What does it mean word for word?
The phrase contains ごちそう (gochisō), which refers to a feast or a wonderful meal that required great effort to prepare.
Which one should you use?
While ごちそうさまでした is the standard way to express gratitude, the shortened version ごちそうさま is a more casual way to say "thanks for the meal."
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the past tense でした because the gratitude is being expressed after the meal has been completed, signifying "it was a feast."
How do you pronounce it?
gochisōsama deshita
When do people say it?
In Japanese culture, it is customary to express gratitude for the meal immediately after finishing it. It is common practice to say ごちそうさまでした aloud or even perform a slight bow after finishing a meal to show respect to the cook. This phrase also serves as the counterpart to いただきます, which is said immediately before starting to eat.
Did you know?
- The word 馳走 within the phrase literally means 'to run around'. It originates from the idea of a host running around to gather various ingredients and prepare a feast for their guests.
- The word さま in the phrase is a highly respectful honorific usually reserved for people. Using it here treats the act of preparing the meal with the same reverence as a high-ranking person.
- In Japanese business culture, a junior employee often waits for the senior member of the group to finish eating and say ごちそうさま before they can finish their own meal.
Examples in context
- とても美味しかったです。ごちそうさまでした。Totemo oishikatta desu. Gochisousama deshita.It was very delicious. Thank you for the meal.
- ごちそうさまでした！お腹がいっぱいです。Gochisousama deshita! Onaka ga ippai desu.Thank you for the meal! I am full.
Example conversation
Yui and Ren have finished eating lunch at a small cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiごちそうさまでした。Gochisousama deshita.Thank you for the meal.
- 蓮 Renいえいえ。美味しかったですか？Iie iie. Oishikatta desu ka?No problem. Was it delicious?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、最高でした！Hai, saiko deshita!Yes, it was the best!
- 蓮 Renそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.I'm glad to hear that.
