昼(ひる)ご飯(はん)

昼(ひる)ご飯(はん) is the informal word for lunch, the midday meal.

MEAL VOCABULARY:

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

ALTERNATIVE EXPRESSIONS:

• 昼食(ちゅうしょく): lunch (formal, often used in business)
• ランチ: lunch (casual, from English)
• お昼(ひる): lunch (casual abbreviation)

COMMON PATTERNS:

• 昼(ひる)ご飯(はん)を食(た)べる: to eat lunch
• 昼(ひる)ご飯(はん)に行(い)く: to go for lunch
• 昼(ひる)ご飯(はん)は何(なに)にする?: What shall we have for lunch?

USAGE NOTE:
ご飯(はん) literally means 'cooked rice' but is commonly used to mean 'meal'. In casual speech, お昼(ひる) alone can mean lunch: お昼(ひる)食(た)べた? (Did you eat lunch?)