Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'leftover food' depends on whether you mean food remaining after a meal, food saved for later, or scraps/waste. The most common and natural word is 残り物 (nokorimono), but other terms are used in specific contexts.
The speaker wants to refer to food that was not eaten during a meal and is still on the table or in the pot.
The most common and neutral word for leftover food. Can refer to food remaining after a meal, often implying it will be eaten later or given to someone.
Please put the leftovers in the fridge.
Literally 'food left uneaten'. Often implies food left on a plate after someone has eaten part of it. Can carry a slightly negative nuance of waste.
Similar to 残り物 but can also refer to surplus or extra items, not just food. Less common for food specifically.
The speaker wants to refer to food that was deliberately set aside or saved to eat later.
The speaker wants to refer to food that is thrown away, such as peels, bones, or spoiled food.
Kitchen waste, food scraps, garbage. Refers to organic waste from cooking or uneaten food that is discarded.
The speaker wants to ask to take uneaten food home from a restaurant.
残り物 is neutral and simply means food that remains. 食べ残し emphasizes that someone left food uneaten, often with a nuance of wastefulness. Use 残り物 for general leftovers; use 食べ残し when focusing on reducing waste or criticizing someone for not finishing their food.
Let's eat the leftovers tomorrow.
I made dinner from leftovers.
食べ残しを減らしましょう。
Let's reduce leftover food (food waste).
To cook with leftovers/surplus ingredients.
Still the best word. Context makes it clear whether the food is being saved or is just uneaten.
I'll use leftovers for tomorrow's bento.
Refers to food made in advance and stored for later, not necessarily leftovers from a meal. Often used for meal prep.
I freeze make-ahead side dishes.
Please throw out the kitchen waste every day.
Can also refer to food waste, especially uneaten food that is thrown away.
Turn leftover food into compost.
Literally 'leftover rice/food'. Often used in institutional settings (schools, companies) for food waste. Can sound a bit formal or technical.
An initiative to reduce school food waste.
The standard term for takeout or taking leftovers home. Use 持ち帰りにできますか？ to ask if you can take leftovers.
Can I take this home? (Can I get this to go?)
Polite version of 持ち帰り, often used by staff or in polite requests.
Shall I wrap it up for you to take home?
食べ残しが多いね。
You left a lot of food (uneaten).
残り物 implies edible food. For peels, bones, or spoiled food, use 生ごみ or 食べ残し (in waste context).