もう食べましたか
mō tabemashita ka
In Japanese, "did you eat already?" is expressed as もう食べましたか (mō tabemashita ka).
This phrase is used to ask if someone has already eaten a meal. It is specific to the act of eating. If you wish to ask if someone has already had a drink, you should use nomimashita ka instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mō (already), tabemashita (ate/did eat) and the question particle ka.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual settings with friends or family, you can drop the polite masu endings and use the plain past form tabeta instead of tabemashita, such as in the phrase もう食べた? You can also say ごはん食べた? informally. For a formal way to ask if someone has already had their meal, you can use ごはんを食べましたか?
How do you pronounce it?
mō tabemashita ka
When do people say it?
A standard affirmative response to this question is はい、もう食べました (Yes, I have already eaten). A natural way to say "No, not yet" in response is いいえ、まだです.
Did you know?
- The word ごはん ('meal') literally means 'cooked rice', reflecting the historical central role of rice in the Japanese diet.
- In Japanese culture, asking 食べた? (Did you eat?) is often used as a casual greeting or a way to show care, similar to how English speakers might say 'How are you?'
- While ごはん means 'meal', using it in ごはん食べた? can specifically imply a request for a date or an invitation to hang out. It shifts the focus from the act of eating to the social act of sharing a meal.
Examples in context
- もう食べましたか？mō tabemashita ka?Did you eat already?
- 昼ご飯はもう食べましたか？hirugohan wa mō tabemashita ka?Did you eat lunch already?
- 朝ごはんはもう食べましたか？asagohan wa mō tabemashita ka?Did you eat breakfast already?
Example conversation
Himari asks Ren if he has eaten during their lunch break.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、もう食べましたか？Ren-kun, mō tabemashita ka?Ren, did you eat already?
- 蓮 Renいいえ、まだです。iie, mada desu.No, not yet.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、一緒に食べましょう。jā, issho ni tabemashō.Then, let's eat together.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you.
