外食する
gaishoku suru
To eat out in Japanese is 外食する (gaishoku suru).
The phrase is used to describe the act of dining at a restaurant rather than eating at home. You can also use the noun 外食 (gaishoku) on its own to refer to the concept of eating out.
Meaning: dine at a restaurant, to eat out from home (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 外食 (gaishoku) is composed of the characters 外 (outside) and 食 (eat/meal). In the phrase 外食する, this noun is combined with the verb する (to do).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase functions as a noun-verb combination.
How do you pronounce it?
gaishoku suru
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the concept of 'eating out' is often divided into three distinct sociological categories: 外食 (gaishoku) for restaurants, 中食 (nakashoku) for prepared food eaten at home, and 内食 (naishoku) for cooking from scratch at home.
- While 外食 (gaishoku) means eating out, the word 食い逃げ (kuinige) refers to the act of eating at a restaurant and then running away without paying. It is a common term used in police reports and crime dramas.
- The kanji 食 (shoku) in 外食する is part of the word 食いしん坊 (kuishinbou), a playful term for a glutton or someone who loves to eat. This highlights the cultural nuance of viewing a love for food as an endearing trait.
Examples in context
- 週に何回、外食するの？How many times a week do you eat out?This sentence is useful for asking about the frequency of using 外食する.Tatoeba #9994342 by small_snow, translation #3557418 by Hybrid
- 今夜は外食することにしたよ。I decided to eat out tonight.This sentence is useful for expressing a decision regarding using 外食する.Tatoeba #8935217 by small_snow, translation #8497829 by mervert1
- 彼は毎日外食するのが常でしたが、今はその余裕がありません。He used to eat out every day, but now he can't afford it.This sentence is useful for describing a past habit involving 外食する.Tatoeba #99785 by mookeee, translation #303912 by CK
- 外で食事に出かけましょう。Let's go out to eat.
- 明日は外食する予定です。Tomorrow, I plan to eat out.
- 今日は外で食べる？Want to eat out today?
- レストランに行って外食しましょう。Let's go to a restaurant and eat out.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are deciding what to do for dinner.
- 健太 Kenta今日の夕飯、外食する？Kyou no yuuhan, gaishoku suru?Do you want to eat out for dinner today?
- 美咲 Misakiいい考えだね。どこに行こうか？Ii kangae dane. Doko ni ikou ka?That's a great idea. Where should we go?
- 健太 Kenta新しいイタリアンのお店があるよ。Atarashii itarian no omise ga aru yo.There's a new Italian restaurant.
- 美咲 Misakiいいね、そこにしよう！Ii ne, soko ni shiyou!Sounds good, let's go there!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat out” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
