Translation guide
The practice of abstaining from food, often for religious, health, or medical reasons. In Japanese, the most common word is 断食, but other terms exist depending on context.
To express the act of not eating for a period, often for health, religious, or protest reasons.
The standard word for fasting, covering religious, health, and protest contexts. Can be used as a noun or a suru-verb (断食する).
He is fasting for religious reasons.
I started fasting for my health.
Literally 'abstaining from food', often used in medical contexts (e.g., before surgery) or hunger strikes. More formal than 断食.
Please fast before the surgery.
Loanword from English, used mainly in trendy health and wellness contexts, like intermittent fasting.
Fasting has become popular recently.
To refer to fasting as a spiritual practice, such as in Buddhism, Islam, or Christianity.
The general term for religious fasting. Works across religions.
Muslims fast during Ramadan.
Specifically Buddhist vegetarian fasting, avoiding meat and sometimes all food. Often part of ascetic practice.
Purification through fasting and abstinence, used in Shinto and some Buddhist contexts. Rare in daily conversation.
To describe the requirement to not eat or drink for medical reasons.
To talk about the popular eating pattern where you cycle between eating and fasting periods.
The formal term for intermittent fasting, often used in health articles.
Intermittent fasting is said to be effective for weight loss.
Commonly used in casual conversation and media for intermittent fasting.
I'm trying 16-hour fasting.
断食 is the general word for fasting, used in religious, health, and protest contexts. 絶食 is more formal and often used in medical settings or hunger strikes. For everyday fasting, 断食 is preferred.
Fasting (断食) is not the same as dieting (ダイエット). ダイエット usually refers to a weight-loss diet, which may include fasting but is broader. Use 断食 specifically when you mean abstaining from food.
僧侶は精進料理を食べる。
Monks eat vegetarian Buddhist cuisine.
祭りの前に斎戒する。
Purify oneself through fasting before the festival.
Please skip meals before the test.