined with 目玉焼き.
ターンオーバーの目玉焼きをお願いします。
I'd like an over-easy fried egg, please.
Literally 'both-sides fried', this describes a fried egg cooked on both sides. It's less common than ターンオーバー in casual speech.
両面焼きの目玉焼きが食べたい。
I want a fried egg cooked on both sides.
Referring to a fried egg used in a dish like a sandwich, rice bowl, or as a topping.
Still the most natural term when a fried egg is part of a dish.
目玉焼きハンバーガーをください。
I'll have a hamburger with a fried egg.
目玉焼き丼は簡単で美味しい。
A fried egg rice bowl is easy and delicious.
The direct loanword フライドエッグ exists but is rarely used in natural Japanese. It sounds like a menu item at a Western-style restaurant. In everyday conversation, always use 目玉焼き.
To specify how you want your fried egg cooked, you can add 半熟 (runny yolk) or 固焼き (well-done). For example: 半熟の目玉焼き (sunny-side up with runny yolk), 固焼きの目玉焼き (fried egg with firm yolk).