おいしい
oishii
The Japanese word for "delicious" is おいしい (oishii).
おいしい is a common and direct way to express that something is pleasing to the taste.
Meaning: pleasing to taste (adj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more casual and masculine-coded way to say delicious, you can use うまい. If you are speaking to strangers or superiors, you should add です to the end of the word to make it おいしいです, which makes the expression polite.
How do you pronounce it?
oishii
Did you know?
- The word うまみ meaning 'savory taste' is derived from the same root as うまい. This term was coined by a Japanese chemist and is now used globally by chefs to describe the fifth basic taste.
- The word おいしい is sometimes used metaphorically to describe a 'delicious' or lucrative deal in business. In this context, it means a situation is highly advantageous or profitable.
- While おいしい describes taste, the word うまい can also mean 'skillful' or 'good at something'. If someone plays a guitar well, a Japanese speaker might describe their playing as うまい.
Examples in context
- この魚おいしい。This fish is delicious.This sentence shows how to use おいしい to describe a specific fish.Tatoeba #3013049 by tommy_san, translation #3049852 by CK
- バナナおいしい。Bananas are delicious.This sentence uses おいしい to describe bananas in general.Tatoeba #9865429 by Sim5634, translation #1098563 by cntrational
- 君のケーキはおいしい。Your cake is delicious.This sentence uses おいしい to describe someone's cake.Tatoeba #1212988 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #17395 by CK
- Person A: このラーメン、おいしいよね。(Kono rāmen, oishii yo ne.)
Person B: うん、本当に美味しい。(Un, hontō ni oishii.)Person A: This ramen is delicious, right?
Person B: Yes, it's really delicious. - Person A: ごちそうさまでした。(Gochisōsama deshita.)
Person B: 本当においしかったよ。(Hontō ni oishikatta yo.)Person A: Thank you for the meal.
Person B: It was really delicious. - 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are eating lunch at a cafe.
- 蓮 Renこのパスタはおいしい？Kono pasuta wa oishii?Is this pasta delicious?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、すごくおいしいです。Hai, sugoku oishii desu.Yes, it is very delicious.
- 蓮 Renよかった。僕も食べたい。Yokatta. Boku mo tabetai.That's good. I want to eat it too.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんも食べてみて。Ren-san mo tabete mite.Ren, you should try it too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おいしい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
