弁べん当とう

べ

ん

と

う

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

bento; boxed lunch

A portable meal packed in a container, typically eaten at school, work, or during outings. Often used with the honorific prefix お (お弁当) in polite contexts.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に弁べん当とうを作つくるto make a boxed lunch for someone
母ははは毎まい朝あさ、私わたしに弁べん当とうを作つくってくれる。
My mother makes me a bento every morning.
弁べん当とうを持もって行いくto bring a boxed lunch along
今日きょうはピクニックに弁べん当とうを持もって行いった。
I brought a bento with me on the picnic today.
弁べん当とうを注ちゅう文もんするto order a boxed lunch
会かい議ぎのために弁べん当とうを注ちゅう文もんしておいた。
I ordered bento boxes in advance for the meeting.
弁べん当とうを配くばるto hand out boxed lunches
スタッフが参さん加か者しゃに弁べん当とうを配くばった。
The staff handed out bento boxes to the participants.

Expressions

弁べん当とうを使つかうeat a boxed lunch
お弁べん当とうつけてwith rice stuck on one's face

Kanji

弁valve, petal, braid
当hit, right, appropriate
辨discrimination, dispose of, distinguish
當bear, accept, undertake

Related words

弁べん
弁当 is the full, standard word for a box lunch; 弁 is a casual clipped form used in compounds like 駅弁.
駅えき弁べんN1
弁当 is the general term for a boxed lunch, while 駅弁 specifically means one bought at a train station, often featuring local specialties.

Politeness

お弁べん当とうpolite 丁寧語N5
弁当 is the plain noun for a boxed lunch, while お弁当 adds the honorific お- prefix and is the softer, more common form used in everyday conversation.

Don't confuse with

総そう菜ざい
弁当 is a complete boxed meal with rice and sides, while 惣菜 refers only to the individual prepared side dishes sold separately.
給きゅう食しょくN3
弁当 is a packed lunch that an individual brings or buys, whereas 給食 is a meal collectively provided by an institution like a school.

Counted with

個こN5
Bento boxes are naturally counted as 「1個、2個」.
食しょくN1
Counts meals (1日3食).
折おりN1
For food packed in folded boxes (弁当一折).

Word family· 18

手て弁べん当とう
bringing one's own lunch; self-catered · volunteer work; unpaid work
お弁べん当とうN5
bento; Japanese box lunch
弁べん当とう代だい
lunch money; money for a boxed lunch

Written forms

弁べん当とうUsage97%
Standard modern kanji spelling.
べんとうUsage3%
辨べん當とうUsage<1%
out-dated kanji form
Old kanji form using 辨 and 當; not used in modern Japanese.
ベントウUsage<1%

Etymology

From Chinese 便當 (biàndang, 'convenient'), later adapted in Japanese to refer to a portable meal. The kanji 弁 is a simplified form of 辨.

弁べん当とう屋や

bento shop; lunch vendor

弁べん当とう箱ばこ

lunch box; bento box

Show 6 more

腰こし弁べん当とう
lunchbox worn at the waist; low-paid office worker
弁べん当とう包つつみ
wrapped lunch; lunch package
弁べん当とう持じ参さん
bringing one's own lunch
弁べん当とう男だん子し
man who makes his own lunch to take to work
愛あい妻さい弁べん当とう
lunchbox lovingly made by one's wife
仕し出だし弁べん当とう
catered box lunch; box lunch for delivery

See all 18 in Explore →

弁べん當とう

out-dated kanji form

Mixed old/new kanji form; obsolete.

辨べん当とう

out-dated kanji form

Mixed old/new kanji form; obsolete.