Japanese word

お昼

Pronunciation

Romajiohiru

Meaning

  • nounlunch

Example

一緒にお昼を食べませんか。is sho ni o hiru o ta be ma se n ka

Would you like to have lunch together?

Illustration for お昼 (lunch)

More examples

お昼には日差しが強くなります。o hiru ni wa hi za shi ga tsuyo ku na ri ma su

The sunlight becomes stronger around noon.

Core concept

Describes the daytime period around noon or the food eaten during that period.

Common phrases

  • お昼を食べるo hiru o ta be ru

    have lunch

  • お昼休みo hiru yasu mi

    lunch break

  • お昼ごろo hiru go ro

    around noon

Similar words

ランチranchi: A meal eaten around midday, often in a restaurant or social setting.
昼食chūshoku: A formal term for the meal eaten around midday.
昼飯hirumeshi: A casual term for the meal eaten around midday.

Definition in Japanese

正午を中心とする時間帯、またはその時間にする食事。shō go o chū shin to su ru ji kan tai ma ta wa so no ji kan ni su ru shoku ji

Word origin

お昼 (ohiru) is formed from the native word 昼 (hiru, "daytime") and the polite prefix お (o), which gives the word a polite everyday form.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese conversation, お昼 (ohiru) can name both the midday period and the meal served then, unlike the separate English words "noon" and "lunch".

Other meanings

  • noonnoun

Word lists with this word