食事
shokuji[ɕo̞kɯ̟ʑi]
The Japanese word for meal is 食事 (shokuji). Wiktionary also lists 御飯 (gohan).
Meaning: food that is prepared and eaten (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 食事 | shokuji | [ɕo̞kɯ̟ʑi] (narrow) |
| 御飯 | gohan | [ɡo̞hã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
Both 食事 and 御飯 refer to food that is prepared and eaten. 食事 is often used when discussing the setting of dining, the formal process of eating or the nutritional aspects of a meal. 御飯 is a common, everyday way to refer to a meal, though it carries a literal meaning of cooked rice.
Which one should you use?
食事 is a more formal or clinical term for a meal or the act of eating. In contrast, 御飯 is a more colloquial and common way to refer to a meal. While 御飯 literally means cooked rice, it is used broadly to mean a meal.
How do you pronounce it?
shokuji
Did you know?
- While 食事 refers to a meal, the phrase いただきます ('I humbly receive') is an essential ritual spoken before any meal to thank the plants and animals that gave their lives.
- The honorific prefix 御 in 御飯 was originally used to show respect to the rice, which was seen as a sacred gift from the gods.
- Japanese has a concept called 旬 ('shun') which refers to the exact peak moment of a seasonal ingredient's flavor during a meal.
Examples in context
- どんな食事をしたの。What kind of meal did you eat?This sentence is useful for asking about the type of meal eaten using 食事.Tatoeba #199397 by bunbuku, translation #401796 by CK
- 食事を満喫しました。We really enjoyed our meal.This sentence is useful for expressing enjoyment of a meal using 食事.Tatoeba #12817101 by small_snow, translation #7306617 by Hybrid
- 彼らは食事を済ませた。They finished their meal.This sentence is useful for stating that a meal has been finished using 食事.Tatoeba #96819 by bunbuku, translation #306885 by CK
- ごはんを食べる前に手を洗ってください。Please wash your hands before the meal.
- 会議の後で、食事をしましょう。Let's have a meal after the meeting.
- お食事の準備ができました。The meal is ready.
- 明日、ごはんに行かない？Do you want to grab a meal tomorrow?
- この近くで美味しい飯が食べられるお店知ってる？Do you know any good places nearby where we can have a tasty meal?
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are deciding what to do for dinner.
- 美咲 Misaki今日の食事はどこで食べますか。Kyou no shokuji wa doko de tabemasu ka.Where shall we have our meal today?
- 健太 Kenta新しいレストランに行きましょう。Atarashii resutoran ni ikimashou.Let's go to a new restaurant.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。贅沢な食事にしましょう。Ii desu ne. Zeitaku na shokuji ni shimashou.That sounds good. Let's have a luxurious meal.
- 健太 Kenta賛成です。予約しておきますね。Sansei desu. Yoyaku shite okimasu ne.I agree. I will make a reservation.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meal” translations and entries 食事, 御飯, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 御飯, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
