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年越しそば (としこしそば) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

年とし越こしそば

と

し

こ

し

そ

ば

Meanings

1

noun

New Year's Eve soba noodles

A traditional Japanese dish of soba noodles eaten on New Year's Eve, symbolizing longevity and cutting off the hardships of the old year.

See also: 蕎麦

大おお晦日みそかには年とし越こしそばを食たべる習しゅう慣かんがある。
There is a custom of eating toshikoshi soba on New Year's Eve.
今年ことしも

家か

族ぞく

で

年とし

越こ

しそば

を

すすっ

た

。

This year too, we slurped toshikoshi soba as a family.

Written forms

年とし越こしそば
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling.
年とし越こし蕎麦そば
Full kanji spelling using 蕎麦 for soba.
年とし越こし蕎麦そば
Abbreviated kanji spelling omitting し; less common.

Kanji

年year, counter for years
越surpass, cross over, move to
蕎buckwheat
麦barley, wheat

Similar words

大おお晦日みそか
Refers to New Year's Eve itself, while 年越しそば is the specific dish eaten on that night.
そば
General term for soba noodles; 年越しそば is the special New Year's Eve version.

Etymology

Compound of 年越し (toshikoshi, 'New Year's Eve') and そば (soba, 'buckwheat noodles'). The custom is said to have started in the Edo period.