Meaning
to eat; to have (a meal)
Nuance & Usage
食べる is the standard, neutral word for "to eat." Its casual/rough counterpart is 食う (kuu), which is generally used by men in informal speech and would sound rude in polite contexts. In very formal situations, 召し上がる (meshiagaru) is the honorific form used to describe someone else eating. The verb 食べる can take a direct object marked with を: パンを食べる (eat bread).
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 食う in polite conversation — it sounds blunt or even rude. Always use 食べる or its polite form 食べます in standard situations. Also, don't forget: when asking "have you eaten?" use 食べましたか？ (past tense). Using 食べますか？ instead asks "will you eat / do you want to eat?" — a different meaning.
Example Sentences
朝ごはんを食べましたか？
あさごはんをたべましたか？
Did you eat breakfast?
一緒に昼ごはんを食べましょう。
いっしょにひるごはんをたべましょう。
Let's eat lunch together.
このレストランでは何を食べましたか？
このれすとらんではなにをたべましたか？
What did you eat at this restaurant?
Quick Quiz
N54 questionsTest your knowledge of 食べる with 4 different question types.
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