Japanese word for food

Food is one of the most essential things in our daily lives. If you're learning Japanese, you'll definitely come across this word often. So, how do you say "food" in Japanese? The word for "food" in Japanese is 食べ物 (たべもの /tabemono/). Let’s break it down!

食べ物 (たべもの /tabemono/)

食べる (たべる /taberu/): This verb means "to eat."
物 (もの /mono/): This noun means "thing."

So, "食べ物 (たべもの /tabemono/)" literally means "something to eat" or "food."

Other Related Vocabulary

Here are some other food-related words you might find useful:

ご飯 (ごはん /gohan/) – This can mean "meal" or "rice." It’s one of the most common words used for food in general conversation. Many people think that "ご飯 (ごはん /gohan/) " is just cooked rice, but it also means meal.

料理 (りょうり /ryouri/) – This means "cooking" or "dish." It refers to a specific meal or cuisine.

食事 (しょくじ /shokuji/) – This means "meal." It can be used more formally, like when you're talking about having a meal in a polite setting.

飲み物 (のみもの /nomimono/) – This means "drink" or "beverage," and it's the counterpart to tabemono.

Useful Phrases

食べ物はありますか？(たべものはありますか？ /tabemono wa arimasuka/) – "Do you have food?"

これは何の料理ですか？(これはなんのりょうりですか？/kore wa nan no ryouri desuka/) – "What kind of dish is this?"

食事の時間です。(しょくじのじかんです。/shokuji no jikan desu/) – "It's time for a meal."

Learning these words will help you talk about food in everyday conversations. Whether you're ordering at a restaurant or cooking with friends, knowing the vocabulary for food is incredibly useful.