A piece of cake! Asa-meshi-mae-sa! 朝飯前(あさめしまえ)さ。―Meshi 飯(めし)とgohan ご飯(ごはん)

English: meal

Spanish: comida

Tagalog: pagkain

How would you like a set of tonkatsu とんかつ (fried pork cutlet) with ご飯 ごはん white rice and miso-shiru 味噌汁 みそしる (miso soup)?

Meshi 飯(めし) or shokuji 食事(しょくじ) means meal. The word meshi 飯(めし) comes from mesu 召す, which is a term of respect for tabe-ru 食べる(たべる) (to eat).

However, the word meshi 飯(めし) does not have politeness.

Note that some people may think meshi is not a decent word. Ladies should be careful in particular.

Meshi 飯（めし）

● 今日(きょう)の仕事(しごと)の後(あと)、飯(めし)でもどう？ (Kyo-no shigoto-no ato, meshi-demo doo?)

How about going to dinner after work today?

Some Japanese even hate natto 納豆（なっとう）―fermented soybeans, because of rotten smell and stickiness; others like to eat it for breakfast even every day.

● 明日(あした)の朝飯(あさめし)には納豆(なっとう)がいいな。(Ashita-no asa-meshi-niwa natto-ga ii-na.)

I’d like natto for tomorrow breakfast.

● 飯（めし）を炊（た）けばあとは何（なん）にもいらない。(Meshi-o take-ba ato-wa nan-nimo iranai.)

All I want is have rice cooked, nothing else.

● そんなの簡単(かんたん)さ―朝飯前(あさめしまえ)だよ。 (Sonna-no kantan-sa. Asa-meshi-mae dayo.)

That’s quite easy―a piece of cake.

N.B. Asa-meshi-mae 朝飯前(あさめしまえ) means an easy job. It doesn’t take time and you can finish it before breakfast.

● あの人(ひと)はブログで飯(めし)を食って(くって)いるらしい。(Ano-hito-wa burogu-de meshi-o kutte-iru-rashii.)

They say he lives by blogging.

Gohan ご飯（ごはん）

Rice is the staple food for the Japanese. Kome 米(こめ) is rice, and cooked rice is gohan ご飯(ごはん). The word gohan is used for meal as well. It’s politer than meshi 飯(めし).

Many dishes are served in typical Japanese style hotels.

● 今夜(こんや)のご飯(ごはん)は何(なに)にしようかしら？ (Kon’ya-no gohan-wa nani-ni shiyoo-kashira?)

I wonder what I’m going to eat tonight.

● そろそろご飯（ごはん）にしましょう。 (Soro-soro gohan-ni shima-shoo.)

Shall we eat now?

ごはんがふっくら炊（た）けました―White rice is now ready to eat, cooked to the perfect degree of softness.

● 罰(ばつ)として、今日(きょう)はご飯(ごはん)抜き(ぬき)にするぞ。(Batsu-toshite kyoo-wa gohan nuki-ni suru-zo.)

As a penalty, I won’t let you eat today.

● 白い(しろい)ご飯(ごはん)が食べ(たべ)たい。 (Shiroi gohan-ga tabe-tai.)

I want to eat white rice.