Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

脂 (あぶら) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

脂あぶら

あ

ぶ

ら

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

fat; grease; tallow; lard

Refers to solid or semi-solid animal fat, as opposed to liquid oil (油). Used for cooking fat, body fat, or greasy substances.

See also: 油

この肉にくは脂あぶらが多おおい。
This meat has a lot of fat.

フライパンに脂あぶらが残のこっている。

There is grease left in the frying pan.

Written forms

脂あぶらUsage91%
Standard kanji for animal fat, grease, or lard. Distinct from 油 (oil).
あぶらUsage7%
膏あぶらUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form, mostly seen in older or literary contexts.
膩あぶらUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Very rare kanji form; not recommended for general use.

Kanji

脂fat, grease, tallow
膏fat, grease, lard
膩smooth, oily

Similar words

油あぶら
油 refers to liquid oil (vegetable, mineral, etc.), while 脂 refers to solid or semi-solid animal fat or grease.

Etymology

The kanji 脂 is composed of 月 (meat/flesh) and 旨 (delicious/principle), suggesting the fat of meat. The reading あぶら is shared with 油, and the distinction between solid fat and liquid oil is a later semantic development.