Translation guide
Refers to rice that has had only the inedible outer husk removed, leaving the bran layer intact. In Japanese, this is most commonly called 玄米 (genmai).
To refer to unpolished rice as a food ingredient or health food.
The standard term for unpolished rice. Used in cooking, health contexts, and on packaging.
玄米は白米より栄養価が高い。
Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice.
最近、玄米を食べる人が増えている。
Recently, more people are eating brown rice.
Rice with the germ intact but bran partially removed. Sometimes considered a type of unpolished rice, though technically distinct.
胚芽米は玄米より食べやすい。
Germ rice is easier to eat than brown rice.
To talk about a serving or bowl of unpolished rice.
Cooked brown rice. ご飯 (gohan) means cooked rice or a meal.
今日の昼食は玄米ご飯にした。
I had brown rice for lunch today.
In context, 玄米 alone can refer to cooked brown rice, especially in menus or casual speech.
定食のご飯を玄米に変更できます。
You can change the rice in the set meal to brown rice.
To refer to unpolished rice before modern milling, or in historical/specialty settings.
Literally 'pounded rice', referring to rice that has been hulled but not fully polished. Rare, mostly historical.
昔は搗き米を食べていた。
In the old days, people ate unpolished rice.
Black rice, often sold unpolished. Not a direct synonym, but sometimes encountered when looking for unpolished rice varieties.
黒米は古代米の一種で、玄米として売られている。
Black rice is a type of ancient grain sold as brown rice.
玄米 (genmai) requires longer soaking and cooking than white rice. Many Japanese rice cookers have a 玄米 mode. If you order 玄米 at a restaurant, it will usually be 玄米ご飯.
In English, 'brown rice' often includes long-grain varieties. Japanese 玄米 is almost always short-grain Japonica rice. If you need to specify long-grain brown rice, you might say 長粒種の玄米 (chouryuushu no genmai).