How do you say "to drink" in Japanese?

飲む

nomu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to drink" is 飲む (nomu).

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Pronunciation

飲む is written using kanji. Romanised as nomu, it sounds roughly like "noh-moo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 飲 combines the mouth radical with a phonetic element, meaning to consume a liquid. Basic daily vocabulary for eating and drinking.

Example sentence

私は飲むことが好きです。

Watashi wa nomu koto ga suki desu.

I enjoy drinking.

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How to remember 飲む

A mouth taking in liquid. The mouth radical is central, and the action is liquid entering the mouth.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 飲む

How do you pronounce 飲む?

飲む is romanised as nomu. Say it roughly like "noh-moo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 飲む formal or casual?

飲む is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 飲む written in Japanese?

飲む is written using kanji. The kanji 飲 combines the mouth radical with a phonetic element, meaning to consume a liquid.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"To drink" in other languages

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