The Meaning of shiokarai [塩辛い] In Japanese

塩辛い
しおからい
Romaji: shiokarai N5

What does 塩辛い mean?

Translation and Meaning

salty, very salty

Definition

塩辛い means salty in taste; it describes foods with a high salt content, delivering a strong, sharp saltiness rather than a mild flavor.

Type

adjective (i-adjective)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Taste quality: a strong salt flavor in foods or drinks.
  • Intensity nuance: implies saltiness that can be overpowering or excessive.
  • Context nuance: more common in written or formal descriptions than casual speech; often used in culinary reviews.

Composition

  • 塩: salt
  • 辛い: spicy/pungent; in compounds it conveys a sharp flavor
  • Combined meaning: a saltiness that is sharp or pronounced, thus salty in taste

Usage

Used to describe the taste of foods with a high salt content; applicable in formal and written contexts, such as menus and reviews, and in casual speech less often; typical constructions include 食べ物は塩辛い and このスープは塩辛い.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: break shiokarai into shi-o + kara-i; imagine a salt shaker that bites your tongue to remember the strong saltiness.

Variations

  • 塩味が強い — shiomi ga tsuyoi
  • しょっぱい — shoppai
  • 塩気が強い — shioki ga tsuyoi

Example Phrases

  • この 塩辛い 味の つまみは 私には 好き じゃない。
    kono shiokarai aji no tsumami wa watashi ni wa suki ja nai.
    This salty-tasting snack isn’t to my liking.
    Lista:
    • この (kono) – this
    • 塩辛い (shiokarai) – salty
    • 味の (aji no) – of flavor
    • つまみは (tsumami wa) – snack (topic marker)
    • 私には (watashi ni wa) – to me
    • 好き (suki) – like
    • じゃない (ja nai) – not
    The word 「塩辛い」 is an i-adjective meaning salty; here it modifies 味のつまみ.
塩辛い