食
shoku[ɯ̟ka̠]
The Japanese word for eclipse is 食 (shoku). Wiktionary also lists 蝕 (shoku) and 日食 (nisshoku).
Meaning: passage of a planetary object between others (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 食 | shoku | [ɯ̟ka̠] (narrow) [ɯ̟ke̞] (narrow) |
| 蝕 | shoku | [ɕo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 日食 | nisshoku | [ɲ̟iɕːo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 月食 | gesshoku | [ɡe̞ɕːo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the term for an eclipse refers to the passage of one planetary object between others.
What does it mean word for word?
The kanji used for eclipse, 食, literally means 'to eat' or 'to consume', metaphorically referring to one celestial body 'eating' another.
Which one should you use?
While 食 is the general term, you can be more specific: 日食 (nisshoku) specifically refers to a solar eclipse using the kanji for sun (日) and 月食 (gesshoku) specifically refers to a lunar eclipse using the kanji for moon (月).
How do you pronounce it?
shoku
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, the 'eating' metaphor in 食 reflects an ancient belief that a celestial creature was devouring the sun or moon.
- Historically, solar eclipses 日食 were viewed as ominous warnings to the Emperor in Japan, often triggering specific court rituals to ward off disaster.
- The word 蝕 shares its Middle Chinese origins with the word for 'to erode'. This gives the Japanese concept of an eclipse a more aggressive, transformative nuance than the English word 'eclipse', which comes from 'to leave out' or 'fail'.
Examples in context
- 昨日の月食見た？Did you see the eclipse yesterday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone saw a lunar eclipse using the form 食.Tatoeba #3552358 by tommy_san, translation #3552394 by CK
- 昨日の日食見た？Did you see the solar eclipse yesterday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone saw a solar eclipse using the form 食.Tatoeba #3552535 by tommy_san, translation #3552571 by CK
- 昨日の皆既月食見た？Did you see yesterday's total lunar eclipse?Tatoeba #1292841 by bunbuku, translation #1293228 by CM
- 今日は日食が見えますか？Can we see the solar eclipse today?
- 明日は月食がありますね。There will be a lunar eclipse tomorrow, right?
- ねえ、日蝕って見たことある？Hey, have you ever seen a solar eclipse?
- 今度の月蝕、一緒に見に行こうよ！Let's go see the lunar eclipse together next time!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Himari are talking about an upcoming astronomy event.
- 陽太 Yota今度の食はいつ起きるの？Kondo no shoku wa itsu okiru no?When does the next eclipse occur?
- 陽葵 Himari来月の十五日だよ。Raigetsu no jūgonichi da yo.It's on the fifteenth of next month.
- 陽太 Yota日食か月食かどっちかな？Nisshoku ka gesshoku ka docchi kana?I wonder if it's a solar or lunar eclipse?
- 陽葵 Himari今回は月食だって。Konkai wa gesshoku datte.They say it's a lunar eclipse this time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eclipse” translations and entries 食, 蝕, 日食, 月食, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 日食, 月食, 蝕, 食, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
