What to Say Before and After Eating in Japan

Before eating in Japan you say いただきます (itadakimasu). After eating you say ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), “thank you for the meal”, and you say it again to the staff as you leave a restaurant. To compliment the food, say おいしいです (oishii desu) while you eat and おいしかったです (oishikatta desu) at the end.

A meal in Japan, step by step

Who says what, from walking in to walking out. The phrases are explained below, each with audio.

For getting seated, ordering and allergies, see the 25 Japanese restaurant phrases.

What to say before eating: itadakimasu

いただきます (itadakimasu) comes from いただく, the humble verb for “to receive”. It thanks the cook, the people paying and the food itself. Say it just before your first bite, often with your palms together. At a restaurant it is said to yourself or to your table, not to the staff, so keep it quiet.

It is the same at home, at a friend’s house and at a work lunch. If someone else is paying, wait for them, or for the oldest person at the table, to start.

What to say after eating: gochisōsama deshita

ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita) means “thank you for the meal”. 御馳走ごちそう is a feast; the kanji 馳走ちそう originally meant running around to gather the food. Say it when you put your chopsticks down, and again on your way out.

• ごちそうさまでした: polite, right for restaurants and hosts.
• ごちそうさま: casual, for family and friends.
• ごちそうになりました: “thank you for treating me”, to whoever paid.

What to say when leaving a restaurant in Japan

Say ごちそうさまでした to the staff after you pay, or as you pass the counter on the way out. The staff call out ありがとうございました, often followed by またお越こしくださいませ, “please come again”. That exchange is the whole goodbye; さようなら sounds odd here.

At a counter where the cook made your food in front of you (sushi, ramen, yakitori), say it to the cook directly. とてもおいしかったです。ごちそうさまでした。 “That was really delicious. Thank you for the meal” is the warmest version. At a large chain a short ごちそうさまでした and a nod are plenty.

How to compliment food in Japanese

• おいしいです (oishii desu): “it’s delicious”, while eating.
• おいしかったです (oishikatta desu): “it was delicious”, after the meal or when leaving.
• このスープ、おいしいですね: naming the dish sounds more natural than a general compliment.
• うまい！ (umai): “tasty!”, casual. Fine at a ramen counter with friends; at a business dinner use おいしいです.

What restaurant staff say to you

Press ▶ to hear a phrase. Audio is Google Cloud text-to-speech, not a recording of a person.

Phrases to say, with audio

Meal phrase card

Frequently asked questions

What do you say when leaving a restaurant in Japan?

Say ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), “thank you for the meal”, to the staff as you pay or walk out. They answer ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita). To add a compliment, start with おいしかったです (oishikatta desu), “it was delicious”. You do not need さようなら (sayōnara).

What does itadakimasu mean?

いただきます (itadakimasu) comes from いただく, the humble verb for “to receive”. Said before eating, it thanks everyone and everything that made the meal possible. Many people put their palms together as they say it.

Do you say itadakimasu at a restaurant?

Yes. Say it quietly to yourself or to the people at your table before the first bite. It is not addressed to the staff, and nobody expects an answer.

What is the difference between itadakimasu and gochisousama?

いただきます is said before eating. ごちそうさまでした is said after eating, and again to the staff or host as you leave. One opens the meal, the other closes it.

How do you compliment food in Japanese?

Say おいしいです (oishii desu), “it is delicious”, while eating, and おいしかったです (oishikatta desu), “it was delicious”, after. Name the dish to sound natural: このスープ、おいしいですね (kono sūpu, oishii desu ne).

Is it rude to say umai?

うまい (umai) is casual, not rude. It is common among friends and in casual places such as ramen counters. With a host, an older person or at a business dinner, use おいしいです instead.

What do you say when someone treats you to a meal?

Say ごちそうさまでした or ごちそうになりました (gochisō ni narimashita), “thank you for treating me”, to the person who paid. The next time you meet them, it is polite to thank them again: 先日せんじつはごちそうさまでした, “thank you for the meal the other day”.

What do Japanese restaurant staff say when you walk in?

They call いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), “welcome”. You do not need to answer it; a nod or a smile is enough. Then they ask 何名様なんめいさまですか (nanmei-sama desu ka), “how many people?”.

More Japanese for your trip

• The 20 most important Japanese survival phrases
• 25 Japanese restaurant phrases (getting seated, ordering, paying)
• Japanese ramen words: a menu dictionary
• 25 Japanese hotel phrases
• 25 Japanese transportation phrases (what to say at the station)
• Japanese train announcements, explained line by line
• Japanese konbini phrases: what the clerk asks you
• Practise saying phrases with the 10-minute shadowing routine

Last reviewed October 28, 2026. Readings follow JMdict. Customs are common practice in Japan and vary by place and by person.