katuobusi mo kakeru.

It is read かつおぶし.

• 鰹 = かつお (skipjack tuna / bonito)
• 節 = ふし / ぶし in this word

As a food word, 鰹節 means bonito flakes or dried shaved bonito.

Here, も means also or too.

So the sentence implies that something else has already been added, and now bonito flakes are also added.

For example, the context might be:

• ソースをかける。鰹節もかける。
• I put sauce on it. I also put bonito flakes on it.

So も adds 鰹節 to a list of things being used.

Because も is replacing を here.

Normally, with the direct object, you would say:

• 鰹節をかける = to put/sprinkle bonito flakes on

But if you want to say bonito flakes too / also bonito flakes, Japanese often uses も instead of を:

• 鰹節もかける

So in this sentence, も is functioning where を would normally appear.

Here, かける means something like:

• to put on
• to sprinkle on
• to pour over

It often refers to putting something onto the surface of food.

With 鰹節, the most natural English idea is usually sprinkle or put on.

Important: かける has many meanings in Japanese, such as to hang, to wear, to call (by phone), etc. But in food contexts, it often means to pour/sprinkle/add on top.

Japanese often leaves out things that are clear from context.

In 鰹節もかける。, the sentence does not explicitly state:

• who is doing it
• what it is being put on

But both are understood from the situation.

So depending on context, it could mean things like:

• I also put bonito flakes on it.
• We also add bonito flakes.
• You also put bonito flakes on top.

This omission is very normal in Japanese.

It is the plain non-past form.

Japanese non-past can express:

• present / habitual action
• future action
• instructions in context
• general procedure

So 鰹節もかける。 could mean:

• I also put bonito flakes on it (habitually / in a recipe explanation)
• I’ll also add bonito flakes
• Also add bonito flakes (depending on context)

The exact time is understood from the situation.

Yes. かける is the plain form, so it sounds neutral-casual.

A more polite version would be:

• 鰹節もかけます。

That would be more suitable in polite conversation or formal explanation.

The plain form is very common in:

• casual conversation
• recipe steps
• instructions
• narration

No, not naturally.

Here, 鰹節 is the thing being added, not the doer of the action.

Because かける is a transitive verb in this use, 鰹節 is understood as the object, and も is standing where を would normally go.

So the meaning is (someone) also puts bonito flakes on (something), not bonito flakes also do something.

They have different nuances.

• 鰹節もかける = I also add bonito flakes

  • emphasizes addition
  • suggests other things are added too

• 鰹節はかける = As for bonito flakes, I do add them

  • emphasizes 鰹節 as a topic or contrast
  • may imply comparison, such as:
    • 青のりはかけないけど、鰹節はかける。
    • I don’t add green laver, but I do add bonito flakes.

So も is about also, while は often gives a contrast/topic nuance.

Normally, standard Japanese writing does not use spaces:

• 鰹節もかける。

Spaces are often added only in learning materials to make the structure easier to see.

So the spaced version is just a teaching aid. In real Japanese text, you would usually write it without spaces.

Japanese nouns usually do not mark singular vs. plural the way English does.

So 鰹節 can mean:

• bonito flakes
• some bonito flakes
• the bonito flakes

In natural English, bonito flakes is the usual translation, even though Japanese does not explicitly mark plurality here.

Not in this sentence.

かける is a very broad verb, and its meaning depends heavily on context. For example:

• メガネをかける = wear glasses
• 電話をかける = make a phone call
• 壁にかける = hang on the wall
• 醤油をかける = pour soy sauce on
• 鰹節をかける = sprinkle/put bonito flakes on

So yes, かける has many meanings, but with a food item like 鰹節, the food-related meaning is the natural one.

A very common context would be:

• explaining how to prepare food
• describing toppings
• talking about what you usually add to a dish

For example, when talking about たこ焼き, お好み焼き, or 豆腐, someone might say:

• ソースをかけて、マヨネーズをかけて、鰹節もかける。

In that kind of context, the sentence sounds very natural.