Meaning

Primary

To Eat

Alternative

To Consume

Word Type

godan verb, transitive verb

Explanation

You know the kanji means eat, and you also already know 食べる. So what's the deal with this also meaning to eat?

食う carries a more masculine and coarse tone than 食べる, so it can come off as rough or impolite in certain situations. It also has a wider set of usages, for example in saying that something is eating up time or resources, or saying that you were bitten by a bug. You'll come across more of these, but they're all pretty straightforward, so don't worry!

Reading

くう
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You do know that reading, but this uses a different one, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

There's nothing you love to eat more than cookies (). You could eat them day and night, but watch out, as that might get a little… time-consuming.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 飯を食う

    to eat a meal

    時間を食う

    to consume time, to take up time

    割を食う

    to get the short end of the stick, to bear the brunt

    金を食う

    to eat up money

Context Sentences

昼飯を食う時間がなかったんだ。

I didn't have time to eat lunch.

げ、シルクのスーツが虫に食われてる!

Oh no, my silk suit is being eaten by bugs!

時間ばっかり食って、割りに合わない仕事だったよ。

It was a job that just ate up my time and didn't pay off.

Kanji Composition