Translation guide
How to naturally express that a meal was delicious in Japanese, including set phrases before and after eating, and casual to formal variations.
Expressing that the meal you just ate was delicious, typically said to the person who prepared it or shared it with you.
The standard polite phrase said after a meal to thank the host or cook. It literally means 'it was a feast', but conveys 'that was delicious' and gratitude.
ごちそうさまでした。とてもおいしかったです。
Thank you for the meal. It was very delicious.
A more casual version of ごちそうさまでした, used among family or close friends. Still conveys thanks and that the meal was good.
ごちそうさま！おいしかった！
Thanks for the meal! It was delicious!
Directly means 'it was delicious'. Often used together with ごちそうさまでした or on its own in casual settings.
ああ、おいしかったです。
Ah, that was delicious.
Casual form of 'it was delicious'. Used with friends and family.
おいしかった！また作ってね。
That was delicious! Make it again, okay?
Combining the thank-you phrase with the direct compliment is very natural and polite.
ごちそうさまでした。本当においしかったです。
Thank you for the meal. It was truly delicious.
Commenting on the food while eating, often when you taste something especially good.
The most common word for 'delicious'. Can be used as an exclamation or statement.
わあ、これおいしい！
Wow, this is delicious!
Polite form of おいしい. Appropriate in formal settings or with people you don't know well.
この料理、とてもおいしいです。
This dish is very delicious.
Casual, often masculine way to say 'delicious'. Used among friends or in informal situations.
うまい！このラーメン最高。
Delicious! This ramen is the best.
Means 'it looks delicious'. Used before eating or when seeing food. Not directly 'that was delicious', but related.
おいしそう！いただきます。
It looks delicious! Let's eat.
Said just before starting a meal, expressing gratitude for the food. Not a direct translation, but culturally essential.
ごちそうさまでした is a set phrase of gratitude, while おいしかったです is a direct compliment. They are often used together: ごちそうさまでした。おいしかったです。 Using only おいしかったです without ごちそうさまでした can sound slightly incomplete in formal situations.
ごちそうさまでした。おいしかったです。
Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.
Avoid directly translating 'that was a delicious meal' word-for-word as それはおいしい食事でした. While grammatically correct, it sounds unnatural and stiff. Use the set phrases above instead.
ごちそうさまでした。本当においしかったです。
That was a delicious meal! Thank you so much.
ああ、おいしかった！
Mmm, that was delicious!