How to say "jelly" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe everyday word for jelly as a sweet gelatin dessert — the wobbly store-bought or homemade kind. If you mean the dessert English speakers call jelly or jello, this is the word you want.
- nounNot the sweet dessert: this refers to jelly that forms when a liquid congeals, especially broth from cooked fish or meat (an aspic-like jelly). A less common word, usually written in kana.
- nounAlso a word for the sweet gelatin dessert, borrowed from French and carrying a refined, culinary feel; you will meet it on menus and in recipes. Less common than ゼリー.
Use 「ゼリー」 for ordinary sweet jelly desserts; 「ジュレ」 for the same idea with a French-culinary flavor; 「こごり」 only for jelly that forms naturally when a liquid congeals, as in cooking.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
