49
客
Guest, Customer
JLPT N3
Interesting Fact
Japanese uses the same kanji 客 for both a person visiting you and someone buying something from you. That's why 客人 (きゃくじん) means a guest or visitor, while 乗客 (じょうきゃく) means a passenger and 顧客 (こきゃく) means a customer or client. The underlying idea is simple: someone who comes to a place as a visitor, user, or customer.
Memory Trick
A person enters under the roof and immediately asks for tea—clearly, the 客 has arrived!
Readings
Onyomi: キャク (kyaku), カク (kaku)
Kunyomi:
Example Words
お客様
おきゃくさま (okyakusama)
Customer; guest
乗客
じょうきゃく (joukyaku)
Passenger
観客
かんきゃく (kankyaku)
Audience
客室
きゃくしつ (kyakushitsu)
Guest room
Example Sentence
多くのお客様が来ました。
おおく の おきゃくさま が きました。
ooku no okyakusama ga kimashita
Many customers came.