Translation guide
The English word "pulp" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: the soft fleshy part of fruit, a soft wet mass (often in industrial contexts), and the genre of sensational fiction. Less common meanings like dental pulp are included but marked as niche.
The edible, juicy interior of fruits like oranges, watermelons, or mangoes.
orange pulp · fruit pulp · watermelon pulp
The standard term for fruit flesh or pulp. Used in cooking, food descriptions, and everyday contexts.
This orange has soft pulp.
Scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
A more general word for fruit, flesh, or berry. Can refer to the whole fruit or the edible part, but context usually makes it clear.
The pulp of a watermelon is red.
A soft, shapeless mass of material, such as wood pulp for paper, or crushed fruit/vegetables in processing.
wood pulp · paper pulp · fruit pulp in juice
The loanword for industrial pulp, especially wood pulp for papermaking. Also used for fruit/vegetable pulp in processed foods.
Paper is made from wood pulp.
Descriptive phrase meaning 'mushy stuff' or 'gooey mass'. Used when the exact material isn't important, or for non-industrial contexts.
Cheap, sensational magazines or books, often with lurid content. The term 'pulp fiction' is widely recognized.
pulp magazine · pulp novel · pulp fiction
Direct loan from English, strongly associated with the movie title. Used to refer to the genre itself.
He's a big fan of pulp fiction.
The soft tissue inside a tooth containing nerves and blood vessels.
dental pulp · tooth pulp
Medical/dental term for tooth pulp. Not used in everyday conversation unless discussing dentistry.
The cavity has reached the pulp.
果肉 (かにく) specifically refers to the edible flesh of fruit. For wood pulp or paper pulp, always use パルプ. Using 果肉 for industrial contexts would sound strange.
パルプ is the standard term for processed pulp (wood, fruit in juice, etc.). どろどろのもの is a casual, descriptive phrase for any mushy substance, not necessarily industrial. Use パルプ for precision, どろどろ for informal descriptions.
This juice contains fruit pulp.
I overcooked the vegetables and they turned into pulp.
Means 'popular fiction' or 'mass-market novels'. Broader than pulp, but can cover similar sensational, lowbrow literature.
That writer makes a living writing pulp fiction.
Literally 'three-penny novel', meaning cheap, trashy fiction. Has a more derogatory nuance, similar to 'dime novel'.
That's a typical piece of pulp fiction.