What do Japanese say before and after a meal? (2024)

What do Japanese say before and after a meal?

Greetings Used Before and After Meals: “Itadakimasu” and “Gochisosama” Before eating meals, Japanese people join their hands in front of their chests and say, “itadakimasu.” After finishing, they perform the same gesture and say, “gochisosama.” These greetings are part of a day-to-day manner.

Before eating, Japanese people say "itadakimasu," a polite phrase meaning "I receive this food." This expresses thanks to whoever worked to prepare the food in the meal.

The standard phrase before a meal, “Itadakimasu” comes from the verb, “itadaku”, a humble way of saying, to eat and receive. The person who prepared the meal would reply, “Douzo meshiagare” which means, “Please help yourself.”

What is itadakimasu? The short answer: While it's often translated before meals as something similar to the French, “Bon appétit!”, itadakimasu is actually the polite and humble form of the verb “to receive”, so in a literal sense, it means, “I humbly receive”.

Can I only say it when I am dining with others? No, you can also say itadakimasu aloud when dining alone. It's nice to use in recognition of the staff at a restaurant, if you're in one, and the meal they've made you.

“Gochisousama desh*ta“ or the more casual “Gochisousama“ is a Japanese phrase used after finishing your meal, literally translated as “It was a great deal of work (preparing the meal).” Thus, it can be interpreted in Japanese as “Thank you for the meal; it was a feast.” Like “Itadakimasu“, it gives thanks to everyone ...

How to respond. If you are meeting someone for the first time, you will respond with “yoroshiku onegaishimasu”. You can add on “kochira koso, こちらこそ” to make it “kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu” to say, “likewise, nice to meet you”.

For an example, a verb meaning "to eat" is TABEMASU. Its TE-form is TABETE. So, TABETE KUDASAI means "Please eat."

Upon entering a restaurant, customers are greeted with the expression "irasshaimase" meaning "welcome, please come in". The waiter or waitress will ask you how many people are in your party and then lead you to your table.

How do you introduce yourself in Japan?

Stating Your Name (Using Watashi wa or 私 は)

(My name is ___). You can also say “To saru shimasu” or と 申 し ます which also has the same idea and meaning as the two phrases we just mentioned. You can use this basic sentence or phrase when you want to introduce yourself in Japanese.

Drink a glass of lukewarm water 30 minutes before a meal to aid digestion. ... After dinner, wait for at least one-half hour and then drink a glass of warm water. Slightly warm water helps helps break down the food in your stomach and aids digestion. This helps the body absorb nutrients.

Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm or cold water before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.

Don't get scared when the sushi chefs yell in Japanese

"We get everyone at the bar and in the kitchen to say 'irasshaimase' really loud when a customer arrives. It's to welcome you and show that they're enthusiastic about you coming into the restaurant."

Ittekimasu (行ってきます) means “I will go” and doubles as a “see you later”, or “I'll get going now”. You use this when you are leaving home. It implies that you will also be coming back. You can say it to those you're leaving behind in the morning when leaving home, or at the airport before leaving on a trip.

Itadakimasu, the Japanese way to say Bon Appetit. Saying Itadakimasu before a meal is a significant piece. of Japanese etiquette, try saying it before your meal.

What is Kuchisabishii? As per a report carried by an international journal, “kuchisabishii” is a uniquely Japanese word that literally means “lonely mouth” or “longing to have or put something in one's mouth.” It can also be explained as mindless eating or eating when you are not hungry.

If you ever watched at least one anime series, you probably already know this: “hello” in Japanese is Konnichiwa.

Tadaima (只今) literally means, “just now,” as in “I've just come home now.” When returning home, people say this as they announce their arrival usually as they open the door or step into the home.

Is Te Kudasai rude?

Kudasai is not rude in any sense but one does have to be careful with the type of Japanese you use in different situations. You just need to know how to use the Japanese you knoe correctly, who to use them with, and when the appropriate time to use it is.

Translation of "onegai itashimasu" in English

Please take care of us.

When Japanese people explicitly state “you” in their sentences, it's proper to use the person's name and attach a suffix. You are probably already familiar with “～san”, which is a polite suffix. If you use “anata” with someone who you know, it is rude. So it's better to use name plus san.

In Japan, it's common to say itadakimasu (いただきます） before eating a meal. Itadakimasu can be translated "I humbly receive". It's often compared to the Christian tradition of saying grace before a meal.

“Itadakimasu” Meaning

The expression itadakimasu literally means “I am going to receive the lives of animals and plants for my own life”, and saying this phrase before eating is a way to express your understanding of how much was sacrificed to make the meal possible as well as to express appreciation for Mother Nature.

When you enter restaurants and shops, you will hear all the staff say "irasshaimase" to say hello to the customer. Don't be afraid, the staff don't wait for any reply, but you can say thank you with a nod and a smile.