Japanese uses different words for rice depending on whether it is uncooked grain, cooked rice, or a rice serving in a meal. The context determines the most natural choice.
rice in Japanese = 米 (kome), ご飯 (gohan), or ライス (raisu), pronounced approximately koh-meh / goh-hahn / rye-soo.
How Do You Say rice in Japanese?
米 (kome) usually means uncooked rice or rice as a crop. ご飯 (gohan) means cooked rice and can also mean a meal. ライス (raisu) is a loanword often used for a Western-style serving of rice.
Meaning: rice; uncooked rice, cooked rice, or a serving of rice
For rice in the pantry or fields, use 米. At a Japanese meal, ご飯 is the usual word for cooked rice. On a café menu, ライス often labels rice served with curry or another Western-style dish.
Different Ways to Express rice
These words overlap in English translation, but they point to different stages or settings. Choosing precisely makes everyday conversation clearer.
1. 米 (kome) — uncooked rice
米 — uncooked rice; rice grain. This is the common word for raw rice before cooking and rice considered as an agricultural product.
2. ご飯 (gohan) — cooked rice or a meal
ご飯 — cooked rice; meal. It usually means cooked rice at the table. In everyday expressions it can refer to a meal in general.
3. ライス (raisu) — a rice serving
ライス — rice (as a menu serving). Written in katakana, as explained in Japanese writing, this loanword commonly appears on menus for rice served with curry, a hamburger steak, or other Western-style dishes.
4. 白米 (hakumai) — polished white rice
白米 — white rice. The first character is related to white in Japanese. This more specific term contrasts polished white rice with brown rice, 玄米 (genmai).
rice in Japanese: Quick Comparison
Use this comparison to choose the form that best fits your sentence. Pay attention to whether you are counting, describing a quality, or referring to a particular situation.
| Japanese | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 米 | uncooked rice; rice grain | Shopping, farming, ingredients |
| ご飯 | cooked rice; meal | Everyday meals |
| ライス | rice (as a menu serving) | Restaurant menus |
| 白米 | white rice | Rice varieties and nutrition |
How to Pronounce 米 (kome), ご飯 (gohan), or ライス (raisu)
Kome has two even syllables, ko-me. Gohan has two syllables, go-han, with a light pitch accent that varies by dialect. Raisu adapts the English loanword “rice” to Japanese syllables.
Example Sentences Using rice
Read each example aloud and notice how the surrounding words give the phrase its exact meaning. The English translation is natural rather than a strict word-for-word rendering.
Meaning: I bought uncooked rice.
Use: 米 refers to rice as a grain or ingredient.
Meaning: Let’s eat a meal.
Use: ご飯 can mean cooked rice or a meal.
Meaning: Curry and rice, please.
Use: ライス is common as a menu serving.
Frequently Asked Questions About rice in Japanese
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What is the usual Japanese word for rice?
ご飯 (gohan) is common for cooked rice at a meal. 米 (kome) usually means uncooked rice.
Does <em>ご飯</em> mean rice or meal?
Both. It often means cooked rice, but in expressions such as ご飯を食べる it can mean having a meal.
What does <em>ライス</em> mean?
It is a loanword used especially for a serving of rice on Western-style menus, such as curry and rice.
How do you say uncooked rice?
Use 米 (kome) or, when you need to be specific, 生米 (namagome).
How do you say white rice?
白米 (hakumai) means polished white rice; 玄米 (genmai) means brown rice.
Summary: rice in Japanese
Use 米 (kome) for uncooked rice, ご飯 (gohan) for cooked rice or a meal, and ライス (raisu) for a menu serving. The context tells you which word is most natural.
