モグモグタイム

• Reading: モグモグタイム
• Romaji: mogu mogu taimu
• Kanji breakdown: モグモグ (onomatopoeia for munching/chewing) + タイム (time, from English) → munching time
• Pronunciation: /mo.gu.mo.gu ta.i.mu/

Meaning

Munching time or snacking time — a playful way to describe a snack break, popularized by the Japanese curling team.

モグモグタイム became a nationwide sensation during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics when the Japanese women's curling team's half-time snack break was broadcast on TV. Their cheerful munching on fruits and snacks charmed viewers and モグモグタイム became a viral buzzword. While it was already a cute phrase for snack time, the Olympic moment cemented it in popular culture. It is now used playfully for any snack break.

Examples

1. 3時だ、モグモグタイムにしよう。 It's 3 o'clock — time for a snacking break!
2. カーリング見てたらモグモグタイムが一番盛り上がった。 When I was watching curling, the munching time was the most exciting part.
3. 会議の合間のモグモグタイムが午後の楽しみ。 The mid-meeting snacking break is the highlight of my afternoon.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, family, office, social media

Tone: playful, cute

Do Say

• そろそろモグモグタイムにしよう！ (Let's have a snacking break soon!)
• モグモグタイムのおやつ何がいい？ (What do you want for our snack time?)

Don't Say

• フォーマルな会議で「モグモグタイム」は幼く聞こえる (Saying モグモグタイム in a formal meeting sounds childish — use 休憩 instead)

Common Mistakes

• Not knowing the curling connection — Japanese people will often associate モグモグタイム with the 2018 Olympic curling team

Origin & History

モグモグ is a Japanese onomatopoeia for munching/chewing. The compound モグモグタイム went viral during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics when the Japanese women's curling team's snack breaks became a TV sensation.

Cultural Context

Era: 2018, went viral during Pyeongchang Olympics

Generation: All ages, widely recognized

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The 2018 curling team (LS北見) from Hokkaido made this a household phrase.