What is the difference between "ご飯" and "ごはん"?

"ご飯" means "meal, cooked rice" (N5), whereas "ごはん" represents "cooked rice; meal" (N5).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "ごはん (gohan)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

ごはん (gohan)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

ごはん (gohan)

N5 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "ごはん (gohan)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

ご飯 (Level: N5): Translates to "meal, cooked rice" and is used when Can mean 'cooked rice' or 'a meal'.
ごはん (Level: N5): Maps to "cooked rice; meal" and carries the nuance of Can mean 'cooked rice' or a general 'meal'.

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "ご飯"

晩ごはんを食べましょう。

Let's eat dinner.

Bilingual Context for "ごはん"

朝ごはんを食べました。

I ate breakfast.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "晩ごはんを食べましょう。" (Meaning: "Let's eat dinner.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "ご飯" is used for "meal, cooked rice" in the context: "Let's eat dinner.".