How to say "eat" in Japanese

• 食べるたべるJLPT N5approx.Common
  ichidan verb, transitive verbThe plain, neutral verb for eating, carrying no nuance of roughness, vulgarity, or honorifics; when you simply mean 'eat' and have no special shade in mind, this is the default choice.
  もっと果物くだものを食たべるべきです。↗

  You should eat more fruit.
• 食うくうJLPT N3approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbThe same act of eating in blunt, rough-edged language marked as male; typical of men talking casually, it can sound coarse or crude, so it is out of place in polite conversation.
  お腹なかを空あかせたその男おとこは、食物しょくもつをむさぼり食くった。↗

  The starving man devoured the food.
• 食らうくらうCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbA vulgar verb for eating or drinking, with the forceful image of wolfing food down or knocking a drink back; it belongs to coarse speech, not to neutral descriptions of a meal.
  毒どくを食くらわば皿さらまで。↗

  As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.
• 召し上がるめしあがるJLPT N4approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbThe honorific equivalent of 'eat' (and 'drink'): use it to speak respectfully of someone else's eating or drinking — a host or server addressing a guest or superior — never of your own.
  ここで召し上めしあがりますか、それともお持ち帰もちかえりですか。↗

  Is this to eat here, or to go?
• 喫するきっするCommon
  suru verb (irregular), transitive verbA word whose sense runs broader than eating — it also covers drinking and smoking, 'taking' things in — and for plain 'eat' it is seldom the word you want; use 食べる.

Use 「食べる」 for plain eating; 「食う」 and 「食らう」 are blunt or vulgar variants, 「食らう」 suggesting wolfing food down; 「召し上がる」 is the honorific for someone else's eating; 「喫する」, broader in sense, is seldom the word for plain 'eat'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 食べるたべるto eat
• 食うくうto eat
• 食らうくらうto eat
• 召し上がるめしあがるto eat
• 喫するきっするto eat
• 食するしょくするto eat
• はむto eat (fodder, grass, etc.)
• 喫すきっすto eat
• 食すしょくすto eat
• 口にするくちにするto taste
• 飯を食うめしをくうto have a meal
• 口に運ぶくちにはこぶto put into the mouth
• 口に入るくちにはいるto ingest
• 箸を取るはしをとるto take up one's chopsticks (to begin a meal)
• いただくto eat
• やらかすto eat (up)
• 召すめすto eat
• したためるto have (lunch, dinner, etc.)
• 召されるめされるto eat
• 取るとるto eat
• 上がるあがるto eat
• やるto have (food, drink, etc.)