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道Nihongo Path

飯

めし

(colloquial) meal, food; cooked rice

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. もう飯を食べましたか。

    もうめしをたべましたか。

    Have you eaten yet?

  2. 朝ご飯はパンとたまごです。

    あさごはんはぱんとたまごです。

    Breakfast is bread and eggs.

  3. 仕事の後、友だちと飯を食べに行った。

    しごとのあと、ともだちとめしをたべにいった。

    After work I went out for a meal with a friend.

Common patterns

飯を食う
to eat, to grab a bite
ご飯
rice, a meal (polite)
昼飯
lunch

Memory tip

めし is blunt, male, casual speech. The same character read はん in ご飯 is the ordinary polite word — say ご飯 unless you are among close friends.

Kanji in this word

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