料理

• Reading: りょうり
• Romaji: ryouri
• Kanji breakdown: 料 (ryou) — materials, fee; 理 (ri) — reason, arrange
• Pronunciation: /ɾʲoː.ɾi/

Meaning

Cooking; cuisine; dish; food preparation. Both the act of cooking and the resulting dish.

Functions as both a noun meaning 'dish/cuisine' and a suru-verb meaning 'to cook.' Used in many compounds: 日本料理 (Japanese cuisine), 家庭料理 (home cooking), 料理人 (chef). When asking about someone's cooking hobby, 料理をする is the natural phrasing.

Examples

1. 母の料理はとてもおいしいです。 My mother's cooking is really delicious.
2. 週末に料理をするのが好きです。 I like cooking on the weekends.
3. この店の料理は有名です。 This restaurant's food is famous.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, restaurants, hobbies

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 料 (ryou, 'measure/materials') and 理 (ri, 'arrange/reason'). Literally means 'to manage ingredients' — the idea of thoughtfully arranging and preparing food materials.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal