Learn the Japanese Word Aku

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By
Namiko Abe
Japanese Language Expert
  • B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University
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.
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Namiko Abe
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?

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Your Citation
Abe, Namiko. "Learn the Japanese Word Aku." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/aku-meaning-and-characters-2028520. Abe, Namiko. (2020, August 28). Learn the Japanese Word Aku. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/aku-meaning-and-characters-2028520 Abe, Namiko. "Learn the Japanese Word Aku." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/aku-meaning-and-characters-2028520 (accessed March 6, 2021).