おかず

お

か

ず

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun

side dish; accompaniment to rice

usually written using kana alonefood / cooking

Refers to small dishes served alongside rice in a Japanese meal; the core everyday meaning.

今こん夜やのおかずは焼やき魚ざかなとひじきの煮に物ものです。
Tonight's side dishes are grilled fish and simmered hijiki.

おかずがたくさんあると、ご飯はんが進すすみます。

When there are many side dishes, the rice goes down easily.

noun

drum fill; fill-in

usually written using kana alonecolloquialmusic

Colloquial music term for a drum fill; used among musicians.

ドラムのおかずを入いれるタイミングが難むずかしい。
The timing for putting in a drum fill is tricky.

noun

masturbation material; jack-off material

usually written using kana alonevulgar expression or wordslang

Vulgar slang; often written in katakana as オカズ. Used for porn or anything used as sexual fantasy aid.

ネットでオカズを探さがす。
Search for jack-off material online.

Written forms

おかずUsage91%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
オカズUsage7%
search-only kana form
Katakana spelling is common for the vulgar slang sense.
お菜かずUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form for the food sense.
御菜おかずUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form.
お数かず
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form for the food sense.

Kanji

菜vegetable, side dish, greens
御honorable, manipulate, govern
数number, strength, fate

Similar words

副ふく菜さい
副菜 is a more formal or nutritional term for a side dish, while おかず is the everyday word.
総そう菜ざい
総菜 refers to prepared side dishes often sold at stores, whereas おかず is the general term for any accompaniment to rice.

Etymology

Derived from お (honorific prefix) + 数 (かず, 'number'), originally referring to the several small dishes served with rice. The kanji 菜 ('vegetable, side dish') is also used. The slang sense is a metaphorical extension: something that 'accompanies' the main activity.