Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'leftover food' depends on whether you mean food remaining after a meal, food saved for later, or scraps/waste. The most common and natural word is 残り物 (nokorimono), but other terms are used in specific contexts.
The speaker wants to refer to food that was not eaten during a meal and is still on the table or in the pot.
The most common and neutral word for leftover food. Can refer to food remaining after a meal, often implying it will be eaten later or given to someone.
残り物を冷蔵庫に入れてください。
Please put the leftovers in the fridge.
残り物で夕食を作った。
I made dinner from leftovers.
Literally 'food left uneaten'. Often implies food left on a plate after someone has eaten part of it. Can carry a slightly negative nuance of waste.
食べ残しを減らしましょう。
Let's reduce leftover food (food waste).
Similar to 残り物 but can also refer to surplus or extra items, not just food. Less common for food specifically.
余り物で料理を作る。
To cook with leftovers/surplus ingredients.
The speaker wants to refer to food that was deliberately set aside or saved to eat later.
Still the best word. Context makes it clear whether the food is being saved or is just uneaten.
明日の弁当に残り物を使う。
I'll use leftovers for tomorrow's bento.
Refers to food made in advance and stored for later, not necessarily leftovers from a meal. Often used for meal prep.
The speaker wants to refer to food that is thrown away, such as peels, bones, or spoiled food.
Kitchen waste, food scraps, garbage. Refers to organic waste from cooking or uneaten food that is discarded.
生ごみは毎日捨ててください。
Please throw out the kitchen waste every day.
Can also refer to food waste, especially uneaten food that is thrown away.
Literally 'leftover rice/food'. Often used in institutional settings (schools, companies) for food waste. Can sound a bit formal or technical.
The speaker wants to ask to take uneaten food home from a restaurant.
The standard term for takeout or taking leftovers home. Use 持ち帰りにできますか？ to ask if you can take leftovers.
これ、持ち帰りにできますか？
Can I take this home? (Can I get this to go?)
Polite version of 持ち帰り, often used by staff or in polite requests.
残り物 is neutral and simply means food that remains. 食べ残し emphasizes that someone left food uneaten, often with a nuance of wastefulness. Use 残り物 for general leftovers; use 食べ残し when focusing on reducing waste or criticizing someone for not finishing their food.
残り物は明日食べよう。
Let's eat the leftovers tomorrow.
食べ残しが多いね。
You left a lot of food (uneaten).
残り物 implies edible food. For peels, bones, or spoiled food, use 生ごみ or 食べ残し (in waste context).
作り置きのおかずを冷凍する。
I freeze make-ahead side dishes.
食べ残しを堆肥にする。
Turn leftover food into compost.
学校の残飯を減らす取り組み。
An initiative to reduce school food waste.
Shall I wrap it up for you to take home?