also: しゃけ
Broad term for salmon species, especially in culinary or everyday contexts. Often refers to chum salmon when unspecified.
今夜の夕食は鮭の塩焼きです。
Tonight's dinner is grilled salted salmon.
For dinner today, I'm grilling and eating salmon.
北海道では秋になると鮭が川を遡上する。
In Hokkaido, salmon swim up the rivers in autumn.
chum salmon; dog salmon
Specifically Oncorhynchus keta, the most common salmon species in Japan. Often implied by the general term 鮭.
この川で獲れる鮭はほとんどがシロザケです。
Most of the salmon caught in this river are chum salmon.
秋になると鮭が川を遡ってくる。
When autumn comes, the salmon swim upstream in the river.
My father goes salmon fishing every autumn.
鮭 (salmon) and マス (trout) are closely related fish that learners often mix up, though they are distinct species with different names.
酒 (alcohol) and 鮭 (salmon) are pronounced identically as さけ but are completely unrelated in meaning, distinguished only by context and kanji.
For fish, especially whole fish as food or catch (鯛一尾); casual speech also uses 匹.
For fish, 尾 is the more traditional counter, but 匹 is also used in everyday speech for fish.
sockeye salmon; red salmon
salted salmon
dried salted salmon
smoked salmon; lox
fresh salmon; unsalted salmon · raw salmon
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and common usage.
Katakana spelling, common in biological contexts or menus.
Common kana spelling, especially in everyday writing or for learners.
Katakana spelling for the colloquial reading しゃけ.
Colloquial variant reading; often used in casual speech, especially in eastern Japan.
A native Japanese word of uncertain origin. 鮭 is an ancient Chinese character later adopted to write Japanese さけ.
salmon jerky; dried salmon; cured salmon
Atlantic salmon
chazuke with salmon