食い
く
い
Meanings
1
Refers to the act of eating, often used in compound words or set phrases like 食いしん坊 (glutton) or 食い逃げ (dine and dash).
He's a glutton and is always eating something.
Dine and dash is a crime.
2
Specific to fishing; refers to a fish taking the bait. Often used in phrases like 食いがいい (the fish are biting well).
The fish weren't biting today, so I didn't catch a single one.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉は食いが細いsomeone has a small appetite / eats little
He has a small appetite and gets full quickly.
- 〈魚〉の食いがいいa fish is biting well (of a particular fish or fishing spot)
The horse mackerel are biting well today.
Expressions
- 魚の食いfish biting; fish striking; fish taking bait
- 阿呆の話食いan idiot will swallow anything; an idiot will believe anything they hear; fools act without thinking
- 食いつきがいいbiting well; taking bait well; showing strong interest
- 食い入るようにwith intense concentration; eagerly; intently
- 食い意地が張っているbe gluttonous; be greedy about food; have a voracious appetite
- ふぐは食いたし命は惜ししhoney is sweet, but the bee stings; there's no rose without a thorn