食べすぎました
tabesugimashita
The English phrase "I ate too much" is expressed in Japanese as 食べすぎました (tabesugimashita).
This phrase is used to state that you have consumed more food than you should have.
Which one should you use?
While 食べすぎました is the standard polite form, the plain form 食べすぎた is used in casual conversation with friends or family. Additionally, the noun form 食べすぎ can be used alone in casual speech to express "overeating" or "eating too much".
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual conversation, the plain/dictionary form 食べすぎた is used instead of the polite 食べすぎました.
How do you pronounce it?
tabesugimashita
Did you know?
- In Japanese, saying you ate too much is often a way to compliment the cook, subtly implying the food was so delicious that you could not stop eating.
- Japanese culture has a specific term 食いしん坊 for a 'glutton' or someone who frequently 食べすぎた, but it is often used affectionately for children or food lovers rather than as a harsh criticism.
- The phrase is composed of the verb 'taberu' (to eat) and 'sugiru' (to pass a limit), which can be attached to almost any verb to mean 'doing something excessively'.
Examples in context
- すみません、食べ過ぎてしまいました。Excuse me, but I ate too much.
- ちょっと多く食べちゃった！Oops, I ate way too much!
- すぎるくらい食べちゃった。I went overboard and pigged out.
- 昨日の夜、食べすぎました。Kinō no yoru, tabesugimashita.I ate too much last night.
- つい、食べすぎました。Tsui, tabesugimashita.I accidentally ate too much.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are finishing a large meal at a restaurant.
- 結衣 Yuiもう無理です。食べすぎました。Mou muri desu. Tabesugimashita.I can't eat anymore. I ate too much.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんもか。僕もたくさん食べたよ。Yui-san mo ka. Boku mo takusan tabeta yo.You too, Yui? I ate a lot as well.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんはまだ食べられますか？Kenta-san wa mada taberaremasu ka?Can you still eat more, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、僕も限界です。Iie, boku mo genkai desu.No, I've reached my limit too.
