Entry
こんがり
kongari
Describes food that has been baked, grilled, or fried to a perfect, appetizing golden-brown color.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This word captures the ideal visual state of cooked food, such as toast, cookies, grilled meat, or baked cheese, where the surface has achieved a delicious-looking brown crust without being burnt.
- The perfect golden-brown color of baked goods.
- The deliciously browned surface of grilled or fried meat and fish.
Sense Map
Baking (Bread & Pastries)
Used when dough, batter, or bread is baked in an oven until the surface turns an appetizing golden-brown.
パンがこんがりと焼ける
Grilling & Frying (Meat & Fish)
Used when animal products are grilled or fried until the outside is perfectly cooked with a beautiful, often slightly crispy, brown finish.
肉をこんがり焼く
Usage Note
How to Use
こんがりと + verb
こんがり + verb
こんがりした + noun
Used to modify a noun, describing food that possesses this browned quality (e.g., perfectly browned bread).
How to Use
Common Phrases
こんがりと焼ける
to bake/grill golden brown
こんがり焼く
to cook until nicely browned
こんがり揚がる
to fry until golden brown
こんがりきつね色
golden fox-brown color
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking results | Positive | Highlights a successful cooking outcome, resulting in a highly appetizing food color. |
| Menu descriptions | Positive | Frequently used to make food sound more delicious and imply a good texture (crispy on the outside). |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
からっと からっと / similar | Used to describe fried food that is pleasantly crisp and dry, not oily. | This focuses on the dry, crispy texture, whereas こんがり (kongari) focuses on achieving an attractive golden-brown color. | からっと揚がる |
ぱりぱり ぱりぱり / similar | Used to describe a thin, hard texture that cracks easily, like potato chips or crispy skin. | This is strictly about the crunchy texture and the sound it makes, not the cooked visual state like こんがり (kongari). | パリパリの皮 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it to mean 'burnt'.
こんがり (Kongari) is always a positive outcome. If food is cooked too much or blackened, use the word 焦げる (kogeru).
Using it to describe brown objects that aren't cooked.
This word specifically refers to the browning that happens during the cooking process. Do not use it for things naturally brown like wood, dirt, or paint.
Examples
Examples
食パンがこんがりと焼けた。
しょくパンが こんがりと やけた。
The sliced bread toasted to a nice golden brown.
VisualHighlights the visual color change of the bread while toasting.
鶏肉の皮をこんがり焼く。
とりにくの かわを こんがり やく。
Grill the chicken skin until nicely browned.
VisualOften used in cooking instructions to get the right texture and color.
こんがり揚がったフライドポテトは美味しい。
こんがり あがった フライドポテトは おいしい。
Nicely browned french fries are delicious.
VisualDescribes the perfect result of deep-frying.
チーズがこんがりしたグラタンを食べた。
チーズが こんがりした グラタンを たべた。
I ate a gratin with nicely browned cheese.
VisualUsed as an adjective to describe the dish.
クッキーがこんがりといい色に焼き上がった。
クッキーが こんがりと いいいろに やきあがった。
The cookies finished baking to a nice golden brown color.
LiteralEmphasizes the color and the success of the baking process.
Similar Words
からっと
karatto
"Karatto" is an adverb describing weather or air that is refreshingly dry, food that is pleasantly cooked, or an attitude that is frank and clear. Used for the dry, non-oily texture of fried food, whereas kongari focuses on the attractive brown color.
パリパリ
paripari
Describes a crisp, crunchy texture or sound, as well as the stiff feel of brand-new bills or starched shirts. Focuses on the brittle, crispy texture rather than the visual roasted color.
Questions
Can 'kongari' be used for things other than food?
It is primarily used for food. It is occasionally used playfully to describe a nice dark suntan on a person, but this is informal.
What is the difference between 'kongari' and 'kogeru'?
'Kongari' is the ideal, delicious browning of food. 'Kogeru' means burnt or charred, and usually implies a mistake or a bad taste.
Does 'kongari' imply a specific taste?
It does not describe a flavor directly, but rather the roasted visual state and aroma, which often comes with a slightly crispy surface texture.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2008190
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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- こってり (kotteri)
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- こんもり (konmori)