Index:

1. Summary of Oishii

2. How to use Oishii
 2-1. Polite way to say
 2-2. Past tense

3. Other ways to say delicious
 3-1. Oishuu gozaimashita
 3-2. Umai
 3-3. Hoppe ga ochisou
 3-4. Ikeru, Ikemasu
 3-5. Zeppin
 3-6. Kakubetsu
 3-7. Tamaranai
 3-8. Saikou
 3-9. Yabai
 3-10. Umasugite kotobamo denai

4. Greetings for dining

5. Conclusion

Unlike delicious, Oishii is not as strong of an expression.

Maybe, "tasty" is a good translation for "Oishii".



If we write Oishii in Kanji, it's "美味しい".

The Kanji "美" means "beautiful".

"味" means "taste".


So "美味しい" includes the meaning of "beautiful taste".



Let's check how to use the adjective, Oishii!






2. How to use Oishii


2-1. Polite way to say

You can say "Oishii" while eating.

It means that you are eating something delicious.


However, just saying "Oishii" is not that polite.


If you want to say it politely, please use "desu"!

"Desu" is a word to make the sentence polite.

If you still don't know about "desu", please check this:
  です(desu) >>




"おいしい(oishii)" is an i-adjective.

You can directly add "です(desu)" to the end of an i-adjective.


"おいしい(oishii)" + "です(desu)"

 = おいしいです




So when you are eating, please say:

おいしいです。
o i shi i de su

Meaning: "It is delicious."

This sentence is in the present tense.
So it means what you are eating is delicious!






2-2. Past tense

When you make an i-adjective past tense, please follow the 3 steps below:

1. Remove "い(i)" from the adjective.

2. Add "かった(katta)" to the end of the i-adjective in order to make it past tense.

3. In addition to that, put "です(desu)" at the end in order to make it polite.




When we make "おいしい(oishii)" past tense:

1. Remove "い(i)" from the adjective.

 おいしい -> おいし
 oishii -> oishi


2. Add "かった(katta)" to the end of the i-adjective:

 おいし -> おいしかった
 oishi -> oishi katta


3. In addition to that, put "です(desu)" at the end:

 おいしかった -> おいしかったです
 oishi katta -> oishi katta desu




So, after you have eaten, please say:

おいしかったです。
o i shi ka t ta de su

Meaning: "It was delicious."


This sentence is in the past tense.

Also, this is polite because it includes "です(desu)".

After eating, please say this sentence to the cooks.
It will make them happy!






3. Other ways to say delicious


If you remember "おいしいです(oishii desu)" and "おいしかったです(oishikatta desu)", I think it's enough.

However, let's learn other ways to say delicious in order to use them properly!



3-1. Oishuu gozaimashita


If you want to say delicious very very politely, you can say "おいしゅうございました(oishuu gozaimashita)".

This is a very polite way to say delicious.

Even Japanese people don't use this so often.


If you say "おいしゅうございました(oishuu gozaimashita)" in front of Japanese people, they will think "Oh, this person is so polite!".

Maybe they will love you!


By the way, "おいしゅうございました(oishuu gozaimashita)" is past tense.

Please say this after eating!






3-2. Umai


"うまい(umai)" is a very casual way to say delicious in Japanese.

This is commonly used.


If the food is delicious, you can just say:

"うまい! (umai!)"



"うまい" is an i-adjective, as well as "おいしい(oishii)".


You can use it like this:

Polite way:
"うまいです"


Past tense:
"うまかった"


Polite past tense:
"うまかったです"



This is a very common way to say delicious in Japan.

You can use "うまい(umai)" when you eat with your friends!



However, it is kind of casual.

I don't recommend you to use this in a formal situation.

"おいしい(oishii)" is safer to use if you still haven't gotten use to Japanese!





3-3. Hoppe ga ochisou


Sometimes, Japanese people say "ほっぺがおちそう(hoppe ga ochisou)" when they eat delicious meals.

It is one way to say:
"This is so delicious."


"ほっぺ(hoppe)" means "cheek".

"おちそう(ochisou)" means "almost falling down".

If you don't know "が", please check this:
  は(wa) and が(ga) >>


So "ほっぺがおちそう(hoppe ga ochisou)" means:
"My cheek is almost falling down."


Of course, the person's cheek doesn't really fall.

This is a Japanese figurative expression.



While chewing delicious food, sometimes they say this in order to express how delicious the food is.





3-4. Ikeru, Ikemasu


"いけます(ikemasu)" is a polite way to say "いける(ikeru)".

If you want to know about "ます(masu)", please check this:
  ます(masu) >>


"いける(ikeru)" and "いけます(ikemasu)" sometimes mean tasty, too.

However, the situation to use this is limited.



Actually, it includes the meaning of "surprisingly".


For example, if your Japanese friend recommends you to add milk to your ramen.

At first, you would think it is strange.

However, if it is surprisingly delicious , you can say:
"いける! (ikeru!)"


It means it is delicious, even though you weren't sure if it would be delicious before eating it.



If the food is surprisingly tasty, please use "いける(ikeru)".






3-5. Zeppin


"ぜっぴん(zeppin)" is a noun to express very delicious food.

You will see this word in Japanese food advertisements.



"絶品" is the Kanji for "ぜっぴん(zeppin)".


"絶" is used to explain wonderful things, like a very beautiful view or the best opportunity.

"品" means an "item" or a "thing".


So "ぜっぴん(zeppin)" means "wonderful thing".

However, "ぜっぴん(zeppin)" is only used for food.



If you see an advertisement which says "zeppin ramen", it means the ramen must be very delicious.

At least, the advertisement is saying so...





3-6. Kakubetsu


"かくべつ(kakubetsu)" means "special".

Sometimes, it is used to say "more delicious than any other things".

Or if food or a drink is very nice during, or after a particular situation, you can use this word, "かくべつ(kakubetsu)".



Examples:

1. ふろあがりのぎゅうにゅうはかくべつだ。
 fu to a ga ri no gyu u nyu u wa ka ku be tsu da

Meaning: "Milk after taking a bath is better than any other thing."

ふろあがり: after bath
ぎゅうにゅう: milk




2. しごとおわりのビールはかくべつだ。
 shi go to o wa ri no bi ru wa ka ku be tsu da

Meaning: "Beer after working is better than any other thing."

しごとおわりの: after working
ビール: beer

If you don't know the Katakana characters for beer, please check this:
  Katakana >>






3.きみがいれてくれたコーヒーはかくべつだ。
 ki mi ga i re te ku re ta ko hi wa ka ku be tsu da

Meaning: "Coffee served by you is better than any other thing."

きみがいれてくれた: served by you
コーヒー: coffee





Like above, if the food or drink is so delicious under a particular situation, please use "かくべつ(kakubetsu)".





3-7. Tamaranai


"たまらない(tamaranai)" is very strong way to say delicious.

If this word is used for food, it means "irresistible", "tremendous", or "out of this world".



Actually, "たまらない(tamaranai)" could also mean "cannot stand" or "unbearable".

The usage of "たまらない(tamaranai)" could include a negative meaning.



However, if you say "たまらない(tamaranai)" while eating delicious food, it means:
This food is too delicious to bear.

So it means the food is so delicious.




If you say "たまらないです(tamaranai desu)" during eating, it means you love that food.

So the cook will be so glad!






3-8. Saikou


"さいこう(saikou)" means "the best".


If you say "さいこうです(saikou desu)" during eating, it means you have the best feeling ever because of the food.

It means "this food is so delicious".


"さいこう(saikou)" is not only for food or drinks.

It just means that you feel so nice.


The thing that is nice depends on the situation.

If you say "さいこう(saikou)" during taking a bath, it means the bath is very nice.

If you shout "さいこう(saikou)" during a party, it means you are enjoying the party.




"さいこうです(saikou desu)" is more polite than saying just "さいこう(saikou)".



When you are having the best feeling ever, please use the word, "さいこう(saikou)".






3-9. Yabai


When you talk with young Japanese people, you will probably often hear this word.

This slang is used by young people in Japan.


Basically, "やばい(yabai)" means dangerous, risky, awful, or terrible.


However, it can also mean terrific, amazing, or cool.



As slang, Japanese high school students use this word for everything.


Today, "やばい(yabai)" just means "not normal".


So when they eat, if the food is more tasty than normal, "やばい(yabai)" is easily used .




By the way, "やばい(yabai)" is also an i-adjective, as well as "おいしい(oishii)" and "うまい(umai)".


So you can use like below:

Polite way:
"やばいです"


Past tense:
"やばかった"


Polite past tense:
"やばかったです"




However, "やばい(yabai)" is a not so polite or formal word.

Even if you use "です(desu)", it doesn't sound so formal...


So maybe you don't need to use this word in a formal situation!






3-10. Umasugite kotobamo denai


This is not a word, but a sentence.


うますぎてことばもでない。
u ma su gi te ko to ba mo de na i

Meaning: "It is too delicious to say anything."

うますぎて: too delicious
ことばもでない: can't say anything



If the food is so delicious, and if you can't find any word to explain it, please say:

うますぎてことばもでない。
u ma su gi te ko to ba mo de na i



But please be noted that "うますぎて(umasugite)" is not a polite way to speak! hehe






4. Greetings for dining

From this article, I think you have already remembered how to say delicious in Japanese.


However, if you eat something in Japan, there is a manner you had better follow.


There are greetings to say before and after eating.


Before eating, please say:
いただきます
i ta da ki ma su


After eating, please say:
ごちそうさまでした
go chi so u sa ma de shi ta


I explained about them in a different article.

If you want to know further details about them, please check these:

 8 unique Japanese greetings:
  いただきます >>
  ごちそうさまでした >>






5. Conclusion


Before eating, please say:

いただきます。
i ta da ki ma su



During eating, if the food is delicious, please say:

おいしいです。
o i shi i de su



After eating, please say:

おいしいかったです。
o i shi ka t ta de su

ごちそうさまでした。
go chi so u sa ma de shi ta





If you want to use other words to say delicious, please remember these:

1. Oishuu gozaimashita
2. Umai
3. Hoppe ga ochisou
4. Ikeru, Ikemasu
5. Zeppin
6. Kakubetsu
7. Tamaranai
8. Saikou
9. Yabai
10. Umasugite kotobamo denai


If you remember them, I think it's enough!

Please have confidence and go to Japan to eat Sushi and Ramen!

If you want to remember adjectives for JLPT N5 including "Oishii", please try this:
  Japanese Vocabulary Quiz - JLPT N5 I-Adjectives >>

Click here to subscribe to this YouTube channel!

Index:

1. Kirei
 ・clean or beautiful

2. Extra info
 ・na-adjective and i-adjective

3. Conclusion

When you see this picture, what do you think?

As we can see from the table above, "きれい(kirei)" has two meanings, Beautiful and Clean.


That's why the paper in the restroom said "beautiful" instead of "clean".

In Japanese, both "beautiful" and "clean" are just "きれい(kirei)".





The Japanese part of the paper says:
"トイレはきれいにつかってください。"

トイレ: restroom
つかって: use
ください: please


When this sentence was translated into English, the "きれい(kirei)" was translated into "beautiful" instead of "clean".





Japanese people, including me, need to be careful when we translate "きれい(kirei)"!



For you, please remember that "きれい(kirei)" has two meanings, Beautiful and Clean!


You need to choose which meaning the "きれい(kirei)" has, depending on the context of the sentence.


Let's check examples to get used to it!





Examples:

1. あなたは とても きれい です。
 a na ta wa to te mo ki re i de su


Meaning: "You are so beautiful."

あなた: you
とても: so
きれい: beautiful

If you don't know "は" and "です", please check this:
  です(desu) >>

Probably, this "きれい(kirei)" means "beautiful" because it is explaining about a person.




2. わたしは なつに きれいな はなびを みました。
 wa ta shi wa na tsu ni ki re i na ha na bi wo mi ma shi ta


Meaning: "I watched beautiful fireworks in the summer."

なつに: in the summer
きれいな: beautiful
はなび: fireworks
みました: watched

If you don't know "わたし", please check this:
  わたし(watashi) >>

If you don't know the particle "は", please check this:
  Particle は(wa) >>

If you don't know the particle "を", please check this:
  Particle を(wo) >>

If you want to know about Japanese summer, please check this:
  Summer in Japan >>

In this case, "beautiful" is better than "clean" because clean fireworks sound strange.




3. わたしの へやは とても きれいです。
 wa ta shi no he ya wa to te mo ki re i de su

Meaning: "My room is very clean."

わたしの: my
へや: room
とても: very
きれい: clean

If you don't know "わたしの", please check these:
  わたし (watashi) >>
  Particle の(no) >>

In this case, both "clean" and "beautiful" are possible.
Please judge it depending on the context of the conversation.




4. きれいな トイレ
 ki re i na to i re


Meaning: "a clean restroom"

きれいな: clean
トイレ: restroom

If you don't know why Katakana is used for "トイレ", please check this:
  Katakana >>

Probably, "clean" is more suitable in this case.
However, "beautiful" is still possible, too.
Please choose depending on the context.




Please just remember that "きれい(kirei)" has two meanings, "beautiful" and  "clean"!






2. Extra info (na-adjective and i-adjective)

Let's check the part of speech of "きれい(kirei)" here, just in case.



However, it is kind of complex, and it is still not so important now.


So I would like readers, only who are interested in it, to read this topic.


In the past articles, we learned some adjectives:
  Hot and Cold >>
  Tall and Short >>
  Fast and Slow >>
  Light and Dark >>


In those articles, I said:
In most cases, words where the last character is "い(i)" are adjectives.






So is "きれい(kirei)" also an adjective?



Actually, "きれい(kirei)" is a little bit different from normal adjectives.

It is called "na-adjective", or "adjective verb".






What we studied until now are "adjectives", or "i-adjectives".



I am sorry they are confusing because there are several ways to call them.



In this article, let's just call them "na-adjective" and "i-adjective".



"i-adjective" is the authentic adjective of Japanese.

However, you can think "na-adjective" is also one kind of these adjectives.



I will explain what their difference is.

If you are interested in it, please check below.




At first, let's check how to use "i-adjective".


As we studied in the previous article, a "cheerful person" is "あかるいひと(akarui hito)" in Japanese.
  あかるい(akarui) for personality >>


In this phrase, "あかるい(akarui)" means "cheerful", and it explains about the noun right after it.

"ひと(hito)" means a "person".

So "あかるいひと(akarui hito)" means a "cheerful person".

Like this, "あかるい(akarui)" can be put in front of a noun.





Also, as we studied in the past article, a "tall person" is "せがたかいひと(segatakai hito)" in Japanese.
  Tall in Japanese >>

"せがたかい(segatakai)" means "tall", and it explains about "ひと(hito)" right after it.

Like this, "せがたかい(segatakai)" can also be put in front of a noun.






So what if we use "きれい(kirei)" just like that?


It is...

"きれいひと"
 kirei hito



Does it mean a "beautiful person"?



If you have already gotten used to listening to Japanese, maybe you feel strange about this.


Actually, "きれいひと(kirei hito)" is grammatically wrong.



If we want to say "beautiful person" in Japanese, we need to say:

"きれいなひと"
 ki re i na hi to



Please be careful about "な(na)" right after "きれい(kirei)".


This is the reason why "きれい" is called "na-adjective".




It is very complex and difficult to remember all inflections of Japanese words.


So for now, please remember the two points below:


1. Regarding "na-adjective", when you put it in front of a noun, you need to put "な(na)" right after the "na-adjective".

Example:
 "きれいなひと"
  ki re i na hi to



2. Regarding "i-adjective", when you put it in front of a noun, you can put it as is.
The character in front of the noun is "い(i)" because it is the final character of i-adjectives.

Examples:
 "あかるいひと"
  a ka ru i hi to

 "せがたかいひと"
  se ga ta ka i hi to



However, you don't need to care about these differences so much now.





By the way, when you use "desu", you don't need to care about their difference.

Examples:

i-adjective:

 "あなたはあかるいです。"
  a na ta wa a ka ru i de su

  Meaning: "You are cheerful."


na-adjective:

 "あなたはきれいです。"
  a na ta wa ki re i de su

  Meaning: "You are beautiful."




Please just remember that "な(na)" is necessary when you put na-adjective in front of a noun!






3. Conclusion

Kirei has two meanings!


Please remember the table below:

Related articles:

    Japlish - Eat a Pee Man!? >>

    Yoisho - Japanese Interjections >>

    Light and Dark in Japanese >>

    Hot and Cold in Japanese >>

    Fast and Slow in Japanese >>

    Tall and Short in Japanese >>

    11 ways to say delicious >>

    4 seasons of Japan >>

Index:

1. Summary table

2. Light

3. Dark

4. Usage for Personality

5. Usage for Prospect

6. Conclusion

Below is the table for "dark"!