What does it mean word for word?
ご飯できたよ is composed of ご飯 (meal/rice), できた (was completed/is ready) and the particle よ used for emphasis.
Which one should you use?
The phrase 夕飯できたよ is an informal way to say dinner is ready, while ごはんできた is a colloquial expression. For more formal situations, you can use 夕食ができました or ご飯の準備ができました, the latter of which specifically means the preparations for the main meal, rice, are complete.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form ご飯できたよ is informal and is typically used by parents calling out to children or between family members. For more formal contexts, such as speaking to someone of higher status or in a more formal household setting, you can use the polite form ご飯ができました or 夕食ができました.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, the variation ごはんできたで is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form ご飯ができました can be used instead of the default ご飯できたよ when speaking to someone of higher status or in a more formal household setting.
How do you pronounce it?
gohan dekita yo
Did you know?
- Although ご飯 means 'cooked rice', you can say ご飯できたよ even if the meal contains no rice at all, such as a platter of pasta or bread.
- The act of eating the 'ready' meal begins not with the food, but with the phrase いただきます (itadakimasu), which acknowledges the sacrifice of plants and animals.
- While ご飯 refers to the meal, the word 飯 (meshi) is a much rougher version used primarily by men or in very casual settings, which could sound aggressive if used in a polite home.
Examples in context
- お待たせしました。夕食ができました。Sorry for the wait. Dinner is ready.
- ご飯の準備ができましたので、お召し上がりください。The rice is ready, so please enjoy your meal.
- 夕飯できたよ、早く来て！Dinner is ready, come quickly!
- ごはんできた。早くして！Dinner is ready. Hurry up!
- ご飯できたよ！Gohan dekita yo!Dinner is ready!
- お母さん、ご飯できたよ。Okaasan, gohan dekita yo.Mom, dinner is ready.
Example conversation
A mother calls out to her son from the kitchen.
- 結衣 Yui健太、ご飯できたよ！Kenta, gohan dekita yo!Kenta, dinner is ready!
- 健太 Kentaわかった、今行くよ。Wakatta, ima iku yo.Okay, I'm coming now.
- 結衣 Yui早く座ってね。Hayaku suwatte ne.Sit down quickly.
- 健太 Kentaいただきます！Itadakimasu!Let's eat!
