いただきます

• Reading: いただきます
• Romaji: itadakimasu
• Pronunciation: /i.ta.da.ki.ma.sɯ/

Meaning

Thanks for the food — said before eating as an expression of gratitude.

いただきます is one of the most culturally significant Japanese phrases, said with palms pressed together before eating. It expresses gratitude to the cook, the ingredients, and the effort that brought the meal to the table. Skipping it is considered rude. It has also been adopted humorously in manga and anime for non-food contexts to mean 'I'll gladly take/receive this.'

Examples

1. いただきます！美味しそう。 Itadakimasu! This looks delicious.
2. みんな揃ったし、いただきます！ Everyone's here, so — itadakimasu!
3. お弁当開けていただきます。 Let me open my bento — itadakimasu.

Usage Guide

Context: meals, eating, receiving food

Tone: grateful, ritualistic

Do Say

• いただきます！手料理嬉しい！ (Itadakimasu! I'm so happy for the home cooking!)
• いただきます、いい匂いですね (Itadakimasu, it smells wonderful)

Don't Say

• 食べ物以外のプレゼントをもらう時に「いただきます」は普通使わない (Don't use いただきます when receiving non-food gifts — use ありがとうございます)

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to say いただきます before eating — it is considered rude to start eating without it
• Thinking it means 'bon appetit' — it is closer to 'I humbly receive' and is about gratitude, not wishing others a good meal

Origin & History

Humble form of いただく (itadaku, to humbly receive), from 頂く (to receive from someone above). Originally expressed gratitude for receiving food from a higher-status person, now a universal pre-meal ritual.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional, deeply rooted custom

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan without exception. One of the most iconic Japanese cultural phrases, taught from earliest childhood.