Translation guide
The English word 'salt' primarily refers to the common seasoning sodium chloride. In Japanese, the basic word is 塩 (shio). However, the translation depends heavily on context: table salt, sea salt, rock salt, salt as a chemical compound, or metaphorical uses like 'worth one's salt'. This guide covers the most useful expressions for an English-speaking learner.
The common white granular substance used to flavor food.
Specific varieties of salt used in cooking or food culture.
Natural salt, often sea salt or rock salt, unrefined.
Salt as a chemical substance, NaCl.
Expressions where 'salt' is used figuratively.
Literally 'to step on salt', meaning to have a painful experience or to go through hardship. Often used in the phrase 塩を踏んだような顔 (a pained expression).
Uses of salt in purification, sumo, or traditional settings.
Purification salt, used in Shinto rituals or placed at entrances to ward off evil.
The Japanese word 砂糖 (さとう) means sugar. Be careful not to mix up 塩 (しお) and 砂糖 (さとう) when asking for seasoning.
If you want less salt in your food, you can say 塩を控えめにしてください (しおをひかえめにしてください) meaning 'please go easy on the salt'.
Could you pass the salt?
食塩相当量
salt equivalent (on nutrition labels)
This natural salt is rich in minerals.
Sea salt. Note: 海塩 (かいえん) is also used but うみしお is more common in everyday contexts.
Using sea salt improves the flavor.
Rock salt, often used in salt lamps or as a gourmet salt.
I bought a rock salt lamp.
Sodium chloride, the scientific term. Used in chemistry and industry.
Sodium chloride is the main component of table salt.
In everyday chemical contexts, 塩 can also mean 'salt' in the chemical sense, but 塩化ナトリウム is more precise.
Salts are produced by the reaction of acids and bases.
He looks like he's in pain.
Slang for a cold, unfriendly response. Derived from 'salt' as opposed to 'sugar' (sweet).
I was surprised by that clerk's cold attitude.
Literally 'to send salt to one's enemy', meaning to help an opponent in a time of need, showing magnanimity. From a historical anecdote.
He performed an act of helping his enemy.
I put purification salt at the entrance.
To scatter salt, as done by sumo wrestlers before a match or after a funeral for purification.
Sumo wrestlers scatter salt on the ring.
This dish needs a pinch of salt.