Eat in Japanese
"eat" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
4 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "eat". The most common choice is shown first.
Top pick
eat, food
Reading: shoku
9 strokes
Where it comes from
Composed of '人' (person) and '良' (good). Person eating something good. Or covered dish.
What it carries
Meal, survival, culture. Symbolizes Japanese food culture as 'food is life'.
Related kanji for "eat"
eat
kitsu
Composed of mouth and promise. Eating like a promise with mouth.
eat
shou
Composed of sword and mouth. Calling like sword with mouth.
urge to eat(also: )
yuu
Combines 'person' (亻) with 'have' (有), representing recommending and helping others.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for eat?
The most common kanji for "eat" is 食, read as shoku. It means eat, food. Related kanji: 喫 (eat), 召 (eat), 侑 (urge to eat).
How many strokes does 食 have?
食 has 9 strokes.