Japanese Food Vocabulary: Dishes, Tastes & Ordering (Audio)

The short answer

ごはん means both cooked rice and meal: あさごはん is breakfast.
Order anything with 〜をください or 〜をおねがいします.
Tastes: おいしい delicious, あまい sweet, からい spicy, しょっぱい salty.
Before eating say いただきます, after eating ごちそうさまでした.

Basic foods and drinks

ごはんgohan
cooked rice / meal
パンpan
breadFrom Portuguese pão.
にくniku
meat
さかなsakana
fish
やさいyasai
vegetables
くだものkudamono
fruit
たまごtamago
egg
みずmizu
water
おちゃocha
(green) tea
コーヒーkōhī
coffee
ビールbīru
beer
おさけosake
alcohol / sake

Meals of the day

Meal	Japanese	Literally
breakfast	あさごはん asagohan	morning rice
lunch	ひるごはん hirugohan	noon rice
dinner	ばんごはん bangohan	evening rice

Rice is so central that its word became the word for meal. When someone asks ごはんたべた？ (gohan tabeta?), they’re asking whether you’ve eaten, not specifically rice.

Famous dishes

すしsushi
sushiVinegared rice with fish or other toppings.
さしみsashimi
sliced raw fish
ラーメンrāmen
ramen noodle soup
うどんudon
thick wheat noodles
そばsoba
buckwheat noodles
てんぷらtenpura
tempura (battered and fried)
おにぎりonigiri
rice ball
カレーライスkarē raisu
Japanese curry with rice
やきとりyakitori
grilled chicken skewers
みそしるmisoshiru
miso soup

Describing taste

おいしいoishii
delicious
まずいmazui
tastes badBlunt. Avoid saying it to your host!
あまいamai
sweet
からいkarai
spicy (hot)
しょっぱいshoppai
salty
すっぱいsuppai
sour
にがいnigai
bitter
あついatsui
hot (temperature)
つめたいtsumetai
cold (to the touch)

All of these are い-adjectives, so they work directly before a noun: あまいケーキ, a sweet cake. More in our guide to Japanese adjectives.

Ordering at a restaurant

ふたりですfutari desu
Two people, please
メニューをくださいmenyū o kudasai
The menu, please
これをくださいkore o kudasai
This one, pleasePoint at the menu or picture.
ラーメンをひとつおねがいしますrāmen o hitotsu onegai shimasu
One ramen, please
おすすめはなんですかosusume wa nan desu ka
What do you recommend?
おみずをくださいomizu o kudasai
Water, pleaseWater and tea are usually free.
おかわりくださいokawari kudasai
A refill / second helping, please
おかいけいおねがいしますokaikei onegai shimasu
The bill, please

Allergies and dietary needs

アレルギーがありますarerugī ga arimasu
I have an allergy
えびアレルギーですebi arerugī desu
I’m allergic to shrimp
にくがたべられませんniku ga taberaremasen
I can’t eat meat
ベジタリアンですbejitarian desu
I’m vegetarian
これになにがはいっていますかkore ni nani ga haitte imasu ka
What’s in this?

At the convenience store (konbini)

あたためますかatatamemasu ka
Shall I heat it up?What the cashier asks about bento and onigiri.
はい、おねがいしますhai, onegai shimasu
Yes, please
だいじょうぶですdaijōbu desu
No, thank youLiterally “it’s fine”, a polite no.
ふくろはいりませんfukuro wa irimasen
I don’t need a bag
おはしをくださいohashi o kudasai
Chopsticks, please

Table manners in a nutshell

Say いただきます before eating and ごちそうさまでした after.
Slurping noodles is normal and even shows you enjoy them.
Don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice or pass food chopstick to chopstick; both are linked to funerals.
Tipping isn’t customary in Japan.

Hungry for a quiz?0/4

What is あさごはん?
How do you order one ramen?
The cashier asks あたためますか. They want to know:
What do you say after a meal?

Frequently asked questions

How do you say food in Japanese?

The general word for food is 食べ物 (tabemono). For a meal, people usually say ごはん (gohan), which also means cooked rice.

How do you order food in Japanese?

Say the dish followed by をください (o kudasai) or をおねがいします (o onegai shimasu). For example: ラーメンをひとつおねがいします, one ramen please.

How do you say delicious in Japanese?

Delicious is おいしい (oishii). Casually, many people also say うまい (umai).

What do Japanese people say before eating?

いただきます (itadakimasu) before eating and ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita) after the meal.