“to eat / food” in Japanese is 食, read shoku, jiki, ta (しょく, じき, た, く). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 食べ物 (food).
What does 食 mean?
ごはんを食べる。
| Kanji | 食 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | to eat / food |
| Readings | しょく, じき, た, く |
| Grade | Grade 2 (Easy) |
| Curriculum | Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school |
| Example | 食べ物 (food) |
食 is read shoku (しょく) or jiki (じき) or ta (た) or ku (く) depending on the word.
Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side: