豚肉
Meaning in Englishpork
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
豚肉 (butaniku) means pork — the meat that comes from a pig and is commonly used as an ingredient in Japanese and international cooking.
Main meanings
- 1) Refers to meat used as an ingredient in a wide range of dishes, from everyday home cooking to restaurant menus.
- 2) A grocery and labeling category distinguishing pork products from other meats such as beef or chicken.
- 3) A dietary classification discussed in nutrition contexts (fat content, protein source, cooking methods).
- 4) Basis for naming cuts and prepared foods (various specific cuts or processed pork products).
How to use it
Used in everyday speech, menus, recipes, supermarkets, and food labels; the term is neutral in register and appears in both casual and formal contexts to identify the ingredient, specify dishes, or categorize meats in nutritional or retail settings.
Variants and close terms
- ポーク (pōku) — loanword 'pork'
- 豚バラ (butabara) — pork belly (specific cut)
- 豚ロース (butarōsu) — pork loin (specific cut)
- 豚肩 (butakata) — pork shoulder (specific cut)
- 牛肉 (gyūniku) — beef (antonym)
Composition
- 豚 (buta): pig — denotes the animal.
- 肉 (niku): meat — denotes flesh used as food.
- Combined, the characters describe the meat of a pig, forming the compound for pork.
Origin
Pork consumption in Japan expanded over centuries: pig husbandry existed regionally (notably Okinawa), but widespread eating of pork was limited by Buddhist dietary norms until the late 19th century; with Meiji-era modernization and Western influence, pork became a common part of the Japanese diet and cuisine.
Word class
noun (名詞)