ベジタリアン
bejitarian[be̞ʑita̠ɾʲiã̠ɴ]
The English word "vegetarian" can be translated into Japanese as ベジタリアン (bejitarian) or 菜食主義者.
Meaning: person who does not eat any animal flesh (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ベジタリアン | bejitarian | [be̞ʑita̠ɾʲiã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 菜食主義者 | saishokushugisha | [sa̠iɕo̞kɯ̟̊ɕɨɡʲiɕa̠] (narrow) |
The terms are used to describe a person who does not eat any animal flesh. You can also use related adjectives like 菜食主義の or 草食の to describe a diet that is vegetarian.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term 菜食主義者 is a compound consisting of 菜 (vegetables), 食 (food/eating), 主義 (ism/principle) and 者 (person).
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean vegetarian, the loanword ベジタリアン is more common in daily conversation, whereas 菜食主義者 sounds more academic or formal.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
bejitarian
Did you know?
- In Japanese social contexts, the term 草食系 (herbivore type) is often used to describe men who are passive, gentle and not interested in pursuing romantic relationships.
- While ベジタリアン means vegetarian, you may need to specify if you eat だし (dashi), a common soup stock made from fish that many Japanese people do not consider meat.
- Because traditional Buddhist cuisine (Shojin Ryori) is naturally vegan, many Japanese people may not even use the word ベジタリアン to describe their historical dietary habits.
Examples in context
- ベジタリアンなの？Are you vegetarian?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a ベジタリアン.Tatoeba #8611298 by small_snow, translation #2460895 by Hybrid
- ベジタリアンなの！I'm a vegetarian!This sentence is useful for stating that you are a ベジタリアン.Tatoeba #10230611 by small_snow, translation #10029179 by ddnktr
- 彼女は菜食主義者だ。She's a vegetarian.This sentence is useful for describing someone as a 菜食主義者.Tatoeba #12143134 by manjar, translation #10154123 by shekitten
- 私はベジタリアンです。I am a vegetarian.
- ベジなんだ。I'm a veggie.
- 外食できますか？ベジタリアンなので、肉や魚は食べません。Can I eat out? I'm a vegetarian, so I don't eat meat or fish.
- この料理に肉や魚は入っていますか？Does this dish contain meat or fish?
- お肉とお魚は食べられません。野菜中心の料理をお願いします。I can't eat meat or fish. Please provide a vegetable-focused dish.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing restaurant options over the phone.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんはベジタリアンですか？Ren-san wa bejitarian desu ka?Ren, are you a vegetarian?
- 蓮 Renいいえ、肉も食べますよ。Iie, niku mo tabemasu yo.No, I eat meat too.
- 結衣 Yuiそうですか。良かったです。Sou desu ka. Yokatta desu.I see. That's a relief.
- 蓮 Ren何か特別な理由があるの？Nanika tokubetsu na riyuu ga aru no?Is there a special reason?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vegetarian” translations and entries ベジタリアン, 菜食主義者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
