How to say "drink" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 飲むのむgodan verb, transitive verbThe general verb for drinking water, tea, alcohol and the like; it also covers swallowing and taking medicine. For the plain action of drinking, this is the word you want.
- nounA noun for a drink as an item or product, the kind of word seen on menus and labels. It is not a verb; for the action of drinking, use 飲む.
- 飲み物のみものnounA noun for a beverage — something to drink, as when offering a guest or asking what someone wants. For the action of drinking, the verb is 飲む.何か飲み物をいただけますか。↗May I have something to drink?
- 食らうくらうgodan verb, transitive verbA vulgar verb for eating or drinking, with the force of wolfing or knocking something back. Seldom the word you want for plain 'drink'; it belongs to rough, coarse speech.
- 召し上がるめしあがるgodan verb, transitive verbThe honorific verb for eating and drinking, describing the actions of a respected person — a guest or customer — as when a host or waiter refers to a guest drinking. Not for your own actions.
Choose 「飲む」 as the everyday verb for drinking (also for taking medicine); 「ドリンク」 and 「飲み物」 are nouns for a drink itself; 「食らう」 is a vulgar way to say gulp down; 「召し上がる」 respectfully describes someone else's drinking.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 飲むのむto drink
- ドリンクdrink
- 飲み物のみものdrink
- 食らうくらうto eat
- 召し上がるめしあがるto eat
- 飲料いんりょうbeverage
- 喫するきっするto eat
- 飲みのみdrink
- 水物みずものliquid
- 口にするくちにするto taste
- 酌むくむto pour (sake)
- 喫すきっすto eat
- 飲いんdrinking (sometimes esp. alcohol)
- 酒しゅalcohol
- いただくto eat
- 過ごすすごすto overdo (esp. alcohol consumption)
- 乾杯かんぱいtoast
- やらかすto eat (up)
- 汲むくむto pour (into a cup)
- 召すめすto eat
- 聞こし召すきこしめすto imbibe
- 召されるめされるto eat
- やるto have (food, drink, etc.)
- 上がるあがるto eat
- 引っ掛けるひっかけるto drink (alcohol)
- 傾けるかたむけるto drink (alcohol)
- 仰ぐあおぐto gulp down
- 服するふくするto take (medicine, poison, etc.)
- 服すふくすto take (medicine, poison, etc.)
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
