Itadakimasu and Gochisōsama: What Japanese Say Before and After Eating

Itadakimasu and Gochisousama: いただきます and ごちそうさま

いただきます (itadakimasu, “thank you (for the meal just served)”) is what Japanese people say before they eat, and ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita, “thank you for the meal”) is what they say when they finish. Together they work like a spoken thank-you that opens and closes a meal.

Both are small thank-yous, said with a nod or with the palms pressed together.

Itadakimasu meaning: why Japanese say it before eating

いただきます comes from いただく (itadaku, “to receive”), a humble verb. Its older sense is "to wear on one's head". The word may have started with lifting food to the head or forehead as a sign of respect. The ます ending makes it polite: "I humbly receive this".

Who is thanked? Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) explains いただきます as thanks to nature for the gifts that became the food. Many people also mean the people who grew, carried and cooked it. In a 2012 survey, more people aimed these greetings at whoever made the meal than at the food itself.

It is a thanks, not a formal prayer, though it is often said with the hands together and a small bow. One survey Tofugu cites found that 64% of people put their hands together.

What did Japanese say before eating? A short history

Less than you might think. In the days of the individual boxed meal tray (箱膳), saying いただきます was far from universal. A 1983 survey by the National Museum of Ethnology asked people aged 70 and over about their childhood, and not all of them had said it.

Researchers think it became a fixed habit later, through upbringing and schooling around the time of Japan's militarisation in the 20th century. That is a best guess, not a settled fact.

Gochisousama meaning: what to say after eating

ごちそうさま is written ご馳走 (ごちそう, gochisō, “treat (esp. food and drink)”) plus the polite 様. The root, 馳走 (ちそう, chisō, “running about”), once meant "running about": the effort made to feed you. It later came to mean a treat or a fine meal. MAFF says ごちそうさま thanks the cook and everyone who brought the food to the table, such as farmers and fishers.

Gochisousama or gochisousama deshita?

The difference is politeness, not meaning. ごちそうさまでした is the polite form: use it with people you do not know well, and in restaurants. ごちそうさま is the casual form for family and friends.

• At a restaurant. Many guides say to tell the staff as you pay or leave. It is common, not required. Staff at small places may answer with ありがとうございました.
• When someone pays for you. The same phrase thanks them for the treat, since ご馳走 also means treating someone to a meal.

When to say them

• Before the first bite: いただきます, once the food is served, also in restaurants. In a formal setting, many guides say to wait for the most senior person to start.
• After the last bite: ごちそうさまでした, as soon as you finish.
• Alone: many people say them when eating alone too.

More: Thank You in Japanese and Please in Japanese.

Questions about itadakimasu and gochisousama

Why do Japanese say Itadakimasu before eating?

Japanese people say いただきます to give thanks for the meal. Japan's agriculture ministry explains it as thanks to nature for the food, and many people also mean those who grew and cooked it.

What did Japanese say before eating?

Japanese people today say いただきます before eating. A century ago it was far from universal: in the boxed-tray days, many households had no spoken greeting.

How do you pronounce Gochisousama?

Say go-chi-sō-sa-ma, with a long "o" in the third part. The kana is ごちそうさま, and the う makes the そ long.

What is the difference between itadakimasu and gochisousama deshita?

いただきます ("I receive") is said before eating, and ごちそうさまでした ("thank you for the meal") after.

Can I just say gochisousama?

Yes. ごちそうさま is correct and common with family and friends. With people you do not know well, add でした.

How do Japanese say sorry?

The two common ways are ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) and すみません (sumimasen). See Sorry in Japanese for when to use each.

What is the 5 minute rule in Japan?

That question is not about meals. It most likely refers to 五分前行動 (ごふんまえこうどう, gofunmaekōdō, “arriving five minutes early”).

What does "I suki you" mean?

"I suki you" mixes English and Japanese: 好き (すき, suki, “liking”) means "liking", so it is roughly "I like you". I Love You in Japanese covers how people really say it.

How do I reply to Daisuki?

There is no single fixed reply to 大好き (だいすき, daisuki, “liking very much”), which means "like very much". If you feel the same, say so in the same plain words.

What does "gachi gachi" mean?

ガチガチ has three dictionary senses: chattering (of teeth), stiff (from cold or worry), and rigid or overly serious.

Does yakamashi mean shut up?

Not exactly: やかましい (yakamashii, “noisy”) means "noisy" or "loud". Snapped at someone, it can be a rude way to ask for quiet, so avoid it.

How do you say what the f * ck in Japanese?

That is a crude phrase and not part of this topic.

Sources

• Readings and meanings: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0).
• Origin of いただく, the 2012 survey and the history of the greeting: Japanese Wikipedia, いただきます; Unseen Japan, the itadakimasu school ban rumour.
• Origin of ごちそうさま: Japanese Wikipedia, ごちそうさま.
• Who is thanked: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, meal greetings and the importance of life and food.
• Usage: Coto Academy, Itadakimasu and Gochisousama Deshita; Japanetic, Why Gochisousama Matters; Voyapon, Itadakimasu and Gochisousama; Tofugu, What Does Itadakimasu Mean?.
• Reviewed independently; the points about the history, the hands-together gesture, restaurants, the casual forms and the replies to daisuki are waiting for a native speaker's check.