Translation guide
In Japanese, 'salt water' can be expressed in several ways depending on context: seawater, saline solution, or water with salt added for cooking. The most common term is 海水 (kaisui) for natural seawater, while 塩水 (shiomizu) is used for man-made salt water, such as for gargling or cooking.
Natural salt water from the sea or ocean.
The standard word for seawater. Used in scientific, everyday, and formal contexts.
Swimming in seawater feels good.
Technology to desalinate seawater.
Literally 'tide' but often used in compounds to refer to seawater, especially in poetic or traditional contexts.
It smells of the sea (seawater).
Water with salt dissolved in it, typically for cooking, cleaning, or medical use.
General term for salt water made by dissolving salt in water. Used for gargling, cooking, or industrial purposes.
Gargle with salt water.
Specifically refers to saline solution, often used in medical or scientific contexts. '食塩' means table salt.
Descriptive phrase meaning 'water with salt added'. Used when you need to be explicit, but 塩水 is more natural.
Boil in water with salt added.
Highly concentrated salt water used for pickling or preserving.
Also used for brine, but context makes it clear. For pickling, 漬け汁 (tsukejiru) might be used.
Pickle cucumbers in brine.
Specifically refers to brine or salt water used in food processing, such as for making Chinese noodles or preserving foods. Not common in everyday speech.
海水 (kaisui) is natural seawater, while 塩水 (shiomizu) is man-made salt water. Do not use 海水 for a glass of salt water you made at home.
Seawater is salty.
I made salt water and gargled.
Soak vegetables in salt water.
Administer saline solution intravenously.
Alkaline salt water is used in ramen noodles.