How to say "pan" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 鍋なべnounThe common, general word for a cooking vessel — a pan, pot or saucepan set on the stove. When you mean the utensil itself, this is the usual choice.
- nounA less common word: it refers to Pan, the god of Greek mythology, so it suits only the mythological sense of 'pan', never the kitchen utensil.
- 手鍋てなべnounA less common term for a small pan held directly in the hand while cooking; for an ordinary pan it is seldom the word you want — 鍋 is the general choice.
- 平鍋ひらなべnounA less common word for a flat, shallow pan — the griddle sense; choose it when the pan is flat rather than deep, as a griddle is.平なべを火からおろしなさい。↗Take the pan off the fire.
- nounThe polite (teineigo) way to say 鍋, formed with the prefix お; it keeps the same pan and pot sense and fits polite conversation.
For the cooking utensil, 鍋 is the common general word and 「おなべ」 its polite form; 手鍋 and 平鍋 name particular kinds of pan, while 「パン」 is only the Greek god.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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