Japanese word

食堂

Pronunciation

Romajishokudō

Meaning

  • nouncafeteria

Example

学校の食堂で昼ご飯を食べます。gak kō no shoku dō de hiru go han o ta be ma su

I eat lunch in the school cafeteria.

Illustration for 食堂 (cafeteria)

More examples

大学の食堂は夕方まで開いています。dai gaku no shoku dō wa yū gata ma de hira i te i ma su

The university cafeteria is open until evening.

Core concept

Describes a designated place where people eat meals, from a school cafeteria to a dining room in a home.

Common phrases

  • 食堂で食べるshoku dō de ta be ru

    eat in the cafeteria

  • 食堂に行くshoku dō ni i ku

    go to the cafeteria

  • 食堂のメニューshoku dō no me nyū

    cafeteria menu

Similar words

食事処shokujitokoro: A place for eating meals, often a small or informal restaurant.
飲食店inshokuten: A business that serves food and drinks to customers.

Definition in Japanese

人が集まって食事をするために設けられた部屋や施設。hito ga atsu ma tte shoku ji o su ru ta me ni mō ke ra re ta heya ya shi setsu

Word origin

The compound 食堂 (shokudō) is formed from 食 (shoku, "food") and 堂 (dō, "hall"), giving the sense of a hall for food.

Usage tips

  • In English, cafeteria often refers to a self-service eating place, but 食堂 (shokudō) also covers places called dining rooms and some inexpensive restaurants.

Other meanings

  • dining roomnoun

Word lists with this word