Question
I went to Japan for holiday and stayed at a Japanese inn for the first time. We were served dinner at our room and the food was so delicious.
The inn staff came after dinner to clear away the plates. I’ve learned the phrase “itadakimasu” which is said before mealtimes. I want to say “Thanks for the food” after the dinner. How should I say it in Japanese?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
ご馳走(ちそう)さまでした。
Gochisoosamadeshita.
Thank you for the food.
You must be the one who asked how to say, “Thanks for the food”. “Gochisoo” has the meaning of “a luxurious meal”.
Thus, “gochisoosamadeshita” could mean “That was a luxurious meal”. However, the original meaning of the kanji character “馳走 chisoo” is “to run or scurry about on horseback”.
It is an expression in the olden days to give thanks to the person who rushes around on horseback to gather food or supplies in order to show hospitality to a guest.
Try using this phrase to show your gratitude to the staff who spent effort to provide your meals at the inn.
For more information how to say Thank you in Japanese, check out this link:
Arigatoo is a fast way of saying "thank you" in Japanese. But do you know that there are many ways of saying "thank you"? And do you also know that these different ways target different people for different occasions? Let's find out more!
