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Handy Phrase - Itadaki masu -
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いただきます Close translation: “I’m happy to eat it!”
Any decent Japanese person would utter this phrase before eating a meal. Often combined with the gesture of putting palms together to show veneration and appreciation to the divine. In that sense, it may be the equivalent of saying grace, but it also entails appreciation for all those who (or what) have made that food ready to eat, and non-religious people also use it. So when you have a meal in a Japanese restaurant, why don’t you use it before eating? That will surely put a smile on people who prepare and serve your food, and probably, someone who is sitting at a table next to yours. The literal meaning of the phrase is “I will accept it with pleasure”, and it is also used to receive something offered (e.g., a gift). |