[Studying Japanese: “greeting of meals” in Japanese]

Good evening! It was the new week.
Thank you for reading always!

Let’s study “greeting of meals” in Japanese today!
In Japan, there are greetings used habitually.

Here we go! lesson!

① When you start eating.
“Itadaki masu”.
（Similar meanings ： Let’s eat!）
② When you end eating.
“Go chisou sama”. or “Go chisou sama deshita”.
（Similar meanings ： Thank you for the meal.）

There is not the Japanese who does not know these two words.
Because these two words are like the mind of Japan.

■”Itadakimasu”
“Itadakimasu” means “I will get it”.
This is coming from “I will get life of plants and animals (that became meal)”.

We eat a meal to live. Therefore, we eat lots of animals and plants everyday. Japanese people think that meals are “getting animals and plants life.”
The word of “Itadakimasu” is expressing gratitude to animals and plants.

■”Go chisou sama”
“Go chisou sama”, it added “go” and “sama” of a Japanese honorific expression to “Chisou”.
This “chisou” means to run. In the past, people ran around hunting for customers’ cooking. Hunting was of life or death.
“Go chisou sama” mean for expressing gratitude “thank you” for that action.

“Greeting of a meal” has a very deep meaning. That’s a wonderful word.

It’s easy Japanese, so I’ll try it out!