昼ご飯

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 昼ご飯は何にしますか?▶ —
   What'll we have for lunch?
2. 会社の昼休みは一時間です。▶ —
   My company's lunch break is one hour.

Collocations

Mnemonic

昼ご飯 hirugohan — 昼 (noon/day) + ご飯. Japanese workplace 昼休み (hiruyasumi, lunch break) averages an hour, split among eating out, お弁当, or the company 食堂 (cafeteria). Register: 昼ご飯 (everyday) < 昼食 (chuushoku, formal) < ランチ (English loan, cafés / women's lunch outings). Where to eat lunch is a daily decision for Japanese workers — obentō culture splits mom/wife-prepared and self-made. One word compresses corporate time, consumer patterns, and family-labor structure. ランチ dominates menus, magazines, and social media — register split.

Quick check

1. Most natural Japanese for "lunch with female friends at a café"?

   • 友達とカフェでランチ (loanword, café context)
   • 友達とカフェで昼ご飯 (correct but less stylish)
   • 友達とカフェで昼食 (formal, news/menu)
   • 友達とカフェで飯 (rough)