ご馳走

• Reading: ごちそう
• Romaji: gochisou
• Kanji breakdown: 馳 (chi) — gallop, run; 走 (sou/hashi) — run
• Pronunciation: /go.tɕi.soː/

Meaning

A feast; a special meal. Also means treating someone to a meal.

Functions as a noun and する verb. ご馳走する means to treat someone to food or drink. The phrase ご馳走さまでした is said after eating to express gratitude for the meal — one of the most important Japanese dining expressions.

Examples

1. テーブルの上にご馳走がたくさん並んでいた。 There was a huge spread of food on the table.
2. 先輩が夕食をご馳走してくれました。 My senior colleague treated me to dinner.
3. ご馳走さまでした。とてもおいしかったです。 Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.

Usage Guide

Context: dining, hospitality, gratitude

Tone: polite

Origin & History

The kanji 馳走 originally meant running around (馳 = gallop, 走 = run), referring to the effort of running about to gather ingredients for guests. The honorific ご was added to show respect.

Cultural Context

Era: Pre-modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal