What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of oishii (delicious) and the suffix -sou (looks like/appears).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can adjust the politeness of the phrase depending on who you are talking to. The informal version is 美味しそう！, which is suitable for friends or family. For a more polite tone that invites agreement from the listener, use 美味しそうですね. Even higher levels of politeness exist, such as おいしそうでございます. For a casual and playful way to express that food looks good, you can use うまそう.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something looked delicious in the past, you add deshita to the end of the phrase to make 美味しそうでした.
How do you pronounce it?
oishisou
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use the past tense deshita to describe food they are currently looking at. However, you should keep oishisou in the present tense if the appearance is still being observed.
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific word 飯テロ ('meshi-tero'), meaning 'food terrorism', for photos of delicious-looking food posted online specifically to make others hungry.
- While 美味しそう describes the look of food, the word 旨い (umai), used in うまそう, historically referred to skill or dexterity rather than just taste.
- While 美味しそう focuses on appearance, the word 美味しい (delicious) is actually the 'standard' way to describe a flavor that is currently being experienced. You should only use the '-sou' version for things you haven't tasted yet.
Examples in context
- 美味しそうね。食べてみたい。That looks delicious. I'd like to try it.This sentence shows how to use 美味しそう to express an interest in trying the food.Tatoeba #8635617 by small_snow, translation #8635716 by CK
- ご馳走（ごちそう）が並（な）ぶと、いつも「おいしそうですね」と言（い）ってしまいます。Whenever there's a feast laid out, I always end up saying, "That looks delicious."
- お料理がおいしそうでございます。お世辞（せじ）ではありません。The dishes look delicious. I'm not just being polite.
- 本当（ほんとう）においしそう！今度（こんど）一緒（いっしょ）に食（た）べに行（い）きましょう。It looks so delicious! Let's go and eat it together sometime.
- 今日の晩ご飯（ばんごはん）は本当にうまそうだったよ！Dinner tonight looked absolutely delicious!
- このケーキ、とても美味しそう！Kono keeki, totemo oishisou!This cake looks very delicious!
- そのラーメン、すごく美味しそうですね。Sono raamen, sugoku oishisou desu ne.That ramen looks really delicious.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking at a food magazine together.
- 蓮 Renこのパンケーキ、美味しそう！Kono pankeeki, oishisou!This pancake looks delicious!
- 美咲 Misaki本当に。彩りが綺麗ね。Hontou ni. Irodori ga kirei ne.It really does. The colors are beautiful.
- 蓮 Ren今度、一緒に食べに行こうよ。Kondo, issho ni tabe ni ikou yo.Let's go eat it together sometime.
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ、楽しみだわ！Ii yo, tanoshimi da wa!Sounds good, I'm looking forward to it!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
