食べる
taberu
Definition
To eat food or a meal. One of the most common and essential verbs in everyday Japanese.
Example
毎朝、ご飯を食べます。
Show translation
I eat rice every morning.
Etymology
From Old Japanese *tabe*, related to *tamu* ("to receive, to partake of"). The *-ru* suffix marks it as a vowel-stem (ichidan) verb. Historically, the root appeared in honorific forms like *meshiagaru* (食べる, formal "to eat"), reflecting the cultural weight placed on food and hospitality in Japanese society.
Cultural note
In Japanese culture, meals are often communal and ritualized. Before eating, it is customary to say **いただきます** (*itadakimasu*), a humble expression of gratitude acknowledging the food, the people who prepared it, and the living things that gave their lives for it. After finishing, one says **ごちそうさまでした** (*gochisōsama deshita*). Knowing these phrases is as important as knowing the verb 食べる itself.