ごはん

noun

rice, meal

1. cooked rice

Steamed white rice, the staple food of Japan.

ごはんを食(た)べましょう。

Let's eat (a meal/rice).

Can mean either

ごはんとみそ汁(しる)をください。

Rice and miso soup, please.

ごはんを炊(た)く。

Cook rice.

ごはんのおかわりをください。

May I have another serving of rice?

白(しろ)いごはんが好(す)きだ。

I like plain white rice.

2. meal

Food in general, or a meal.

ごはんを食(た)べましょう。

Let's eat (a meal/rice).

Can mean either

朝(あさ)ごはんは何(なに)を食(た)べましたか？

What did you eat for breakfast?

ごはんの時間(じかん)です。

It's time to eat.

昼(ひる)ごはんに何(なに)を食(た)べよう。

What should I eat for lunch?

晩(ばん)ごはんを作(つく)る。

Make dinner.

もうごはんは食(た)べましたか。

Have you eaten yet?

ごはん is one of the most important words in Japanese, meaning both "cooked rice" and "meal."

KANJI:
Written as ご飯(はん) with kanji. The ご is an honorific prefix.

MEAL NAMES:

朝(あさ)ごはん: breakfast
昼(ひる)ごはん: lunch
晩(ばん)ごはん/夜(よる)ごはん: dinner

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

ごはんを食(た)べる: to eat (a meal)
ごはんを炊(た)く: to cook rice
ごはんの時間(じかん): mealtime
ごはんのおかわり: another serving of rice

CULTURE:
Rice is so central to Japanese cuisine that ごはん came to mean "meal" in general. Asking ごはん食(た)べた? means "Have you eaten?" regardless of what was actually eaten.

ごはん

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