Japanese Conversation · Level 38
90 words
Japanese word
食う
Pronunciation
Romajikū
Meaning
- verbeat
Example
私は朝ご飯を食うことがあります。watashi wa asa go han o kū ko to ga a ri ma su
I sometimes eat breakfast.
More examples
忙しい日は昼飯を食う時間もありません。isoga shi i hi wa chū han o kū ji kan mo a ri ma se n
On busy days, I do not even have time to eat lunch.
Core concept
Describes taking food into the body, with a casual tone that suits informal speech.
Common phrases
飯を食うmeshi o kū
eat a meal
朝飯を食うasa meshi o kū
eat breakfast
Similar words
食べるtaberu: To take food into the body in a neutral, standard way.
Definition in Japanese
食べ物を口に入れて腹に収める。ta be mono o kuchi ni i re te hara ni osa me ru
Word origin
食う (kū) is a native Japanese verb whose older written form is 食ふ (kufu, "to eat"); its pronunciation later developed into the modern form.
Usage tips
- The polite form of 食う (kū) is 食います (kuimasu), while its negative form is 食わない (kuwanai).
Related words
- 食い過ぎkuisugiovereatingnoun
- 食い物kuimonofoodnoun