"食う" meaning in Japanese

See 食う in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: [kɯ̟ː]
Etymology: /kupu/ → */kuwu/ → /kuu/ From Old Japanese. The medial /w/ vanishes because Japanese does not have a /wu/ phoneme. It surfaces though in various conjugations, such as the negative form kuwanai or the passive form kuwareru. Possibly cognate with 口 (kuchi, “mouth”). Etymology templates: {{inh|ja|ojp|-|sort=くう}} Old Japanese Head templates: {{ja-verb|くう|hhira=くふ|tr=trans|type=1}} 食(く)う • (kuu) ^(←くふ (kufu)?)transitive godan (stem 食(く)い (kui), past 食(く)った (kutta)) Forms: 食う [canonical] (ruby: ()), kuu [romanization], kufu [romanization], 食い [stem] (ruby: ()), 食った [past] (ruby: ()), no-table-tags [table-tags], 食わ [error-unrecognized-form], くわ [error-unrecognized-form], kuwa [error-unrecognized-form], 食い [error-unrecognized-form], くい [error-unrecognized-form], kui [error-unrecognized-form], 食う [error-unrecognized-form], くう [error-unrecognized-form], kuu [error-unrecognized-form], 食え [error-unrecognized-form], くえ [error-unrecognized-form], kue [error-unrecognized-form], 食われる [passive], くわれる [passive], kuwareru [passive], 食わせる [causative], 食わす [causative], くわせる [causative], くわす [causative], kuwaseru [causative], kuwasu [causative], 食える [potential], くえる [potential], kueru [potential], 食おう [volitional], くおう [volitional], kuō [volitional], 食わない [negative], くわない [negative], kuwanai [negative], 食わず [continuative, negative], くわず [continuative, negative], kuwazu [continuative, negative], 食います [formal], くいます [formal], kuimasu [formal], 食った [perfective], くった [perfective], kutta [perfective], 食って [conjunctive], くって [conjunctive], kutte [conjunctive], 食えば [conditional, hypothetical], くえば [conditional, hypothetical], kueba [conditional, hypothetical]
  1. to put something in one's mouth
    Sense id: en-食う-ja-verb-NY-f4JUd
  2. (colloquial) to eat, to devour Tags: colloquial Synonyms (to eat): 食べる (taberu), 食む (hamu), 召し上がる (meshiagaru) [honorific]
    Sense id: en-食う-ja-verb-BiSfbdsm Categories (other): Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Japanese entries with incorrect language header, Japanese links with manual fragments, Japanese links with redundant alt parameters, Japanese links with redundant wikilinks, Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys Disambiguation of Japanese entries with incorrect language header: 13 39 16 13 19 Disambiguation of Japanese links with manual fragments: 9 35 27 12 17 Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant alt parameters: 8 39 29 10 13 Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant wikilinks: 8 38 31 10 13 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 7 38 31 9 14 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys: 6 27 33 7 27 Disambiguation of 'to eat': 0 100 0 0 0
  3. to make a living, to live; to survive
    Sense id: en-食う-ja-verb-LPzoRP5l Categories (other): Japanese godan verbs ending with -u, Japanese terms with 1 kanji, Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Japanese godan verbs ending with -u: 16 22 27 18 17 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with 1 kanji: 16 13 31 17 23 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 7 38 31 9 14 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys: 6 27 33 7 27 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 13 13 47 11 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 8 14 57 9 12
  4. to tease, to taunt, to make light of, to make fun of; to torment Synonyms (to tease, torment): 苛める (ijimeru), からかう (karakau)
    Sense id: en-食う-ja-verb-3FJu5tSy Disambiguation of 'to tease, torment': 1 1 4 86 8
  5. to bite, to sting (of an insect, usually used in the passive) Synonyms (insect bite): 刺す (sasu) (ruby: ())
    Sense id: en-食う-ja-verb-mlSAfzYb Categories (other): Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys Disambiguation of Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 7 38 31 9 14 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys: 6 27 33 7 27 Disambiguation of 'insect bite': 0 0 0 0 100
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: 崩ゆ, 潰ゆ, 壊ゆ: obsolete for 崩える (kuyu), 潰える, 壊える, 崩, 潰 (kue) (english: erosion), 崩える, 潰える, 壊える (kueru) (english: to erode, to be eaten away, to fall apart, to break), (kuwa) (english: a mulberry), 銜う, 啣える, 咥える: obsolete for 銜える (kuwau), 咥える, 加う: obsolete for 加える (kuwau), 銜える, 咥える: to hold in one's mouth (kuwaeru), 加える: to add something (kuwaeru), to increase, develop something, to inflict, 加わる: to increase (kuwawaru), to grow, to be added on to something else, to join in, 蓼食う虫も好き好き: there's no accounting for taste (tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki)
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "崩ゆ"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "潰ゆ"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "kuyu",
      "word": "壊ゆ: obsolete for 崩える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "潰える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "壊える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "english": "erosion",
      "roman": "kue",
      "word": "崩, 潰"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "english": "to erode, to be eaten away, to fall apart, to break",
      "roman": "kueru",
      "word": "崩える, 潰える, 壊える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "english": "a mulberry",
      "roman": "kuwa",
      "word": "桑"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "銜う"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "啣える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "kuwau",
      "word": "咥える: obsolete for 銜える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "咥える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "kuwau",
      "word": "加う: obsolete for 加える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "銜える"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "kuwaeru",
      "word": "咥える: to hold in one's mouth"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "kuwaeru",
      "word": "加える: to add something"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "to increase"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "develop something"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "to inflict"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "kuwawaru",
      "word": "加わる: to increase"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "to grow"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "to be added on to something else"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "to join in"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "roman": "tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki",
      "word": "蓼食う虫も好き好き: there's no accounting for taste"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ojp",
        "3": "-",
        "sort": "くう"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "/kupu/ → */kuwu/ → /kuu/\nFrom Old Japanese.\nThe medial /w/ vanishes because Japanese does not have a /wu/ phoneme. It surfaces though in various conjugations, such as the negative form kuwanai or the passive form kuwareru.\nPossibly cognate with 口 (kuchi, “mouth”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "食う",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "食",
          "く"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuu",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kufu",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食い",
      "roman": "kui",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "食",
          "く"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "stem"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食った",
      "roman": "kutta",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "食",
          "く"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "no-table-tags",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ja-go-u",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わ",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわ",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwa",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食い",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くい",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kui",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食う",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くう",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食え",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くえ",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kue",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食われる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "passive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわれる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "passive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwareru",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "passive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わせる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わす",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわせる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわす",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwaseru",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwasu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食える",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "potential"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くえる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "potential"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kueru",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "potential"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食おう",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "volitional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くおう",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "volitional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuō",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "volitional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わない",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわない",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwanai",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わず",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "continuative",
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわず",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "continuative",
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwazu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "continuative",
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食います",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くいます",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuimasu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食った",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くった",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kutta",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食って",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conjunctive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くって",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conjunctive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kutte",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conjunctive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食えば",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conditional",
        "hypothetical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くえば",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conditional",
        "hypothetical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kueba",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conditional",
        "hypothetical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "くう",
        "hhira": "くふ",
        "tr": "trans",
        "type": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "食(く)う • (kuu) ^(←くふ (kufu)?)transitive godan (stem 食(く)い (kui), past 食(く)った (kutta))",
      "name": "ja-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to put something in one's mouth"
      ],
      "id": "en-食う-ja-verb-NY-f4JUd",
      "links": [
        [
          "mouth",
          "mouth"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 39 16 13 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 35 27 12 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with manual fragments",
          "parents": [
            "Links with manual fragments",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 39 29 10 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
          "parents": [
            "Links with redundant alt parameters",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 38 31 10 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
          "parents": [
            "Links with redundant wikilinks",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 38 31 9 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 27 33 7 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "Everyone eats food at noon.",
          "roman": "Dare de mo hiru ni wa meshi o kuu.",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "誰",
              "だれ"
            ],
            [
              "昼",
              "ひる"
            ],
            [
              "飯",
              "めし"
            ],
            [
              "食",
              "く"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "誰でも昼には飯を食う。",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to eat, to devour"
      ],
      "id": "en-食う-ja-verb-BiSfbdsm",
      "links": [
        [
          "eat",
          "eat"
        ],
        [
          "devour",
          "devour"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) to eat, to devour"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0 0",
          "roman": "taberu",
          "sense": "to eat",
          "word": "食べる"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0 0",
          "roman": "hamu",
          "sense": "to eat",
          "word": "食む"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0 0",
          "roman": "meshiagaru",
          "sense": "to eat",
          "tags": [
            "honorific"
          ],
          "word": "召し上がる"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 22 27 18 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese godan verbs ending with -u",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 13 31 17 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with 1 kanji",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 38 31 9 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 27 33 7 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 13 47 11 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 14 57 9 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to make a living, to live; to survive"
      ],
      "id": "en-食う-ja-verb-LPzoRP5l",
      "links": [
        [
          "make a living",
          "make a living"
        ],
        [
          "live",
          "live"
        ],
        [
          "survive",
          "survive"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to tease, to taunt, to make light of, to make fun of; to torment"
      ],
      "id": "en-食う-ja-verb-3FJu5tSy",
      "links": [
        [
          "tease",
          "tease"
        ],
        [
          "taunt",
          "taunt"
        ],
        [
          "make light of",
          "make light of"
        ],
        [
          "make fun of",
          "make fun of"
        ],
        [
          "torment",
          "torment"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 4 86 8",
          "roman": "ijimeru",
          "sense": "to tease, torment",
          "word": "苛める"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 4 86 8",
          "roman": "karakau",
          "sense": "to tease, torment",
          "word": "からかう"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 38 31 9 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 27 33 7 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "I got bitten by a mosquito last night.",
          "roman": "Sakuban wa, ka ni kuwareta.",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "昨晩",
              "さくばん"
            ],
            [
              "蚊",
              "か"
            ],
            [
              "食",
              "く"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "昨晩は、蚊に食われた。",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to bite, to sting (of an insect, usually used in the passive)"
      ],
      "id": "en-食う-ja-verb-mlSAfzYb",
      "links": [
        [
          "bite",
          "bite"
        ],
        [
          "sting",
          "sting"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 100",
          "roman": "sasu",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "刺",
              "さ"
            ]
          ],
          "sense": "insect bite",
          "word": "刺す"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "other": "くう"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[kɯ̟ː]"
    }
  ],
  "word": "食う"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Japanese godan verbs",
    "Japanese godan verbs ending with -u",
    "Japanese lemmas",
    "Japanese links with manual fragments",
    "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
    "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
    "Japanese terms derived from Old Japanese",
    "Japanese terms inherited from Old Japanese",
    "Japanese terms spelled with second grade kanji",
    "Japanese terms with 1 kanji",
    "Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
    "Japanese transitive verbs",
    "Japanese verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "崩ゆ"
    },
    {
      "word": "潰ゆ"
    },
    {
      "roman": "kuyu",
      "word": "壊ゆ: obsolete for 崩える"
    },
    {
      "word": "潰える"
    },
    {
      "word": "壊える"
    },
    {
      "english": "erosion",
      "roman": "kue",
      "word": "崩, 潰"
    },
    {
      "english": "to erode, to be eaten away, to fall apart, to break",
      "roman": "kueru",
      "word": "崩える, 潰える, 壊える"
    },
    {
      "english": "a mulberry",
      "roman": "kuwa",
      "word": "桑"
    },
    {
      "word": "銜う"
    },
    {
      "word": "啣える"
    },
    {
      "roman": "kuwau",
      "word": "咥える: obsolete for 銜える"
    },
    {
      "word": "咥える"
    },
    {
      "roman": "kuwau",
      "word": "加う: obsolete for 加える"
    },
    {
      "word": "銜える"
    },
    {
      "roman": "kuwaeru",
      "word": "咥える: to hold in one's mouth"
    },
    {
      "roman": "kuwaeru",
      "word": "加える: to add something"
    },
    {
      "word": "to increase"
    },
    {
      "word": "develop something"
    },
    {
      "word": "to inflict"
    },
    {
      "roman": "kuwawaru",
      "word": "加わる: to increase"
    },
    {
      "word": "to grow"
    },
    {
      "word": "to be added on to something else"
    },
    {
      "word": "to join in"
    },
    {
      "roman": "tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki",
      "word": "蓼食う虫も好き好き: there's no accounting for taste"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ojp",
        "3": "-",
        "sort": "くう"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "/kupu/ → */kuwu/ → /kuu/\nFrom Old Japanese.\nThe medial /w/ vanishes because Japanese does not have a /wu/ phoneme. It surfaces though in various conjugations, such as the negative form kuwanai or the passive form kuwareru.\nPossibly cognate with 口 (kuchi, “mouth”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "食う",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "食",
          "く"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuu",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kufu",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食い",
      "roman": "kui",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "食",
          "く"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "stem"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食った",
      "roman": "kutta",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "食",
          "く"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "no-table-tags",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ja-go-u",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わ",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわ",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwa",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食い",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くい",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kui",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食う",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くう",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食え",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くえ",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kue",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "error-unrecognized-form"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食われる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "passive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわれる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "passive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwareru",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "passive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わせる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わす",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわせる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわす",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwaseru",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwasu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "causative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食える",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "potential"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くえる",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "potential"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kueru",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "potential"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食おう",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "volitional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くおう",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "volitional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuō",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "volitional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わない",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわない",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwanai",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食わず",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "continuative",
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くわず",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "continuative",
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuwazu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "continuative",
        "negative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食います",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くいます",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kuimasu",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食った",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くった",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kutta",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食って",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conjunctive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くって",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conjunctive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kutte",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conjunctive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "食えば",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conditional",
        "hypothetical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "くえば",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conditional",
        "hypothetical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kueba",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "conditional",
        "hypothetical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "くう",
        "hhira": "くふ",
        "tr": "trans",
        "type": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "食(く)う • (kuu) ^(←くふ (kufu)?)transitive godan (stem 食(く)い (kui), past 食(く)った (kutta))",
      "name": "ja-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to put something in one's mouth"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mouth",
          "mouth"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese colloquialisms",
        "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "Japanese terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "Everyone eats food at noon.",
          "roman": "Dare de mo hiru ni wa meshi o kuu.",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "誰",
              "だれ"
            ],
            [
              "昼",
              "ひる"
            ],
            [
              "飯",
              "めし"
            ],
            [
              "食",
              "く"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "誰でも昼には飯を食う。",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to eat, to devour"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "eat",
          "eat"
        ],
        [
          "devour",
          "devour"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) to eat, to devour"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to make a living, to live; to survive"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "make a living",
          "make a living"
        ],
        [
          "live",
          "live"
        ],
        [
          "survive",
          "survive"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to tease, to taunt, to make light of, to make fun of; to torment"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tease",
          "tease"
        ],
        [
          "taunt",
          "taunt"
        ],
        [
          "make light of",
          "make light of"
        ],
        [
          "make fun of",
          "make fun of"
        ],
        [
          "torment",
          "torment"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "I got bitten by a mosquito last night.",
          "roman": "Sakuban wa, ka ni kuwareta.",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "昨晩",
              "さくばん"
            ],
            [
              "蚊",
              "か"
            ],
            [
              "食",
              "く"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "昨晩は、蚊に食われた。",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to bite, to sting (of an insect, usually used in the passive)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bite",
          "bite"
        ],
        [
          "sting",
          "sting"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "other": "くう"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[kɯ̟ː]"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "roman": "taberu",
      "sense": "to eat",
      "word": "食べる"
    },
    {
      "roman": "hamu",
      "sense": "to eat",
      "word": "食む"
    },
    {
      "roman": "meshiagaru",
      "sense": "to eat",
      "tags": [
        "honorific"
      ],
      "word": "召し上がる"
    },
    {
      "roman": "ijimeru",
      "sense": "to tease, torment",
      "word": "苛める"
    },
    {
      "roman": "karakau",
      "sense": "to tease, torment",
      "word": "からかう"
    },
    {
      "roman": "sasu",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "刺",
          "さ"
        ]
      ],
      "sense": "insect bite",
      "word": "刺す"
    }
  ],
  "word": "食う"
}

Download raw JSONL data for 食う meaning in Japanese (8.2kB)

{
  "called_from": "parser/304",
  "msg": "HTML tag <span> not properly closed",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": "started on line 2, detected on line 2"
}

{
  "called_from": "parser/1336",
  "msg": "no corresponding start tag found for </span>",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "inflection/735",
  "msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: 'Mizenkei (\"imperfective\")'",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "inflection/735",
  "msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: 'Ren’yōkei (\"continuative\")'",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "inflection/735",
  "msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: 'Shūshikei (\"terminal\")'",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "inflection/735",
  "msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: 'Rentaikei (\"attributive\")'",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "inflection/735",
  "msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: 'Kateikei (\"hypothetical\")'",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "inflection/735",
  "msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: 'Meireikei (\"imperative\")'",
  "path": [
    "食う"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "食う",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Japanese dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (b941637 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.