醤油

• 読み: しょうゆ
• ローマ字: shouyu
• 漢字の分解: 醤 (shou) — fermented paste; 油 (yu/abura) — oil, liquid
• 発音: /ɕoː.jɯ/

意味

Soy sauce. The most iconic Japanese condiment.

The quintessential Japanese seasoning, made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. Used as both a cooking ingredient and a table condiment. Major varieties include 濃口 (dark, standard) and 薄口 (light, used in Kansai). The word is often written in hiragana as しょうゆ on product labels.

例文

1. 刺身に醤油をつけます。
2. 醤油はどこにありますか。
3. この料理に醤油を少し入れてください。

使い方ガイド

場面: cooking, dining, sushi restaurants

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From 醤 (shou, 'fermented paste') and 油 (yu, 'oil/liquid'). The kanji 醤 originally referred to Chinese fermented bean paste. Japanese soy sauce evolved into its own distinct product during the Muromachi period.

文化的背景

時代: Muromachi period

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal