How to say “delicious” in Japanese
In the Japanese language, there are several expressions for ‘delicious’. In this blog post, however, I will focus on the most widely-used one, “oishii”, and also its polite and less-polite expressions. Let’s get started!Contents
- Definition and meaning of “oishii”
- Kanji of “oishii”
- Example #1: how to say “delicious” in Japanese
- Example #2: how to say “delicious” politely in Japanese
- Definition and meanings of “umai”
- Example #3: how to say “tasty” in Japanese
- Summary
Definition and meaning of “oishii”
First of all, let me start with the definition and meaning of “oishii”.- oishii – 美味しい (おいしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘delicious’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, it can also mean ‘tasty’ or just ‘good’.
Kanji of “oishii”
Below are the kanji characters used in “oishii”.- 美 : a kanji character used to mean ‘beautiful’ in Japanese. it can also be found in other words like “utsukushii“.
- 味 : a kanji character used to mean ‘taste’ in Japanese.
Then, let me explain how to use “oishii” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “delicious” in Japanese
kono nomimono wa oishii – この飲み物は美味しい (こののみものはおいしい)
This drink is delicious.
This drink is delicious.
- kono – この : a prenominal adjective used to describe its following noun with the meaning of ‘this’. It can be used in the same way as “this” in English.
- nomimono – 飲み物 (のみもの) : a noun meaning ‘drink’ in Japanese. Learn more about “nomimono“.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, it is put after the noun phrase, “kono nomimono”, to make the subject in the sentence.
Next, then, let me explain how to say “delicious” in a polite way in Japanese.
Example #2: how to say “delicious” politely in Japanese
kono nomimono wa oishii desu – この飲み物は美味しいです (こののみものはおいしいです)
This drink is delicious.
This drink is delicious.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb put after a noun or adjective to make it polite. In the example, it is put after the i-adjective, “oishii”, to make it sound polite.
So far, I’ve explained “oishii” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to make it sound polite. Next, then, let me explain how to say “delicious” casually in Japanese.
Definition and meanings of “umai”
Below is the casual expression of “oishii”.- umai – 美味い/旨い (うまい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘delicious’ or ‘tasty’ in Japanese. It sounds more causal than “oishii”.
Then, let me explain how to use “umai” through the example sentence below.
Example #3: how to say “tasty” in Japanese
kono nomimono wa umai – この飲み物は美味い (こののみものはうまい)
This drink is tasty.
This drink is tasty.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the word, “oishii”, in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained its polite and less-polite expressions. Let me summarize them as follows.- oishii – 美味しい (おいしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘delicious’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, it can also mean ‘tasty’ or just ‘good’. Its two kanji characters literally mean ‘beautiful taste’. This concept is not close to the meaning, ‘delicious’. But, if we could visualize the taste of delicious things, it should be beautiful.
- umai – 美味い/旨い (うまい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘delicious’ or ‘tasty’ in Japanese. It sounds more causal than “oishii”.
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