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How to say 'Meal' in Japanese | 飯

Wondering how to say 'Meal' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Meal is 'Meshi', written as 飯 in Japanese.'Meal' in hiragana is めし.

    word

    Meaning

    Meal

    Reading

    めし

    meshi

    Kanji

    Cooked rice, Food

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '飯 (めし)' primarily means 'meal' or 'cooked rice'. It is a casual and somewhat colloquial term often used in everyday conversation. While it can refer to a meal in general, it is also specifically used to denote cooked rice, which is a staple of Japanese cuisine. For example: Let's eat a meal「飯を食べよう」(めしをたべよう). This rice is delicious「この飯は美味しい」(このめしはおいしい). The word can carry a slightly rough or masculine tone, so it is more commonly used among friends or in informal settings rather than in polite or formal contexts.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    4

    Frequency

    3919

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Cooked rice, Food

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 3 Words contain the Kanji 飯 as well.

  • word

    夕飯

    Meaning

    Dinner

  • word

    朝御飯

    Meaning

    Breakfast

  • word

    御飯

    Meaning

    Rice, Meal

Learn the Word

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What does 'Meshi' (飯) mean?

'Meshi' means 'Meal' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.