What Is the Japanese Word for Rice
Home » nouns » Rice in Japanese: kome, okome, and gohan, explained with the examples
How to say "rice" in Japanese
There are multiple ways to say "rice" in Japanese. In this blog post, however, I will focus on three of the most widely-used ones: "kome", "okome", and "gohan". I will explain their definitions and meanings and how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to say "rice" properly in Japanese. Then, let's get started!
Contents
- What does "kome" mean in Japanese?
- Example #1: how to say "rice" in Japanese
- What does "okome" mean in Japanese?
- Example #2: how to say "rice" politely in Japanese
- What does "gohan" mean in Japanese?
- Example #3: how to use "gohan"
- Summary
What does "kome" mean in Japanese?
Let me start with "kome".
- kome – 米 (こめ) : a noun meaning 'rice', especially 'uncooked rice' in Japanese.
Sometimes Japanese native speakers use this word to mean 'cooked rice', but it normally refers to uncooked rice.
Then, let me explain how to use this word through the example sentence below.
Example #1: how to say "rice" in Japanese
kome wa komugi yori yasui – 米は小麦より安い (こめはこむぎよりやすい)
Rice is cheaper than wheat.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, it is used after "kome" to make the subject word in the sentence.
- komugi – 小麦 (こむぎ) : a noun meaning 'wheat' in Japanese.
- yori – より : a case particle used to provide a target of comparison. In the example, this is used after "komugi" to indicate the target of the comparison. As the translation shows, this particle corresponds well to "than".
- yasui – 安い (やすい) : an i-adjective meaning 'cheap' in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of "kome". Since this word refers to uncooked rice, it is suitable for the comparison to "wheat".
What does "okome" mean in Japanese?
Next, then, let me explain the definition and meaning of "okome".
- okome – お米 (おこめ) : the polite expression of "kome". So, this word means 'rice', especially 'uncooked rice' in Japanese.
"O" is used before "kome". It is a prefix making its following word polite. In this case, it makes "kome" sound polite. So, "okome" can be considered as the polite expression of "kome". Japanese native speakers tend to use this polite expression even in daily conversations. In a way, they are always showing respect to rice.
Then, let me explain how to use "okome" through the example sentence below.
Example #2: how to say "rice" politely in Japanese
watashi wa okome wo kat ta – 私はお米を買った (わたしはおこめをかった)
I bought rice.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning 'I' in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, it is used after "okome" to make the object word in the sentence.
- kat – 買っ (かっ) : one conjugation of the verb, "kau", which means 'to buy' or 'to purchase' in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb or adjective to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after "kat" to make its past tense form, "kat ta", which means 'to have bought'.
This is a typical usage of "okome". When we want to say "rice" in Japanese, we should use this polite expression.
In the last example, "kome" was okay, as rice was just compared with wheat in price. In this example, however, rice is not an economical topic any longer. "Watashi" bought it. Most probably, he/she will cook it and eat it. Thanks to its calories, he/she will be able to survive. So, from the Japanese point of view, he/she should show respect to it. "Okome" should be used.
What does "gohan" mean in Japanese?
Lastly, let me explain the definition and meanings of "gohan".
- gohan – ご飯 (ごはん) : a noun meaning 'rice', especially 'cooked rice' in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this word can also mean 'meal' in general.
Japanese people often say "gohan" to mean 'cooked rice'. When we want to mean 'cooked rice' specifically, therefore, this word would be a good option. Depending on the situation and context, however, this can also mean 'meal'. So, we need to be careful.
Then, let me explain how to use "gohan" through the example sentence below.
Example #3: how to use "gohan"
kare wa shiroi gohan ga suki desu – 彼は白いご飯が好きです (かれはしろいごはんがすきです)
He likes white cooked rice.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning 'he' in Japanese.
- shiroi – 白い (しろい) : an i-adjective meaning 'white' in Japanese.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, it is used after the noun phrase, "shiroi gohan", to make the object in the sentence.
- suki – 好き (すき) : one conjugation of the na-adjective, "sukina", which means 'favorite' in Japanese. Yet, this word is quite often used as one individual word to mean 'to like' or 'to love' in Japanese. In the example, it is used to mean 'to like'.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after "suki" to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of "gohan". In this example, it is used as a part of the noun phrase, "shiroi gohan", which means 'white cooked rice'.
Summary
In this blog post, I've explained the three words, "kome", "okome", and "gohan", in detail with the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kome – 米 (こめ) : a noun meaning 'rice', especially 'uncooked rice' in Japanese.
- okome – お米 (おこめ) : the polite expression of "kome". So, this word means 'rice', especially 'uncooked rice' in Japanese.
- gohan – ご飯 (ごはん) : a noun meaning 'rice', especially 'cooked rice' in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this word can also mean 'meal' in general.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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What Is the Japanese Word for Rice
Source: https://japaneseparticlesmaster.xyz/rice-in-japanese/