Meaning
to cook; to prepare food; to make a dish
Nuance & Usage
料理する means to cook or prepare food. As a suru-verb, it can also be used as a noun: 料理 (ryouri — cooking, a dish). Common expressions: 料理が上手 (ryouri ga jouzu — good at cooking), 料理が下手 (bad at cooking), 料理を作る (make a dish — slightly more specific than 料理する). The word 調理する (chourisuru) is a more technical/professional term for cooking. 手料理 (teryouri) means home-cooked food.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 作る (tsukuru — to make) and 料理する interchangeably, but 料理する emphasizes the cooking process, while 作る can refer to making anything. ご飯を作る and ご飯を料理する are both natural, but ケーキを作る is more natural than ケーキを料理する (baking is usually 焼く — yaku — or 作る). Also: 料理する and 炊く (taku — to cook rice specifically) are different — don't use 料理する for rice.
Example Sentences
毎日自分で料理するようにしています。
まいにちじぶんでりょうりするようにしています。
I make an effort to cook for myself every day.
友達のために料理してあげました。
ともだちのためにりょうりしてあげました。
I cooked for my friend.
料理が苦手なので、よく外食します。
りょうりがにがてなので、よくがいしょくします。
Since I'm not good at cooking, I often eat out.
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