1.
school lunch, institutional meal service
A meal provided at schools, hospitals, or other institutions. In Japan, most commonly refers to the standardized lunch served at elementary and junior high schools, which is a distinctive feature of the Japanese education system.
今日の給食はカレーだ。
Today's school lunch is curry.
子供のころ、給食の時間が一番楽しかった。
When I was a child, lunch time was the most fun part of the day.
この学校では生徒が当番制で給食を配る。
At this school, students take turns serving the school lunch on a rotating basis.
USAGE:
Most commonly refers to school lunch in Japanese elementary and junior high schools. Students typically eat 給食 in their classrooms, serve it themselves in rotation (給食当番), and eat the same menu. This is considered an important part of Japanese school education (食育).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 給食の時間: lunch time (at school)
- 給食当番: lunch duty (student rotation)
- 給食を食べる: to eat school lunch
- 給食費: school lunch fee
- 給食センター: school lunch preparation center
CULTURE:
Japanese 給食 is nutritionally planned by registered dietitians, and the same menu is served to all students. Children serve each other and clean up afterward, which is seen as building cooperation and responsibility.