Japanese · Food & Drink
ご飯
gohan
Rice / Meal
Beginnernoun
Definition
Refers to cooked rice, but also used to mean a meal in general (e.g., 朝ご飯 = breakfast, 昼ご飯 = lunch, 晩ご飯 = dinner).
Example
ご飯を食べましたか？
Have you eaten (a meal)?
Etymology
ご飯 (gohan) originally referred to cooked rice and has evolved to signify meals in general. The term reflects the centrality of rice in Japanese cuisine.
How & Where It’s Used
Gohan is commonplace in both formal and informal contexts, used in spoken and written language to refer to rice or meals.
Literary Heritage
Rice appears in numerous poems, songs, and traditional sayings, symbolizing sustenance and culture.