Itadakimasu — Japanese Dining Phrases and Table Manners
What itadakimasu and gochisōsama actually mean, chopstick taboos with dark origins, and the phrases that make you welcome at any Japanese table.
Japanese meals are bracketed by two set phrases. Before eating: いただきます (itadakimasu), literally “I humbly receive” — thanks aimed at everyone and everything that produced the meal, cook and fish included. After: ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), “it was a feast”. Skipping them feels as abrupt as hanging up a phone without goodbye.
The essential table phrases
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いただきます | いただきます itadakimasu | said before eating — “I gratefully receive” |
| ごちそうさまでした | ごちそうさまでした gochisousamadeshita | said after eating — “thank you for the meal” |
| 乾杯 | かんぱい kanpai | cheers! — lit. “dry the cup” |
| 美味しい | おいしい oishii | delicious — the word you'll use most |
| お腹がすいた | おなかがすいた onakagasuita | I'm hungry |
| お会計お願いします | おかいけいおねがいします okaikeionegaishimasu | check, please |
Chopstick rules with a reason
Two chopstick taboos come straight from funerals, which is why breaking them genuinely startles people: never stand chopsticks upright in rice (that's how rice is offered to the dead), and never pass food chopstick-to-chopstick (cremated bones are passed that way). Everything else — even asking for a fork — is completely forgivable. Resting chopsticks across the bowl or on the hashioki (chopstick rest) is all the polish you need.
Slurping is legal
Noisily slurping noodles is not rude; it cools the noodles and signals enjoyment. Lifting your rice bowl to chest height is correct form, not bad manners. The one modern rule: don't stab food with chopsticks like a skewer. Learn the kanji 食 (eat) and 飲 (drink) — they anchor half the phrases on this page.
🔊 Tap any word in the vocabulary tables to hear it spoken.