Meaning & use
sobas
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“sobas” is a form of “soba”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounpluralrare
Plural of soba: thin Japanese noodles made partly or wholly from buckwheat flour, eaten hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce.
Grammar: Plural form used for different types or servings; the base word soba is usually uncountable.
Patterns
- sobas with something
- sobas in broth
The restaurant offers three sobas, each made with a different flour blend.
We ordered two hot sobas and one cold one.
Several sobas on the menu come with tempura.
Word forms
| singular | soba |
|---|
Common combinations
- cold sobas
- Cold sobas are popular in summer.
- hand-made sobas
- The shop sells hand-made sobas from local buckwheat.
- sobas in broth
- Sobas in broth keep you warm in winter.
- tempura sobas
- Tempura sobas were the special of the day.
Synonyms and how they differ
- buckwheat noodles
- Buckwheat noodles is the plain English description, while soba is the Japanese name and often implies a Japanese dish.
- udon
- Udon are thick wheat noodles, so they look and taste different from the thin, grey-brown soba.
- ramen
- Ramen are wheat noodles served in a rich broth, whereas soba is made with buckwheat and eaten in lighter ways.
Word family
- soba noun
- the singular or uncountable form of the noodle name
- zaru soba noun
- cold soba served on a bamboo tray
- buckwheat noun
- the grain used to make the noodles
Commonly confused: sobas or somen?
sobas vs somen
Somen are very thin white wheat noodles, not buckwheat like soba.
Practice
Which food are 'sobas' most likely to be?
Choose one answer.
Soba are Japanese buckwheat noodles, so sobas means servings or types of them. The others are different foods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sobas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.