(Illustration by Yukiyo Oda/Stripes Okinawa)

In Japan, before you eat a meal, you say “itadakimasu” to express appreciation for those who cooked the food. But what about when you’ve finished your delicious meal?

Next time, try this phrase when you’re finished: “Gochisou sama deshita,” which means “Thank you for the meal.”

(“gochisou” – big meal, “sama” – a supplementary word to attach to a noun and express appreciation. “deshita” - was)

As you can guess, this is a useful phrase whether you eat at home or dine out. Say “Itadakimasu” before you start eating and “gochiso sama deshita” once you finish it.

See you in the next episode of Speakin’ Japanese!