いただきますitadakimasu
Quick definition:Itadakimasu is a Japanese phrase said before eating or drinking, expressing thanks for the food and for everyone who helped to produce and prepare it.
Meaning
Itadakimasu is the phrase said at the start of a meal in Japan, usually with hands pressed together. It is often translated as I humbly receive, and it works as a polite expression of gratitude, in the way that grace or bon appetit are used in other cultures. Families say it at home, and classes say it together at school lunch.
Its partner phrase, gochisousama deshita, is said after finishing to thank the cook. Together the two phrases mark the beginning and end of a meal. Anime and manga show them constantly, especially in family scenes, school lunches and food series, where they signal warmth and appreciation.
Some people describe the thanks as reaching the farmers, fishers, cooks and even the plants and animals that became the meal, which is why the habit is often seen as a gesture of gratitude as much as of manners.
Origin:Itadakimasu is the polite form of the verb itadaku, meaning to receive humbly, and the phrase has long been used as a courteous way to begin a meal. The exact history of the custom is unclear, and writers have linked it to older ideas of gratitude for food and respect for hosts.
Example:A family sits at a table in a slice of life anime, putting their hands together and saying itadakimasu before picking up their chopsticks. In a lunchtime scene at school, the whole class does the same, then the camera turns to a close-up of a steaming bowl of rice. Did you know?Some people say itadakimasu even when eating alone, and the phrase is also used when accepting a gift, since the verb behind it means to receive. Anime often uses the phrase as a cue that a food scene is about to begin, and a character who forgets it may be teased or corrected.
