interjection
Archaic interjection of praise, originally from Chinese; rarely used in modern Japanese outside of historical or literary contexts.
古典では「善哉、善哉」と褒め称える場面がある。
In classical texts, there are scenes where someone is praised with 'Zenzai, zenzai.'
noun
zenzai; sweet red bean soup
A traditional Japanese dessert soup made with azuki beans, often served with mochi or shiratama. Usually written in kana.
寒い日には温かいぜんざいが食べたくなる。
On cold days, I crave warm zenzai.
Similar sweet red bean soup, but おしるこ typically has a smoother, more strained bean paste, while ぜんざい often contains whole beans and is chunkier. Regional definitions vary.
The interjection sense comes from Chinese 善哉 (shànzāi), an exclamation of praise. The food sense is said to derive from the interjection, possibly because the soup was considered so delicious it elicited praise, but the exact connection is uncertain.