How to say "cafeteria" in Japanese

• 食堂しょくどうJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe broad, general word: a room or establishment where meals are served and eaten. It covers 'dining room', 'dining hall' and 'canteen' as well as 'cafeteria', as in a school or company dining hall.
  私達わたしたちの家いえは食堂しょくどうを含ふくめて７部屋へやあります。↗

  Our house has seven rooms including the dining room.
• カフェテリアCommon
  nounThe loanword, used specifically for a cafeteria: a self-service eating place. Choose it when you want to say 'cafeteria' itself, rather than a dining room or dining hall in general.
  カフェテリアで働はたらきたいのですが。↗

  I'd like to work at the cafeteria.

Use 食堂 as the general word for any place where meals are served or eaten—a dining room, dining hall or canteen—and 「カフェテリア」 when you specifically mean a cafeteria, typically a self-service one.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 食堂しょくどうdining room
• カフェテリアcafeteria
• 簡易食堂かんいしょくどうcafeteria