JLPT N5
Gratitude Before a Meal
Japanese
いただきます
Itadakimasu
Lesson & Usage
- [English equivalent: "Let's eat" or "Grace."] Said before every meal, whether at home or in a restaurant. The proper form is to place your palms together (Gassho) and bow slightly. It means "I humbly receive," and expresses gratitude not just to the cook, but also to the plants and animals that became your meal.
Culture & Etiquette
- It literally means "I humbly receive." This phrase is rooted in Buddhist philosophy. It is a prayer of thanks not just to the person who paid for or cooked the food, but to the life of the plants and animals that were sacrificed, and to the nature (sun, water, soil) that allowed them to grow. It is a recognition that all life is connected.
