How to say "dinner" in Japanese

• 晩御飯ばんごはんJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for dinner as the evening meal you eat at home, in ordinary family or household talk. If you simply mean tonight's dinner, this is the natural choice.
  母ははは晩御飯ばんごはんの支度したくで忙いそがしい。↗

  Mother is busy cooking the dinner.
• ディナーCommon
  nounCovers dinner as an occasion rather than just the meal: eating out at a restaurant or hotel, a special or celebratory dinner, a dinner date. A loanword, so it fits Western-style dining contexts.
  ディナーを食たべに階下かいかに行いこう。↗

  Let's go downstairs for dinner.
• 夜ご飯よるごはんCommon
  nounA colloquial way to say the evening meal, at home in casual conversation with family or friends. It overlaps with 晩御飯; choose it when you want a relaxed, spoken feel.
• 晩餐ばんさんCommon
  nounDinner in the formal sense — a ceremonial or official dinner of the banquet or state-occasion kind. It is not the word for an ordinary evening meal; for everyday dinner you want a different word.
  大抵たいていの晩餐ばんさんは１１時じ頃ころに終おわります。↗

  Most dinner parties break up about eleven o'clock.
• 夕食ゆうしょくCommon
  nounThe neutral word for the evening meal, neither casual nor grand. Typical in polite speech, notices, and schedules — for example, the dinner included in a hotel stay.

For the everyday evening meal at home use 晩御飯 or the more casual 「夜ご飯」; 「ディナー」 suits restaurant or special dinners, 夕食 is the neutral word for the evening meal, and 晩餐 is for formal dinners.

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

• 晩御飯ばんごはんdinner
• ディナーdinner
• 夜ご飯よるごはんdinner
• 晩餐ばんさんdinner (esp. a formal one)
• 夕食ゆうしょくevening meal
• 夕飯ゆうはんevening meal
• 宴会えんかいparty
• 馳走ちそうtreating someone (to food or drink)
• 夕餉ゆうげevening meal
• 晩飯ばんめしdinner
• 夕ご飯ゆうごはんevening meal
• 膳部ぜんぶfood (on a table; esp. a small Japanese table)
• 晩食ばんしょくsupper
• 夜よるdinner
• 晩ばんdinner
• 一座いちざbanquet