しょっぱい

しょ

っ

ぱ

い

JLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

i-adjective

usually written using kana alone

Basic taste meaning; often used for food that is too salty or has a strong salt flavor.

i-adjective

usually written using kana alone

Slangy use describing a person who is tight-fisted, shrewd with money, or ungenerous.

i-adjective

scowling; frowning; grimacing

usually written using kana alone

Describes a facial expression twisted in displeasure, as if tasting something salty.

彼かれはしょっぱい顔かおで難むずかしい問もん題だいを考かんがえている。
He's thinking about the difficult problem with a grimace.

i-adjective

usually written using kana alone

Used for a voice that is rough or husky, often from overuse or a cold.

i-adjective

colloquialusually written using kana alone

Colloquial; originally a sumo term for a weak wrestler, now used broadly for anything subpar or unimpressive.

しょっぱいUsage93%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 塩っぱい is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
塩しょっぱいUsage7%
Kanji spelling is uncommon and may be considered nonstandard; prefer kana.

塩しお辛からい
しょっぱい is more colloquial and often implies excessive saltiness, while 塩辛い is a more standard term for salty taste.

Derived from 塩 (shio, 'salt') with a sound change; the exact derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since the Edo period.