Learn the Japanese Word Aku

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by Namiko Abe
Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years.
Updated February 04, 2019

The Japanese word aku, pronounced "ah-koo", is a commonly-used word translated to mean "to open", "to begin", or "to become vacant".

Japanese Characters

あく

Example

Kono seki wa aite imasu ka.
この席は空いていますか。

Translation: Is this seat taken?