午饭

• Pinyin: wǔ fàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 午 = noon/midday; 饭 = 饣(food radical) + 反 (phonetic) — meal/rice

Meaning

Lunch; midday meal. The meal eaten around noon.

One of the three daily meals alongside 早饭 (breakfast) and 晚饭 (dinner). Chinese lunch breaks are often longer than in Western countries, sometimes including a short nap. Also called 中饭 in some regions or 午餐 in more formal contexts.

Examples

1. 你吃午饭了吗？ Have you eaten lunch?
2. 我们十二点吃午饭。 We eat lunch at twelve.
3. 今天的午饭是面条。 Today's lunch is noodles.

Usage Guide

Context: food and drink, daily routine

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 午饭你想吃什么？(What do you want for lunch?)
• 该吃午饭了。(It's time for lunch.)

Don't Say

• 我吃了一个午饭。(Unnatural — say 我吃了午饭; meals do not need a measure word in Chinese)

Origin & History

A compound of 午 (noon/midday) and 饭 (rice/meal), literally meaning 'noon meal.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal