しょっぱい

しょ

っ

ぱ

い

JLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

しょっぱい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	しょっぱい	しょっぱくない
Polite	しょっぱいです	しょっぱくないですalso しょっぱくありません
Past polite	しょっぱかったです	しょっぱくなかったですalso しょっぱくありませんでした
Past	しょっぱかった	しょっぱくなかった
Te-form	しょっぱくて	しょっぱくなくて
Adverbial	しょっぱく
Conditional	しょっぱければ	しょっぱくなければ
Tara conditional	しょっぱかったら	しょっぱくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

salty

usually written using kana alone

Basic taste meaning; often used for food that is too salty or has a strong salt flavor.

このスープはちょっとしょっぱい。
This soup is a bit salty.

i-adjective

calculating; stingy

usually written using kana alone

Slangy use describing a person who is tight-fisted, shrewd with money, or ungenerous.

彼かれは金かねにしょっぱいから、奢おごってくれることはないよ。
He's stingy with money, so he won't treat you.

i-adjective

scowling; frowning; grimacing

usually written using kana alone

Describes a facial expression twisted in displeasure, as if tasting something salty.

彼かれはしょっぱい顔かおで難むずかしい問もん題だいを考かんがえている。
He's thinking about the difficult problem with a grimace.

i-adjective

hoarse

usually written using kana alone

Used for a voice that is rough or husky, often from overuse or a cold.

風邪かぜで声こえがしょっぱくなった。
My voice has become hoarse from a cold.

i-adjective

inferior; poor; dull; boring

colloquialusually written using kana alone

Colloquial; originally a sumo term for a weak wrestler, now used broadly for anything subpar or unimpressive.

あの映えい画がはしょっぱかった。
That movie was boring.

See all 21 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

しょっぱい顔かおをするto make a sour, scowling face
彼かれは苦く情じょうを聞きいてしょっぱい顔かおをした。
He made a sour face after hearing the complaint.
しょっぱい声こえになるto become hoarse-voiced
のどを痛いためてしょっぱい声こえになった。
My throat got sore and my voice turned hoarse.
しょっぱい試し合あいa lackluster, unimpressive match
今日きょうの相撲すもうはしょっぱい試し合あいだった。
Today's sumo match was a lackluster one.
〈物もの〉にしょっぱいto be stingy about (money, etc.)
彼かれはお金かねにしょっぱい人ひとだ。
He's a stingy person when it comes to money.

Kanji

塩salt

Related words

塩しお辛からいN3sense 1
しょっぱい is the colloquial, everyday word for salty and often implies too much salt, while 塩辛い is the more formal, neutral term for a salty taste.
ケチN3sense 2
しょっぱい in its slang sense describes someone being tight with money in a specific situation, while けち is the general noun/adjective for a stingy personality.
つまらないN5sense 5
しょっぱい in its colloquial sumo-derived sense means unimpressive or subpar, while つまらない is the plain, everyday word for boring or dull.
辛からいN5
しょっぱい is the everyday, colloquial word specifically for excessive saltiness, while 辛い is less common for saltiness and also covers spiciness.

Opposites

甘あまいN5sense 1
しょっぱい describes a salty taste while 甘い describes a sweet one, the two basic tastes learners contrast most often.

Written forms

しょっぱいUsage93%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 塩っぱい is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
塩しょっぱいUsage7%
Kanji spelling is uncommon and may be considered nonstandard; prefer kana.

Etymology

Related to older しわはゆい／しおはゆい, both meaning “salty.” Dictionaries differ over whether the first element was originally connected with the lips or with 塩, but contraction and sound change produced modern しょっぱい.