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昆布 (こんぶ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

昆こん布ぶ

also: こぶ

こ

ん

ぶ

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

kelp; kombu

Refers to edible kelp, especially Saccharina japonica, used in Japanese cuisine for dashi, simmered dishes, and tsukudani. The term can also cover other edible Laminariaceae species.

from Ainu

昆こん布ぶでだしを取とります。

I make dashi stock with kombu.

この昆こん布ぶは北ほっ海かい道どう産さんです。

This kombu is from Hokkaido.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉で昆こん布ぶだしをとるto make dashi stock using kombu
昆こん布ぶで丁てい寧ねいにだしをとった。
I carefully made stock using kombu.
昆こん布ぶを戻もどすto rehydrate (soak) dried kombu
使つかう前まえに昆こん布ぶを水みずで戻もどしておく。
I soak the kombu in water before using it.
昆こん布ぶを煮にるto simmer kombu (e.g. into tsukudani)
昆こん布ぶを醤しょう油ゆで甘あま辛からく煮にた。
I simmered the kombu in sweet soy sauce.
昆こん布ぶを巻まくto wrap something in kombu (e.g. fish for kobujime)
白しろ身み魚ざかなを昆こん布ぶで巻まいて一いち晩ばん置おいた。
I wrapped the white fish in kombu and let it sit overnight.

Kanji

昆descendants, elder brother, insect
布linen, cloth, spread

Don't confuse with

わかめN1
昆布 is a thick kelp used mainly for dashi stock, while わかめ is a softer seaweed used in miso soup and salads.
ひじき
昆布 is a broad, flat kelp used for stock, whereas ひじき is a dark, twig-like seaweed simmered in soy-based dishes.
のりN1
昆布 is a thick kelp used mainly to make dashi stock, unlike 海苔, which is a thin dried sheet eaten directly or wrapped around rice.

Counted with

枚まいN3
Used when referring to individual sheets or pieces of dried kombu; for whole bundles, speakers may use other expressions instead.

Word family· 10

塩しお昆こん布ぶ
shio kombu; salted kombu strips
マコンブ
Japanese kelp; ma-kombu
酢す昆こん布ぶ
vinegared kombu; sour kombu with black vinegar
ナガコンブ

Written forms

昆布Usage73%
- こんぶ
  Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
- こぶ
こんぶUsage

Etymology

The word is likely a borrowing from Ainu language source. The exact Ainu origin is uncertain, but it may be related to Ainu words for seaweed.

Laminaria longissima (species of kelp)

りしりこんぶ

Laminaria ochotensis (species of kelp)

Show 5 more

子こ持もち昆こん布ぶ
kelp with herring roe (sushi type)
昆こん布ぶだし
kombu dashi; kombu stock
おぼろ昆こん布ぶ
shredded kelp; tangle of shredded kelp
かごめこんぶ
kagome kombu; Saccharina sculpera
とろろ昆こん布ぶ
shredded kombu · Kjellmaniella gyrata (species of kelp)

13%

Hiragana spelling, often used in everyday writing.

コンブUsage13%

kana-only spelling

Katakana spelling common in culinary and commercial contexts.

こぶUsage2%

Rare alternate reading; may be encountered in some dialects or older texts.