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Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 20

たべものFood

Tabemono

Food and how to talk about taste. Food: sakana, niku, yasai, kudamono, tamago, pan. To say a taste, the i-adjective "oishii" takes "desu" directly: oishii desu (oishii da ✗). When hungry: "onaka ga sukimashita", when thirsty: "nodo ga kawakimashita". English speakers make the mistake "oishii da" — i-adjectives take no "da". New words: sakana, niku, yasai, kudamono, tamago, pan, jūsu, oishii, onaka ga suku, nodo ga kawaku. Culture corner: itadakimasu and meal manners.

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Dialogue

i

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おいしいだ？ おいしいです？— oishii da? oishii desu?

  1. YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんn、そsoのnoさsaかkaなnaどうdōでdeすsuかka？Mike, how is that fish?
  2. MikeおOいiしshiいiだda。It's delicious. (slip: i-adjectives take "desu" directly, not "da" — say "oishii desu")
  3. YukiいI-けkeいiようyōしshiはwa「でdeすsu」でdeすsu：おoいiしshiいiでdeすsu。i-adjectives take "desu": oishii desu.
  4. MikeあA、さsaかkaなnaはwaおoいiしshiいiでdeすsu。にNiくkuもmoおoいiしshiいiでdeすsu。Ah, the fish is delicious. The meat is delicious too.

Dialogue

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おいしい！— Delicious!

  1. KenゆYuきkiさsaんn、なnaにniをoたtaべbeまmaすsuかka？Yuki, what are you eating?
  2. YukiさSaかkaなnaとtoやyaさsaいiをoたtaべbeまmaすsu。おOいiしshiいiでdeすsu。I'm eating fish and vegetables. It's delicious.
  3. KenなNaにniをoのnoみmiまmaすsuかka？What are you drinking?
  4. YukiおOちゃchaをoのnoみmiまmaすsu。くKuだdaもmoのnoをoたtaべbeまmaすsuかka？I'm drinking tea. Will you have some fruit?

Vocabulary

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さsaかkaなna

nounfish

にniくku

nounmeat

やyaさsaいi

nounvegetable

くkuだdaもmoのno

nounfruit

たtaまmaごgo

nounegg

パpaンn

nounbread

ジューjūスsu

nounjuice

おoいiしshiいi

adjectivedelicious (i-adj → oishii desu)

おoなnaかkaがgaすsuくku

verbto be hungry (→ onaka ga sukimashita)

のnoどdoがgaかkaわwaくku

verbto be thirsty (→ nodo ga kawakimashita)

Grammar

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The i-adjective "oishii" + desu

Explanation

Japanese i-adjectives (oishii, takai, atarashii) take "desu" directly to be polite: oishii desu, takai desu. They do NOT take "da" — "oishii da" ✗ → "oishii desu" ✓. "Da" goes on nouns (gakusei da) and na-adjectives (kirei da). When hungry: "onaka ga sukimashita", when thirsty: "nodo ga kawakimashita" (Japanese says it with a verb). E.g. Kono sakana wa oishii desu. Onaka ga sukimashita.

Examples

  • この さかなは おいしいです。This fish is delicious.
  • おなかが すきました。ごはんを たべます。I'm hungry. I'll eat rice.
  • のどが かわきました。ジュースを のみます。I'm thirsty. I'll drink juice.
  • にくも やさいも おいしいです。The meat and the vegetables are both delicious.

Culture

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いただきますと しょくじの マナーItadakimasu & meal manners

In Japan, you say set phrases before and after eating. And there are manners for using chopsticks. Eating is deeply connected to a feeling of gratitude.

Itadakimasu & gochisōsama

Before eating, you put your hands together and say "itadakimasu". It means "I humbly receive (this life)" — a thanks to the food. After eating, you say "gochisōsama (deshita)" — a thanks to the person who made the meal. Many people say these words even when eating alone.

Chopstick manners

Chopsticks have important rules. Never stand your chopsticks upright in the rice — it recalls a funeral. Don't pass food from chopstick to chopstick either, for the same reason. When taking food from a shared plate, some people use the back (clean) end of their chopsticks.

Oshibori and slurping

At a restaurant, you first get a cold or warm "oshibori" (a wet towel). It is for wiping your hands — not your face or neck. And when eating noodles, slurping with sound is NOT rude — it is a sign you're enjoying them. Slurp your ramen and soba!

In short: "itadakimasu" before eating, "gochisōsama" after. Don't stand your chopsticks up; slurping noodles is fine. A Japanese meal is full of gratitude and enjoyment. Enjoy your meal — itadakimasu!

Kana

i

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あじと おなかの ことば— Words for Taste and Hunger

Read the sentences in hiragana:

  • さかなは おいしいです。sakana wa oishii desuThe fish is delicious.
  • おなかが すきました。onaka ga sukimashitaI'm hungry.
  • のどが かわきました。nodo ga kawakimashitaI'm thirsty.
  • にくも やさいも おいしいです。niku mo yasai mo oishii desuThe meat and veg are both delicious.

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