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To put food into the mouth, chew, and swallow as nourishment.
彼はリンゴを食べます。
He eats an apple.
このレストランでは、寿司を食べることができます。
At this restaurant, you can eat sushi.
The polite form of the verb 'to eat' in Japanese. Used in formal or neutral contexts.
To consume (food or drink) in general.
彼女は毎日たくさんの果物を食べます。
She eats a lot of fruit every day.
Can be used for both solid food and drinks, though '飲みます' (nomimasu) is more common for drinks.
In Japanese, verbs are conjugated based on politeness level. '食べます' is the polite form, used with strangers, superiors, or in formal settings. The plain form '食べる' (taberu) is used with friends, family, or in informal contexts.
When using '食べます' to indicate what is being eaten, always mark the object with the particle 'を' (o). For example: 'パンを食べます' (pan o tabemasu, I eat bread).
From the verb '食う' (kuu, to eat), with the polite suffix '-ます' (-masu) added to form the polite present tense '食べます' (tabemasu). The verb '食う' has roots in Old Japanese and is related to the kanji '食' (eat, food).
1. '食べます' is the polite form of 'to eat' and is used in most conversational contexts. The plain form '食べる' (taberu) is used in informal speech. 2. When referring to eating a specific meal (e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner), use the verb with the meal name: '朝ごはんを食べます' (asagohan o tabemasu, I eat breakfast). 3. For drinking, '飲みます' (nomimasu) is more commonly used, though '食べます' can technically refer to consuming liquids as well.