Meaning
喫 covers eating, drinking, smoking, and receiving something — often a blow, a defeat, or a full surge of enjoyment. Its compounds appear everywhere: coffee shop signs, no-smoking notices, newspaper headlines. For anyone spending time in Japan, this kanji comes up constantly.
Structurally, 喫 combines the radical 口 (mouth) on the left with the phonetic component 契 on the right. The mouth radical fits naturally — eating, drinking, and smoking all pass through it. The right side, 契 (covenant, pledge), provides the reading キツ, not the meaning. This is how most Sino-Japanese phonetic compounds work.
Historically, 喫 was used across East Asia for consuming — food, tea, or tobacco. Today, most learners first meet it through 喫茶店 (café), long before realizing it's officially N2. The kanji has 12 strokes and appears on Japan's official Joyo list as a secondary-school level (grade 8) character.
Unlike 食べる or 飲む — the everyday verbs for eating and drinking — 喫 in compound nouns carries a formal, institutional tone. It lives on signs, regulations, and official documents, not in casual conversation.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
喫 has one on'yomi: キツ. It appears almost exclusively in compound words. When キツ precedes certain consonants, it contracts to きっ — a standard double-consonant shift. So 喫茶 is きっさ, not きつさ.
- 喫茶 (kissa) — tea drinking; the base of 喫茶店, Japan's classic neighborhood café
- 喫煙 (kitsuen) — smoking; seen on signs as 喫煙可 (smoking allowed) or 喫煙禁止 (no smoking)
- 満喫 (mankitsu) — to fully enjoy; e.g., 自然を満喫する (to soak in nature)
- 喫緊 (kikkin) — urgent, pressing; a formal written term for matters needing immediate attention
- 喫水 (kissui) — draft; nautical term for how deep a ship sits in the water
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
喫 has no kun'yomi in modern Japanese. It functions entirely in Sino-Japanese compounds — common among kanji borrowed for specialized or formal vocabulary. Master this character by learning its key compounds, starting with 喫茶店.
Common Words & Compounds
The compounds below cover the three main domains where 喫 appears: café culture, smoking regulations, and formal language. Learn them through real signs and sentences, not just flashcards.
Cafés & Food Culture
- 喫茶店 (kissaten) — coffee shop, café, tea house; Japan's classic neighborhood café
- 喫茶 (kissa) — the act of drinking tea; used as a prefix for café-related terms
- 喫食 (kisshoku) — eating (a meal); an institutional term, common in school or cafeteria contexts
Smoking & Tobacco
- 喫煙 (kitsuen) — smoking; ubiquitous on signs and in regulations
- 喫煙室 (kitsuen-shitsu) — smoking room; found in offices, airports, and train stations
- 喫煙者 (kitsuen-sha) — smoker (a person who smokes)
- 禁煙 vs 喫煙 — no smoking vs. smoking; a must-know pair for reading signs
Enjoyment & Experiencing
- 満喫 (mankitsu) — to enjoy fully, to have one's fill; takes を: 休暇を満喫する (to make the most of a vacation)
- 喫する (kissuru) — to eat, drink, or suffer/receive; a literary verb form used in formal or written contexts
Formal / Written Japanese
- 喫緊 (kikkin) — urgent matter; common in news articles and official documents
- 喫水 (kissui) — draft of a ship; a specialized nautical term
- 一喫 (ikkitsu) — one smoke, one cup; archaic and literary
Example Sentences
この街には昔ながらの喫茶店がたくさんあります。
Kono machi ni wa mukashi nagara no kissaten ga takusan arimasu.
This town has many old-fashioned coffee shops.
喫煙は健康に悪いとわかっていても、やめられない人が多い。
Kitsuen wa kenkou ni warui to wakatte ite mo, yamerarenai hito ga ooi.
Even knowing smoking is harmful, many people can't quit.
駅の喫煙室は来月から廃止されるそうです。
Eki no kitsuen-shitsu wa raigetsu kara haishi sareru sou desu.
I heard the smoking room at the station will be closed starting next month.
旅行で北海道の大自然を満喫してきました。
Ryokou de Hokkaido no daishizen wo mankitsu shite kimashita.
I soaked up the wild landscapes of Hokkaido on my trip.
あの喫茶店のモーニングセットは安くておいしいと評判だ。
Ano kissaten no mooningu setto wa yasukute oishii to hyouban da.
That café's morning set has a reputation for being cheap and good.
彼は試合で痛い敗北を喫した。
Kare wa shiai de itai haiboku wo kisshita.
He suffered a crushing defeat in the match.
この問題は喫緊の課題として政府に認識されている。
Kono mondai wa kikkin no kadai toshite seifu ni ninshiki sarete iru.
The government recognizes this as an urgent issue.
子供の頃、祖父とよくあの喫茶店でコーヒーを飲んだものだ。
Kodomo no koro, sofu to yoku ano kissaten de koohii wo nonda mono da.
As a kid, my grandfather and I used to drink coffee together at that café.
夏休みを思う存分満喫するつもりです。
Natsuyasumi wo omou zonbun mankitsu suru tsumori desu.
I plan to make the most of summer vacation.
Memory Tip
Picture yourself at a 喫茶店 — a classic Japanese kissaten. Your mouth (口), the left radical, is open wide as the coffee arrives. The right side, 契, looks like a figure leaning over a table, making a quiet pledge: "I will enjoy every drop." Two uses of 喫 lock into place: 喫茶店 (café) and 満喫 (fully savoring something). Spot 口 paired with that leaning figure, and the meaning follows: 喫 is about taking something in — through the mouth, or through experience.