Translation guide
The primary dish of a meal, typically following appetizers or soup. In Japanese dining, the concept is often expressed through specific meal structures like teishoku or course menus.
Referring to the central, most substantial dish of a meal, especially in Western-style or multi-course dining.
The most common and direct loanword for 'main course' in Japanese, used in restaurants and everyday conversation.
メインディッシュは何になさいますか？
What would you like for your main course?
今日のメインディッシュはステーキです。
Today's main course is steak.
A more formal or written term for 'main dish', often used in menus, recipes, or nutritional contexts.
主菜は魚か肉からお選びいただけます。
For the main course, you can choose either fish or meat.
A casual abbreviation of 'main dish', common in everyday speech and restaurant settings.
メインはまだ来ないの？
Is the main course not here yet?
The primary protein or featured dish in a traditional Japanese set meal, which typically includes rice, miso soup, and side dishes.
In the context of teishoku or nutritional balance, 主菜 refers to the main protein dish that is the centerpiece of the meal.
定食の主菜は焼き魚です。
The main dish of the set meal is grilled fish.
Casually used to refer to the main item in a set meal, similar to its use in Western dining.
The primary savory course in a formal Japanese multi-course meal, often following appetizers and soup.
In traditional kaiseki or course menus, there is no single 'main course'; instead, dishes are served in a set order. The closest equivalent might be the grilled dish (焼き物) or the simmered dish (煮物), depending on the meal. It's best to refer to the specific course.
焼き物は銀だらの西京焼きでございます。
The grilled course is miso-marinated black cod.
In Western-style course meals in Japan, メインディッシュ is used as expected.
コースのメインディッシュはお肉料理です。
The main course of the course meal is a meat dish.
メインディッシュ is the most common and natural way to say 'main course' in everyday Japanese, especially in restaurants. 主菜 is more formal and often used in written contexts like menus or nutritional guides. In casual conversation, メイン is frequently used.
メインディッシュはパスタにします。
I'll have pasta for my main course.
主菜は栄養バランスを考えて選びましょう。
Choose your main dish considering nutritional balance.
When ordering a teishoku (定食), the main item is usually the name of the set (e.g., 焼き魚定食). You don't need to explicitly say 'main course'; the set itself implies it.
The main dish of this set meal is tonkatsu.