Translation guide
A tool for separating solids from liquids or finer particles from coarser ones, and the action of using it.
A mesh or perforated bowl used for straining or sifting food.
A flat or slightly curved basket-like sieve, often made of bamboo, plastic, or metal. Used for draining water from washed rice, vegetables, or noodles. Very common in Japanese kitchens.
野菜をざるにあける。
I drain the vegetables in a sieve.
ざるでうどんの水を切る。
I drain the water from the udon with a sieve.
A general term for a strainer or sieve, often a handled mesh utensil. Used for straining liquids or sifting dry ingredients.
こし器でスープをこす。
I strain the soup with a sieve.
A specialized sieve for pureeing soft foods by pressing them through a fine mesh, often used for making smooth sauces or baby food.
裏ごし器でじゃがいもを裏ごしする。
I press the potatoes through a sieve.
A device with a mesh for separating particles by size, used in labs or construction.
A sieve or screen used for sifting dry materials like sand, flour, or soil. Often a round frame with a mesh bottom.
砂をふるいにかける。
I sift the sand with a sieve.
ふるいで小麦粉をふるう。
I sift the flour with a sieve.
The kanji for ふるい, often used in technical or written contexts.
篩分析を行う。
Perform a sieve analysis.
The verb meaning to pass something through a sieve.
To sift dry ingredients like flour or sand. Transitive verb.
小麦粉をふるう。
I sift the flour.
To strain liquids or wet mixtures through a sieve or cloth. Transitive verb.
だしをこす。
I strain the broth.
Literally 'put through a sieve'. Used for both literal sifting and metaphorical screening (e.g., candidates).
応募者をふるいにかける。
We screen the applicants.
To puree by pressing through a fine sieve. Used for making smooth pastes.
かぼちゃを裏ごしする。
I press the pumpkin through a sieve.
To filter or select carefully, as if with a sieve.
Used metaphorically to mean screening or selecting people or things rigorously.
候補者を厳しくふるいにかける。
We rigorously screen the candidates.
To sort or select, often used in contexts like separating good from bad.
情報を選別する。
I sift through the information.
ざる is a basket-like sieve with larger holes, often used for draining. こし器 is a finer mesh strainer, often with a handle, used for straining liquids or sifting flour. In everyday cooking, ざる is more common for draining, while こし器 is for finer tasks.
ざるでパスタの水を切る。
Drain pasta with a colander/sieve.
こし器でみそ汁をこす。
Strain miso soup with a fine strainer.
In English, 'sieve' and 'colander' are sometimes interchangeable, but in Japanese, a colander with large holes is usually 水切りボウル or コランダー, not ざる. ざる is typically a flat basket, not a bowl-shaped colander.