客
guest, visitor, customer, client
Readings
On'yomi
- キャク
- カク
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
客 centers on a person who comes from outside: a guest, visitor, customer, or client. All meanings share the idea of someone temporarily present in a place or relationship.
Most common words using 客
21 of 235- 客きゃくN4
guest; visitor
- お客様おきゃくさま
guest; visitor
- 顧客こきゃく
customer; client; patron
- 観客かんきゃくN3
spectator; audience
- 乗客じょうきゃくN3
passenger
- 客観きゃっかんN1
objectivity; objective; object (philosophical)
- 客室きゃくしつN1
guest room (at a hotel); guest cabin (on a boat); passenger cabin (on a plane)
- 客席きゃくせきN2
guest seating (e.g. theater, stadium); passenger seat (e.g. taxi)
- 来客らいきゃくN1
visitor; caller
- 客船きゃくせん
passenger boat
- 旅客りょかくN1
passenger
- 旅客機りょかくきN1
passenger plane
- 客員きゃくいん
guest member; associate member; honorary member
- 客車きゃくしゃN1
passenger car; passenger carriage
- 客足きゃくあし
customer traffic; customers; custom
- 論客ろんきゃく
controversialist; polemic; disputant
- 客間きゃくまN2
drawing room; parlor; parlour; guest room
- 賓客ひんきゃく
guest of honour; guest of honor; privileged guest; visitor
- 客観的きゃっかんてきN2
objective
- 観光客かんこうきゃくN3
tourist
- 顧客満足こきゃくまんぞく
customer satisfaction
Study
Etymology
客 combines 宀 (roof, building) with 各, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of arriving or coming. Together they suggest a person arriving at a building as a guest.
Meaning mnemonic
Under a roof 宀, the shape 各 looks like a person arriving with a mouth 口 ready to speak. Picture a guest entering a home and greeting the host.
Reading mnemonic
For キャク, imagine a guest arriving with a loud 'kyak' sound as the door opens: kyak -> キャク, and the visitor steps inside.