Delicious in Japanese is おいしい (oishii), polite as おいしいです (oishii desu). It works for any food or drink, from a convenience-store rice ball to a restaurant meal. Among friends, men especially also say うまい (umai), which is more casual. To praise a cook after eating, say とてもおいしかったです (totemo oishikatta desu), "it was delicious".
- Delicious
- おいしい (oishii)
- Polite
- おいしいです (oishii desu)
- Casual
- うまい (umai)
- Looks delicious
- おいしそう (oishisō)
- Level
- A1
Oishii or umai: what is the difference?
おいしい is right for everyone in every setting. うまい means the same but sounds rougher; it is common in men's casual speech and in food TV, and some speakers avoid it. It also means "skilful" (上手い), as in 歌がうまい, "good at singing".
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| おいしい | oishii | Delicious | Anyone, anywhere |
| おいしいです | oishii desu | It's delicious | Polite: to a host or staff |
| おいしかった | oishikatta | It was delicious | After the meal |
| おいしそう | oishisō | It looks delicious | Before eating: menus, photos, a dish arriving |
| うまい | umai | Tasty | Casual, often male speech |
| おいしくない | oishiku nai | Not tasty | Gentler than まずい |
| まずい | mazui | Tastes bad | Blunt; never to the cook |
おいしい is an い-adjective, so its endings change for past and negative: おいしかった, おいしくない, おいしくなかった.
How does oishii appear in a story?
ロボ助 は 夜ご飯 を 作ります。 とても おいしい です。Robosuke wa yorugohan o tsukurimasu. Totemo oishii desu.
From Meddlesome Robot: Welcome to the Tanaka Household, chapter 1 (A1)
Adding とても (totemo) or the more casual すごく (sugoku) in front is the usual way to say "really delicious". Written in kanji, おいしい is 美味しい; both spellings are common.
What do you say during a Japanese meal?
A meal has a script: いただきます before the first bite, おいしい while eating, and ごちそうさまでした at the end. Hosts often check that the food suits you, and the right answer is an enthusiastic おいしい.
おいしそう！
Oishisō!
That looks delicious!
As the dish arrives.
これ、すごくおいしい！
Kore, sugoku oishii!
This is really good!
お口に合いますか。
Okuchi ni aimasu ka.
Is it to your taste?
What a host asks a guest.
はい、とてもおいしいです。
Hai, totemo oishii desu.
Yes, it's delicious.
ごちそうさまでした。とてもおいしかったです。
Gochisōsama deshita. Totemo oishikatta desu.
Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.
For more on いただきます and ごちそうさま, see how to say thank you in Japanese. The food words themselves are on our Japanese food vocabulary page.
How do you describe tastes in Japanese?
When おいしい isn't specific enough, these words cover the main tastes and textures you will want at the table.
- 甘いamaisweet
- 辛いkaraispicy, hot
- しょっぱいshoppaisalty
- 酸っぱいsuppaisour
- 苦いnigaibitter
- 濃いkoirich, strong
- 薄いusuiweak, mild
- さっぱりsapparilight, refreshing
- こってりkotteririch, heavy
Read free Japanese stories at A1, from family dinners to café counters, and tap any word for its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce oishii?
"Oy-shee", with the final ii held for two beats. Cutting it short sounds like a different word, so stretch the end.
Is umai rude?
Not rude, but casual and a bit rough. It is fine among friends; with a host, a teacher or anyone you speak politely to, use おいしいです.
What is the opposite of oishii?
まずい (mazui), "tastes bad". Because it is blunt, people often soften it to あまりおいしくない (amari oishiku nai), "not very tasty", or say nothing at all.
How do you say "it looks delicious" in Japanese?
おいしそう (oishisō). The そう ending means "looks like", so you say it before tasting: at a shop window, a menu photo or a dish arriving at the table.