Translation guide
A tool for separating solids from liquids or finer particles from coarser ones, and the action of using it.
A mesh or perforated bowl used for straining or sifting food.
A flat or slightly curved basket-like sieve, often made of bamboo, plastic, or metal. Used for draining water from washed rice, vegetables, or noodles. Very common in Japanese kitchens.
I drain the vegetables in a sieve.
A general term for a strainer or sieve, often a handled mesh utensil. Used for straining liquids or sifting dry ingredients.
A specialized sieve for pureeing soft foods by pressing them through a fine mesh, often used for making smooth sauces or baby food.
I press the potatoes through a sieve.
A device with a mesh for separating particles by size, used in labs or construction.
A sieve or screen used for sifting dry materials like sand, flour, or soil. Often a round frame with a mesh bottom.
The verb meaning to pass something through a sieve.
To sift dry ingredients like flour or sand. Transitive verb.
To filter or select carefully, as if with a sieve.
Used metaphorically to mean screening or selecting people or things rigorously.
ざる is a basket-like sieve with larger holes, often used for draining. こし器 is a finer mesh strainer, often with a handle, used for straining liquids or sifting flour. In everyday cooking, ざる is more common for draining, while こし器 is for finer tasks.
Drain pasta with a colander/sieve.
I drain the water from the udon with a sieve.
I strain the soup with a sieve.
I sift the sand with a sieve.
I sift the flour with a sieve.
The kanji for ふるい, often used in technical or written contexts.
Perform a sieve analysis.
小麦粉をふるう。
I sift the flour.
To strain liquids or wet mixtures through a sieve or cloth. Transitive verb.
I strain the broth.
Literally 'put through a sieve'. Used for both literal sifting and metaphorical screening (e.g., candidates).
We screen the applicants.
To puree by pressing through a fine sieve. Used for making smooth pastes.
I press the pumpkin through a sieve.
We rigorously screen the candidates.
To sort or select, often used in contexts like separating good from bad.
I sift through the information.
Strain miso soup with a fine strainer.
In English, 'sieve' and 'colander' are sometimes interchangeable, but in Japanese, a colander with large holes is usually 水切りボウル or コランダー, not ざる. ざる is typically a flat basket, not a bowl-shaped colander.