Soy Sauce: Meaning, Uses, and Examples

Meaning 1：soy sauce (Soy sauce)

Soy sauce 🔊

/ˈsɔɪ ˌsɔːs/

A dark, salty liquid condiment made from fermented soybeans, used to add flavor to food.

soy sauce 🔊

➕

/ˈsɔɪ ˌsɔːs/

A dark, salty liquid condiment made from fermented soybeans, used to add flavor to food, especially in East Asian cuisines.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'soy' (Japanese shoyu) + 'sauce' (Latin salsa).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine dipping a soybean in sauce: soy + sauce.

📖 Example

Could you pass me the soy sauce? I'd like to add a little to my fried rice. 🔊 Could you pass me the soy sauce? I'd like to add a little to my fried rice.

🔗 Collocations

low-sodium soy sauce – soy sauce with reduced salt content

soy sauce bottle – a container designed for storing and pouring soy sauce

soy sauce marinade – a mixture containing soy sauce used to soak meat or vegetables before cooking

🔄 Synonyms

shoyu (n.) – the Japanese term for soy sauce, often used to refer to traditional Japanese varieties

tamari (n.) – a type of soy sauce that is gluten-free and thicker in texture

soya sauce (n.) – another name for soy sauce, commonly used in British English

🌱 Derivatives

soy (n.) – the soybean plant or its beans

soya (n.) – alternative British spelling of soy

soy-based (adj.) – made from or derived from soybeans

📖 Cultural Story

Originating in China over 2,000 years ago, soy sauce was introduced to Japan and later brought to Europe by Dutch traders. The word 'soy' entered English via the Dutch 'soya'.