おやつ

• 読み: おやつ
• ローマ字: oyatsu
• 発音: /o.ja.tsɯ/

意味

Snack; between-meal treat. A light food eaten between main meals.

Usually refers to an afternoon snack, traditionally eaten around 3 PM. The word comes from 八つ時 (yatsudoki), an old time system where 'the eighth hour' corresponded to roughly 2-3 PM. Can refer to any type of snack — sweets, rice crackers, fruit, or even sandwiches. Often written in hiragana.

例文

1. 三時におやつを食べましょう。
2. 今日のおやつはクッキーです。
3. おやつの時間が楽しみです。

使い方ガイド

場面: daily life, children, school

トーン: friendly

起源と歴史

From 八つ時 (yatsudoki, 'the eighth hour' in the old Japanese time system), which corresponded to approximately 2-3 PM — the traditional snack time. Over time, the word shifted from the time to the food itself.

文化的背景

時代: Edo period

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal