食欲

• Reading: しょくよく
• Romaji: shokuyoku
• Kanji breakdown: 食 (shoku) — food, eating; 欲 (yoku) — desire, craving
• Pronunciation: /ɕo.kɯ.jo.kɯ/

Meaning

Appetite; desire for food. The feeling of wanting to eat.

A noun describing the physical or psychological desire to eat. Commonly used with がある (to have an appetite) and がない (to have no appetite). Often appears in health-related contexts and everyday conversation about how one is feeling. Can also be used figuratively for eagerness.

Examples

1. 風邪を引いて食欲がない。 I caught a cold and have no appetite.
2. 運動した後は食欲が出る。 After exercising, I get my appetite back.
3. 秋になると食欲が増す。 When fall comes around, my appetite increases.

Usage Guide

Context: health, daily life, seasons

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 食 (food, eating) and 欲 (desire, craving). Together they express the specific desire for food, paralleling other desire compounds like 性欲 and 睡眠欲.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal