Meaning
The kanji 漬, read as tsu.keru or tsu.karu in its native Japanese readings, primarily means 'to pickle,' 'to soak,' 'to marinate,' or 'to immerse.' It implies submerging something in a liquid, often for preservation, flavoring, or softening. While it can refer to general soaking, its most prominent and culturally significant usage in Japan is in food preparation, specifically for creating various pickled dishes known as 漬物.
This character is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. This means it combines a semantic component that hints at its meaning with a phonetic component that suggests its sound. On the left, you'll find the radical 氵 (さんずい, sanzui), the 'water' radical. This component immediately signals that the kanji's meaning involves water or another liquid, depicting the essential action of submerging something in fluid.
The right side of the character is 責 (セキ, seki). It primarily serves as the phonetic component, giving the 'チ' sound in its rare on'yomi. However, 責 also carries meanings like 'to blame,' 'to demand,' or 'to press.' While the 'blame' aspect isn't directly relevant here, the idea of 'pressing' or 'demanding' strongly connects to the pickling process. Ingredients are often pressed down into brine or marinade, and the process itself 'demands' a period of immersion. Visually, this combination of the water radical and the 'press/demand' component perfectly encapsulates the core action of submerging and preserving items in liquid.
With 14 strokes, 漬 is a 常用漢字 (Jōyō Kanji), meaning it's designated for general use. As an N1 level kanji, it's typically learned by secondary school students or advanced Japanese learners. Although Jōyō Kanji are often assigned specific grades up to Grade 6, kanji like 漬, learned beyond that, are sometimes broadly listed as Grade 8 for advanced learners.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading for 漬 is チ (CHI). This reading is quite rare in modern Japanese, especially for meanings related to pickling or soaking. Most words using 漬, particularly food terms, rely on its kun'yomi readings. When チ does appear, it's usually in more specialized, older, or less common compound words. Its primary significance is in reflecting the kanji's historical Chinese pronunciation and its role as a phonetic component, rather than frequent contemporary use.
- 水漬 (suishi) — waterlogged; soaked in water. This term is quite academic or literary and not frequently encountered in everyday conversation.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are the most common and vital for understanding and using 漬 in Japanese. These readings are deeply integrated into daily language, especially in culinary contexts.
つ.ける (tsu.keru) — This is the transitive verb form, meaning 'to soak', 'to pickle', 'to marinate', or 'to steep'. It describes the action performed by someone.
- 野菜を塩に漬ける (yasai o shio ni tsukeru) — to salt vegetables; to pickle vegetables in salt.
- 魚を醤油に漬ける (sakana o shōyu ni tsukeru) — to marinate fish in soy sauce.
- 洗濯物を水に漬ける (sentakumono o mizu ni tsukeru) — to soak laundry in water.
つ.かる (tsu.karu) — This is the intransitive verb form, meaning 'to be soaked', 'to be pickled', or 'to be immersed'. It describes the state of an object.
- 野菜が塩水に漬かる (yasai ga shiomizu ni tsukaru) — the vegetables are soaking in brine.
- 水に漬かった服 (mizu ni tsukatta fuku) — clothes soaked in water.
- 風呂に漬かる (furo ni tsukaru) — to soak in a bath (though 浸かる is also common for general immersion).
-づ.け (-zu.ke) — This reading appears as a suffix, forming compound nouns that denote something that has been pickled or marinated in a specific substance. The 'tsu' becomes 'zu' due to rendaku (sequential voicing).
- 塩漬 (shiozuke) — pickled in salt; salt-pickled item.
- 糠漬 (nukazuke) — pickles made in fermented rice bran.
- 醤油漬 (shōyuzuke) — marinated in soy sauce; soy-pickled item.
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 漬 is very prominent in Japanese culinary vocabulary, especially when it comes to traditional preserved foods. Below, you'll find several important words and compounds, grouped by theme:
Food & Pickling Types
- 漬物 (tsukemono) — Japanese pickles. This is perhaps the most fundamental and widely used word involving 漬, encompassing all types of traditional Japanese preserved vegetables. They are a staple accompaniment to almost every Japanese meal.
- 塩漬 (shiozuke) — Salt-pickled. This refers to food, typically vegetables or fish, that has been preserved using salt. It's one of the simplest and oldest methods of pickling.
- 糠漬 (nukazuke) — Pickles made in fermented rice bran. These are highly distinctive Japanese pickles known for their unique tangy flavor and aroma, achieved by daily fermentation in a rice bran bed.
- 浅漬 (asazuke) — Lightly pickled. Unlike deeply fermented pickles, asazuke are quick pickles, often made with minimal salt or seasoning and consumed relatively fresh, sometimes within hours of preparation.
- 酢漬 (suzuke) — Pickled in vinegar. Foods preserved in a vinegar-based brine, offering a tart and refreshing flavor.
- 味噌漬 (misozuke) — Miso-pickled. Items, often fish or vegetables, marinated in miso paste, which imparts a rich, savory, and slightly sweet flavor.
- 醤油漬 (shōyuzuke) — Soy-pickled. Food marinated in soy sauce, providing umami and a deep, savory taste.
- 粕漬 (kasuzuke) — Sake lees-pickled. Foods, especially fish or vegetables, marinated in sake lees (the residue from sake production), resulting in a subtle, sweet, and alcoholic aroma.
Actions & Processes
- 漬け込む (tsukekomu) — To pickle deeply; to marinate thoroughly; to preserve by immersion over a longer period. This compound emphasizes the depth and duration of the soaking process.
- 漬け置く (tsukeoku) — To leave something soaking; to let something marinate. This implies placing an item in liquid and leaving it for a period without immediate action.
- 漬け方 (tsukekata) — How to pickle/marinate; pickling method. Refers to the specific techniques or recipes for making pickles.
Example Sentences
きゅうりを塩水に漬ける。
Kyūri o shiomizu ni tsukeru.
To soak cucumbers in brine.
母は美味しい糠漬を作るのが得意だ。
Haha wa oishii nukazuke o tsukuru no ga tokui da.
My mother is good at making delicious rice bran pickles.
魚を醤油に漬け込んで、焼いた。
Sakana o shōyu ni tsukekonde, yaita.
I marinated the fish in soy sauce and grilled it.
大根は一晩で浅漬になった。
Daikon wa hitoban de asazuke ni natta.
The daikon became lightly pickled overnight.
彼は疲れた体を熱いお湯に漬けた。
Kare wa tsukareta karada o atsui oyu ni tsuketa.
He immersed his tired body in hot water.
漬物は日本食に欠かせない一品です。
Tsukemono wa Nihonshoku ni kakasenai ippin desu.
Pickles are an indispensable dish in Japanese cuisine.
この梅は三年もの漬け梅だ。
Kono ume wa sannen mono tsuke ume da.
These plums are three-year-old pickled plums.
洗濯物が水にすっかり漬かっていた。
Sentakumono ga mizu ni sukkari tsukatte ita.
The laundry was completely soaked in water.
冷蔵庫に自家製の粕漬があります。
Reizōko ni jikasei no kasuzuke ga arimasu.
There are homemade sake lees pickles in the refrigerator.
古くなった米は水に漬けてから炊くと、美味しくなる場合がある。
Furuku natta kome wa mizu ni tsukete kara taku to, oishiku naru baai ga aru.
Sometimes, old rice becomes more delicious if you soak it in water before cooking.
Memory Tip
To help remember 漬, visualize its two main components. On the left, we have 氵 (sanzui), the 'water' radical, clearly indicating the presence of liquid. On the right, we have 責 (seki), which can mean 'to blame', 'to demand', or 'to press'. Think of it this way: when you pickle something, you are literally pressing it down into water (brine or marinade). You might also imagine that it's your responsibility (責) as a cook to immerse (氵) the ingredients properly to make delicious pickles. Picture a chef carefully pressing cucumbers into a jar of brine, taking responsibility for perfect fermentation. This visual link—pressing an item into liquid for preservation—will help you recall the meaning of 'pickle' or 'soak'.