Japanese Food Words You Already Know — and Their Kanji
Sushi, ramen, bento, wasabi… you already speak food-Japanese. See what the words literally mean, how they're written, and how to order like you know it.
Food is the easiest on-ramp into Japanese: you already know dozens of words. What's fun is seeing what they literally say. Sashimi is “pierced body”. Bento boxes are “convenient”. Tempura came from Portuguese missionaries. Here's the menu you already speak, decoded.
Words you already know
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 寿司 | すし sushi | sushi — the kanji are auspicious: “longevity” + “administer” |
| 刺身 | さしみ sashimi | sashimi — lit. “pierced body” |
| ラーメン | らーめん ra-men | ramen — written in katakana, borrowed from Chinese |
| 天ぷら | てんぷら tenpura | tempura — from Portuguese “tempora” |
| 弁当 | べんとう bentou | bento — lit. “convenience” |
| 味噌 | みそ miso | miso — fermented soybean paste |
| 豆腐 | とうふ toufu | tofu — “bean” + “ferment/curdle” |
| 餅 | もち mochi | mochi — pounded rice cake |
| 山葵 | わさび wasabi | wasabi — usually written in kana; the kanji mean “mountain hollyhock” |
The kanji that run every menu
Four kanji unlock most menus: 食 (eat/food), 肉 (meat), 魚 (fish) and 飲 (drink). Add 焼 (grill — yakitori, yakisoba, sukiyaki all contain it) and 丼 (donburi, the rice bowl) and you can decode half the lantern signs in any izakaya street.
Menu-decoding kanji words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 焼き鳥 | やきとり yakitori | yakitori — grilled chicken skewers |
| 牛丼 | ぎゅうどん gyuudon | gyūdon — beef bowl |
| 定食 | ていしょく teishoku | teishoku — set meal (main + rice + soup + pickles) |
| 食べ放題 | たべほうだい tabehoudai | all-you-can-eat |
| 飲み放題 | のみほうだい nomihoudai | all-you-can-drink |
| お代わり | おかわり okawari | refill / another helping |
Two magic ordering words: 「おすすめは?」 (What do you recommend?) and 「これください」 (This one, please) while pointing. With those plus the kanji above, you will never go hungry in Japan. For table manners and phrases, continue to Itadakimasu — dining phrases.
🔊 Tap any word in the vocabulary tables to hear it spoken.