食べる
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to eat, to live on, to subsist on
/ta.be.ɾɯ/
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It denotes the act of consuming food and, by extension, the act of sustaining oneself on something such as a salary.
Examples
彼女は自給自足で食べている。
She makes a living by self‑sufficiency.
この会社は広告収入で食べている。
The company survives on advertising revenue.
明日は外で食べようと思う。
I plan to eat out tomorrow.
子供たちはお菓子を食べている。
The children are eating snacks.
彼は寿司を食べました。
He ate sushi.
Similar words
食す
食べさせる
食う
口にする
摂る
いただく
喰う
いただく
食べさせる
喰う
Meanings
Examples
私は朝ごはんを食べる。
I eat breakfast in the morning.
彼は寿司を食べました。
He ate sushi.
子供たちはお菓子を食べている。
The children are eating snacks.
明日は外で食べようと思う。
I plan to eat out tomorrow.
ダイエット中なので甘いものは食べない。
I don't eat sweets while dieting.
Examples
彼は給料だけで食べる。
He lives on his salary alone.
この会社は広告収入で食べている。
The company survives on advertising revenue.
学生は奨学金で食べている。
Students subsist on scholarships.
農家は作物で食べることができる。
Farmers can live on their crops.
彼女は自給自足で食べている。
She makes a living by self‑sufficiency.
Etymology
From Old Japanese taberu, derived from the verb tabu meaning ‘to eat’.
FAQ
食べる means ‘to eat’ or, figuratively, ‘to live on’ something such as a salary.
How do you conjugate 食べる in the polite present?
The polite present form is 食べます.
What is the past tense of 食べる?
The past plain form is 食べた.
Yes, it is an ichidan (ru‑verb) and follows regular conjugation patterns.
Can 食べる be used to mean ‘to live on’?
Yes, in contexts like 給料で食べる it means ‘to live on a salary’.
What is a more polite way to say ‘to eat’?
Use 召し上がる for very polite speech.
What is the difference between 食べる and 食う?
食べる is neutral; 食う is more colloquial and can sound rough.
How do you say ‘I don’t eat meat’?
What is the te‑form of 食べる?
What is the origin of 食べる?
It comes from Old Japanese taberu, which itself derives from the verb tabu meaning ‘to eat’.
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