食くう

く

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

食う · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	食くう	食くわない
Polite	食くいます	食くいません
Past polite	食くいました	食くいませんでした
Past	食くった	食くわなかった
Te-form	食くって	食くわないで
Desire	食くいたい	食くいたくない
Potential	食くえる	食くえない
Passive	食くわれる	食くわれない
Causative	食くわせる	食くわせない
Causative passive	食くわせられるalso 食くわされる	食くわせられないalso 食くわされない
Volitional	食くおう
Polite volitional	食くいましょう
Imperative	食くえ	食くうな
Conditional	食くえば	食くわなければ
Tara conditional	食くったら	食くわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

eat; chow down

male term, language, or name

Casual or masculine equivalent of 食べる; often used in rough or informal speech.

腹はら減へったから、ラーメン食くいに行いこう。
I'm hungry, so let's go eat some ramen.
こんなまずいもの、食くえるか！
How can I eat something this bad!

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

make a living; get by

Used in expressions like 食っていく or 食うや食わず to describe scraping by financially.

フリーランスで食くっていくのは大たい変へんだ。
It's tough to make a living as a freelancer.
あの頃ころは食くうや食くわずの生せい活かつだった。
Back then, we lived hand to mouth.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

bite; sting

Used for insects or animals biting/stinging; also for tools like saws biting into material.

蚊かに食くわれてかゆい。
I got bitten by a mosquito and it itches.
こののこぎりはよく食くう。
This saw bites well.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

tease; make fun of; torment

Often used in the passive form 食われる to mean being teased or overwhelmed by someone.

先せん輩ぱいに食くわれてばかりいる。
I'm always getting teased by my senior.
彼かれの冗じょう談だんにまんまと食くわれた。
I totally fell for his joke.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

encroach on; eat into; consume

Describes something gradually taking over territory, market share, time, or resources.

ネット通つう販はんが実じつ店てん舗ぽの売うり上あげを食くっている。
Online shopping is eating into brick-and-mortar sales.
新しん興こう企き業ぎょうが大おお手てのシェアを食くい始はじめた。
The startup has begun to encroach on the big company's market share.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

defeat a superior; threaten a position

Often used in sports or competition when an underdog beats a higher-ranked opponent.

格かく上うえの相あい手てを食くってベスト8に進しん出しゅつした。
They beat a higher-ranked opponent and advanced to the quarterfinals.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

consume time/resources

Used when an activity takes up a lot of time, money, or effort.

この作さ業ぎょうは思おもったより時じ間かんを食くう。
This task takes more time than I thought.
大おお型がた車しゃはガソリンを食くう。
Big cars consume a lot of gas.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

get hit with; suffer

colloquial

Colloquial; used when receiving something unpleasant like a scolding, a punch, or a penalty.

遅ち刻こくして先せん生せいに説せっ教きょうを食くった。
I was late and got a lecture from the teacher.
彼かれはパンチを食くってダウンした。
He took a punch and went down.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

have sex with a woman

male term, language, or namevulgar expression or word

Vulgar, male-oriented slang; often implies a first-time or conquest nuance.

あいつ、また女おんなを食くったらしい。
That guy apparently slept with another woman.

Usage patterns· 8

飯めしを食くうto eat a meal (casual)
腹はらが減へったので飯めしを食くった。
I was hungry so I ate a meal.
〈事こと〉で食くっていくto make a living by doing something
彼かれは音おん楽がくで食くっていくつもりだ。
He intends to make a living through music.
虫むしに食くわれるto get bitten by insects
山やまでヤブ蚊かに食くわれた。
I got bitten by mosquitoes in the mountains.
〈人ひと〉に食くわれるto be overwhelmed or made fun of by someone
後こう輩はいに食くわれて言いい返かえせなかった。
I got so overwhelmed by my junior that I couldn't talk back.
シェアを食くうto eat into market share
新しん製せい品ひんが既き存そん市し場じょうのシェアを食くっている。
The new product is eating into the existing market's share.

Show 3 more

〈相あい手て〉を食くうfor an underdog to beat a higher-ranked opponent
無む名めいの選せん手しゅが優ゆう勝しょう候こう補ほを食くった。
An unknown player beat the favorite to win.
時じ間かんを食くうto eat up (a lot of) time
この作さ業ぎょうは思おもったより時じ間かんを食くう。
This task eats up more time than expected.
パンチを食くうto get hit with something unpleasant, like a punch
上じょう司しにげんこつを食くった。
I got a knuckle rap from my boss.

Expressions· 38

年とし食くうgrow older (than expected); advance in age
一いっ杯ぱい食くうbe deceived; be taken in; be tricked
人ひとを食くうinsolent; arrogant; impudent; rude
割わりを食くうbe put at a disadvantage; get the short end of the stick
年としを食くうgrow older (than expected); advance in age

Show 3 more

泡あわを食くうbe flustered; lose one's head; panic
糟かすを食くうto be scolded; to get a telling-off
芯しんを食くうget to the heart of the matter; get to the core · hit with the sweet spot

See all 38 in Explore →

Kanji

食eat, food
喰eat, drink, receive (a blow)
啖eat

Related words

食くらう
食らう is even coarser than 食う and often implies devouring food or taking a hard hit; 食う is the more versatile, slightly milder word.
食たべるN5
食う is a rougher, more casual way of saying 食べる, often used by men in informal speech.

Politeness

食たべるplainN5sense 1
食べる is the standard, neutral verb for eating; 食う is a rougher, more casual or masculine equivalent of the same act.
頂いただくhumble 謙譲語N4sense 1
いただく is the humble verb used when eating in formal or polite contexts; 食う sits at the opposite, blunt end of the politeness scale.

Don't confuse with

食くえる
食う is the plain casual verb 'to eat', while 食える is its potential form meaning 'can eat' or 'edible'.
食くらう
食う is the common casual verb for 'eat', while 食らう is even rougher and more vulgar, often implying wolfing food down.

Word family· 103

食くい
eating; feeding · bite (in fishing)
食くい物もの
food; foodstuff · prey; victim
食くい止とめるN1
hold back; keep at bay; stem; curb; halt
共とも食ぐい
cannibalism (in animals); feeding on each other · cannibalization; mutually harmful competition; internecine struggle
食くいしん坊ぼう
glutton; gourmand; big eater

Show 25 more

食くい違ちがいN1
discrepancy; inconsistency; disagreement
つまみ食ぐい
eating with one's fingers; snitching food; secret eating · embezzlement; misappropriation; skimming off the top · flirting; playing the field; sampling
食くいつく
bite at; snap at; nibble · jump at; seize eagerly; get one's teeth into · hold on to; cling to; stick to · complain; bicker; find fault
飲のみ食くい
eating and drinking; food and drink
食くいつき
bite (in fishing)
食くい込こみ
digging in; cutting into · inroads; encroachment; eating into · deficit; loss · wedgie
虫むし食くい
worm-eaten; moth-eaten · holes eaten by insects · leaf warbler; chiffchaff; willow wren
巣すくう
nest; build a nest · hang out (of a bad group); be based (in); haunt · lodge (in one's mind); be planted; lurk (in one's heart)
食くい違ちがうN1
not match well; not mesh properly · differ; clash; be inconsistent
食くい意い地じ
gluttony; greed for food
食くい逃にげ
dine and dash; leaving without paying
面めん食くい
person who cares only about looks; being attracted only by appearance
食くいっぱぐれ
missing a meal; going without food
食くい入いる
eat into; corrode; bite into
盗ぬすみ食ぐい
sneaking a bite; snitching food
食くい下さがるN1
cling to; hang on to · persist; hound; refuse to back down · sumo technique: grab the mawashi and lower one's hips
食くい倒だおれ
ruining oneself through food extravagance
食くいで
substantiality of a meal; fillingness
利り食ぐい
profit-taking; realizing gains
食くい扶ぶ持ち
food expenses; cost of one's board
食くい荒あらす
eat up and spoil; devour destructively · eat a bit of everything; nibble around · encroach upon; take over; steal (support, market)
食くい初ぞめ
first meal ceremony; 100-day celebration
食くい繋つなぐ
ration out and survive on (some food); get by on (limited food) · eke out a living; scrape by
人ひと食くい
cannibalism; biting a person · man-eating; cannibalistic
大おお食ぐい
eating heavily; hearty eating; binge eating; gluttony · big eater; trencherman; gormandizer

See all 103 in Explore →

Written forms

食くうUsage78%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and general use.
喰くうUsage13%
Variant kanji; more common in manga and informal writing, but still widely recognized.
くうUsage7%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, especially for the eating sense.
クウUsage2%
啖くう
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb. The kanji 食 is used for eating-related meanings, while 喰 is a variant with a more emphatic 'eat' nuance. The historical derivation is uncertain.

食くう

く

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

食う · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	食くう	食くわない
Polite	食くいます	食くいません
Past polite	食くいました	食くいませんでした
Past	食くった	食くわなかった
Te-form	食くって	食くわないで
Desire	食くいたい	食くいたくない
Potential	食くえる	食くえない
Passive	食くわれる	食くわれない
Causative	食くわせる	食くわせない
Causative passive	食くわせられるalso 食くわされる	食くわせられないalso 食くわされない
Volitional	食くおう
Polite volitional	食くいましょう
Imperative	食くえ	食くうな
Conditional	食くえば	食くわなければ
Tara conditional	食くったら	食くわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

eat; chow down

male term, language, or name

Casual or masculine equivalent of 食べる; often used in rough or informal speech.

腹はら減へったから、ラーメン食くいに行いこう。
I'm hungry, so let's go eat some ramen.
こんなまずいもの、食くえるか！
How can I eat something this bad!

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

make a living; get by

Used in expressions like 食っていく or 食うや食わず to describe scraping by financially.

フリーランスで食くっていくのは大たい変へんだ。
It's tough to make a living as a freelancer.
あの頃ころは食くうや食くわずの生せい活かつだった。
Back then, we lived hand to mouth.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

bite; sting

Used for insects or animals biting/stinging; also for tools like saws biting into material.

蚊かに食くわれてかゆい。
I got bitten by a mosquito and it itches.
こののこぎりはよく食くう。
This saw bites well.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

tease; make fun of; torment

Often used in the passive form 食われる to mean being teased or overwhelmed by someone.

先せん輩ぱいに食くわれてばかりいる。
I'm always getting teased by my senior.
彼かれの冗じょう談だんにまんまと食くわれた。
I totally fell for his joke.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

encroach on; eat into; consume

Describes something gradually taking over territory, market share, time, or resources.

ネット通つう販はんが実じつ店てん舗ぽの売うり上あげを食くっている。
Online shopping is eating into brick-and-mortar sales.
新しん興こう企き業ぎょうが大おお手てのシェアを食くい始はじめた。
The startup has begun to encroach on the big company's market share.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

defeat a superior; threaten a position

Often used in sports or competition when an underdog beats a higher-ranked opponent.

格かく上うえの相あい手てを食くってベスト8に進しん出しゅつした。
They beat a higher-ranked opponent and advanced to the quarterfinals.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

consume time/resources

Used when an activity takes up a lot of time, money, or effort.

この作さ業ぎょうは思おもったより時じ間かんを食くう。
This task takes more time than I thought.
大おお型がた車しゃはガソリンを食くう。
Big cars consume a lot of gas.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

get hit with; suffer

colloquial

Colloquial; used when receiving something unpleasant like a scolding, a punch, or a penalty.

遅ち刻こくして先せん生せいに説せっ教きょうを食くった。
I was late and got a lecture from the teacher.
彼かれはパンチを食くってダウンした。
He took a punch and went down.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

have sex with a woman

male term, language, or namevulgar expression or word

Vulgar, male-oriented slang; often implies a first-time or conquest nuance.

あいつ、また女おんなを食くったらしい。
That guy apparently slept with another woman.

Usage patterns· 8

飯めしを食くうto eat a meal (casual)
腹はらが減へったので飯めしを食くった。
I was hungry so I ate a meal.
〈事こと〉で食くっていくto make a living by doing something
彼かれは音おん楽がくで食くっていくつもりだ。
He intends to make a living through music.
虫むしに食くわれるto get bitten by insects
山やまでヤブ蚊かに食くわれた。
I got bitten by mosquitoes in the mountains.
〈人ひと〉に食くわれるto be overwhelmed or made fun of by someone
後こう輩はいに食くわれて言いい返かえせなかった。
I got so overwhelmed by my junior that I couldn't talk back.
シェアを食くうto eat into market share
新しん製せい品ひんが既き存そん市し場じょうのシェアを食くっている。
The new product is eating into the existing market's share.

Show 3 more

〈相あい手て〉を食くうfor an underdog to beat a higher-ranked opponent
無む名めいの選せん手しゅが優ゆう勝しょう候こう補ほを食くった。
An unknown player beat the favorite to win.
時じ間かんを食くうto eat up (a lot of) time
この作さ業ぎょうは思おもったより時じ間かんを食くう。
This task eats up more time than expected.
パンチを食くうto get hit with something unpleasant, like a punch
上じょう司しにげんこつを食くった。
I got a knuckle rap from my boss.

Expressions· 38

年とし食くうgrow older (than expected); advance in age
一いっ杯ぱい食くうbe deceived; be taken in; be tricked
人ひとを食くうinsolent; arrogant; impudent; rude
割わりを食くうbe put at a disadvantage; get the short end of the stick
年としを食くうgrow older (than expected); advance in age

Show 3 more

泡あわを食くうbe flustered; lose one's head; panic
糟かすを食くうto be scolded; to get a telling-off
芯しんを食くうget to the heart of the matter; get to the core · hit with the sweet spot

See all 38 in Explore →

Kanji

食eat, food
喰eat, drink, receive (a blow)
啖eat

Related words

食くらう
食らう is even coarser than 食う and often implies devouring food or taking a hard hit; 食う is the more versatile, slightly milder word.
食たべるN5
食う is a rougher, more casual way of saying 食べる, often used by men in informal speech.

Politeness

食たべるplainN5sense 1
食べる is the standard, neutral verb for eating; 食う is a rougher, more casual or masculine equivalent of the same act.
頂いただくhumble 謙譲語N4sense 1
いただく is the humble verb used when eating in formal or polite contexts; 食う sits at the opposite, blunt end of the politeness scale.

Don't confuse with

食くえる
食う is the plain casual verb 'to eat', while 食える is its potential form meaning 'can eat' or 'edible'.
食くらう
食う is the common casual verb for 'eat', while 食らう is even rougher and more vulgar, often implying wolfing food down.

Word family· 103

食くい
eating; feeding · bite (in fishing)
食くい物もの
food; foodstuff · prey; victim
食くい止とめるN1
hold back; keep at bay; stem; curb; halt
共とも食ぐい
cannibalism (in animals); feeding on each other · cannibalization; mutually harmful competition; internecine struggle
食くいしん坊ぼう
glutton; gourmand; big eater

Show 25 more

食くい違ちがいN1
discrepancy; inconsistency; disagreement
つまみ食ぐい
eating with one's fingers; snitching food; secret eating · embezzlement; misappropriation; skimming off the top · flirting; playing the field; sampling
食くいつく
bite at; snap at; nibble · jump at; seize eagerly; get one's teeth into · hold on to; cling to; stick to · complain; bicker; find fault
飲のみ食くい
eating and drinking; food and drink
食くいつき
bite (in fishing)
食くい込こみ
digging in; cutting into · inroads; encroachment; eating into · deficit; loss · wedgie
虫むし食くい
worm-eaten; moth-eaten · holes eaten by insects · leaf warbler; chiffchaff; willow wren
巣すくう
nest; build a nest · hang out (of a bad group); be based (in); haunt · lodge (in one's mind); be planted; lurk (in one's heart)
食くい違ちがうN1
not match well; not mesh properly · differ; clash; be inconsistent
食くい意い地じ
gluttony; greed for food
食くい逃にげ
dine and dash; leaving without paying
面めん食くい
person who cares only about looks; being attracted only by appearance
食くいっぱぐれ
missing a meal; going without food
食くい入いる
eat into; corrode; bite into
盗ぬすみ食ぐい
sneaking a bite; snitching food
食くい下さがるN1
cling to; hang on to · persist; hound; refuse to back down · sumo technique: grab the mawashi and lower one's hips
食くい倒だおれ
ruining oneself through food extravagance
食くいで
substantiality of a meal; fillingness
利り食ぐい
profit-taking; realizing gains
食くい扶ぶ持ち
food expenses; cost of one's board
食くい荒あらす
eat up and spoil; devour destructively · eat a bit of everything; nibble around · encroach upon; take over; steal (support, market)
食くい初ぞめ
first meal ceremony; 100-day celebration
食くい繋つなぐ
ration out and survive on (some food); get by on (limited food) · eke out a living; scrape by
人ひと食くい
cannibalism; biting a person · man-eating; cannibalistic
大おお食ぐい
eating heavily; hearty eating; binge eating; gluttony · big eater; trencherman; gormandizer

See all 103 in Explore →

Written forms

食くうUsage78%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and general use.
喰くうUsage13%
Variant kanji; more common in manga and informal writing, but still widely recognized.
くうUsage7%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, especially for the eating sense.
クウUsage2%
啖くう
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb. The kanji 食 is used for eating-related meanings, while 喰 is a variant with a more emphatic 'eat' nuance. The historical derivation is uncertain.