いただきます
itadakimasubefore eating
Japanese has two phrases for meals. Before eating, characters say いただきます (itadakimasu). After eating, they say ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), the "thank you for the food". It is also called ごちそうさま (gochisōsama).
Meaning: thanks said at a meal (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| いただきます | itadakimasu | before eating |
| ごちそうさまでした | gochisōsama deshita | after eating, polite |
| ごちそうさま | gochisōsama | after eating, casual |
The closest phrase to "thank you for the food" is ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita). Anime meal scenes often show both phrases, with hands pressed together.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ごちそうさま (gochisōsama) is casual and ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita) is polite. Use the polite form in a restaurant.
When do people say it?
Both phrases are said every meal in Japan, at home and in school lunch rooms, and thank the cook and the food.
Did you know?
- The word ごちそう (gochisō) means "feast", and the phrase originally honors the effort of running around to prepare a meal.
Examples in context
- ごちそうさま、おいしかった！Gochisōsama, oishikatta!Thanks for the meal, it was delicious!
Example conversation
A family, Dad, Mom and son Taku, finish dinner at home.
- Takuいただきます！Itadakimasu!Thank you for the meal!
- Momどうぞ、召し上がれ。Dōzo, meshiagare.Please, enjoy.
- Takuごちそうさまでした！Gochisōsama deshita!Thank you for the food!
