食堂
shokudō[ɕo̞kɯ̟do̞ː]
The Japanese word for dining room is 食堂 (shokudō).
食堂 refers to a room in a home or hotel where meals are eaten. However, it is also frequently used to mean a cafeteria or canteen in settings such as schools, universities, companies or hospitals. In a commercial context, it can refer to a small, casual restaurant or an eatery.
Meaning: room, in a home or hotel, where meals are eaten (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 食, meaning eat and 堂, meaning hall or large room.
How do you pronounce it?
shokudō
Did you know?
- The word 食堂 originally referred to a refectory within a Buddhist temple. It only later expanded to describe more secular dining spaces like those in homes or hotels.
- If you are looking for a dining room in a modern private house, you are more likely to hear the Katakana word ダイニングルーム (dainingu rūmu) than the traditional 食堂.
- In Japanese culture, a 食堂 in a commercial sense often implies a 'mom-and-pop' style eatery rather than a formal restaurant.
Examples in context
- 食堂は何時にあきますか。What time does the dining room open?This sentence is useful for asking about the opening time of the 食堂.Tatoeba #145790 by bunbuku, translation #268771 by CK
- 食堂はもう開いてますか。Is the dining room open now?This sentence is useful for checking if the 食堂 is currently open.Tatoeba #145794 by bunbuku, translation #268770 by CK
- 新しいお客たちが民宿に着いて、食堂で一緒に食べている声が聞こえました。I could hear the voices of several other guests who had arrived and were already eating together in the main dining room.This sentence describes hearing guests eating together in the 食堂.Tatoeba #1443530 by cafe, translation #1443531 by cafe
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are at a small guest house.
- 美咲 Misaki食堂はどこにありますか。Shokudou wa doko ni arimasu ka.Where is the dining room?
- 健太 Kentaあそこの食堂ですよ。Asoko no shokudou desu yo.It is that dining room over there.
- 美咲 Misakiあ、あそこですね。わかりました。A, asoko desu ne. Wakarimashita.Ah, over there. I understand.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんも一緒に行きましょう。Misaki-san mo issho ni ikimashou.Let's go there together, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dining room” translations and entries 食堂, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 食堂, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
