Words used around Japanese meals

The idea

Many people say いただきます before eating and ごちそうさまでした after a meal. ご飯 can mean cooked rice or a meal, and 箸（はし） means chopsticks. These phrases express appreciation; usage varies with the situation.

Examples

• 食たべる前まえに「いただきます」と言いいます。Before eating, I say “いただきます”.
• 食たべた後あとに「ごちそうさまでした」と言いいます。After eating, I say “ごちそうさまでした”.
• 朝あさ、ご飯はんを食たべます。I eat rice in the morning.
• 箸はしで魚さかなを食たべます。I eat fish with chopsticks.
• この料理りょうりはおいしいです。This dish is delicious.
• お茶ちゃをもう一杯いっぱいください。Another cup of tea, please.

Watch out

いただきます comes before eating, not after it. Meals and utensils vary, so do not assume that everyone eats the same way.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the Japanese form for “phrase before eating”: （いただきます／ごちそうさまでした）

   Show answer or example answer

   いただきます

   いただきます matches “phrase before eating”; ごちそうさまでした matches “phrase after eating”.

2. Choose the Japanese form for “phrase after eating”: （箸はし／ごちそうさまでした）

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   ごちそうさまでした

   ごちそうさまでした matches “phrase after eating”; 箸 matches “chopsticks”.

3. Choose the Japanese form for “chopsticks”: （箸はし／いただきます）

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   箸

   箸 matches “chopsticks”; いただきます matches “phrase before eating”.

Use it today

Use the reference to make two sentences of your own about this topic. Read them aloud and compare them with the examples.