生なま魚ざかな

also: なまうお

な

ま

ざ

か

な

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

raw fish; uncooked fish; fresh fish

Refers to fish that is raw, uncooked, or very fresh. Often used in culinary contexts, especially for sashimi or sushi. The reading なまざかな is standard; なまうお is rarer and may sound more literary.

この店みせでは新しん鮮せんな生なま魚ざかなが食たべられます。
You can eat fresh raw fish at this restaurant.
生なま魚ざかなを扱あつかうときは衛えい生せいに気きをつけてください。
Please be careful about hygiene when handling raw fish.

Kanji

生life, genuine, birth
魚fish
肴accompaniment for drinks

Related words

鮮せん魚ぎょ
生魚 stresses that the fish is raw/uncooked, while 鮮魚 stresses that it is fresh regardless of whether it will be cooked.

Built from

生なま+魚さかな

Written forms

生魚Usage100%
- なまざかな
  Standard kanji spelling for raw/fresh fish. The reading なまざかな is the most common.
- なまうお
  Alternate reading, less common and somewhat literary. The same kanji form is used.
生なま肴ざかな
Uncommon variant using 肴, which often refers to fish as a side dish or snack, especially with alcohol.
なまうお

Etymology

Compound of 生 (raw, fresh) and 魚 (fish). The reading なまざかな is a straightforward combination of 生 (なま) and 魚 (さかな) with rendaku voicing. The alternate reading なまうお uses the older kun'yomi うお for fish.