The Meaning of chōmiryō [調味料] In Japanese

調味料
ちょうみりょう
Romaji: chōmiryō N5

What does 調味料 mean?

Translation and Meaning

seasoning, condiment, flavoring

Definition

What does 調味料 mean? It denotes the ingredients used to season or flavor food, typically added during cooking or at the table, including basic salts as well as sauces, sugars, vinegars, and other flavor-enhancing products.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • categorizes ingredients that modify flavor in cooking and serving
  • includes salt, sauces, spice blends, and flavor enhancers used across cuisines
  • in recipes or menus, 調味料 marks the section or list of seasonings rather than the act of seasoning itself

Etymology

調 (on’yomi chō) + 味 (on’yomi mi) + 料 (on’yomi ryō) forms a native Japanese compound read as chōmiryō. The structure joins the ideas of adjusting flavor and the materials that impart taste; it is not a loanword, and its pronunciation follows standard kanji readings.

Composition

  • 調: to adjust, regulate, or tune; here it implies balancing the flavor
  • 味: taste, flavor
  • 料: material, ingredients used to produce something; here, flavoring agents

Usage

Used in cooking contexts, both formal and everyday. In recipes, 調味料 refers to ingredients added for flavor; in grocery stores it’s a category label; in culinary writing it describes agents that modify taste.
💡 Tips
Tune the flavor: imagine tuning a radio to balance taste; 調 means tune, 味 means flavor, and 料 points to the ingredients that deliver that flavor.

Variations

  • 香辛料 (koushinryou): spices and aromatic seasonings
  • 味付け (ajitsuke): the act of seasoning or flavoring
  • だし (dashi): a common seasoning base in Japanese cooking
  • 味料 (miryou): flavoring agents, less common but related

Example Phrases

  • 台所で新しい調味料を少し試してみた。
    Daidokoro de atarashii choumiryou wo sukoshi tameshite mita.
    I tried a little bit of a new seasoning in the kitchen.
    Lista:
    • 台所 (daidokoro) – kitchen
    • 新しい (atarashii) – new
    • 調味料 (choumiryou) – seasoning
    • 少し (sukoshi) – a little
    • 試してみた (tameshite mita) – tried
    The noun 「調味料」 means seasoning; here it functions as the direct object of 試してみた.
調味料