Translation guide
The English verb 'eat' covers consuming food, having meals, and various figurative uses. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 食べる (taberu), but the appropriate word depends on formality, the eater, and the context. This guide organizes the main ways to express 'eat' in natural Japanese.
The basic act of eating food, applicable to most everyday situations.
The standard, everyday verb for 'eat'. Used for people eating solid food. Casual form is 食べる, polite form is 食べます.
I ate breakfast.
What do you want to eat?
A more casual, sometimes rough way to say 'eat', often used by men. Can sound coarse in polite settings. Also used for animals eating.
I'm hungry, so let's eat something.
Honorific verb for 'eat', used when referring to someone of higher status (e.g., a guest, boss, or elder). Never use for yourself.
Please eat (help yourself).
Humble verb for 'eat', used when speaking about your own eating in formal situations or to show gratitude. Also used in the set phrase いただきます before meals.
I've already eaten enough. (polite)
Referring to eating a meal, often with a focus on the occasion rather than the physical act.
Literally 'do a meal', a common way to say 'have a meal' or 'dine'. More formal than just 食べる.
Would you like to have a meal together?
Literally 'eat rice/meal', a very common way to say 'eat a meal' in daily conversation. ご飯 can refer to a meal in general.
Have you eaten already?
Eating at a restaurant or outside the home.
Eating in a hurried manner or having a light meal/snack.
Eating a lot or with great enthusiasm.
Describing animals eating. Different verbs are often used.
Can be used for pets or animals in a neutral way.
The cat ate the fish.
Commonly used for animals eating, especially in casual or rough speech.
Specifically for animals eating feed or fodder. 餌 means animal food.
The birds are eating feed.
Metaphorical uses like 'eat away at savings' or 'eat up time'.
In English, we sometimes say 'eat soup' or 'take medicine', but in Japanese, soup is drunk (飲む) and medicine is taken (飲む or 服用する). Using 食べる for these would sound unnatural.
Use 食べる in casual settings, 食べます in polite settings. When speaking about someone you respect, use 召し上がる. When humbly referring to your own eating in formal situations, use いただく. The pre-meal greeting いただきます comes from this humble form.
I eat breakfast at 7 every day.
Let's eat out tonight.
The kids ate all the cookies.
I drank beer while nibbling on nuts.
The dog devoured the meat.
The lion is eating meat.
This job eats up time.