飲む

nomu
verbBeginner to drink
general

To consume a liquid through the mouth.

コーヒーを飲みます

I drink coffee.

ビールを飲む

to drink beer

💡

Commonly used for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

general

To swallow or take in (medicine, poison, etc.).

薬を飲む

to take medicine

💡

Often used for consuming pills or liquids for medical purposes.

figurative

To absorb or take in (information, knowledge, etc.).

知識を飲み込む

to absorb knowledge

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Used metaphorically to describe learning or understanding something quickly.

Collocations

お茶を飲むto drink teaコーヒーを飲むto drink coffeeビールを飲むto drink beer水を飲むto drink water薬を飲むto take medicine

Related Phrases

飲み会phrase
drinking party
飲み屋phrase
bar or pub
飲み込むphrase
to swallow or absorb

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

'飲む' is a versatile verb used for drinking various liquids, including water, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. It is also used for taking medicine.

Gold Rule

Verb Conjugation

'飲む' is a Group 1 verb (五段動詞), so it follows regular conjugation patterns. For example, the past tense is '飲んだ' and the negative form is '飲まない'.

📖Word Origin

From Old Japanese 'nomu', meaning 'to drink'. The verb is derived from the Proto-Japonic root *nomu, which is related to the act of consuming liquids.

📝Usage Notes

The verb '飲む' is commonly used for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It can also be used metaphorically to describe absorbing information or knowledge. The verb is often used in the context of daily activities and is a fundamental verb in Japanese.

Word Breakdown

to drink
root
+
verb ending
suffix
和英辞典