Japanese word

昼

Pronunciation

Romajihiru

Meaning

  • nounlunch

Example

昼にパンを食べます。hiru ni pa n o ta be ma su

I eat bread for lunch.

Illustration for 昼 (lunch)

More examples

私は昼に友達と食堂で食べます。watashi wa hiru ni tomo dachi to shoku dō de ta be ma su

I eat at the cafeteria with my friends at lunchtime.

Core concept

Refers to the middle portion of the day and, by association, the meal eaten during that period.

Common phrases

  • 昼ご飯hiru go han

    lunch

  • 昼にhiru ni

    at lunchtime

  • 昼休みhiru yasu mi

    lunch break

Similar words

お昼ohiru: A polite word for the meal eaten around noon.
昼食chūshoku: A formal term for the meal eaten around noon.
ランチranchi: A loanword for a midday meal, often used for a meal at a restaurant.

Definition in Japanese

朝から夕方までの明るい時間帯。また、そのころに食べる食事。asa ka ra yū gata ma de no aka ru i ji kan tai ma ta so no ko ro ni ta be ru shoku ji

Word origin

昼 (hiru, "daytime") is a native Japanese word whose basic sense is the daylit period, with the meaning of lunch developing from the meal eaten then.

Usage tips

  • In casual conversation, 昼どうする (hiru dō suru) is a natural shorthand for deciding lunch plans, so the noun can stand alone when the activity is clear from context.

Other meanings

  • noonnoun
  • daytimenoun

Word lists with this word