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道Nihongo Path
飯

飯·cooked rice, meal

On-yomi
ハン
Kun-yomi
めし

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

12 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
ご飯ごはんcooked rice, a meal
朝ご飯あさごはんbreakfast
晩ご飯ばんごはんdinner
赤飯せきはんred rice cooked with azuki beans

Example sentences

  1. 毎朝、朝ご飯を食べます。

    まいあさ、あさごはんをたべます。

    I eat breakfast every morning.

  2. 晩ご飯はもう食べましたか。

    ばんごはんはもうたべましたか。

    Have you already had dinner?

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Using めし in polite speech — めし is rough, male-sounding; say ご飯
  • Reading 赤飯 as *あかめし instead of せきはん

Memory aid

Picture it

The food radical (食) beside 反 — turn over the rice in the pot and the meal is ready.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 飯 mean?