とても美味しい
totemo oishii
The English phrase "very tasty" is translated into Japanese as とても美味しい (totemo oishii).
The phrase is used to describe food or drink that has a very pleasant flavor. While the full phrase means "very tasty", in casual conversation, Japanese speakers often omit the "very" and simply say 美味しい to express enjoyment of a meal.
What does it mean word for word?
とても (totemo) means "very" and 美味しい (oishii) means "tasty".
Which one should you use?
For a more casual and conversational tone, you can use すごく美味しい to mean "really tasty". If you want to express that something is "crazy delicious" or "absurdly tasty", you can use the informal expression めちゃくちゃおいしい.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
とても美味しい and たいへんおいしい are polite and formal ways to convey how delicious a dish is. たいへん (taihen) acts as an intensifier meaning "very" or "extremely". In contrast, すごく美味しい and めちゃくちゃおいしい are informal, with the latter being a very casual way to say something is "crazy delicious".
How do you pronounce it?
totemo oishii
Did you know?
- The intensifier めちゃくちゃ (mechakucha) used in めちゃくちゃおいしい (mechakucha oishii) literally translates to 'extremely messy' or 'disorganized'. Using it to mean 'very' is a way of saying the taste is so good it is 'out of order'.
- The word 美味しい (oishii) is thought by some to be related to the idea of being 'lucky' or 'blessed' in its historical roots, implying that eating good food is a fortunate experience.
- While you might expect to say 美味しい to mean 'tasty', many Japanese people use the word うまい (umai) to mean 'delicious' in casual settings. However, うまい can also mean 'skillful' or 'good at something', so context is key.
Examples in context
- このお寿司はとてもおいしいです。This sushi is very tasty.
- この料理はたいへんおいしいです。This dish is extremely tasty.
- これはすごくおいしいケーキだね。This cake is really delicious, right?
- そのラーメン、めちゃくちゃおいしかったよ！That ramen was insanely 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 very tasty.
- このスープはとても美味しいね。Kono suupu wa totemo oishii ne.This soup is very tasty, isn't it?
- 母の料理はとても美味しい。Haha no ryouri wa totemo oishii.My mother's cooking is very tasty.
Example conversation
Two friends are eating lunch at a new restaurant.
- 結衣 Yui大翔、このパスタとても美味しいよ！Hiroto, kono pasuta totemo oishii yo!Hiroto, this pasta is very tasty!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だ。とても美味しいね。Hontou da. Totemo oishii ne.You're right. It's very tasty.
- 結衣 Yuiまたここに来ようね。Mata koko ni koyou ne.Let's come here again.
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、ぜひそうしよう。Un, zehi sou shiyou.Yeah, let's definitely do that.
