食べ物

• Reading: たべもの
• Romaji: tabemono
• Kanji breakdown: 食 (shoku/ta) — eat, food; 物 (butsu/mono) — thing
• Pronunciation: /ta.be.mo.no/

Meaning

Food. A general word for things to eat.

A compound noun formed from the verb 食べる (to eat) and 物 (thing), literally 'eating things.' More general than 料理 (which implies prepared dishes), 食べ物 covers any edible item. Often used when talking about food preferences, allergies, or food in general terms.

Examples

1. 好きな食べ物は何ですか。 What is your favorite food?
2. 冷蔵庫に食べ物がありません。 There's no food in the fridge.
3. 日本の食べ物はおいしいです。 Japanese food is delicious.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, preferences, travel

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of the verb stem 食べ (tabe, from 食べる 'to eat') and 物 (mono, 'thing'). A native Japanese compound following the common verb-stem + 物 pattern for creating nouns.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal