午饭

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word for lunch, 午饭 (wǔfàn), is composed of two characters: 午 (wǔ) and 饭 (fàn). The character 午 originally meant "noon" or "midday" and was often used to refer to the time of day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Over time, the character 午 came to be used more broadly to refer to the afternoon or lunchtime. The character 饭 (fàn) simply means "cooked rice" or "meal". When combined, the characters 午 and 饭 form the compound word 午饭, which specifically refers to the meal eaten during the afternoon or lunchtime.