WORD DETAIL
飲む
のむ
Examples
Included kanji
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
飲むis read asのむand is a godan transitive verb used both for drinking liquids and for taking medicine. - Basic usage: Use
水を一杯飲むfor a drink and薬を飲む時刻for the scheduled time to take medicine.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Drink versus take medicine
- English changes the verb according to the object, but Japanese uses
飲むin both contexts.
- English changes the verb according to the object, but Japanese uses
- Amount and scheduled time
一杯counts a glassful of water, while時刻を書いておくrecords a medicine time in advance.

