Translation guide
A ladle is a large, deep spoon used for serving liquids like soup or stew. In Japanese, the most common word is お玉 (otama), but there are also specific terms for different types of ladles used in traditional cuisine.
The most common type of ladle used in home cooking for serving soup, stew, or curry.
The standard word for a ladle in Japanese. Often used with the honorific prefix お. Can also be written as 御玉 but usually in kana.
Please ladle the soup with the ladle.
A slightly more formal or written term for a ladle. Literally 'ball ladle'. Less common in everyday speech than お玉.
Serve miso soup with a ladle.
A ladle used in traditional Japanese cooking, often made of wood or bamboo, for serving hot pot dishes or scooping water.
A flat wooden rice paddle, but sometimes used as a general term for a ladle in certain contexts. However, it primarily refers to a rice scoop. Not a typical soup ladle.
しゃもじ is primarily a rice paddle, not a ladle for liquids. Use お玉 for soup ladles.
Serve rice with a rice paddle.
A ladle with a long handle, often made of wood or bamboo, used for scooping water or serving hot pot dishes (like 鍋物). Common in traditional settings.
A ladle specifically for scooping hot water, often used in tea ceremony or bathhouses. Rare in everyday conversation.
Draw hot water with a ladle.
しゃもじ is a flat rice paddle used for serving rice, not for liquids. Using it for soup would be unnatural. Stick to お玉 for general ladles.
柄杓で鍋の汁をすくう。
Scoop the broth from the hot pot with a ladle.