寿司を食べます
sushi o tabemasu
To say "I eat sushi" in Japanese, use 寿司を食べます (sushi o tabemasu).
This phrase is used to express a habit or a general action of eating sushi. In Japanese, the subject I (watashi wa) is often omitted when it is clear from the context that the speaker is talking about themselves.
What does it mean word for word?
The particle を (o) acts as an object marker, marking 寿司 (sushi) as the direct object of the verb. The verb 食べます (tabemasu) means "to eat" in its polite form.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual conversation with friends or family, you can use the plain or informal form 寿司を食べる.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 食べます (tabemasu) is the polite form used to express both current habits and future actions.
How do you pronounce it?
sushi o tabemasu
Did you know?
- If you are eating at a sushi restaurant, you might hear people say 寿司をいただきます instead of 寿司を食べます. This version uses a special verb that expresses profound gratitude to the ingredients and the cook for the meal.
- While the phrase uses 寿司 (sushi), the word itself originally referred to the process of souring rice with salt and fermented vegetables, rather than the raw fish we associate with it today.
- In Japan, eating sushi with your hands is perfectly acceptable and traditional, meaning you do not always need chopsticks to 食べる sushi.
Examples in context
- 箸で寿司を食べます。I eat sushi with chopsticks.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the phrase 寿司を食べます with chopsticks.Tatoeba #6828188 by D0UG, translation #10208947 by dnjst
- 週末はよく寿司を食べます。Shūmatsu wa yoku sushi o tabemasu.I often eat sushi on weekends.
- 健康のために寿司を食べます。Kenkō no tame ni sushi o tabemasu.I eat sushi for my health.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are talking about their favorite foods.
- 美咲 Misaki美咲さんは何が好きですか？Misaki-san wa nani ga suki desu ka?What do you like, Misaki?
- 陽太 Yota私は寿司を食べます。Watashi wa sushi o tabemasu.I eat sushi.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね！私も好きです。Ii desu ne! Watashi mo suki desu.That's nice! I like it too.
- 陽太 Yota今度一緒に行きましょう。Kondo issho ni ikimashō.Let's go together next time.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
