食べ物が大好きです
tabemono ga daisuki desu
The English phrase "I love food" is expressed in Japanese as 食べ物が大好きです (tabemono ga daisuki desu).
This phrase is a statement used to express a strong liking for eating or for food in general.
What does it mean word for word?
The word for food, 食べ物 (tabemono), is composed of the verb stem for "eat" and the word for "thing". The expression for "love" or "really like", 大好き (daisuki), is composed of the prefix dai (big) and suki (like).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard polite form is 食べ物が大好きです, which is used when speaking to strangers or superiors. You can use the informal version, 食べ物が大好きだ, when speaking with friends or family.
How does it change in a sentence?
To intensify your affection, you can add the word totemo (very or extremely) before daisuki.
How do you pronounce it?
tabemono ga daisuki desu
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using daisuki, do not use the object particle o (e.g., 食べ物を大好きです). Instead, you must use the particle ga.
Did you know?
- While 大好き (daisuki) is used here for food, it is also the standard way to confess romantic love to someone for the first time in Japan.
- If you want to say you are a 'foodie' or someone who is obsessed with food, you might use the slang term 食いしん坊 (kuishinbou). This uses the same root for 'eat' but carries a much more playful, sometimes gluttonous connotation.
- In a highly formal or 'elegant' setting, such as a traditional tea ceremony, one might refer to food using the more refined term 御料理 (oryouri) rather than the everyday 食べ物 (tabemono).
Examples in context
- 私は食べ物が大好きです。I love food.
- 食べ物が大好きだ！I love food!
- 寿司が大好きです。I love sushi.
- ラーメンが大好きだ！I love ramen!
- お寿司がとても大好きだ！I absolutely love sushi!
- 本当に食べ物が大好きです！hontou ni tabemono ga daisuki desu!I really love food!
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking about their hobbies.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さんは、趣味は何ですか？Hiroto-san wa, shumi wa nan desu ka?Hiroto, what are your hobbies?
- 大翔 Hiroto私は食べ物が大好きです。Watashi wa tabemono ga daisuki desu.I love food.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！私も大好きです。Ii desu ne! Watashi mo daisuki desu.That's great! I love it too.
- 大翔 Hiroto今度、美味しいお店に行きましょう。Kondo, oishii omise ni ikimashou.Let's go to a delicious restaurant next time.
