Which one should you use?
While とても美味しい means "very delicious", you can simply say 美味しい to mean "it is delicious" in a standard way. For different levels of intensity or style, you might use めちゃくちゃおいしい (crazy delicious) or 超ウマい (super delicious).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more casual daily conversation, すごく美味しい is a common colloquial way to say "really delicious". If you want to sound more formal or describe something as exquisite or superb, use 絶品です. In very casual or slang contexts, you can use マジ旨い (seriously delicious) or the informal, often masculine-coded うまい (tasty), which is frequently used when eating heartily.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that the food was delicious in the past tense, change the ending to the polite past form とても美味しかったです.
How do you pronounce it?
totemo oishii
When do people say it?
After a meal, it is customary to say Gochisousama deshita, which means "Thank you for the delicious meal".
Did you know?
- In Japan, making a loud slurping sound while eating noodles is often seen as a sign that the food is 美味しい and shows appreciation to the chef.
- If you are eating something that is 'super delicious' in a very trendy, youthful way, you might hear the word 激ウマ (geki-uma), where the prefix 激 means 'extreme' or 'violent'.
- Japanese has a specific word 旨味 (umami) for a 'savory' taste, which describes a fifth basic taste beyond sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
Examples in context
- この料理はとても美味しいですね！This dish is very delicious, isn't it?
- めちゃくちゃおいしい！This is crazy delicious!
- マジ旨い！Seriously delicious!
- このケーキはとても美味しいです。Kono keeki wa totemo oishii desu.This cake is so delicious.
- 母の料理はとても美味しい。Haha no ryouri wa totemo oishii.My mother's cooking is so delicious.
- このお茶はとても美味しいですね。Kono ocha wa totemo oishii desu ne.This tea is so delicious, isn't it?
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are eating at a restaurant.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、このパスタはどう？Yui, kono pasuta wa dô?Yui, how is this pasta?
- 結衣 Yuiとても美味しい！蓮さんも食べてみて。Totemo oishii! Ren-san mo tabete mite.It's so delicious! Ren, you should try some too.
- 蓮 Ren本当だ、とても美味しいね。Hontô da, totemo oishii ne.You're right, it's so delicious.
- 結衣 Yuiここに来てよかったね。Koko ni kite yokatta ne.I'm glad we came here.
