しゃもじ

also: さもじ

しゃ

も

じ

Meanings

1

rice scoop; wooden spoon; ladle

usually written using kana alone

A flat wooden paddle used for serving rice, often with a non-stick surface. Common in Japanese kitchens.

炊たきたてのご飯はんをしゃもじでほぐす。
I fluff the freshly cooked rice with a rice scoop.
しゃもじにご飯はんがくっつかないように、水みずで濡ぬらしてから使つかう。
To keep rice from sticking to the scoop, wet it with water before using.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

しゃもじでご飯はんをよそうto scoop rice with a rice paddle
しゃもじでご飯はんをよそって茶ちゃ碗わんに入いれた。
I scooped the rice with the rice paddle and put it in the bowl.
しゃもじでかき混まぜるto mix or stir something with a rice paddle
炊たき上あがったご飯はんをしゃもじでかき混まぜて空くう気きを含ふくませた。
I stirred the freshly cooked rice with the paddle to fluff it up.

Kanji

杓ladle, scoop
文sentence, literature, style
字character, letter, word

Related words

おたまN3
しゃもじ is a flat paddle used for serving rice, while おたま is a round-bowled ladle used for soups and liquids.

Don't confuse with

杓しゃく子し
杓子 is the general word for a dipper or ladle of any shape, while しゃもじ specifically refers to the flat wooden paddle used for rice.

Counted with

本ほんN5
Used because a 杓文字 (rice paddle) has a long, thin handle, like other 本-counted slender objects.

Written forms

しゃもじUsage68%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 杓文字 is rare.
シャモジUsage31%
杓文字Usage1%
- しゃもじ
  Rare kanji spelling; the word is normally written in kana.
- さもじ
  rarely-used kana form
さもじ
rarely-used kana form
Rarely used kana form; しゃもじ is the standard reading.

Etymology

A word of traditional women’s speech formed from the first part of 杓子, “ladle,” plus 文字, a conventional suffix in such vocabulary.