How to say “Thank you for the food” in Japanese
Author: Richard
Q: I have a question for you. In anime especially in Naruto I see a lot of scenes where theyre eating and when theyre done they dont just say thank you. They say «thank you for the food». How would I say that in japanese, because I know the words I just dont know how to put them together.
Thank you before hand and for all the tips. Sevano ^_^
A: Hi Sevano,
Yes indeed, this is a literal translation of a phrase that you *always* say when you’ve had some food in Japanese:
Gochisou Sama Deshita
It’s a bit of a mouthful but a really, really important phrase to learn.
You also use it if, for example, someone pays for your meal at a restaurant.
If you see them going to pay, gently offer to pay yourself (a very important step!) to which they will say “No, no, no” and then when you leave the restaurant you give a deep bow and say ….
Gochisou sama deshita!
It will be much appreciated!
Be genki,
Richard
P.S. If though, they say “betsu betsu” that means they are splitting the bill and you’ll have to pay your share! 
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I started playing with Google Translate to figure this one out.
gochiso (ご馳走) = feast
sama (様) = like
deshita (でした) = was
So literally “It was like a feast.” Is that right? Understanding the literal translation helps me remember.
Very, very close!
It’s very interesting because 様 does indeed mean “like” but only when it is read as “you”
But … here it is read as “sama” (same kanji) which is just the posh version of “san”
So the sentence means “I’m a feast filled person” which is pretty much the same as “It was like a feast”!
So full marks for getting so close!
“I’m a feast filled person”
I like it. Many thanks for the help! And this shows that relying on word-for-word dictionary translation is not always a good idea.
Would I use “Gochisou sama deshita” if I was thanking the chef at a restaurant for a delicious meal? Thanks for your help.
Yes you would indeed – chefs always love to hear it! And if ever anyone pays for you at a restaurant you say it to them too.