Maddies Manga

Food is such a big part of Japanese culture, so it’s no surprise that there are set phrases that we often say when we’re about to eat in Japanese!

Note: the photo is from this new manga on Comic Days!

What does itadakimasu mean?

While technically we can translate this verb to mean “to receive” in a very respectful tone, nowadays we use it in a similar way that we use “let’s eat!” in English.

＊We do still use this verb in the context of recieving something in a formal tone, but it’s most widely used as a way of saying “let’s eat” before a meal.

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The kanji, it’s meaning, and it’s reading in hiragana

We don’t use kanji when writing this word.

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We can write “itadakimasu” using hiragana like this: いただきます。

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Let’s try using いただきます・itadakimasu in a sentence!

Let’s try translating this sentence into Japanese:

The food has arrived! Let’s eat!

First in romaji

Gohan ga kimashita! Itadakimasu!

Now with hiragana

ごはん　が　きました！いただきます！

Now let’s add in the kanji!

ご飯　が　来ました！いただきます！

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Let’s try translating another sentence:

It looks delicious! Let’s eat.

First in romaji

Oishisou desu! Itadakimasu.

Now with hiragana

おいしそう　です！いただきます。

Now let’s add in the kanji!

美味しそう　です！いただきます。

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Let’s try translating one more sentence:

This soup smells great, doesn’t it?… Let’s eat!

First in romaji

Kono su-pu ga ii nioi ga shimasu ne. Itadakimasu!

Now with hiragana

この　スープ　が　いい　におい　が　します　ね。いただきます！

Now let’s add in the kanji!

この　スープ　が　いい　匂い　が　します　ね。いただきます！

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And that’s いただきます！Do you know what we say after we finish a meal?

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