noun

soba

SOH-buh

Soba (noun) means a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, served hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce. Example: “We ordered cold soba with a side of tempura.”

noun

A thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, served hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce.

"We ordered cold soba with a side of tempura."

How to use soba

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA Japanese noodle made from buckwheat — distinct from wheat-based udon or ramen noodles.

Easily confused with

udon →

Common pairings

cold soba soba noodles soba broth

Word forms

sobas plural, sobas plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “soba” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

We ordered cold _____ with a side of tempura.

Etymology

Borrowed directly from Japanese soba, the word for buckwheat.

Origin: Japanese

Rhymes for soba

boba Manitoba

See all rhymes for soba →

Frequently asked questions

What does “soba” mean?

The word “soba” means a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, served hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce. In plain terms, a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat — distinct from wheat-based udon or ramen noodles.

How do you pronounce “soba”?

“Soba” is pronounced SOH-buh (/ˈsoʊbə/ in IPA).

How do you use “soba” in a sentence?

Here is “soba” used in a sentence: “We ordered cold soba with a side of tempura.”

What part of speech is “soba”?

“Soba” is a noun.

Where does the word “soba” come from?

The word “soba” comes from Japanese. Borrowed directly from Japanese soba, the word for buckwheat.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include soba:

Words with Japanese origins