The kanji 客 primarily means "guest," "visitor," or "customer." It refers to someone who is invited, welcomed, or comes to a place for a specific purpose. It implies a sense of hospitality and a temporary presence. The character also embodies the idea of a receiver or recipient, someone who is being entertained or served.

・On-yomi (音読み): キャク (kyaku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ま（れ） (ma(re)) – rare, as in "rare guest"

⚫︎ お客様 Translation: Customer; guest. ⚫︎ 客間 Translation: Guest room; parlor. ⚫︎ 旅行客 Translation: Traveler; tourist.

The kanji 客 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side of the character is a radical, and it is a simplified version of the "宀" (うかんむり), meaning "roof" or "house." The right side of the character is "各" (かく, kaku), which gives a phonetic suggestion to the sound of the word "kyaku." The combination suggests someone who is "under a roof," and the phonetic component provides a clue to its pronunciation. It has developed over time to represent someone who is received in a house or establishment.