Do you think you know this already? Take the Quiz.
Talking about Monos
At the N5 level, you will see two similar looking words – 食べ物 and 飲み物. The word もの means thing in Japanese and 食べ is the -masu stem of 食べる, to eat. So, you can add them together to make a new word:
tabe + mono = tabemono
nomi + mono = nomimono
In fact, you can make a few other words like this:
nori + mono = norimono
tate + mono = tatemono
To get the -masu stem just change a verb into masu-form then remove the ます at the end:
taberu → tabemasu ― masu = tabe
Talking about Meals in Japanese
The N5 uses
You can write these words in all kanji (e.g.
If you were wondering about brunch, you can use the katakana word – ブランチ.
飴 vs. お菓子
These two words seem to refer to the same thing. But,
お
There is a special kind of お
Drinking in Japan
You basically have 3 types of drinks in Japan – お
And although sake in English refers to a particular kind of liquor, in Japan お
Meanwhile, お
ウーロン
uuroncha
アールグレイ
aarugureicha
The many Stages of Rice
Rice is an essential part of the Japanese diet. As such, it tends to get a little more attention linguistically speaking. Japanese actually has three words for rice depending on what state it is in:
inu
kome
ご
gohan
Keep in mind that ご
The Wonders of お弁当
お
There are, of course, many variations on this theme and a simple google search will reveal all sorts of colorful and creative variations on how to make a bento. And there is an enormous selection of accessories that can be used in bentos from ornamental plastic toothpicks to nori (seaweed paper) cutters.
Hot and Cold
When you are talking about the weather in Japanese you can use
tsumetaiochaga hoshiidesu.
I want cold (green) tea.
atatakaikoohiio kudasai
Hot coffee please.
At chain coffee shops like Starbucks or Tully’s, they use the katakana words ホット (hot) and アイス (ice, as in iced coffee).
飲 み物 – Drinks
nanio nomitaidesuka

食べ物 – Food
何を 食べたいですか。(What do you want to eat?)
nanio tabetaidesuka.

Ordering Food
After you’ve been seated and had a chance to look at the menu, the waiter will often ask you:
ご注文は お決まりですか?
gochuumonwa okimaridesuka
Have you decided on your order?
Note that this phrase uses a lot of formal language. First,
You can respond by saying:
カレーに します。
kareeni shimasu
(I)’ll have the curry.
They may also want to know what you’ll be drinking, by saying:
お
onomimonowa
As for drink?
You can simply respond with what you would like plus ください:
namabiiruo kudasai
A draft beer please.
Offering some Food
In a polite situation, for instance with people you have just met, you can offer them a drink with the expression “~がいい”:
A「ジュースと コーヒーと どちらが いいですか。」
jyuusuto koohiito dochiraga iidesuka
Which is better (for you), juice or coffee?
B「ジュースが いいです。」
jyuusuga iidesu
Juice is good.
In a more formal situation, it is best to use いかが:
A「ジュースは いかがですか。」
jyuusuwa ikagadesuka
How about some juice?
B「はい、おねがいします。」
hai, onegaishimasu
Yes, please.
Are you ready to test your knowledge? Take the Quiz.