塩は食物を腐るのを止めるのに役立つ。

salt (i.e. sodium chloride); common salt; table salt; salt (e.g. sodium chloride, calcium sulfate, etc.); hardship; toil; trouble; saltiness

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

food; foodstuff

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

to rot; to go bad; to decay; to spoil; to fester; to decompose; to turn sour (e.g. milk); to corrode; to weather; to crumble; to become useless; to blunt; to weaken (from lack of practice); to become depraved; to be degenerate; to be morally bankrupt; to be corrupt; to be depressed; to be dispirited; to feel discouraged; to feel down; indicates scorn or disdain for another's action; to lose a bet; to be drenched; to become sopping wet

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

to stop; to turn off; to park; to prevent; to suppress (a cough); to hold back (tears); to hold (one's breath); to relieve (pain); to stop (someone from doing something); to dissuade; to forbid; to prohibit; to notice; to be aware of; to concentrate on; to pay attention to; to remember; to bear in mind; to fix (in place); to fasten; to tack; to pin; to nail; to button; to staple; to detain; to keep in custody

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

to be useful; to be helpful; to serve the purpose