Translation guide
The English word "diet" has two main meanings: the food one habitually eats, and a controlled eating plan for health or weight loss. In Japanese, these are expressed with different words and phrases. Additionally, the word can refer to a legislative assembly, which is a separate meaning.
Referring to the kinds of food a person or group habitually eats, often in the context of health or culture.
Refers to one's dietary habits or eating lifestyle. Commonly used when discussing overall eating patterns.
彼は不規則な食生活を送っている。
He leads an irregular diet.
健康的な食生活を心がけましょう。
Let's try to maintain a healthy diet.
Means 'meal' or 'diet' in the sense of the food consumed. Often used in contexts like 'balanced diet'.
バランスの取れた食事が大切です。
A balanced diet is important.
Specifically means 'eating habits'. More formal than 食生活.
彼の食習慣はあまり良くない。
His diet is not very good.
Loanword from English, but in Japanese it almost exclusively means a weight-loss diet or regimen, not habitual eating. Avoid using for general diet.
Using ダイエット to mean 'habitual diet' can cause confusion, as it strongly implies weight loss.
彼女はいつもダイエットをしている。
She is always on a diet.
A specific regimen of food intake, often to lose weight or for medical reasons.
The standard term for a weight-loss diet. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to diet'.
ダイエットを始めようと思っています。
I'm thinking of starting a diet.
糖質制限ダイエットが流行っている。
Low-carb diets are popular.
Means 'weight loss' or 'reduction'. Often used in the context of dieting to lose weight.
A formal assembly of representatives, especially the national parliament of Japan.
The National Diet of Japan, the country's bicameral legislature. Use this for the Japanese parliament specifically.
国会で新しい法律が可決された。
The Diet passed a new law.
General term for a legislative assembly, parliament, or congress. Can refer to diets of other countries or local assemblies.
When talking about what someone usually eats, do not use ダイエット. Instead, use 食生活 or 食事. ダイエット almost always implies a weight-loss regimen.
食生活 refers to the overall pattern of eating habits, while 食事 refers to the actual meals or food consumed. For 'healthy diet', both can be used, but 食生活 emphasizes lifestyle, and 食事 emphasizes the food itself.
Means 'dietary restriction'. Often used in medical contexts or when referring to limiting certain foods.
医者から食事制限を指示された。
The doctor put me on a diet.
減量のためにジムに通っている。
I go to the gym for weight loss.
Medical term for 'diet therapy' or 'therapeutic diet', used for managing diseases like diabetes.
糖尿病の食事療法を始めた。
I started a diet for diabetes.
The Japanese parliament is called the Diet.