Translation guide
The English word 'grinder' can refer to a person, a machine, a kitchen tool, a sandwich, or even a tooth. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese word based on the intended meaning.
A device that crushes or pulverizes materials like coffee beans, grains, or metal.
General term for a grinding machine, used in industrial or mechanical contexts.
This factory uses a large grinder.
Loanword from English, commonly used for angle grinders or bench grinders in workshops.
I grind metal with a grinder.
Specifically a polishing or grinding machine for finishing surfaces.
Polish the lens with a grinder.
A manual or electric device for grinding coffee, spices, or meat.
Common loanword for a coffee grinder or spice mill. Often combined with the item: コーヒーミル (coffee grinder).
I grind beans with a coffee grinder.
Generic term for a grinding tool, often used in compound words like 肉挽き器 (meat grinder).
I make ground meat with a meat grinder.
Traditional Japanese mortar and pestle (suribachi and surikogi) used for grinding sesame seeds, etc. Not a mechanical grinder.
A worker who operates a grinding machine.
A submarine sandwich or hoagie, often called a 'grinder' in parts of the US.
There is no direct Japanese equivalent. Describe it as a type of long sandwich, or use the loanword サブマリンサンドイッチ (submarine sandwich).
That shop sells large sandwiches. In America, they are sometimes called 'grinders'.
A molar tooth, used informally.
The sandwich meaning is regional American English. Using グラインダー for a sandwich will not be understood in Japanese. Explain it as a type of sandwich instead.
Japanese often forms specific grinder names by combining the material with 挽き器 (hikiki) or ミル (miru), e.g., コーヒーミル (coffee grinder), 肉挽き器 (meat grinder).
すり鉢でごまをすります。
I grind sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle.
The grinder is operating the machine.
There is a cavity in the grinder.