How do you say "to eat" in Japanese?

食べる

taberu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to eat" is 食べる (taberu).

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Pronunciation

食べる is written using kanji. Romanised as taberu, it sounds roughly like "tah-beh-roo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 食 shows a rice plant or grain with a phonetic element, referring to consuming food. One of the most essential vocabulary kanji.

Example sentence

彼は上手に食べます。

Kare wa jouzu ni tabemasu.

He to eats well.

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How to remember 食べる

Rice going into the mouth. Picture a bowl of rice or grain entering your mouth when you eat.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 食べる

How do you pronounce 食べる?

食べる is romanised as taberu. Say it roughly like "tah-beh-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 食べる formal or casual?

食べる 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 食べる written in Japanese?

食べる is written using kanji. The kanji 食 shows a rice plant or grain with a phonetic element, referring to consuming food.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"To eat" in other languages

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