Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 米 | kome | [ko̞me̞] (narrow) [jo̞ne̞] (narrow) |
|
| 飯 | meshi | [hã̠ɴ] (narrow) [iː] (narrow) |
informal |
| ライス | raisu | [ɾa̠isɨ] (narrow) |
The term for rice changes depending on whether the grains are raw or cooked, or if you are referring to a specific style of cuisine.
Which one should you use?
Use 米 (kome) when referring specifically to the raw, uncooked grains of rice. In contrast, if you are talking about cooked rice or a meal in general, you should use ご飯 (gohan). ライス (raisu) is a loanword from English and is primarily used in the context of Western-style Japanese cuisine, such as curry rice.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
飯 (meshi) is a colloquial and often masculine way to say rice or a meal. ライス (raisu) is used in specific culinary contexts involving Western-style dishes.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the word 米 (kome) sound more polite and respectful toward the food, you can add the honorific prefix お (o) to create お米 (okome).
How do you pronounce it?
kome
Did you know?
- Linguists suggest that the Japanese word 米 (kome) may be a cognate of the Vietnamese word for cooked rice, cơm.
Examples in context
- ご飯にする？Do you want rice?This sentence shows how to use 飯 to ask about a meal.Tatoeba #11001460 by small_snow, translation #7770328 by sharris123
- お米はあるの？Do you have rice?This sentence uses the polite form 米 to ask about the presence of rice.Tatoeba #10049462 by small_snow, translation #54336 by CK
- ご飯はうまい。The rice is delicious.This sentence uses the colloquial 飯 to describe the taste of a meal.Tatoeba #12056104 by xyz_13, translation #462902 by lukaszpp
- お願いします。ご飯をお願いできますか？Excuse me, can I have some rice, please?
- 140 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are checking the kitchen supplies.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲、米がもうないよ。Misaki, kome ga mou nai yo.Misaki, we're out of rice.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。買いに行こうか。Hontou da. Kai ni ikou ka.You're right. Shall we go buy some?
- 大翔 Hirotoどの米を買えばいい？Dono kome o kaeba ii?Which rice should I buy?
- 美咲 Misakiいつもの米で大丈夫だよ。Itsumo no kome de daijoubu da yo.The usual rice is fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rice” translations and entries 米, 飯, ライス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 米, 飯, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
