What does it mean word for word?
The word ご飯 (gohan) literally means 'cooked rice', but it is commonly used to mean 'meal' or 'food' in a general sense. The word どう (dō) means 'how' and is used to ask for an opinion or state.
Which one should you use?
While ご飯はどう？ is the standard informal way to ask, you can use ごはんはどう？ to mean 'How is the rice/meal?' in a friendly manner. For a more direct, casual check on whether something tastes good, use おいしい？ which means 'Is it delicious?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form ご飯はどう？ is informal and should be used with friends, family or people of lower social status. For a polite, standard way to ask that is suitable for use with strangers or superiors, use ご飯はどうですか？ If you need to be very formal, such as in a professional service context, use お食事はいかがですか？ which means 'How is the meal?'
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual conversation, the どう can be omitted entirely, leaving just ご飯は？ to ask 'How about the food?'
How do you pronounce it?
gohan wa dō?
What mistakes should you avoid?
When describing food that tastes bad, the word まずい is used to mean 'bad'.
Did you know?
- If you are at a restaurant, the staff will rarely ask ご飯はどうですか？ because it sounds like they are asking for your opinion on the state of the rice. Instead, they use more sophisticated verbs like お口に合いますか, which literally asks if the food 'matches your mouth'.
- The word まずい for 'bad tasting' can also be used to describe a 'bad' or 'awkward' social situation. If a conversation is going poorly, a speaker might describe the atmosphere as まずい.
- In high-end dining, the formal お食事はいかがですか？ is often asked by staff not to get a critique, but as a ritual of hospitality. A polite guest may answer with 十分です meaning 'it is sufficient' rather than 'it is delicious'.
Examples in context
- お食事はいかがですか？How is the food?
- 召し上がっていただけましたか？Did you enjoy the meal?
- おいしい？Is it delicious?
- 新しいお店のご飯はどう？atarashii omise no gohan wa dou?How is the food at the new restaurant?
- 作ったご飯はどう？tsukutta gohan wa dou?How is the food I made?
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are eating lunch together at a cafe.
- 蓮 Renご飯はどう？gohan wa dou?How is the food?
- 陽葵 Himariすごく美味しいよ！sugoku oishii yo!It's really delicious!
- 蓮 Renよかった。yokatta.I'm glad.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんも食べてみて。Ren-san mo tabete mite.You should try some too, Ren.
