日本菜
rìběn cài
The English phrase "japanese food" is translated into Chinese as 日本菜 (rìběn cài).
日本菜 is used to refer to food and dishes that are traditional to Japan, typically when discussing types of food or ordering in a casual setting.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 日本 (Japan) and 菜 (cuisine/dish/vegetable).
Which one should you use?
While 日本菜 is common in daily conversation, 日本料理 is a more formal term used to refer to Japanese cuisine as a culinary art or a specific category of cooking.
How do you pronounce it?
rìběn cài
Did you know?
- The word 菜 in 日本菜 can mean 'vegetable' or 'dish'. Because of this, a Chinese speaker might literally describe a meal as 'eating vegetables' even if the meal consists mostly of fish and meat.
- The term 料理 (liàolǐ) in 日本料理 is actually a Sino-Japanese word, meaning the two languages share a common way of formalizing the concept of 'cooking' through shared characters.
- The character 菜 originally referred to edible greens. Over time, its meaning expanded to cover any prepared dish, reflecting an ancient dietary reliance on plants.
Examples in context
- 是日本菜嗎？Is it Japanese food?This sentence is useful for asking if a particular food is 日本菜.Tatoeba #868284 by cherylting, translation #42195 by CK
- 你喜欢日本菜吗？Do you like Japanese food?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes 日本菜.Tatoeba #390546 by fucongcong, translation #281698 by CK
- 我不常吃日本菜。Wǒ bù cháng chī Rìběn cài.I don't often eat Japanese food.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
The two friends are discussing where to go for dinner.
- 佳怡 Jiayi今天你想吃日本菜吗？Jīntiān nǐ xiǎng chī Rìběn cài ma?Do you want to eat Japanese food today?
- 俊杰 Junjie好啊，我想吃寿司。Hǎo a, wǒ xiǎng chī shòusī.Sure, I want to eat sushi.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们去那家餐厅吧。Nà wǒmen qù nà jiā cāntīng ba.Then let's go to that restaurant.
- 俊杰 Junjie没问题，走吧。Méi wèntí, zǒu ba.No problem, let's go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
