替え玉（かえだま、kaedama）
- substitute

The Japanese word 替え玉 (かえだま, *kaedama*) refers to a second serving of noodles in a bowl of ramen, particularly in Hakata ramen (tonkotsu ramen) in the Fukuoka prefecture. It essentially means a "replacement egg," but in this context, "egg" refers to the noodles. The customer receives a new portion of noodles to add to the existing soup. The soup remains the same, allowing the diner to enjoy more noodles without having to order a completely new bowl. The concept revolves around efficient and customizable noodle consumption.

⚫︎替え玉をお願いします。 Translation: I'd like a kaedama, please. ⚫︎ラーメンを食べ終わった後、スープだけ残っていたので替え玉を注文した。 Translation: After finishing the ramen, I only had soup left, so I ordered kaedama. ⚫︎彼はラーメンをすごく早く食べ終わり、すぐに替え玉を追加した。 Translation: He finished his ramen very quickly and immediately added kaedama.

You use 替え玉 when you want to request a second serving of noodles after you've finished eating the noodles in your ramen bowl, but still have soup remaining. You would typically say something like: 替え玉をください (*kaedama o kudasai* - Please give me a kaedama) or 替え玉お願いします (*kaedama onegaishimasu* - I'd like a kaedama, please). This is a common practice in ramen shops, especially in the Hakata region. The server will often bring the noodles separately to add to your remaining soup.

替え玉 is written using the kanji 替 (かえ - *kae* - change, replace) and the kanji 玉 (だま - *dama* - ball, sphere, here meaning "egg"), but is generally written in hiragana かえだま. The kanji 替 can be combined with other kanji to have different nuances.

There are no direct synonyms for 替え玉, as it is a specific term for ordering a second serving of noodles.

There aren't really antonyms for 替え玉, as it's a specific request. However, if you *don't* want a second serving of noodles, you simply wouldn't order 替え玉.

ラーメンを食べ終わったので、スープを味わいながら《替え玉を待つ。》 ・Translation: Having finished my ramen, I'm waiting for the kaedama while savoring the soup. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of enjoying the remaining soup after finishing the first noodles and waiting for the second helping of noodles.

お腹がいっぱいになったので、今回は《替え玉はやめておこう。》 ・Translation: I'm full, so I'll skip the kaedama this time. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the decision not to order a kaedama because the person is already full.

The word's etymology is related to the idea of replacing the "egg" (noodles) in the bowl. While the kanji 玉 literally means "egg," in this context, it refers to the round, noodle shape. The verb 替える (*kaeru*, to change or replace) indicates the action of substituting the noodles.