How to say "cheese" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe everyday word for cheese, covering the food itself, as an ingredient, or on a menu. Use this in speech and writing unless you deliberately want a foreign flavor.
- nounA French-derived loanword for cheese, less common than チーズ and used mainly for a stylish, European feel on café and restaurant menus and in product names.
- 乾酪かんらくnounA kanji-based word for cheese that you will meet mainly in writing; in everyday conversation it is seldom the word you want — say チーズ instead.
- nounAn Italian-derived loanword for cheese, used like フロマージュ but with an Italian flavor, mainly on menus and in product names; it is not the everyday word — use チーズ.
Use 「チーズ」 for cheese in everyday contexts; 「フロマージュ」 and 「フォルマッジオ」 are French- and Italian-derived loanwords for stylish menus and product names, while 乾酪 is a kanji term found mainly in writing.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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