カツオ

カ

ツ

オ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

skipjack tuna; oceanic bonito

usually written using kana alone

A common fish in Japanese cuisine, often used for katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and tataki.

カツオのたたきは高こう知ち県けんの名めい物ぶつ料りょう理りです。
Seared skipjack tuna is a specialty of Kochi Prefecture.
カツオから取とっただしは味み噌そ汁しるに合あいます。
Broth made from skipjack tuna goes well with miso soup.

See all 24 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉がカツオを釣つるfor someone to catch a skipjack tuna
漁りょう師しが朝あさ早はやくカツオを釣つった。
The fisherman caught a skipjack tuna early in the morning.
カツオをたたきにするto sear skipjack tuna lightly and serve it as tataki
今日きょうはカツオをたたきにして食たべよう。
Let's have skipjack tuna seared as tataki today.
カツオが旬しゅんだfor skipjack tuna to be in season
初しょ夏かはカツオが旬しゅんだ。
Skipjack tuna is in season in early summer.

Expressions

鰹かつおの塩しお辛からsalted fermented bonito guts

Kanji

鰹bonito
堅strict, hard, solid
魚fish
松pine tree

Don't confuse with

マグロN1
マグロ (tuna) is a larger, red-fleshed fish often eaten raw, while カツオ is smaller, leaner, and has a stronger, more distinctive flavor.
スマ
カツオ (skipjack tuna) looks and tastes similar to スマ and is used in similar dishes, but it is a distinct species with a stronger flavor.

Counted with

尾び
Fish like 鰹 (katsuo) are typically counted with 尾 (bi), though 匹 (hiki) is sometimes used depending on the species.

Word family· 12

鰹かつお節ぶし
katsuobushi; dried bonito flakes
初はつ鰹がつお
first bonito of the season
ハガツオ
striped bonito; Mexican bonito
秋あき鰹がつお
autumn bonito
シマガツオ
Pacific pomfret

Show 6 more

花はな鰹がつお
dried bonito shavings; katsuobushi flakes
鰹かつお木ぎ
log on shrine roof set perpendicular to ridgepole
カツオドリ
booby; gannet
ソウダガツオ
frigate tuna
マナガツオ
butterfish; harvestfish; rudderfish
鰹かつおだし
bonito stock; dried bonito broth

See all 12 in Explore →

Written forms

カツオUsage50%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is the most common written form for this fish name.
かつおUsage25%
Hiragana spelling is also used, especially in informal contexts.
鰹かつおUsage25%
Standard kanji form, but the word is usually written in kana.
堅魚かつおUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
松魚かつお
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

The kanji 鰹 is a kokuji (Japanese-made character) combining 魚 (fish) and 堅 (hard), referring to the firm flesh of the fish. The reading かつお is of uncertain origin, possibly from 堅魚 (hard fish) or an ancient Japanese word.