脂

• Reading: あぶら
• Romaji: abura
• Kanji breakdown: 脂 (shi/abura) — fat, grease
• Pronunciation: /a.bɯ.ɾa/

Meaning

Fat; grease; animal fat. The solid or semi-solid fat found in meat and on the body.

A noun referring specifically to animal fat or body fat, as opposed to 油 (liquid oil). Used for fatty meat (脂身), oily skin (脂性), and figuratively in the expression 脂が乗る (to be in one's prime, literally 'the fat is riding well' — from fish being at peak fattiness and flavour).

Examples

1. この肉は脂が多くておいしい。 This meat has a lot of fat and is delicious.
2. 彼は今、仕事に脂が乗っている時期だ。 He's really hitting his stride at work right now.
3. 顔の脂が気になる季節になった。 It's the time of year when I start worrying about the oil on my face.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, food, figurative speech

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 脂 combines the flesh radical 月 with 旨 (delicious), reflecting the connection between fat and rich flavour in food.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal