noun
shaku (unit of volume, approx. 18 ml)
Traditional Japanese unit of volume, roughly 18 milliliters. Still used in some culinary contexts, especially for measuring sake or rice.
日本酒を一勺だけ注文した。
I ordered just one shaku of sake.
このレシピでは醤油を二勺加える。
This recipe adds two shaku of soy sauce.
noun
shaku (unit of area, approx. 0.033 m²)
Traditional Japanese unit of area, approximately 0.033 square meters. Rarely used in modern daily life; mainly encountered in historical or architectural contexts.
この古い家の畳は一勺の面積だ。
The tatami mat in this old house has an area of one shaku.
土地の広さを勺で表すことは今ではほとんどない。
Nowadays, land area is almost never expressed in shaku.
Out-dated kanji usage; rarely encountered in modern texts.
The kanji 勺 is a pictograph of a ladle or small measure, reflecting its use as a unit of volume. The reading しゃく is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi. The alternative reading せき is less common and restricted to the 勺 kanji.