Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 がにぎり 寿ず 司し を 握にぎ る for someone (a sushi chef) to make/shape nigirizushi
The chef made nigirizushi right in front of us.
にぎり寿司をにぎりずしを 〈 数かず 〉 貫食べるかんたべる to eat a certain number of pieces of nigirizushi
I ate ten pieces of nigirizushi for lunch.
回かい 転てん 寿ず 司し でにぎり 寿ず 司し を 食た べる to eat nigirizushi at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant
I like eating nigirizushi at conveyor-belt sushi places on weekends.
Kanji 寿 longevity, congratulations, one's natural life 司 director, official, govt office Don't confuse with 握り寿司 is rice hand-pressed with a topping on top, while 巻き寿司 is rice and fillings rolled inside nori seaweed.
握り寿司 forms individual hand-pressed pieces, whereas ちらし寿司 is a bowl of rice with toppings scattered loosely on top.
Counted with For pieces of nigiri sushi (まぐろ二貫 ).
In everyday speech, にぎり寿司 is also often counted with 個 , but 貫 is the more characteristic sushi counter.
Written forms 握にぎ り 寿ず 司し Usage 23%
Standard kanji spelling; widely used in menus and everyday writing.
握にぎ りずし Usage 35%
にぎり 寿ず 司し Usage 24%
Common mixed kana-kanji spelling; often seen in casual contexts.
握にぎ り 鮨ずし Usage 10%
Uses the older kanji 鮨 ; still seen in traditional sushi shops.
にぎりずし Usage 5%
Kana spelling; used when kanji are avoided or for clarity.
にぎり 鮨ずし Usage 3%
Etymology From 握り (nigiri, 'grasping, pressing') + 寿司 (sushi, 'vinegared rice'). The name refers to the hand-pressing technique used to form the rice.
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