Translation guide
The English word 'mortar' can refer to a building material, a bowl for grinding, or a military weapon. This guide covers the most common Japanese equivalents for each meaning.
A mixture of cement, sand, and water used to bind bricks or stones.
The standard loanword for mortar as a building material. Widely understood in construction contexts.
We use mortar to lay bricks.
Technically 'cement', but often used loosely for mortar in everyday speech. Note that cement is just one component of mortar.
Strictly speaking, cement is not the same as mortar, but in casual contexts it may be understood.
I filled the gaps in the wall with cement.
A heavy bowl in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle.
A traditional Japanese grinding bowl with ridges on the inside, used with a pestle (すりこぎ). Common in cooking.
Grind sesame seeds in a mortar.
A small mortar, often used in laboratories or pharmacies. Literally 'milk bowl'.
The loanword 'mortar' can occasionally be used for a grinding bowl, but it is less common and may cause confusion with the building material.
Using モルタル for a grinding bowl is rare and may not be understood without context.
A short cannon for firing shells at high angles.
The standard term for a mortar as a military weapon. Literally 'close-attack cannon'.
The enemy's mortar fire is intense.
すり鉢 is a large kitchen mortar with ridges, used with a wooden pestle (すりこぎ). 乳鉢 is a smaller, smooth mortar used in labs or for grinding small amounts, often with a porcelain pestle.
Grind miso in a suribachi.
Pulverize the sample in a mortar.
Crush the medicine into fine powder in a mortar.
モルタルでスパイスを挽く。
Grind spices in a mortar.