Konnichiwa, mina-san! I'm gonna teach you TWO phrases today! Since we already know how to order our food & drinks as well as ask for the bathroom when we're hung over, let's learn how to say "grace" before we eat as well as how to give thanks for our meal afterwards.

Romaji:

(before you eat) Itadakimasu! (ee-tah-DAH-kee-MAHS)

(after you eat) Gochisousama deshita (goh-ch'-SOH-sah-mah •DESH-tah)

Japanese:

(before you eat) いただきます！

(after you eat) 御馳走様でした。（ごちそうさまでした）

Meanings: "Itadakimasu" is actually a polite term for "receive" or "accept" but is used in this instance as a way to say "Let's eat!" OK, so it's not exactly a way of saying grace. "Gochisousama deshita" is equivalent to saying "Thanks for the wonderful meal," but the phrase itself is hard to translate literally. If you look it up on www.jdic.com, they don't even give you an actual meaning - it's just something you say after you finish eating, especially when you're a guest at someone else's place.

So, now you know the crazy things those anime characters say before & after eating! Have fun learning & practicing!

Written by :

porkfairy