Japanese kanji 昼: 昼 and 昼食

The idea

昼 has 9 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Read 昼 as ひる and 昼食 as ちゅうしょく. N4 is an estimated learning level, not an official JLPT kanji list.

Examples

• 昼ひるまで図書館としょかんにいます。I stay at the library until noon.
• 昼食ちゅうしょくは十二時じゅうにじからです。Lunch starts at twelve.
• どこで昼ひるご飯はんを食たべますか。Where will you eat lunch?
• 昼ひるご飯はんの後あとにお茶ちゃを飲のみます。I drink tea after lunch.
• 昼ひるに公園こうえんで会あいましょう。Let’s meet in the park at noon.
• お昼ひるの休憩きゅうけいは何時なんじからですか。What time does the lunch break start?

Watch out

Compare the shapes of 昼 and 夜. Read whole words: 昼 means daytime; noon, whereas 昼食 means lunch. 昼 can mean daytime or noon, not only lunch. 昼食 is a more formal word for lunch than 昼ご飯.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 昼 in hiragana.

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   ひる

   昼 is read ひる and means daytime; noon. In the example: I stay at the library until noon.

2. Write the reading of 昼食 in hiragana.

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   ちゅうしょく

   昼食 is read ちゅうしょく and means lunch. In the example: Lunch starts at twelve.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿食（ちゅうしょく）［昼／夜］.

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   昼

   昼 completes 昼食, read ちゅうしょく; the word means lunch.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 昼 from memory, then read 昼 and 昼食 aloud. Check their readings and meanings.