Why is 弁当 (べんとう) not written as 便当?

genehayes · March 31, 2018, 4:30pm

It seems like bento boxes are convenient! So why doesn’t it use 便?

MisterOfu · March 31, 2018, 4:57pm

According to Wikipedia which cites this etymological dictionary it used to be.

genehayes · March 31, 2018, 5:36pm

Interesting!! Thanks so much

wikoy · March 31, 2018, 6:17pm

I thought the same thing when I learned 便. Surely this must be the “ben” in bento. But alas no.

But interesting to find out that it used to be.

MisterOfu · March 31, 2018, 6:43pm

Happy to help!

Ddjross · March 31, 2018, 6:53pm

HA ! this confused me as well. makes so much sense.

plantron · March 26, 2019, 9:34pm

Ha, I’m watching a Kodoku no Gurume episode where he goes to Taiwan and spies a restaurant serving 便當, and he could read it as bento.

sergiop · February 1, 2020, 1:17am

I know this is an old topic but I was searching for posts on 便. My guess is that they changed because of the other meanings for 便: excreta (esp. faeces); excrement; stool…

UInt2048 · February 4, 2020, 2:18pm

Exactly. That’s what the pages linked above state.

plantron · February 5, 2020, 4:11am

That explains my stomach problems after eating a 便當 the other day

sergiop · February 5, 2020, 5:18pm

Sorry I missed that.

system · February 4, 2021, 5:18pm

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