卵

• Reading: たまご
• Romaji: tamago
• Kanji breakdown: 卵 (ran/tamago) — egg
• Pronunciation: /ta.ma.ɡo/

Meaning

Egg; eggs. Most commonly refers to chicken eggs.

Usually refers to hen eggs used in cooking. Japan consumes more eggs per capita than almost any other country. Raw eggs are commonly eaten over rice (卵かけご飯) and are safe to eat due to strict food safety standards. Also written as 玉子 when referring to prepared eggs in cooking.

Examples

1. 朝ご飯に卵を二つ食べました。 I ate two eggs for breakfast.
2. 卵は冷蔵庫に入れてください。 Please put the eggs in the refrigerator.
3. この卵焼きはおいしいです。 This tamagoyaki is delicious.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, breakfast, shopping

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 卵 depicts a form suggesting paired eggs or spawn. The word たまご literally breaks down to 玉 (tama, 'ball/sphere') + 子 (go/ko, 'child').

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal