9 Kanji with the 食 (Shoku) Component | Learn 飲, 飯, 館, 飾, and More at Once
Learn 9 essential kanji containing the '食' (food/eat) radical all at once.
Comparing similar-looking kanji side-by-side significantly improves memorization efficiency.
Understand the connection between the radical and each kanji's meaning, such as food, meals, and buildings.
How this bundle was curated
All items at a glance
| Kanji | On-reading | Kun-reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 食 | しょく | たべる | eat / food |
| 飲 | いん | のむ | drink |
| 飯 | はん | めし | meal / cooked rice |
| 館 | かん | やかた | building / hall |
| 飼 | し | かう | raise / feed (animals) |
| 飽 | ほう | あきる | get tired of / be full |
| 飢 | き | うえる | starve |
| 餓 | が | うえる | starve / hunger |
| 飾 | しょく | かざる | decorate |
Item by item
Kun: たべる
On: しょく
eat / food
This is the most basic kanji. In other kanji, it is often used as a left-side radical in the slightly modified form '飠'.
Kun: のむ
On: いん
drink
Combines 食 (food) and 欠 (open mouth/yawn). It represents the action of opening one's mouth to drink.
Kun: めし
On: はん
meal / cooked rice
Combines 食 (food) and 反 (return/repeat). It's helpful to remember it as the 'meal' you eat repeatedly every day.
Kun: やかた
On: かん
building / hall
Combines 食 (food) and 官 (government official). Originally, it meant an inn where officials stayed and received meals. Today, it refers to large buildings like libraries or inns.
Kun: かう
On: し
raise / feed (animals)
Combines 食 (food) and 司 (take charge of). It came to mean 'raise' from the idea of taking charge of feeding animals.
Kun: あきる
On: ほう
get tired of / be full
Combines 食 (food) and 包 (wrap). It expanded from the meaning of eating until one is completely full, to being 'tired of' something.
Kun: うえる
On: き
starve
Combines 食 (food) and 几 (small table). It represents a state of hunger due to a lack of food.
Kun: うえる
On: が
starve / hunger
Combines 食 (food) and 我 (I/me). From the meaning of 'I am hungry,' it came to represent severe starvation.
Kun: かざる
On: しょく
decorate
Combines 食 (food), 人 (person), and 巾 (towel/cloth). The meaning 'decorate' originally came from the act of neatly arranging and preparing food offerings for rituals.
Practice with examples
How to decide when unsure
- When '食' is used as a radical, it is usually placed on the left side (hen) and often slightly changes its shape to '飠'.
- While '飢' and '餓' both mean 'to starve' and are nearly identical in meaning, '飢える' is more commonly used in daily conversation, whereas '餓' tends to be used in compound words like '餓死' (starving to death).
- Although '館' might not seem directly related to food, it's helpful to remember that it contains the '食' radical because it originated from lodgings where government officials were provided with meals.
Common mistakes
When referring to buildings like a library (図書館) or movie theater (映画館), you must generally use '館' with the '食' radical. Using '官' just because the pronunciation is the same is unnatural.
Wrong example: 図書官で勉強する。/Correct example: 図書館で勉強する。
Mini quiz
Which of the following is the correct kanji spelling for 'to raise a dog'?
One-line summary
Most kanji containing the '食' radical are related to food, meals, or the act of eating. Try to memorize them efficiently by keeping the radical's meaning in mind and connecting it to the shape of the right-side components.
FAQ
How are 飢える and 餓える different?
Both can be read as 'うえる' (to starve). However, in everyday conversation and writing, it is generally more natural to use '飢える'. '餓' is mostly used in compound words like '餓死' (starving to death).
Why does 飾 (decorate) contain the 食 (food) radical?
It originates from the ancient practice of beautifully arranging and wiping down food offerings on an altar during rituals. The act of carefully preparing food (食) eventually evolved into the meaning 'to decorate'.
