meal · rice

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 飯 denotes cooked rice or a meal; its on-reading is はん, and its kun-reading is めし.
• Basic usage: 御飯 is read ごはん, while standalone 飯 is read めし, so each spelling and reading should be learned as a unit.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 御飯 / 飯
  • 御飯: Read as ごはん, this word can refer to cooked rice or to a meal. Example: 炊きたての御飯を茶碗によそった。
  • 飯: Read as めし, this word also means rice or a meal, so its reading differs from 御飯. Example: 作業が終わったら皆で飯を食べよう。