客

• Reading: きゃく
• Romaji: kyaku
• Kanji breakdown: 客 (kyaku) — guest, visitor, customer
• Pronunciation: /kʲa.kɯ/

Meaning

Guest; visitor; customer. A person who visits, is entertained, or makes a purchase.

A versatile noun used for guests, visitors, and customers alike. The more polite form お客さん (okyakusan) or お客様 (okyakusama) is used in service industries and when showing respect. Japanese hospitality culture places great importance on treating 客 well.

Examples

1. 今日はお客が三人来ます。 Three guests are coming today.
2. このレストランは客が多いです。 This restaurant has a lot of customers.
3. 客に丁寧に対応してください。 Please treat the customers politely.

Usage Guide

Context: hospitality, retail, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the kanji 客, which originally depicted a person arriving at a dwelling. In classical Chinese, it meant a traveler or person staying away from home.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal