Translation guide
How to talk about hosting or treating someone to food and drink in Japanese, including invitations, offers, and describing the act of entertaining.
The speaker wants to invite someone to eat or drink together, often offering to pay.
Literally 'to treat (someone) to a meal'. This is the most common way to say you will pay for someone's food or drink. It implies a generous, often special meal.
今度、ごちそうしますよ。
I'll treat you next time.
夕食をごちそうしてもらいました。
I was treated to dinner.
Casual way to say 'I'll treat you' or 'It's on me'. Often used among friends or colleagues for drinks or casual meals.
今日は僕がおごるよ。
It's on me today.
先輩におごってもらった。
My senior treated me.
To invite someone for a meal. More formal than ごちそうする, often used for hosting at home or a planned event.
彼らを夕食に招待しました。
We invited them for dinner.
To invite someone out for drinks. Focuses on the act of inviting rather than paying.
同僚を飲みに誘った。
I invited my colleague out for drinks.
Describing the act of welcoming and providing food/drink to guests, often at home.
To entertain or host guests, often with food and drink. Implies warm hospitality.
お客さんを手料理でもてなした。
We entertained the guests with home cooking.
日本ではお茶とお菓子で客をもてなす。
In Japan, guests are entertained with tea and sweets.
Noun meaning 'hospitality' or 'entertainment'. Often used in the context of Japanese-style hospitality.
To treat guests to food/drink, often in a generous or lavish manner. Can also mean 'to behave'.
The speaker wants to offer something to eat or drink in a casual setting.
Simple pattern: 'Please have some ~'. Use with food or drink items.
Polite way to offer: 'How about some ~?'
コーヒーはいかがですか。
Would you like some coffee?
ごちそうする is more general and can be used for formal or special meals. おごる is casual and often implies treating someone to drinks or a simple meal. おごる is rarely used in very formal situations.
上司にごちそうするのは普通ですが、おごるとは言いません。
It's normal to treat your boss to a meal (ごちそうする), but you wouldn't say おごる.
The English verb 'entertain' can be translated as 楽しませる (to amuse), but when referring to hosting with food/drink, use もてなす or ごちそうする. Using 楽しませる in this context would sound like you are providing amusement, not food.
Japanese hospitality is wonderful.
He treated his guests to expensive wine.