Telling Time in Japanese: How to Say Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack
Learn to name the four meals in Japanese and say when you eat them using simple time patterns like asa, hiru, ban, and yoru.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn the Japanese words for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack, and how to say when you eat each one. The focus is on meal times, not on the foods themselves. You will use basic time words such as asa (morning), hiru (noon/daytime), ban (evening), and yoru (night), and combine them with the particle ni to mark a specific time. You will also learn the verb tabemasu (eat) and its polite negative and past forms. By the end, you will be able to describe your daily eating schedule in simple, natural Japanese.
By the end, you can…
- name breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack in Japanese.
- say what time I eat each meal using asa, hiru, ban, and yoru.
- ask someone when they eat a particular meal.
- use the particle ni correctly with clock times and time-of-day words.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
朝ごはんを食べます。
I eat breakfast.
Asagohan o tabemasu.
Asagohan is the everyday word for breakfast. The particle o marks the meal as the object of tabemasu.
昼ごはんは十二時です。
Lunch is at twelve o'clock.
Hirugohan wa jūni-ji desu.
Hirugohan means lunch. Wa marks lunch as the topic, and desu links it to the time. This pattern is common for stating when a meal happens.
晩ごはんは七時に食べます。
I eat dinner at seven o'clock.
Bangohan wa shichi-ji ni tabemasu.
Bangohan means dinner. Ni marks the specific clock time shichi-ji (seven o'clock).
おやつは三時です。
Snack time is at three o'clock.
Oyatsu wa san-ji desu.
Oyatsu means snack, usually an afternoon snack. It is a casual but polite word used by adults and children.
夜ごはんは何時ですか。
What time is dinner?
Yogohan wa nan-ji desu ka.
Yogohan is another word for dinner, literally 'night meal'. Nan-ji means 'what time'. Ka makes the sentence a polite question.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To say when you eat a meal, use the pattern [meal] wa [time] ni tabemasu. For example, Asagohan wa roku-ji ni tabemasu means 'I eat breakfast at six o'clock.' If you want to say 'I eat breakfast in the morning,' use asa instead of a clock time: Asagohan wa asa tabemasu. Note that asa, hiru, ban, and yoru do not take ni when they mean 'in the morning/afternoon/evening/night' in a general sense. However, when you use a specific clock time like roku-ji (six o'clock), you must add ni. The verb tabemasu is polite present/future. Its past form is tabemashita (ate), and its negative form is tabemasen (do not eat).
When to use it
Use these patterns when talking about your daily routine, making plans with someone, or asking about someone's schedule. For example, if a friend asks you to meet, you might say Hirugohan wa ichi-ji ni tabemasu. Go-ji ni aimashō ka. ('I eat lunch at one o'clock. Shall we meet at five?'). When you want to ask when someone eats a meal, say [meal] wa nan-ji desu ka. For instance, Asagohan wa nan-ji desu ka means 'What time is breakfast?' If you want to be more specific about the time of day, you can say asa (morning), hiru (noon/daytime), ban (evening), or yoru (night). Ban and yoru are similar, but ban often refers to the evening meal or early evening, while yoru is later at night.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
朝ごはんは何時ですか。
What time is breakfast?Asagohan wa nan-ji desu ka.七時です。
It's at seven o'clock.Shichi-ji desu.昼ごはんも七時ですか。
Is lunch also at seven?Hirugohan mo shichi-ji desu ka.いいえ、昼ごはんは十二時です。
No, lunch is at twelve o'clock.Iie, hirugohan wa jūni-ji desu.A little context goes a long way
In Japan, meal times can vary, but breakfast is often around 7:00 a.m., lunch around noon, and dinner between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Oyatsu (snack) is typically an afternoon treat, often around 3:00 p.m. The word gohan literally means 'cooked rice' but is also used for 'meal' in general, so asagohan, hirugohan, and bangohan are the standard everyday terms. Yogohan is another common word for dinner, especially in western Japan. When speaking politely, use desu and masu forms as shown here.
One thing to watch for
Saying Asagohan ni tabemasu to mean 'I eat breakfast in the morning.'
Try this instead: Do not use ni with asa, hiru, ban, or yoru when they mean 'in the morning/afternoon/evening/night.' Say Asagohan wa asa tabemasu. Use ni only with specific clock times, as in Asagohan wa roku-ji ni tabemasu.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I eat dinner at seven o'clock' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
晩ごはんは七時に食べます。 (Bangohan wa shichi-ji ni tabemasu.)
This uses the pattern [meal] wa [time] ni tabemasu. Shichi-ji means seven o'clock, and ni marks the specific time. You could also say Yogohan wa shichi-ji ni tabemasu, which is equally correct.
2What is the Japanese word for 'snack'?
Show a sample answer
おやつ (Oyatsu)
Oyatsu is the standard word for a snack, especially an afternoon one. It is polite and commonly used. Another word, keishoku, can mean a light meal, but oyatsu is the best choice for 'snack' in this context.
3Translate into Japanese: 'What time is lunch?'
Show a sample answer
昼ごはんは何時ですか。 (Hirugohan wa nan-ji desu ka.)
This uses the question pattern [meal] wa nan-ji desu ka. Hirugohan means lunch, and nan-ji means 'what time.' You could also ask Hirugohan wa itsu desu ka, meaning 'When is lunch?', but nan-ji is more specific to clock time.
Use [meal] wa [time] ni tabemasu to say when you eat a meal. Remember: ni goes with clock times, but not with asa, hiru, ban, or yoru when they mean 'in the morning/afternoon/evening/night.'
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