Vocabulary List
食事 (shokuji)
From rice and miso soup to the words for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご飯 | gohan | rice / a meal |
| パン | pan | bread |
| 水 | mizu | water |
| お茶 | ocha | tea |
| コーヒー | kōhī | coffee |
| 肉 | niku | meat |
| 魚 | sakana | fish |
| 野菜 | yasai | vegetables |
| 果物 | kudamono | fruit |
| 卵 | tamago | egg |
| 牛乳 | gyūnyū | milk |
| 寿司 | sushi | sushi |
| ラーメン | rāmen | ramen |
| 味噌汁 | misoshiru | miso soup |
| お酒 | osake | alcohol / sake |
| 朝食 | chōshoku | breakfast |
| 昼食 | chūshoku | lunch |
| 夕食 | yūshoku | dinner |
Two phrases are essential at every Japanese meal: いただきます (itadakimasu), said before eating, literally means "I humbly receive" and acknowledges everyone — and everything — that went into the meal. ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), said afterward, roughly means "thank you for the feast." Note also that ご飯 (gohan) does double duty as both "cooked rice" and "a meal" in general — asking 何ご飯食べた? means "what did you eat?", not literally "which rice did you eat?"
Our blog post on Japanese food vocabulary covers menu items, cooking terms, and dining etiquette in more depth.