How to say "roe" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 卵たまごnounThe common word for eggs of any kind, from hen's eggs to the spawn of fish; it matches 'roe' in the broad, general sense rather than as a specialized term for fish roe.
- 腹子はらこnounFish eggs; roe, with the nuance of eggs from the fish's belly (腹). A less common word, so not usually your first choice, but apt when you mean a fish's roe specifically.
- 魚卵ぎょらんnounA compound of 魚 'fish' and 卵 'egg', meaning fish eggs or roe; it can also render 'hard roe', the egg-filled ovary as opposed to soft roe (milt). It is a less common word.
- 株主資本利益率かぶぬししほんりえきりつnounThe financial ratio 'return on equity' (ROE), a measure of profitability relative to shareholders' equity. It has nothing to do with fish eggs, so use it only when 'ROE' is the business term.
- 一腹ひとはらnounThe roe of a single fish, that is, both ovaries taken together as one set; it treats one fish's roe as a unit rather than naming roe in general. A less common word.
Use 卵 for eggs in general, 腹子 or 魚卵 for fish roe (魚卵 also for hard roe), 一腹 for one fish's roe, both ovaries, and 株主資本利益率 only for the financial ratio ROE.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
