meshi

Meshi (飯) is a Japanese noun meaning meal or food, especially cooked rice. It is casual and informal, commonly used in everyday conversation. The more formal term for a meal is gohan (御飯).

Etymology and usage: The term derives from the kanji 飯, which originally meant cooked rice, the staple of Japanese cuisine. Because rice is central to many meals, meshi came to denote a meal in general. In modern Japanese, meshi preserves a casual, rustic, or affectionate tone and is often used in spoken language, humor, or light fiction.

Connotations and contexts: Meshi is widely heard in dialogue among friends and family, in manga and anime, and in rural or traditional settings. It can convey warmth or humor depending on context, whereas gohan is preferred in polite conversation, on menus, and in formal writing. Both terms coexist with different nuance: meshi emphasizes the food itself or the act of eating, while gohan emphasizes the meal as a course or portion.

Notes: The word appears in many compound forms and expressions in Japanese, and is a common element of casual speech that reflects the central place of rice and meals in Japanese culture.