LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N5Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

Kitchen in Japanese: 台所だいどころ (だいどころ), キッチン, 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ, 炊飯器すいはんき, and レンジでチン

"Kitchen" in Japanese is 台所だいどころ (だいどころ), or the loanword キッチン, which is more common in modern homes and apartment listings. The fridge is 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ (れいぞうこ), the microwave is 電子レンジでんしれんじ (でんしレンジ), and heating something in it is レンジでチンする. The rice cooker, found in most Japanese kitchens, is 炊飯器すいはんき (すいはんき).

Kitchen vocabulary comes up whenever you cook, share an apartment, or follow a recipe. Japanese kitchens have their own essentials, like the rice cooker and the fish grill, and some fun casual words, like チン for the microwave's ding. This post covers the room, the appliances and the tools.

How do you say "kitchen" in Japanese?

What is the difference between 台所だいどころ and キッチン?

台所だいどころ (だいどころ) is the traditional word, warm and homely. キッチン is the modern loanword, used in apartment listings and design.

母ははは台所だいどころで料理りょうりをしている。 — My mother is cooking in the kitchen. (casual) このマンションはキッチンが広ひろい。 — This apartment has a big kitchen. (casual)

For cooking verbs, see cook in Japanese.

What does 台所だいどころに立たつ mean?

台所だいどころに立たつ, "to stand in the kitchen", means to cook, often for the family.

父ちちも週末しゅうまつは台所だいどころに立たつ。 — My dad cooks too on weekends. (casual)

What is 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ?

冷蔵庫れいぞうこ (れいぞうこ) is a refrigerator. 冷凍庫れいとうこ (れいとうこ) is the freezer.

ビールは冷蔵庫れいぞうこに入はいっているよ。 — The beer is in the fridge. (casual)

What appliances and tools are there?

What does レンジでチン mean?

電子レンジでんしれんじ (でんしレンジ), or just レンジ, is a microwave. レンジでチンする, from the ding sound, is "to microwave something".

お弁当べんとうをレンジでチンした。 — I heated my bento in the microwave. (casual)

What is 炊飯器すいはんき?

炊飯器すいはんき (すいはんき) is a rice cooker. ご飯はんを炊たく (たく) is "to cook rice".

炊飯器すいはんきでご飯はんを炊たいた。 — I cooked rice in the rice cooker. (casual)

For eating words, see eat in Japanese.

What are コンロ, 包丁ほうちょう and まな板いた?

コンロ is the stove burner, 包丁ほうちょう (ほうちょう) is a kitchen knife, and まな板いた (まないた) is a cutting board.

包丁ほうちょうで野菜やさいを切きる。 — I cut vegetables with a kitchen knife. (casual)

Word Reading Meaning
台所だいどころ だいどころ kitchen
キッチン キッチン kitchen (modern)
冷蔵庫れいぞうこ れいぞうこ refrigerator
冷凍庫れいとうこ れいとうこ freezer
電子レンジでんしれんじ でんしレンジ microwave
炊飯器すいはんき すいはんき rice cooker
包丁ほうちょう ほうちょう kitchen knife
まな板いた まないた cutting board

Beyond the basics

What is 流ながし?

流ながし (ながし) or シンク is the kitchen sink. 洗あらい物もの (あらいもの) is the dishes to wash.

洗あらい物ものは私わたしがやるよ。 — I'll do the dishes. (casual)

What is 魚さかな焼やきグリル?

魚さかな焼やきグリル (さかなやきグリル) is a small fish grill built into many Japanese stoves.

魚さかな焼やきグリルでサンマを焼やいた。 — I grilled saury in the fish grill. (casual)

What is 換気扇かんきせん?

換気扇かんきせん (かんきせん) is the kitchen exhaust fan. 換気扇かんきせんを回まわす is to turn it on.

焼き肉やきにくをする時ときは換気扇かんきせんを回まわして。 — Turn on the fan when you cook yakiniku. (casual)

Common mistakes

  • Saying 冷つめたい箱はこ for fridge. It is 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ.
  • Reading 台所だいどころ as たいしょ. It is だいどころ.
  • Saying ご飯はんを料理りょうりする for cooking rice. It sounds odd. Say ご飯はんを炊たく.
  • Reading 包丁ほうちょう as ほうてい. It is ほうちょう.
  • Saying マイクロウェーブ. It is rarely used. The everyday word is レンジ.

Practice

Try each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair: the fridge versus the microwave.

1. Say "My mother is cooking in the kitchen."

Show answer

母ははは台所だいどころで料理りょうりをしている。 — 台所だいどころ.

2. Say "This apartment has a big kitchen."

Show answer

このマンションはキッチンが広ひろい。 — キッチン.

3. Tell a friend the beer is in the fridge.

Show answer

ビールは冷蔵庫れいぞうこに入はいっているよ。 — 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ.

4. Say "I heated my bento in the microwave."

Show answer

お弁当べんとうをレンジでチンした。 — レンジでチン. This is the pair to question 3.

5. Say "I cooked rice in the rice cooker."

Show answer

炊飯器すいはんきでご飯はんを炊たいた。 — 炊たく.

6. Say "I cut vegetables with a kitchen knife."

Show answer

包丁ほうちょうで野菜やさいを切きる。 — 包丁ほうちょう.

7. Say "My dad cooks too on weekends," using 台所だいどころに立たつ.

Show answer

父ちちも週末しゅうまつは台所だいどころに立たつ。 — 台所だいどころに立たつ.

8. Offer casually to do the dishes.

Show answer

洗あらい物ものは私わたしがやるよ。 — 洗あらい物もの.

9. Say "Turn on the fan when you cook yakiniku."

Show answer

焼き肉やきにくをする時ときは換気扇かんきせんを回まわして。 — 換気扇かんきせん.

10. Fix: ご飯はんを料理りょうりした。 (meaning you cooked rice)

Show answer

ご飯はんを炊たいた。 — rice is 炊たく.

FAQ

How do you say "kitchen" in Japanese? 台所だいどころ (だいどころ) or キッチン.

How do you say "fridge"? 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ (れいぞうこ).

What does レンジでチン mean? To microwave something.

What is 炊飯器すいはんき? A rice cooker.

How do you say "cook rice"? ご飯はんを炊たく.

What does 台所だいどころに立たつ mean? To cook, literally "stand in the kitchen".

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

台所	だいどころ — kitchen
冷蔵庫	れいぞうこ — refrigerator
冷凍庫	れいとうこ — freezer
電子レンジ	でんしレンジ — microwave
炊飯器	すいはんき — rice cooker
炊く	たく — to cook (rice)
包丁	ほうちょう — kitchen knife
まな板	まないた — cutting board
洗い物	あらいもの — dishes to wash
換気扇	かんきせん — exhaust fan

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. レンジでチン is the casual phrase that delights learners most, and ご飯はんを炊たく is the verb I teach to anyone who has just bought their first rice cooker in Japan. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or try the Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference dictionaries.

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