Japanese Vegetable Cutting Styles: Wagiri, Sengiri, Mijingiri and More

Japanese recipes name a cut by the shape it leaves, compared with something familiar such as a ring, a half moon or a ginkgo leaf, so ninjin wa ichōgiri ni suru means quarter the carrot lengthwise and slice it.

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Japanese Vegetable Cutting Styles: Wagiri, Sengiri, Mijingiri and More

Japanese recipes rarely explain how to cut. They name the result, and the names are pictures: wagiri, rings; hangetsugiri, half moons; ichōgiri, ginkgo leaves; sainomegiri, the pips of a die. Once you see that each name describes the finished piece, you can work out the knife moves yourself, because most cuts combine three steps: slice across, split lengthwise, and cut strips into smaller pieces. This article follows one carrot from rings to half moons to ginkgo leaves, then draws twelve more cuts in families: slices of slender vegetables, sticks, cubes and loose pieces. It shows how recipes phrase a cut and its size. Beyond the basics come the pairs that confuse learners, why a recipe picks one cut over another, cutting along or across the grain, and what a teacher actually says at the chopping board.

Cut names describe the finished piece by comparing it to something

Wagiri halved is hangetsugiri, and halved again it is ichōgiri

Sengiri is finer than hosogiri; sainomegiri is smaller than kakugiri

Recipes say sengiri ni suru for shapes and hitokuchidai ni kiru for sizes

The core idea: the name is a picture of the piece

A Japanese cut name is the verb kiru, to cut, turned into -giri and attached to a picture of the result. Wagiri is literally ring cut. Hangetsugiri is half-moon cut. Mijingiri, literally fine-dust cut, from mijin, a speck, is a mince. Sainomegiri is literally dice-eye cut: pieces the size of a die. The name tells you what should be on the board when you have finished, and you choose the knife moves to get there.

Those moves are few. You slice across a vegetable, you split it lengthwise first, or you cut slices into strips and strips into cubes. Most cuts are one of these in a particular order. A community cooking class is starting, and the teacher hands out the jobs.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
にんじんは輪切りにしてください。Ninjin wa wagiri ni shite kudasai.Please cut the carrot into rounds.
玉ねぎはみじん切りにします。Tamanegi wa mijingiri ni shimasu.We'll finely chop the onion.
キャベツは千切りにしてください。Kyabetsu wa sengiri ni shite kudasai.Please shred the cabbage finely.
ねぎは小口切りでお願いします。Negi wa koguchigiri de onegai shimasu.The spring onion in thin rounds, please.
じゃがいもは一口大に切ります。Jagaimo wa hitokuchidai ni kirimasu.We'll cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

One carrot, three cuts: rings, half moons, ginkgo leaves

The clearest family starts with a round slice. Wagiri is a slice straight across a cylinder such as carrot, daikon or cucumber. Halve a ring and you have hangetsugiri, a half moon; halve that and you have ichōgiri, the fan shape of a ginkgo leaf. Each step makes the piece smaller, so it cooks faster and fits a spoon, which is why miso soup and tonjiru use ichōgiri.

In practice you do the splitting first, not slice by slice: halve the vegetable lengthwise for half moons, quarter it lengthwise for ginkgo leaves, then slice across. The diagram shows the end of the carrot before slicing. The teacher demonstrates on a daikon.

From one carrot, ninjin. Left: sono mama, as it is, sliced into wagiri, rounds. Middle: tate hanbun, halved lengthwise, then sliced into hangetsugiri, half moons. Right: tate yontōbun, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into ichōgiri, ginkgo leaves.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
まず縦半分に切ってください。Mazu tate hanbun ni kitte kudasai.First cut it in half lengthwise.
それから、端から薄く切ります。Sore kara, hashi kara usuku kirimasu.Then slice it thinly from the end.
大根は5ミリ厚さのいちょう切りにします。Daikon wa go-miri atsusa no ichōgiri ni shimasu.Cut the daikon into ginkgo-leaf slices 5 mm thick.

Twelve more cuts, grouped by family

The grid sorts the other common cuts by what they start from. The top row cuts a slender or round vegetable whole. The middle row makes sticks and strips, from shreds to batons. The bottom row makes cubes and loose pieces. The teacher checks two students' work.

Top: koguchigiri, thin rounds; nanamegiri, diagonal slices; rangiri, rolling-cut chunks; kushigiri, wedges. Middle: sengiri, shreds; hosogiri, thin sticks; tanzakugiri, flat strips; hyōshigigiri, batons. Bottom: kakugiri, cubes; sainomegiri, small dice; mijingiri, mince; zakugiri, rough pieces.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
もう少し細く切りましょう。Mō sukoshi hosoku kirimashō.Let's cut them a little thinner.
大きさをそろえてくださいね。Ōkisa o soroete kudasai ne.Try to make them all the same size.
CutReadingLiterallyTypical use
小口切りkoguchigiriend cutSpring onion, cucumber, chilli
斜め切りnanamegiridiagonal cutLong spring onion, cucumber
乱切りrangiriirregular cutCarrot and burdock for simmering
くし切りkushigiricomb cutOnion, tomato, lemon wedges
千切りsengirithousand cutCabbage with tonkatsu
細切りhosogirithin cutGreen pepper in stir-fries
短冊切りtanzakugiripoem-strip cutDaikon and carrot in soups
拍子木切りhyōshigigiriclapper-stick cutPotato for frying
角切りkakugirisquare cutCurry and stew
さいの目切りsainomegiridice-eye cutTofu in miso soup, salads
みじん切りmijingirifine-dust cutOnion, garlic, ginger
ざく切りzakugirirough cutCabbage and greens for nabe

How recipes phrase a cut and its size

Recipes use two patterns. A named cut takes ni suru: ninjin wa sengiri ni suru. A size or a split takes ni kiru: hitokuchidai ni kiru, tate hanbun ni kiru. Sizes pair a number with a dimension word: atsusa, thickness; haba, width; nagasa, length; and kaku, literally square, meaning cubes or squares of that side. So 1 cm kaku is 1 cm dice. The grammar of ni suru is covered in the guide to reading recipes, and the verbs for peeling and grating in the guide to cooking verbs; here the focus is the measurements. A recipe card is read aloud.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
じゃがいもは3センチ角に切ります。Jagaimo wa san-senchi kaku ni kirimasu.Cut the potatoes into 3 cm cubes.
ごぼうは5センチの長さに切ります。Gobō wa go-senchi no nagasa ni kirimasu.Cut the burdock into 5 cm lengths.
ピーマンは縦に細切りにします。Pīman wa tate ni hosogiri ni shimasu.Cut the green peppers lengthwise into thin strips.
Recipe wordingReadingWhat to do
千切りにするsengiri ni suruShred finely
一口大に切るhitokuchidai ni kiruCut into bite-sized pieces
1cm角に切るichi-senchi kaku ni kiruCut into 1 cm cubes
5mm幅に切るgo-miri haba ni kiruCut into pieces 5 mm wide
4cm長さに切るyon-senchi nagasa ni kiruCut into 4 cm lengths
4等分に切るyontōbun ni kiruCut into four equal parts

Beyond the basics: pairs that look alike

Several cuts share a shape and differ in size or in the vegetable they are meant for. Sizes below are typical, not fixed; cookery sources vary.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
豆腐はさいの目に切ります。Tōfu wa sainome ni kirimasu.Cut the tofu into small dice.
にんじんは短冊切りにしてください。Ninjin wa tanzakugiri ni shite kudasai.Please cut the carrot into thin flat strips.
PairReadingWhat differs
輪切り / 小口切りwagiri / koguchigiriBoth are rounds. Koguchi means the cut end; it is for slender things like spring onion, usually thin
千切り / 細切りsengiri / hosogiriBoth are strips; sengiri is finer, hosogiri thicker, the line often put at about 3 mm
さいの目切り / 角切りsainomegiri / kakugiriBoth are cubes; sainome is about 1 cm, kakugiri bigger
短冊切り / 拍子木切りtanzakugiri / hyōshigigiriBoth about 4 to 5 cm long; tanzaku is flat like a poem strip, hyōshigi a square baton
ざく切り / 乱切りzakugiri / rangiriRough pieces of leafy vegetables versus even chunks of long root vegetables

Kushigiri and kushigatagiri are the same cut, a comb-shaped wedge, and both names appear in recipes.

Beyond the basics: why a recipe picks a cut, and the grain

Cuts are chosen for cooking time and texture, so the choice is predictable. Thin pieces cook fast: ichōgiri for soup, usugiri for a quick stir-fry. Large pieces with many faces suit long simmering: rangiri gives each chunk several angled cuts, so heat and seasoning get in evenly. Raw dishes want fine cuts: sengiri cabbage, mijingiri onion for hamburg steak.

Recipes also mention sen'i, the grain or fibre, especially for onions. Cooks generally say that cutting sen'i ni sotte, along the grain, keeps pieces firm and crisp. Cutting sen'i o tatsu yō ni, across the grain, gives softer pieces that cook down more easily. The teacher explains while slicing.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
玉ねぎは繊維に沿って薄切りにします。Tamanegi wa sen'i ni sotte usugiri ni shimasu.Slice the onion thinly along the grain.
繊維を断つように切ると、やわらかくなります。Sen'i o tatsu yō ni kiru to, yawarakaku narimasu.Cut across the grain and it turns out softer.
乱切りにすると味がしみやすいです。Rangiri ni suru to aji ga shimiyasui desu.With a rolling cut, the flavour soaks in more easily.

Spoken reality: at the chopping board

In a class or a home kitchen, instructions are softer than recipe text. Teachers use te kudasai or a plain form with ne, and friends drop the ending altogether. Mijingiri shortens to mijin, a coarse chop is aramijin, and a rough chop becomes zakuzaku, the sound of the knife. Children learn neko no te, literally cat's paw, the curled fingers that keep fingertips away from the blade. A friend is helping you make curry.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
左手は猫の手にしてね。Hidarite wa neko no te ni shite ne.Curl your left hand like a cat's paw.
粗みじんでいいよ。Aramijin de ii yo.A coarse chop is fine.
キャベツはざくざく切っちゃって。Kyabetsu wa zakuzaku kitchatte.Just chop the cabbage roughly.
どのくらいの大きさ？Dono kurai no ōkisa?About how big?
皮はむく？Kawa wa muku?Should I peel it?
食べやすい大きさでいいよ。Tabeyasui ōkisa de ii yo.Any easy-to-eat size is fine.

Common mistakes with cutting words

Reading sengiri (千切り) as chigiri. The same kanji spell chigiru (千切る), to tear by hand, so learners mix them up. In a recipe it is always sengiri, and many recipes write it in kana (せん切り) to avoid the clash.

Asking for wagiri of spring onions. Wagiri suggests thicker rings of carrot or daikon; for slender vegetables the word is koguchigiri.

Treating rangiri as random chopping. The ran means irregular angles, not irregular sizes. Roll the vegetable a quarter turn between diagonal cuts and keep the pieces even, or some will be raw when others are soft.

Saying sengiri o kiru. English says cut into julienne, so learners make the shape the object. The shape is the result: sengiri ni suru.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
レタスは手でちぎります。Retasu wa te de chigirimasu.Tear the lettuce by hand.
万能ねぎを小口切りにします。Bannō negi o koguchigiri ni shimasu.Slice the green onions into thin rounds.
Key points

A practical way to improve

Cutting words are best learned with your hands busy, so practise them the way a cooking class runs. Ask your AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom to be the teacher at the chopping board and give you a recipe step by step: tamanegi wa usugiri ni shite kudasai, ninjin wa ichōgiri de. Repeat each instruction back, then ask what a student really asks: dono kurai no ōkisa desu ka, how big, and kawa wa mukimasu ka, do I peel it. Then swap roles and explain your own favourite dish, naming every cut. Read the corrections afterwards, and use Unihongo's free learning games to fix the kanji of the cut names in your memory.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sengiri and hosogiri?

Both are long thin strips, and the difference is thickness. Sengiri is as fine as you can manage, the shredded cabbage beside tonkatsu. Hosogiri is a little thicker, the strips of green pepper in a stir-fry. Some cookery sources draw the line at about 3 millimetres, finer being sengiri, but the boundary is loose and recipes often add a size when it matters.

What does ichōgiri mean in a Japanese recipe?

Ichōgiri, literally ginkgo cut, means quarter-round slices shaped like the fan-shaped leaf of the ginkgo tree. Cut the carrot or daikon lengthwise into four, then slice across. It is the standard cut for vegetables in miso soup and tonjiru, because the small, thin pieces cook quickly and fit on a spoon. A recipe may add a thickness, such as 5 mm atsusa.

What is the difference between kakugiri and sainomegiri?

They are the same shape, cubes, in different sizes. Sainomegiri, literally dice-eye cut, is small dice of about 1 centimetre, like a die. Kakugiri, literally square cut, is larger cubes for curry and stew. Smaller still is arare-giri, dice of about 5 millimetres, named after arare, hail. Recipes often skip the names and write 1 cm kaku or 2 cm kaku instead.

What is rangiri and why is it used?

Rangiri is a rolling cut for long vegetables such as carrot, burdock and cucumber. You cut diagonally, turn the vegetable a quarter, and cut diagonally again, giving chunks of similar size with several angled faces. The extra cut surfaces help heat and seasoning get in, which is why rangiri is the usual cut for simmered dishes such as chikuzenni and for curry.

How do you say cut into bite-sized pieces in Japanese?

Recipes say hitokuchidai ni kiru, literally cut to one-mouthful size. It is one of the most common instructions in home cooking, used for chicken, potatoes and anything else that should go in the mouth in one go. In speech people also say tabeyasui ōkisa ni kiru, cut to an easy-to-eat size. Recipes nearly always use kiru here rather than suru, since hitokuchidai is a size, not a named cut.

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