How to say "crisp" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- adverb (with と), suru verbThe common, colloquial choice for dry crispness — food that is not moist or juicy — and for the flaky crispness of pastry. A safe first choice when you simply want to say food is crisp.
- na-adjective, adverb (with と), suru verbLess common than サクサク, it covers crisp in a hard, brittle way — the crispness of a potato chip or fried fish. Choose it when the texture snaps firmly rather than flaking lightly.
- adverb (with と), suru verbLess common, it covers the fresh, snappy crispness of raw vegetables — a firm, fresh crunch rather than the dry kind. It can also describe speech that is crisp, precise and clipped.
- adverb (with と), suru verbLess common: crisp only in the sense of a firm, resilient crunch, as of a pickle. For general crispness it is seldom the word you want — it really describes that firm, springy bite.
- 歯切れの良いはぎれのよいexpression, i-adjective (よい/いい)Less common, and not a food-texture word: it describes crispness of sound or speech — a crisp, staccato, clear delivery — and a crisp, piquant taste. For crunchy food this is not the word you want.
For dry, crunchy food textures choose 「サクサク」 or, for a harder bite, 「カリカリ」; use 「しゃきしゃき」 for fresh vegetables, 「コリコリ」 for a firm pickled crunch, and 「歯切れの良い」 for crisp speech or taste rather than texture.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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