What does 飲 mean in Japanese?
飲 means “drink” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 飲む (to drink), 飲み物 (drink; beverage), and 飲料水 (drinking water).
For learners, the key is to study 飲 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.
Reading
On’yomi: イン (in)
Kun’yomi: の-む (no-mu)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 飲 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
飲 is not limited to one English translation. In 飲む (のむ), it means to drink; in 飲み物 (のみもの), it points to drink; beverage; and in 飲料水 (いんりょうすい), it is used for drinking water. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.
Common Words
- 飲む（のむ / nomu） — to drink
- 飲み物（のみもの / nomimono） — drink; beverage
- 飲料水（いんりょうすい / inryōsui） — drinking water
- 飲食店（いんしょくてん / inshokuten） — restaurant
- 飲酒（いんしゅ / inshu） — drinking alcohol
- 試飲（しいん / shiin） — tasting a drink
Example Sentences
-
水を飲みました。
みずをのみました。 / Mizu o nomimashita.
I drank water.
-
冷たい飲み物を買いました。
つめたいのみものをかいました。 / Tsumetai nomimono o kaimashita.
I bought a cold drink.
-
飲食店で夕食を食べました。
いんしょくてんでゆうしょくをたべました。 / Inshokuten de yūshoku o tabemashita.
I ate dinner at a restaurant.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 飲む (のむ / nomu) because it keeps the core meaning of 飲 clear. Then add 飲み物 and 飲料水 to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 飲 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.
Summary
飲 means “drink” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 飲む, 飲み物, and 飲料水.