ご馳走様でした

Japanese

Kanji in this term

Jinmeiyō
そう
Grade: 2
さま
Grade: 3
kan’on kun’yomi
Alternative spellings
ご馳走樣でした (kyūjitai)
御馳走様でした
ご馳走様 (shortened)

Etymology

Phrase composed of (go, honorific prefix) + 馳走 (chisō, treat, banquet, feast) + (sama, honorific suffix) + でした (deshita, was, polite past-tense form of the copula (da)).[1][2] Literally, “it was a feast”.

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) そーさまで [gòchísóósámá déshítá] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA(key): [ɡo̞t͡ɕi̥so̞ːsa̠ma̠ de̞ɕi̥ta̠]

Phrase

()(そう)(さま)でした (go-chisō-sama deshita) 

  1. it was delicious

Usage notes

  • This is a stock phrase required by Japanese etiquette at the end of a meal.
  • At the start of a meal, Japanese speakers say (いただ)きます (itadakimasu).

References

  1. 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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