ご飯だよ
gohan da yo
The English phrase "come eat" is translated into Japanese as ご飯だよ (gohan da yo).
This phrase is used as a call to the table rather than a literal command to 'come and eat'.
Which one should you use?
The form ご飯だよ is casual and is typically used by parents to children or between family members.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using ご飯ですよ instead of ご飯だよ makes the call more polite and suitable for speaking to elders or guests. In formal situations, you might use ご一緒に召し上がってください。 (Please join me for a meal.) or お食事にお越しください。 (Please come for a meal.). For a colloquial suggestion, you can use 一緒に飯(めし)行こう！ (Let's grab a meal together!).
How do you pronounce it?
gohan da yo
Did you know?
- While ご飯だよ tells someone a meal is ready, the response is often いただきます (itadaki-masu) before the first bite. This phrase literally means 'I humbly receive' and acknowledges the plants, animals, and people involved in the food's journey.
- The honorific prefix ご (go) is attached to the word for rice in ご飯 (gohan) even in casual family settings. This serves to show respect toward the food itself rather than the person being addressed.
- While ご飯 refers to a meal, the word 飯 (meshi) is often used in 'anime' and 'manga' to instantly signal that a character has a rough, masculine or tomboyish personality.
Examples in context
- ご飯だよ、早く来て。gohan da yo, hayaku kite.Dinner is ready, come quickly.
- あ、ご飯だよ。a, gohan da yo.Oh, food is ready.
Example conversation
A mother calls her son to the dining room for lunch.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、ご飯だよ！Kenta, gohan da yo!Kenta, come eat!
- 健太 Kentaはーい、今行くよ。Haai, ima iku yo.Okay, I'm coming.
- 陽葵 Himari今日はハンバーグだよ。Kyou wa hanbaagu da yo.It is hamburger steak today.
- 健太 Kentaやった！いただきます。Yatta! Itadakimasu.Yay! Let's eat.
