給食
kyūshoku
The English phrase "school lunch" is translated into Japanese as 給食 (kyūshoku).
給食 refers to a meal provided by a school to its students during the school day.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 給, meaning supply or provide and 食, meaning meal or eat.
Which one should you use?
給食 refers specifically to the school-provided meal system, whereas 弁当 refers to a bento or lunch box brought from home.
How do you pronounce it?
kyūshoku
When do people say it?
In Japan, 給食 is typically a standardized, nutritionally balanced meal prepared by the school and served to all students in their classroom.
Did you know?
- The characters used in 給食 can be traced back to the 'Records of the Grand Historian', a Chinese text completed in 91 BCE.
- Unlike many Western schools where lunch is a break, in Japan, eating 給食 is a formal part of the curriculum where students serve one another and clean up together.
- Japanese students often start 給食 by saying いただきます, a phrase expressing gratitude to the plants, animals and people involved in the meal.
Examples in context
- 今日の給食"アレ"が出るぜ。Today's school lunch will be "that".This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 給食 when discussing what is being served.Tatoeba #9641513 by Sim5634, translation #10906020 by SomeHungryBois
- 給食のメニューは何ですか？kyūshoku no menyū wa nan desu ka?What is the school lunch menu?
- 今日の給食はカレーライスです。kyō no kyūshoku wa karē raisu desu.Today's school lunch is curry rice.
Example conversation
Two students are talking in a classroom.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日の給食は何かな？Kyō no kyūshoku wa nani kana?I wonder what school lunch is today?
- 結衣 Yuiカレーライスだよ。Karē raisu dayo.It's curry and rice.
- 大翔 Hirotoやった！楽しみだね。Yatta! Tanoshimi dane.Yay! I'm looking forward to it.
- 結衣 Yui本当だね。早く食べよう。Hontō dane. Hayaku tabeyō.True. Let's eat soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 給食, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
