meal, boiled rice

About this kanji

The kanji 「飯」 (han or meshi) primarily means "meal" or "boiled rice" in Japanese. This kanji is often used as a noun, particularly when referring to food. You can find it in several common compounds such as ご飯 (gohan), which means "cooked rice," and is a staple in Japanese meals. Another example is 朝飯 (asamashi), meaning "breakfast," and 夕飯 (yuhans), meaning "dinner." It's interesting to note that while 「飯」 usually suggests rice, it broadly refers to meals in everyday conversation. So, if someone invites you for a meal, it’s often a good idea to expect rice to be served!

Example sentences

• 毎日、家で飯を食べる。

  I eat rice at home every day.

Meanings across languages

English

meal, boiled rice

Tiếng Việt

bữa ăn, cơm trắng

日本語

はん, めし

한국어

식사, 밥

中文

饭, 米饭

id

makanan

th

มื้ออาหาร

es

comida

fr

repas

de

Mahlzeit

pt

refeição

Common compounds

• ご飯ごはんcooked rice, meal
• 赤飯せきはんred rice (beans and mochi) for auspicious occasions
• 米飯べいはんcooked rice
• 朝飯あさめしbreakfast
• 夕飯ゆうはんevening meal, dinner, supper
• 炊飯器すいはんきrice cooker
• 晩御飯ばんごはんdinner, evening meal
• 昼ご飯ひるごはんlunch, midday meal