Translation guide
A Japanese rice cake made from pounded glutinous rice, eaten in various forms and dishes.
Referring to the rice cake as a food item.
The standard word for mochi. Can refer to plain pounded rice cakes or mochi used in dishes.
お正月にはお餅を食べます。
We eat mochi during New Year's.
This mochi is soft, isn't it?
Polite form of 餅, often used in everyday speech to sound more refined.
Let's grill some mochi and eat it.
Describing specific kinds of mochi or how it's prepared.
Rectangular blocks of dried mochi, often grilled or boiled.
I grilled the kirimochi on the stove.
Round mochi, traditionally used in New Year's decorations and soup.
We put round mochi in ozoni.
Glutinous rice used to make mochi. Not the finished product, but the raw ingredient.
The traditional mochi-pounding event, often held at New Year's.
Referring to mochi as part of a dish or confection.
New Year's soup with mochi, vegetables, and sometimes chicken or fish cake.
Ozoni tastes different depending on the region.
Sweet red bean soup with mochi, often eaten as a dessert.
A round mochi stuffed with sweet filling, usually anko (red bean paste).
Mochi coated with sweetened soybean flour.
Kinako mochi has a simple, delicious sweetness.
Using 'mochi' in idiomatic expressions or comparisons.
Proverb meaning 'every man to his trade' or 'let a specialist handle it.' Literally 'mochi is [best made by] a mochi shop.'
Let the experts handle it; after all, mochi is best made by a mochi maker.
Describes skin that is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky like mochi; often used in beauty contexts.
In English, 'rice cake' often refers to puffed rice cakes (like diet snacks). Mochi is specifically made from pounded glutinous rice and has a chewy, stretchy texture. Use 'mochi' in English to avoid confusion.
Mochi is very sticky and can be a choking hazard, especially for the elderly and children. In Japan, there are annual warnings about this during New Year's. When talking about mochi, you might hear safety advice.
We steam glutinous rice and pound it into mochi.
年末に町内会で餅つきをしました。
We had a mochi-pounding event with the neighborhood association at the end of the year.
寒い日にはぜんざいが食べたくなります。
On cold days, I crave zenzai.
I like strawberry daifuku the best.
このファンデーションを使うと餅肌になれる。
Using this foundation gives you mochi-like skin.