召し上がれ
meshagare
The English phrase "enjoy the food" is translated into Japanese as 召し上がれ (meshagare).
召し上がれ is used by the person providing the food, such as a chef or someone who has cooked a meal for others, to tell the guests to start eating and enjoy their meal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
召し上がれ is considered informal or standard in register and is typically used by a host, a cook or a parent to those they are serving.
How do you pronounce it?
meshagare
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 召し上がれ to thank a host for a meal, but it should only be used by the person offering the food.
When do people say it?
When you are the one serving a meal, you can say 召し上がれ to your guests. Before starting a meal, a polite way to say "I will humbly receive this delicious food" is おいしくいただきます. After finishing a meal, it is customary to say ごちそうさまでした to mean "Thank you for the feast." To express that the food is delicious, you can use the informal おいしい！ or the informal うまい！
Did you know?
- The word 召し上がる literally combines 'to summon' and 'to go up'. It frames the act of eating as an elevated or noble action performed by the guest.
- While 召し上がれ is a kind invitation, using it to a superior, such as a boss or a teacher, can be seen as slightly too casual or even patronizing.
- The phrase 召し上がれ is actually an imperative form of the honorific verb 召し上がる, meaning 'to eat'.
Examples in context
- 温かいうちに、召し上がれ。atatakai uchi ni, meshiagare.Enjoy the food while it's hot.
- 手作りの料理、召し上がれ。tezukuri no ryouri, meshiagare.Enjoy the homemade cooking.
Example conversation
Ren serves a homemade meal to Misaki at home.
- 蓮 Ren美咲、準備ができたよ。Misaki, junbi ga dekita yo.Misaki, it is ready.
- 美咲 Misakiわあ、美味しそう！Waa, oishisou!Wow, it looks delicious!
- 蓮 Renさあ、召し上がれ。Saa, meshiagare.Now, enjoy the food.
- 美咲 Misakiいただきます！Itadakimasu!Let's eat!
