おやつ

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 三時のおやつにしましょう。▶ —
   Let's have our 3 PM snack.
2. 子供におやつをあげる。▶ —
   I give the child a snack.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Oyatsu (おやつ·お八つ) traces to Edo-period yatsudoki — 八つ time, when the day was divided into twelve units of two hours and yatsudoki ran 2–4 PM. Japanese ate two meals a day back then, so a light snack at yatsudoki was institutionalized as oyatsu. The o- prefix marks politeness / familiarity. In modern homes, schools, and offices the 3 PM tea-plus-snack ritual is canonical — "sanji no oyatsu." Snack time is a core childhood ritual: Japanese after-school clubs and kindergartens schedule oyatsu-jikan (snack time) on the timetable. Classic oyatsu: senbei (rice cracker), youkan (red-bean jelly), dorayaki, Pocky, Japan-only Kit Kat flavors. Korean "kan-sik" (間食), Chinese "dianxin" (yumcha culture), Western "snack" — oyatsu uniquely encodes a specific time (3 PM) inside the word itself.

Quick check

1. Time origin of oyatsu?

   • Edo yatsudoki = 2–4 PM
   • Breakfast time
   • Dinner time
   • Late night