おいしい
oishii
The Japanese phrase for "yum yum" is おいしい (oishii).
おいしい is an expression used to say that food tastes delicious. While it is an adjective, it is very common to use it as a standalone exclamation, such as おいしい！ (It's delicious!), when eating to express enjoyment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おいしい is used casually to express that something is tasty or delicious. A more casual and masculine-sounding alternative is うまい, which is also used to describe things besides food, such as the taste of a cool drink.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that a meal was delicious in the past tense, you change おいしい to おいしかったです.
How do you pronounce it?
oishii
Did you know?
- While おいしい refers to taste, you can also use the word うまい to describe a person who is very 'good' or 'skillful' at a task.
- In Japan, saying おいしい too loudly or excessively in a formal setting can sometimes be seen as lacking refinement or being too 'childish'.
- If you want to sound very much like a child, you might use the word おいちい instead of the standard おいしい.
Examples in context
- うまい！このラーメン最高だよ。Yum! This ramen is the best!
- このケーキ、とてもおいしい！Kono ke-ki, totemo oishii!This cake is very delicious!
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are eating lunch together at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiこのパスタ、おいしいよ！Kono pasuta, oishii yo!This pasta is delicious!
- 蓮 Ren本当だ。すごくおいしいね。Hontou da. Sugoku oishii ne.You're right. It's really delicious, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yui蓮君、もっと食べる？Ren-kun, motto taberu?Ren, do you want more?
- 蓮 Renうん、おいしいから全部食べるよ。Un, oishii kara zenbu taberu yo.Yeah, it's delicious so I'll eat it all.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おいしい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
