ヘラ

ヘ

ラ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

spatula; pallet; tracing spatula

usually written using kana alone

A flat, thin tool used for spreading, smoothing, or shaping materials. Common in cooking, pottery, and sewing.

ケーキにクリームをヘラで塗ぬる。
Spread cream on the cake with a spatula.
陶とう芸げいではヘラで粘ねん土どを整ととのえる。
In pottery, you shape the clay with a pallet.

noun

artificially cultured Japanese crucian carp

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a selectively bred variety of crucian carp (ゲンゴロウブナ) raised for food. Primarily a technical term in fisheries and cuisine.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉をヘラで塗ぬるto spread something with a spatula
クリームをヘラで塗ぬった。
I spread the cream with a spatula.
ヘラを釣つるto fish for herabuna (cultured crucian carp)
週しゅう末まつは近ちかくの池いけでヘラを釣つった。
On the weekend I went fishing for herabuna at a nearby pond.
ヘラで〈物もの〉を混まぜるto mix something with a spatula
生き地じをヘラで混まぜてください。
Please mix the dough with a spatula.
ヘラでならすto smooth something out with a spatula
土つちの表ひょう面めんをヘラでならした。
I smoothed the surface of the clay with a spatula.

Kanji

箆spatula, arrow shaft
篦spatula, arrow shaft

Related words

スパチュラ sense 1
スパチュラ is a loanword usually referring to a rubber or silicone spatula used in baking, while ヘラ covers a broader range of flat tools made of metal, wood, or plastic.
フナ sense 2
フナ is the generic term for crucian carp, while ヘラ refers specifically to the artificially cultured variety raised for angling and food.

Don't confuse with

ゲンゴロウブナ sense 2
源五郎鮒 is the original wild species of crucian carp, while ヘラ (箆鮒) is the selectively bred, artificially cultured variety derived from it.

Counted with

本ほんN5
A spatula is naturally counted as a long, thin object.

Word family· 8

ヘラブナ
Japanese crucian carp (cultured variety)
ヘラシギ
spoon-billed sandpiper
へらさぎ
common spoonbill; Eurasian spoonbill
糊のり箆べら
starch spatula
金かな箆べら
metal spatula; trowel

Show 3 more

骨こつ箆べら
bone trowel; bone spatula
ゴムベラ
rubber spatula
ヘラチョウザメ
American paddlefish

Written forms

ヘラUsage71%
kana-only spelling
Usually written in kana; katakana is common for the tool sense, while hiragana is also used.
へらUsage25%
Hiragana spelling, common in everyday writing.
箆へらUsage3%
Rare kanji form; not commonly used in modern Japanese.
篦へらUsage1%
Rare kanji form; not commonly used in modern Japanese.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The word へら has been used for flat tools since old Japanese, but its derivation is unclear. The fish sense is a specialized extension of the same word, possibly from the shape of the fish.