食べ物

tabemono

food

この食べ物はとても美味しいです。

This food is very delicious.

formal

Anything that is eaten to provide nutritional substances to sustain life.

毎日バランスの取れた食べ物を食べましょう。

Let's eat balanced food every day.

Refers to both solid and liquid edible items, excluding medicine or supplements unless consumed as food.

Collocations

好きな食べ物favorite food健康的な食べ物healthy food食べ物のアレルギーfood allergy

Synonyms

食物飲食物

Antonyms

飲み物

Related Phrases

食べ物の安全phrase

food safety

食べ物のチェーンphrase

food chain

Pro Tip

Distinguishing 食べ物 vs. 食物

While interchangeable in many cases, '食べ物' emphasizes edible items for consumption, whereas '食物' can imply sustenance more broadly (e.g., in scientific contexts).

Gold Rule

Countability

'食べ物' is a mass noun in Japanese (like 'food' in English). Use '食べ物を買う' (buy food) not '食べ物を買うもの' (incorrect).

Word Origin

Combines '食べる' (taberu, 'to eat') and '物' (mono, 'thing'). Literally 'eating thing', first attested in classical Japanese texts.

Usage Notes

Used in both formal and casual contexts. Often paired with adjectives like '美味しい' (delicious) or 'まずい' (unpalatable).

Word Breakdown

食べ

to eat

root

物

thing

suffix

和英辞典

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