客|きゃくkyaku[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounguest; visitor
   夕食ゆうしょくにお客きゃくを招まねいていますか。↗

   Do you have guests for dinner?
2. nouncustomer; client; shopper; spectator; audience; tourist; sightseer; passenger
   春先はるさきだから客きゃくもあまりいませんでした。↗

   It was early spring, so there weren't many customers.
3. countercounter for containers used to entertain guests

• Synonymお客様おきゃくさまFormalFormal and the most respectful form; used to address customers directly in the service industry, where plain 「客」 sounds stiff.
• Synonym客人きゃくじんWrittenWritten word for guests who come visiting (read 「きゃくじん」); in everyday speech say 「客」 or 「お客さん」.
• Synonym来客らいきゃくWrittenWritten term for visitors who have come, as in 「来客中」; focuses on the visit itself, while 「客」 also covers customers and spectators.
• Synonym顧客こきゃくWrittenWritten business term for regular customers or clients, as in 「顧客管理」; 「客」 covers a much wider range.
• Synonym乗客じょうきゃくNeutralNeutral word for passengers on trains, ships or planes, as in 「乗客名簿」; 「客」 is not limited to transport.
• Synonym旅客りょかくWrittenWritten term for travellers or transport passengers, as in 「旅客機」; common in formal contexts like transport and news reporting.
• Synonym観光客かんこうきゃくNeutralTourists travelling for sightseeing, as in 「外国人観光客」; 「客」 is not limited to sightseeing.
• Synonym訪問者ほうもんしゃWrittenObjective written term for a person who visits, used in statistics and for website visitors; carries no nuance of playing host.
• SynonymゲストNeutralLoanword for guests, especially featured guests on shows or at events, as in 「ゲスト出演」; 「客」 is the general word.
• SynonymビジターNeutralLoanword for a visitor or the visiting team, as in 「ビジターチーム」; common in sports and member-only facilities.
• Synonym取引先とりひきさきWrittenWritten term for a business counterpart, which may be a customer or a supplier, as in 「取引先との会議」.
• SynonymカスタマーNeutralLoanword for customer, used mostly in compounds such as 「カスタマーサービス」.
• Synonymお客さんおきゃくさんCasualColloquial polite form of 「客」, more casual than 「お客様」; often used between shop staff or when speaking to regular customers.
• SynonymパッセンジャーNeutralLoanword for passenger, rare in daily speech and mostly heard in aviation; the usual word is 「乗客」.
• Synonym来訪者らいほうしゃWrittenFormal written word for a visitor, as in 「来訪者受付」; in daily life say 「お客さん」.
• Synonym来遊者らいゆうしゃWrittenWritten term for people who come for leisure or sightseeing, used in tourism statistics; in daily speech say 「観光客」.
• Synonym訪問客ほうもんきゃくWrittenWritten term for guests who call at a home or office, stressing that they come on some business or errand.
• Related買い手かいてNeutralThe buying side in a transaction, the opposite of 「売り手」; it stresses the trading position, not hospitality.
• Related訪客ほうきゃくWrittenWritten word for visiting guests, now very rare; in everyday use say 「来客」 or 「お客さん」.
• Antonym主人しゅじんNeutralAntonym of 「客」: the head of a household or shop owner who receives and entertains guests.
• Antonym主あるじWrittenAntonym of 「客」: the host who entertains guests; an archaic-flavoured written word.
• Antonym店主てんしゅNeutralAntonym of 「客」: the shop owner who serves customers, as in 「店主に尋ねる」.
• Antonym亭主ていしゅCasualAntonym of 「客」: the head of a household or host of a tea gathering; colloquially, one's husband.

Use 「客」 as the default for guests, visitors and customers. When addressing someone, 「お客さん」 is the casual polite form and 「お客様」 the respectful one used in the service industry — plain 「客」 can sound stiff there. Narrow the word by context: 「乗客」 for passengers, 「観光客」 for tourists, 「顧客」 for business clients, 「取引先」 for business partners, 「ゲスト」 for guests of honor at events. Written terms like 「来客」 and 「訪問者」 focus on the visit itself, and the opposite side is 「主人」 or 「店主」.

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

1. （キャク）他人たにんの家いえなどを一時的いちじてきに訪問ほうもんしている者もの。
2. （キャク）商業しょうぎょうや事業じぎょうにおいて対価たいかを支払しはらって商品しょうひんを受け取うけとったりサービスを受うけたりする者もの。ただしサービス業さーびすぎょうのうち医療いりょうや教育きょういくなどの分野ぶんやではほぼ用もちいられない。
3. （キャク）（「お客きゃくさん」などの形かたちで）その場ばにいるだけで実質的じっしつてきな働はたらきをしていない者もの。
4. （キャク）（「お客きゃくさん」などの形かたちで）月経げっけいの婉曲えんきょく語ご。