おいしい

• Reading: おいしい
• Romaji: oishii
• Pronunciation: /o.i.ɕi.i/

Meaning

Delicious; tasty; good-tasting. One of the most frequently used words when eating.

An i-adjective meaning delicious or tasty. While the kanji 美味しい exists, hiragana おいしい is the standard written form. This is one of the first words learners use in real-life situations. The casual equivalent うまい is more masculine and informal. Conjugates regularly: おいしくない, おいしかった.

Examples

1. お母さんの料理はおいしいです。 My mom's cooking is delicious.
2. この店のラーメンはとてもおいしかった。 The ramen at this place was really good.
3. おいしいレストランを知っていますか。 Do you know a good restaurant?

Usage Guide

Context: food, restaurants, daily life

Tone: positive

Origin & History

Derived from the honorific prefix お plus いしい, originally meaning something worthy of praise. The kanji form 美味しい uses 美 (beautiful) and 味 (flavor).

Cultural Context

Era: Edo

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal