The Word “Meal”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages
Meaning of “Meal”
The word “meal” refers to a specific occasion or time when food is eaten, typically one that involves a set of dishes or a full course. It can also refer to the food itself, particularly when it is prepared for consumption.
- As a Noun (Event or Occasion): A meal is any of the regular occasions during the day when food is eaten, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Example: “Dinner is usually the largest meal of the day.”
- As a Noun (Food): The word meal can also refer to the actual food served during a meal. This is often a portion of prepared food.
- Example: “She prepared a delicious meal for the family.”
- As a Verb (To Grind or Process): The verb “meal” can refer to the act of grinding or processing food, particularly grains.
- Example: “The wheat is mealed into flour.”
Usage of “Meal” in Different Contexts
- Daily Occasions:
“I usually skip breakfast but have a large meal at lunchtime.” - Referring to Food:
“The meal was simple but flavorful, consisting of bread, soup, and fruit.” - Cultural Significance:
“In many cultures, the evening meal is a time for family to come together.”
Translations of “Meal” in 30 Languages
The word “meal” is universally understood as the time or event when food is eaten, but its specific translation can vary slightly based on cultural context. Below are translations of “meal” in 30 languages, along with example sentences illustrating its use.
| Language | Translation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| English | Meal | “They enjoyed a large meal together.” |
| Spanish | Comida | “Disfrutaron de una gran comida juntos.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| French | Repas | “Ils ont partagé un grand repas ensemble.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| German | Mahlzeit | “Sie genossen zusammen eine große Mahlzeit.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Italian | Pasto | “Hanno condiviso un grande pasto insieme.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Portuguese | Refeição | “Eles desfrutaram de uma grande refeição juntos.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Russian | Приём пищи (Priyom pishchi) | “Они наслаждались большой пищей вместе.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Chinese | 餐 (Cān) | “他们一起享受了一顿丰盛的餐。” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Japanese | 食事 (Shokuji) | “彼らは一緒に大きな食事を楽しんだ。” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Korean | 식사 (Siksa) | “그들은 함께 큰 식사를 즐겼다.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Hindi | भोजन (Bhojan) | “उन्होंने एक साथ एक बड़ा भोजन किया।” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Bengali | খাবার (Khābār) | “তারা একসাথে একটি বড় খাবার উপভোগ করেছিল।” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Turkish | Yemek | “Birlikte büyük bir yemek yediler.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Dutch | Maaltijd | “Ze genoten samen van een grote maaltijd.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Swedish | Måltid | “De njöt av en stor måltid tillsammans.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Norwegian | Måltid | “De nøt et stort måltid sammen.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Greek | Γεύμα (Gyma) | “Απόλαυσαν ένα μεγάλο γεύμα μαζί.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Polish | Posilek | “Oni cieszyli się wspólnym dużym posiłkiem.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Czech | Jídlo | “Společně si užili velké jídlo.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Finnish | Ateria | “He nauttivat yhdessä suuren aterian.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Hungarian | Étkezés | “Egy nagy étkezést fogyasztottak el együtt.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Hebrew | ארוחה (Arukha) | “הם נהנו מארוחה גדולה יחד.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Thai | มื้ออาหาร (Mue a-han) | “พวกเขามีความสุขกับการทาน มื้ออาหาร ใหญ่ด้วยกัน” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Indonesian | Makanan | “Mereka menikmati makanan besar bersama.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Malay | Hidangan | “Mereka menikmati hidangan besar bersama.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Vietnamese | Bữa ăn | “Họ cùng nhau thưởng thức một bữa ăn lớn.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Ukrainian | Їжа (Yizha) | “Вони насолоджувались великою їжею разом.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Romanian | Masă | “Ei au savurat o mare masă împreună.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Swahili | Kula | “Walifurahi kwa kula kubwa pamoja.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Persian | وعده غذایی (Vādeh ghazāyi) | “آنها یک وعده غذایی بزرگ را با هم لذت بردند.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Malayalam | ഭക്ഷണം (Bhakṣaṇaṁ) | “അവർ ഒന്നിച്ച് വലിയ ഒരു ഭക്ഷണം ആസ്വദിച്ചു.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Tamil | உணவு (Uṇavu) | “அவர்கள் ஒரு பெரிய உணவு ஒன்றாக நவகினார்கள்.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
| Arabic | وجبة (Wajba) | “استمتعوا معًا بوجبة كبيرة.” (They enjoyed a large meal together.) |
The word “meal” universally refers to an occasion when food is eaten, but it has slight variations across languages depending on cultural practices and linguistic traditions. Whether you’re talking about the time of day when you eat or the food itself, “meal” remains a key part of daily life and an important cultural event across the world.
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