お腹が空いています (おなかが すいています) – I'm Hungry
This literally means your stomach has become empty. If you're with your friends, you can say お腹が空いた [onaka ga suita] which is slightly less formal. You'll also hear お腹減った [onaka hetta] and the masculine 腹減った [hara hetta] among peers. Lastly, if you'd like to say something short and cute you should try, お腹がペコペコ [onaka ga pekopeko] which is an onomatopoeia that means your stomach is growling.
...をください – I'd Like
Do you remember how to say please when making a request? State whatever you'd like to order, and follow it with をください. For example, コーヒーをください (koohii o kudasai – I'd like a coffee, please) is my morning catchphrase!
...が食べられません (...がたべられません) – I Can't Eat...
All you vegetarians and vegans out there! Learn this phrase. Love this phrase. You can add any word at the beginning of the phrase. 肉 [niku] is "meat" so if you're on a strict veg diet, be sure to say, 肉と魚が食べられません (niku to sakana ga taberaremasen – "I can't eat meat and fish.")
...アレルギーがあります (...あれるぎーがあります) – I'm Allergic to...
Allergies can be a bit tricky to talk about. State whatever you're allergic to and add アレルギーがあります. You can also use the phrase above this one to give examples of what you can't eat. Lastly, just to be safe rather than sorry, you can ask ...が入っていますか？ [...ga haite imasu ka?] which means, "Are/Is there any ... in it?"
For example: 卵が入っていますか？ (tamago ga haitte imasu ka? – Are there any eggs in it?)
おいしいです – It's Delicious
If you're out with the guys, you'll probably hear the word うまい [umai] being sung as you feast. A casual and manly way to say something is delicious is うまい. For everyone else, おいしい is a wonderful way to say something tastes great. If you're just eyeballing a slice of cake, then おいしそう[oishisou], meaning "It looks delicious," could be useful too!
いただきます – Let's Dig In
This is used before digging into your meal. Although いただきます is often translated as "Let's dig in" or "Bon appetite," the meaning is much deeper than that. To thank everything and everyone that's contributed to the dish in front of you, you thank them with いただきます at the beginning of every meal.
ごちそうさまでした – Thanks for the Meal
After you've finished that scrumptious bowl of squid-ink noodles, you can end your meal with ごちそうさまでした. Like いただきます, ごちそうさまでした is a fixture at every meal.
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80 Easy Japanese Words and Phrases To help improve your Japanese vocabulary
RandomDo you want to start speaking Japanese right this second? Are you heading to Japan soon, desperately searching out useful phrases that you can use ASAP? Maybe you're on a quest to learn the secret expression that allows you to share all your thought...
