Salt (table salt); sodium chloride used as a seasoning.
料理に塩を少々入れて味を調えた。
I added a little salt to the dish to adjust the flavor.
塩は食卓に置いてありますか？
Is there salt on the table?
塩を舐めると味がよくわかる。
If you lick the salt you can clearly taste it.
Hardship or toil — a traditional or metaphorical use meaning suffering or hardship.
古い文献では『塩を舐める』といった表現が苦労を指すことがある。
In old texts, expressions like 'to lick salt' sometimes refer to hardship.
Saltiness — the salty taste or degree of salt in food.
このスープは塩が強すぎてしょっぱく感じる。
This soup tastes too salty because of the strong salt.
塩の量を減らすと塩気が抑えられる。
Reducing the amount of salt will lessen the saltiness.
Colloquially used as a prefix to mean cold or unfriendly (e.g., 塩対応 = a cold/indifferent response).
最近、店員の塩対応が話題になっている。
Recently, the staff's cold behavior has been a topic of discussion.
彼女は塩対応だけど、本当は優しい人だ。
She acts cold, but she is actually a kind person.