Translation guide
In Japanese, 'salt water' can be expressed in several ways depending on context: seawater, saline solution, or water with salt added for cooking. The most common term is 海水 (kaisui) for natural seawater, while 塩水 (shiomizu) is used for man-made salt water, such as for gargling or cooking.
Natural salt water from the sea or ocean.
The standard word for seawater. Used in scientific, everyday, and formal contexts.
海水で泳ぐのは気持ちいい。
Swimming in seawater feels good.
海水を淡水化する技術。
Technology to desalinate seawater.
Literally 'tide' but often used in compounds to refer to seawater, especially in poetic or traditional contexts.
潮の香りがする。
It smells of the sea (seawater).
Water with salt dissolved in it, typically for cooking, cleaning, or medical use.
General term for salt water made by dissolving salt in water. Used for gargling, cooking, or industrial purposes.
塩水でうがいをする。
Gargle with salt water.
野菜を塩水に漬ける。
Soak vegetables in salt water.
Specifically refers to saline solution, often used in medical or scientific contexts. '食塩' means table salt.
Descriptive phrase meaning 'water with salt added'. Used when you need to be explicit, but 塩水 is more natural.
塩を入れた水でゆでる。
Boil in water with salt added.
Highly concentrated salt water used for pickling or preserving.
Also used for brine, but context makes it clear. For pickling, 漬け汁 (tsukejiru) might be used.
キュウリを塩水に漬ける。
Pickle cucumbers in brine.
Specifically refers to brine or salt water used in food processing, such as for making Chinese noodles or preserving foods. Not common in everyday speech.
海水 (kaisui) is natural seawater, while 塩水 (shiomizu) is man-made salt water. Do not use 海水 for a glass of salt water you made at home.
海水はしょっぱい。
Seawater is salty.
塩水を作ってうがいをした。
I made salt water and gargled.
生理食塩水を点滴する。
Administer saline solution intravenously.
Alkaline salt water is used in ramen noodles.