Vocab Info

N1 う-verb (う), Transitive verb

食(く)うto eat, to live, to make a living, to survive, to bite, to sting (as insects do), to tease, to torment, to taunt, to make light of, to make fun of, to encroach on, to eat into, to consume, to defeat a superior, to threaten a position, to consume time and-or resources, to receive something (usu. an unfavourable event), to have sexual relations with a woman, esp. for the first time

    Dictionary Definition

    1. う-verb (う), Transitive verb

      1. 1.

        to eat

        Male term or language
      2. 2.

        to live, to make a living, to survive

      3. 3.

        to bite, to sting (as insects do)

      4. 4.

        to tease, to torment, to taunt, to make light of, to make fun of

      5. 5.

        to encroach on, to eat into, to consume

      6. 6.

        to defeat a superior, to threaten a position

      7. 7.

        to consume time, to consume resources

      8. 8.

      9. 9.

    All Forms

    食う 【くう】、喰う 【くう】、啖う 【くう】

    Details

      • く

      • う

    • Frequency

      Anime Top 600

    Examples

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    • 俺(おれ)は飯(めし)を食(く)っている時(とき)が幸(しあわ)せだ。

      I'm happiest when I'm eating.

      • N1
    • こんな安(やす)い給料(きゅうりょう)では食(く)っていけません。

      I can't make a living on such a low salary.

      • N1
    • いい餌(えさ)に変(か)えたので、よく魚(さかな)が食(く)うようになりました。

      Since I switched to better bait, the fish have started biting more.

      • N1
    • 蚊(か)に食(く)われた場所(ばしょ)が痒(かゆ)いのなんのって…。急(いそ)いで痒(かゆ)み止(ど)めを塗(ぬ)らなければ。

      The spot where I got bitten by a mosquito is unbearably itchy... I need to put on some anti-itch cream fast.

      • N1
    • ネイリストの友人(ゆうじん):「そのデザインは手間(てま)を食(く)うから、料金(りょうきん)が少(すこ)しだけ上(あ)がるよ。」

      Nail artist friend: 'That design takes a lot of work, so the price will be a bit higher.'

      • N1
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