noun
draining basket; colander; strainer; sieve
A traditional bamboo basket used for draining and serving food, especially soba noodles. Also used for general strainers and colanders.
ざるに上げて水を切ってください。
Please drain the water by putting it in a colander.
ざるそばは、ゆでたそばをざるに盛って出す。
Zaru soba is served by placing boiled soba noodles on a bamboo draining basket.
noun
full of holes; leaky
Metaphorical use describing something with many holes or gaps, like a sieve. Often used in compounds like ざる法 (a law full of loopholes) or ざる碁 (a Go game with many weak points).
この法律はざる法で、抜け穴が多い。
This law is full of loopholes; it's a 'zaru law'.
彼の守備はざる
noun
zaru soba
Abbreviation of ざる蕎麦 (zaru soba), cold soba noodles served on a bamboo draining basket.
See also: ざる蕎麦
夏はざるがおいしい。
In summer, zaru soba is delicious.
noun
heavy drinker; someone who can drink like a fish
Colloquial term for a person who can drink a lot of alcohol without seeming affected, as if their body is a sieve that lets alcohol pass through.
彼はざるだから、いくら飲んでも酔わない。
He's a heavy drinker, so no matter how much he drinks, he doesn't get drunk.
His defense is full of holes, so they score easily.
Originally referred to a traditional bamboo basket used for draining. The metaphorical sense 'full of holes' developed from the basket's structure. The abbreviation for zaru soba and the slang for a heavy drinker are later extensions.