ざる
Meanings
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.
Please drain the water by putting it in a colander.
Zaru soba is served by placing boiled soba noodles on a bamboo draining basket.
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).
This law is full of loopholes; it's a 'zaru law'.
His defense is full of holes, so they score easily.
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
In summer, zaru soba is delicious.
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.
He's a heavy drinker, so no matter how much he drinks, he doesn't get drunk.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉をざるに入れるto put something into a draining basket
I put the washed vegetables in a draining basket to let the water drip off.
- ざるを頼むto order zaru soba
It was hot, so I ordered zaru soba for lunch.
- 〈事〉がざるだfor something (a law, rule, etc.) to be full of loopholes
This rule is full of loopholes, and people quickly find ways around it.
- 〈物〉をざるで水切りするto drain something using a colander
I drained the boiled pasta using a colander.