弁当

• Reading: べんとう
• Romaji: bentou
• Kanji breakdown: 弁 (ben) — speech, petal (ateji); 当 (tou/ataru) — hit, right (ateji)
• Pronunciation: /beɴ.toː/

Meaning

Box lunch; a packed meal in a container, a staple of Japanese food culture.

A noun for a portable, compartmentalised meal. Types include: 駅弁 (ekiben, train station bento), 手作り弁当 (tezukuri bentou, homemade bento), コンビニ弁当 (konbini bentou, convenience store bento), 幕の内弁当 (makunouchi bentou, traditional multi-dish bento). Making bento is an important daily ritual for many Japanese families, especially for school children and working adults.

Examples

1. 毎朝子供のために弁当を作っている。 I make a bento for my kids every morning.
2. 今日は弁当を持ってこなかったのでコンビニで買った。 I didn't bring my lunch today, so I bought one at the convenience store.
3. 新幹線で駅弁を食べるのが旅の楽しみだ。 Eating an ekiben on the bullet train is one of the joys of traveling.

Usage Guide

Context: meals, school, travel

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The word 弁当 is thought to derive from a Southern Song Chinese term 便當 (convenient/handy). The kanji are ateji assigned for phonetic value. Bento culture flourished from the Edo period onward.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal