How do you say "dinner" in Japanese?

夕食

yūshoku

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "dinner" is 夕食 (yūshoku).

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Pronunciation

夕食 is written using kanji. Romanised as yūshoku, it sounds roughly like "yoo-shoh-koo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Yushoku uses kanji: evening and food. This meal ends the day and is often the largest.

Example sentence

夕食を一つください。

Yūshoku wo hitotsu kudasai.

One dinner, please.

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How to remember 夕食

Yū = evening, shoku = food. Evening food.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more cafe words.

Questions about 夕食

How do you pronounce 夕食?

夕食 is romanised as yūshoku. Say it roughly like "yoo-shoh-koo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 夕食 formal or casual?

夕食 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 夕食 written in Japanese?

夕食 is written using kanji. Yushoku uses kanji: evening and food.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Dinner" in other languages

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