Japanese word

ご飯

Pronunciation

Romajigohan

Meaning

  • nouncooked rice

Example

ご飯を食べます。go han o ta be ma su

I eat rice.

Illustration for ご飯 (cooked rice)

More examples

白いご飯が大好きです。shiro i go han ga dai su ki de su

I love white rice.

朝はご飯を作って、家族と一緒に食べます。asa wa go han o tsuku tte ka zoku to is sho ni ta be ma su

I make breakfast in the morning and eat it with my family.

Core concept

Treats cooked rice as a familiar staple and extends the same word to the meal in which it is eaten.

Common phrases

  • ご飯を食べるgo han o ta be ru

    eat rice

  • ご飯を作るgo han o tsuku ru

    prepare a meal

  • ご飯を炊くgo han o ta ku

    cook rice

Similar words

飯meshi: An informal term for cooked rice or a meal.

Definition in Japanese

食用に炊いた米。また、それを中心とする一回の食事。shoku yō ni ta i ta kome ma ta so re o chū shin to su ru ichi kai no shoku ji

Word origin

The noun ご飯 (gohan) combines ご (go, "a polite prefix") with 飯 (han, "cooked rice or a meal"); it is the polite form of 飯 that became common in everyday speech.

Usage tips

  • English-speaking learners may first meet Gohan as a Dragon Ball character's name, but everyday Japanese uses ご飯 (gohan) for cooked rice or a meal.

Other meanings

  • mealnoun

Word lists with this word