What does 客 mean in Japanese?
客 means “guest, customer” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 客 (guest; customer), お客さん (customer; guest), and 観客 (audience).
For learners, the key is to study 客 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.
Reading
On’yomi: キャク (kyaku), カク (kaku)
Kun’yomi: —
Basic Information
| Kanji | 客 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
客 is not limited to one English translation. In 客 (きゃく), it means guest; customer; in お客さん (おきゃくさん), it points to customer; guest; and in 観客 (かんきゃく), it is used for audience. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.
Common Words
- 客（きゃく / kyaku） — guest; customer
- お客さん（おきゃくさん / okyakusan） — customer; guest
- 観客（かんきゃく / kankyaku） — audience
- 乗客（じょうきゃく / jōkyaku） — passenger
- 客室（きゃくしつ / kyakushitsu） — guest room
- 来客（らいきゃく / raikyaku） — visitor
Example Sentences
-
店に多くの客が来ました。
みせにおおくのきゃくがきました。 / Mise ni ōku no kyaku ga kimashita.
Many customers came to the shop.
-
お客さんを席へ案内しました。
おきゃくさんをせきへあんないしました。 / Okyaku-san o seki e annai shimashita.
I guided the customer to a seat.
-
観客が大きな拍手をしました。
かんきゃくがおおきなはくしゅをしました。 / Kankyaku ga ōkina hakushu o shimashita.
The audience gave a big round of applause.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 客 (きゃく / kyaku) because it keeps the core meaning of 客 clear. Then add お客さん and 観客 to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 客 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.
Summary
客 means “guest, customer” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 客, お客さん, and 観客.