食べて
tabete
The English phrase 'eat it' is translated into Japanese as 食べて (tabete).
食べて is used to tell someone to consume food. Depending on the context, it can function as a casual request or a soft command.
Which one should you use?
While 食べて is used as a soft request or suggestion, the form たべろ (tabero) is a much more forceful and straightforward command. For a more polite request, you should use 食べてください. Additionally, the colloquial form 食べてて is a contraction of 食べていて and is used to mean 'keep eating' or 'go ahead and eat' while something else is happening.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
食べて is an informal form. For a polite way to say 'please eat it', use 食べてください. The form たべろ is an informal, forceful command.
How does it change in a sentence?
食べて is the te-form of the verb 食べる (to eat), used here as a casual request or command. The colloquial form 食べてて implies a continuous state of eating.
How do you pronounce it?
tabete
Did you know?
- While 食べて tells someone to eat, Japanese people often accompany the act of starting a meal with いただきます, which literally means 'I humbly receive'.
- In very formal settings, a host might not tell a guest 食べて directly, but instead use a phrase like どうぞ, which functions as an invitation to begin eating.
- When using the forceful command たべろ, it can sound like the dialogue of a character in a high-intensity manga or an action movie rather than natural daily speech.
Examples in context
- 一口で食べてみよう。I will try to eat it in one bite.This sentence shows how to use 食べて to express trying to eat something in one bite.Tatoeba #190640 by small_snow, translation #1310420 by CC
- 先食べてていいよ。冷めちゃうから。Go ahead and eat. It will get cold.This sentence demonstrates the use of the colloquial 食べてて to tell someone to go ahead and eat.Tatoeba #2690740 by tommy_san, translation #2698773 by WestofEden
- さあ、できたての温かいうちに食べてください。Please eat it while it's still hot.This sentence shows the polite usage of the phrase to encourage eating while food is hot.Tatoeba #1071236 by bunbuku, translation #1084165 by Scott
- どうぞ、召し上がってください。Please, eat it.
- さっさとたべろ！Eat it quickly!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At home, Himari serves a meal to Kenta.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、熱いうちに食べて。Kenta, atsui uchi ni tabete.Kenta, eat it while it's hot.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう、すごく美味しそうだね。Arigatou, sugoku oishisou dane.Thanks, it looks really delicious.
- 陽葵 Himari喜んでもらえて嬉しいわ。Yorokonde moraete ureshii wa.I'm happy you like it.
- 健太 Kentaいただきます！Itadakimasu!Let's eat!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
