An intake control method for an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine comprising: - an intake throttle valve disposed in an intake passage and having a target opening area set in accordance with a target fresh air amount determined for each operating point of the internal combustion engine, - an EGR passage provided for communication between a portion in the intake passage upstream, in an intake flow, of the intake throttle valve and an exhaust passage, - an EGR valve disposed in the EGR passage and having a target opening area set in accordance with a target EGR gas amount determined for each said operating point, and - a negative pressure generating valve disposed at a position in the intake passage upstream, in the intake flow, of a confluence with the EGR passage, the intake control method comprising: - setting a target intake pressure, which is a target value of an intake pressure in the intake passage between the negative pressure generating valve and the intake throttle valve, necessary for performing EGR control in a state of an exhaust pressure determined for each said operating point; - setting a target total opening area, which is a sum of a target opening area of the EGR valve and a target opening area of the negative pressure generating valve, on the basis of the target intake pressure, the target fresh air amount, and the target EGR gas amount; - setting a target EGR valve opening area, which is an opening area of the EGR valve for achieving the target EGR gas amount, assuming that the negative pressure generating valve is fully open; and - setting a value obtained by subtracting the target EGR valve opening area from the target total opening area to be a target negative pressure generating valve opening area, which is a target value of an opening area of the negative pressure generating valve, wherein the negative pressure generating valve is controlled based on the target negative pressure generating valve opening area. - an intake throttle valve disposed in an intake passage and having a target opening area set in accordance with a target fresh air amount determined for each operating point of the internal combustion engine, - an EGR passage provided for communication between a portion in the intake passage upstream, in an intake flow, of the intake throttle valve and an exhaust passage, - an EGR valve disposed in the EGR passage and having a target opening area set in accordance with a target EGR gas amount determined for each said operating point, and - a negative pressure generating valve disposed at a position in the intake passage upstream, in the intake flow, of a confluence with the EGR passage, - setting a target intake pressure, which is a target value of an intake pressure in the intake passage between the negative pressure generating valve and the intake throttle valve, necessary for performing EGR control in a state of an exhaust pressure determined for each said operating point; - setting a target total opening area, which is a sum of a target opening area of the EGR valve and a target opening area of the negative pressure generating valve, on the basis of the target intake pressure, the target fresh air amount, and the target EGR gas amount; - setting a target EGR valve opening area, which is an opening area of the EGR valve for achieving the target EGR gas amount, assuming that the negative pressure generating valve is fully open; and - setting a value obtained by subtracting the target EGR valve opening area from the target total opening area to be a target negative pressure generating valve opening area, which is a target value of an opening area of the negative pressure generating valve,