客きゃく

きゃ

く

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

noun

guest; visitor

A person who visits a home, hotel, or event as an invited or paying guest.

今こん夜やは客きゃくが来くるので、部屋へやを片かた付づけた。
I tidied up the room because we have guests coming tonight.
ホテルの客きゃくがロビーで待まっている。
The hotel guests are waiting in the lobby.

noun

customer; client; patron

A person who buys goods or services, or attends a performance, event, or establishment. Covers shoppers, diners, spectators, passengers, and tourists.

あの店みせはいつも客きゃくでいっぱいだ。
That shop is always full of customers.
観かん光こう客きゃくが神じん社じゃの写しゃ真しんを撮とっている。
Tourists are taking pictures of the shrine.

counter

counter for servings (for guests)

Used as a counter for containers of food or drink served to guests, such as cups of tea or bowls of rice. Not a general counter for people.

お茶ちゃを二に客きゃくお願ねがいします。
Two cups of tea, please.

See all 650 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

客きゃくを迎むかえるto welcome a guest
玄げん関かんで客きゃくを迎むかえた。
I welcomed the guest at the entrance.
客きゃくを呼よぶto attract or draw in customers
セールで客きゃくを呼よんだ。
The sale drew in customers.
客きゃくをもてなすto entertain or treat a guest well
温あたたかい料りょう理りで客きゃくをもてなした。
We treated our guest to some warm food.
客きゃくが入はいるcustomers come into a shop or establishment
開かい店てん直ちょく後ごから客きゃくが入はいり始はじめた。
Customers started coming in right after opening.
客きゃくが来くるa guest or visitor comes
明日あした、客きゃくが来くる予よ定ていだ。
We're expecting a guest tomorrow.
客きゃくを待またせるto make a customer wait
忙いそがしくて客きゃくを待またせてしまった。
We were so busy that we kept the customer waiting.

Expressions

客きゃくを通とおすshow a guest in; usher a guest into a room
遠えん来らいの客きゃくvisitor from afar; foreign visitor
招まねかれざる客きゃくuninvited guest
不ふ帰きの客きゃくとなるpass away; depart this life

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつnumbers and countersN5

Kanji

客guest, visitor, customer

Related words· 11

ゲストN1sense 1
ゲスト is a casual loanword for a special or invited guest (e.g. on a TV show), while 客 is the plain, general word for any visitor.
消しょう費ひ者しゃN2sense 2
消費者 is an economic term for a buyer or consumer in general, while 客 is the everyday word for a specific customer in a shop or business.
訪ほう問もん者しゃ sense 1
訪問者 is a neutral, slightly formal term for someone who pays a visit, whereas 客 carries the sense of being welcomed or entertained.
お客きゃくさんN4
客 is the plain, unadorned word for a guest or customer, while お客さん adds polite お…さん framing to show courtesy toward that person.

Show 7 more

顧こ客きゃく
客 is a general, casual word for any customer or guest, while 顧客 is a formal business term for a client or regular patron.
カスタマー
客 is the plain, everyday word for a customer or guest, while カスタマー is a business-register loanword often used in corporate or service contexts.
お客きゃく様さま
客 is the plain, unadorned word for a guest or customer, while お客様 is the honorific form used by staff to show respect.
来らい賓ひんN1
客 is the general word for a customer or visitor, while 来賓 refers specifically to a formally invited guest at an official ceremony or event.
クライアント
客 is a general, everyday word for a customer or guest, whereas クライアント implies an ongoing professional or business relationship.
来らい客きゃくN1
客 is the plain, general word for a guest or customer, whereas 来客 specifically emphasizes that the person has come to visit.
賓ひん客きゃく
客 is the plain, general word for a guest or customer, while 賓客 is a formal term reserved for a highly respected guest.

Opposites

主しゅ人じんN4sense 1
主人 is the host who receives people, the direct opposite role to 客, the guest who is received.
店てん員いんN4sense 2
店員 is the shop staff who serve people, the opposite role to 客, the customer being served.
スタッフN3
客 is the customer or guest being served, the natural counterpart to スタッフ, the people doing the serving.
主あるじN1
客 is the guest being entertained, the direct opposite of 主 (あるじ) in its archaic sense of 'one who hosts or entertains a guest'.

Politeness

お客きゃくさんpolite 丁寧語N4
お客さん is the polite, everyday form of 客 used especially by shop staff addressing or referring to customers.

Don't confuse with

各かくN3
客 (きゃく, guest/customer) and 各 (かく, each) have very similar kanji shapes but completely unrelated meanings.
脚きゃく
客 (guest, customer) shares the same reading きゃく with 脚 but is a completely different word meaning a visitor, not a leg or counter.

Counted with

名めいN2
名 is the polite, formal counter used when counting guests or customers, as in 客3名.
人にん
人 is the plain, everyday counter for people and is commonly used to count 客 in casual speech.

Word family· 119

お客きゃく様さま
guest; visitor · customer; client; patron
顧こ客きゃく
customer; client; patron
観かん客きゃくN3
audience; spectators
乗じょう客きゃくN3
passenger
客きゃっ観かんN1
objectivity; objective view; object (philosophy)

Show 25 more

接せっ客きゃく
serving customers; customer service; reception
客きゃく室しつN1
guest room; cabin · drawing room; parlor
集しゅう客きゃく
attracting customers; customer acquisition
客きゃく席せきN2
guest seating; passenger seat · audience
来らい客きゃくN1
visitor; caller; guest
客きゃく船せん
passenger ship; passenger boat
客きゃく層そう
clientele; customer base; customer demographics
客きゃく員いん
guest member; associate member; honorary member
客きゃく車しゃN1
passenger car; passenger carriage
客きゃく人じん
visitor; caller; guest
招しょう待たい客きゃく
invited guest; invitee
客きゃく引ひき
touting; soliciting customers · tout; barker; solicitor
客きゃく足あし
customer traffic; flow of customers; patronage
論ろん客きゃく
controversialist; polemic; disputant
客きゃく演えん
guest appearance; guest performance
先せん客きゃく
previous visitor; earlier guest; person already there
客きゃく間まN2
guest room; parlor; drawing room
客きゃく体たい
object
客きゃく寄よせ
attracting customers; drawing in customers
上じょう客きゃく
guest of honor · good customer; important customer
賓ひん客きゃく
guest of honor; privileged guest
客きゃく商しょう売ばい
service business; hospitality industry
千せん客きゃく万ばん来らい
flood of customers; roaring business
誘ゆう客きゃく
attracting customers; drawing in an audience
珍ちん客きゃく
unexpected but welcome visitor; rare guest

See all 119 in Explore →

Written forms

客Usage100%
- きゃく
  Standard kanji form for all senses.
- かく
かく

Etymology

The kanji 客 originally depicts a person under a roof, conveying the idea of a guest or visitor. The reading きゃく is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.