Japanese word

間食

Pronunciation

Romajikanshoku

Meaning

  • nounsnacking

Example

健康のため、間食を控えます。ken kō no ta me kan shoku o hika e ma su

For my health, I limit snacking.

Illustration for 間食 (snacking)

More examples

午後に間食をすると、夕食が食べにくくなります。go go ni kan shoku o su ru to yū shoku ga ta be ni ku ku na ri ma su

If you have a snack in the afternoon, it becomes harder to eat dinner.

Core concept

Describes eating small amounts of food outside the main meals, usually as an extra rather than a full meal.

Common phrases

  • 間食を控えるkan shoku o hika e ru

    limit snacking

  • 間食をするkan shoku o su ru

    have a snack

  • 間食の時間kan shoku no ji kan

    snack time

Similar words

おやつoyatsu: A small serving of food eaten between regular meals, often as a treat.
軽食keishoku: A simple meal or food serving that is not large or heavy.

Definition in Japanese

食事と食事の間に、軽い食べ物などを口にすること。shoku ji to shoku ji no aida ni karu i ta be mono na do o kuchi ni su ru ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 間食 (kanshoku) combines 間 (kan, "interval") and 食 (shoku, "eating"), expressing eating during an interval between meals.

Usage tips

  • The phrase 間食を控える (kanshoku o hikaeru) is common in health advice and means reducing between-meal eating rather than necessarily stopping it completely.

Related words

  • 間食するkanshokusurusnackverb

Word lists with this word