How to say "luncheon" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounA loanword taken directly from English 'luncheon', it covers the English sense of a formal or organized midday meal. The word itself is less common, so you will seldom need it.
- 昼餐ちゅうさんnounAn uncommon Sino-Japanese word for a luncheon, literally a midday meal. It is seldom the word you want in ordinary conversation, and learners can safely pass over it.
- 午餐ごさんnounA formal or literary term covering both 'lunch' and 'luncheon'; appropriate in formal writing or speech, it would sound stiff in everyday conversation and is uncommon.
All three are uncommon ways to say 'luncheon': 「ランチョン」 is the loanword for a formal midday meal in the English sense, 昼餐 is an uncommon Sino-Japanese synonym, and 午餐 is the formal or literary term covering lunch and luncheon.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
