Japanese Dictionary

Meaning of 食う(くう) in Japanese

食う, 喰う, 啖う
JLPT 3
Kana Reading
くう
Romaji
kū
Word Senses
  • Parts of speech
    Godan verb with `u' ending, transitive verb
    Meaning
    to eat
    Example sentence
    「そうか。やはり私のほうが年を食ってる。私は今年で２０うんたら才だ」「いや、わかんねーよ」 Oh? Then, as I expected, I've been around longer than you. This year I'm 20-mumble years old. "What does that tell me?"
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to live; to make a living; to survive
    Example sentence
    蓼食う虫も好き好き。 There is no accounting for tastes.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to bite; to sting (as insects do)
    Example sentence
    犬が腕時計と扇子を食った。 The dog ate a watch and a Japanese fan.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to tease; to torment; to taunt; to make light of; to make fun of
    Example sentence
    腹が空いてから食ったんだ。 I'm so hungry, I ate it.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to encroach on; to eat into; to consume
    Example sentence
    武士は食わねど高楊枝。 A samurai, even when he has not eaten, uses a toothpick like a lord.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to defeat a superior; to threaten a position
    Example sentence
    不意打ちを食う。 I was thrown off guard.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to consume time and-or resources
    Example sentence
    彼はクラブから締め出しを食っている。 He has been barred from the club.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to receive something (usu. an unfavourable event)
    Example sentence
    遅れたやつは鬼に食われろ。 Devil take the hindmost.
  • Parts of speech
    Meaning
    to have sexual relations with a woman, esp. for the first time
    Example sentence
    大型車はガソリンを食う。 Large cars use lots of gas.

Examples of 食う, 喰う, 啖う, くう in a sentence

Verb Conjugations

Non-Past

Plain
食う
Plain Polite
食います
Negative
食わない
Negative Polite
食いません

Past

Plain
食った
Plain Polite
食いました
Negative
食わなかった
Negative Polite
食いませんでした

Te

Plain
食って
Plain Polite
食いまして
Negative
--
Negative Polite
--

Passive

Plain
食われる
Plain Polite
食われます
Negative
食われない
Negative Polite
食われません
()

Kanji in this word

食 JLPT 5

9 strokes

eat, food

On'Yomi: ショク, ジキ

Kun'Yomi: く.う, く.らう, た.べる, は.む

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啖

11 strokes

eat

On'Yomi: タン

Kun'Yomi: く.う, くらわ.す

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喰

12 strokes

eat, drink, receive (a blow), (kokuji)

On'Yomi:

Kun'Yomi: く.う, く.らう

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