ごちそうさま
ごちそうさま
gochisousama
= a set phrase of thanks said after finishing a meal
ごちそうさま is the phrase that closes a meal in Japan, a small spoken thank-you offered to the food, the cook, and everyone whose work brought it to the table.
ごちそうさま, often expanded to ごちそうさまでした, is said after eating to express gratitude for the meal. It pairs with いただきます, which opens the meal. The phrase thanks not only the person who cooked or paid but, in spirit, the whole chain of effort behind the food. It can be said warmly to a host, politely in a restaurant, or quietly to oneself at home.
Use ごちそうさまでした for the polite form, especially to a host or in a restaurant, and the shorter ごちそうさま casually at home. It is said after eating, never before, so do not confuse it with いただきます. When someone treats you, saying it directly to them doubles as a thank-you for paying.
Written in kanji as ご馳走様, the core 馳走 originally meant running about, 馳 and 走 both relate to running. It evokes the host long ago dashing around to gather and prepare ingredients for a guest. The polite prefix ご and the respectful 様 wrap that image into a courteous thank-you for someone’s trouble in feeding you.
Everyday use
ああ、お腹いっぱい。ごちそうさまでした！
Aa, onaka ippai. Gochisousama deshita!
Ah, I’m full. Thank you for the meal!
Casual / Social Media
今日は奢ってくれてありがとう、ごちそうさま！
Kyou wa ogotte kurete arigatou, gochisousama!
Thanks for treating me today, thanks for the meal!
Formal / Cultural context
食事を終えた生徒たちは、声を揃えてごちそうさまでしたと言った。
Shokuji wo oeta seito-tachi wa, koe wo soroete gochisousama deshita to itta.
Having finished their meal, the students said ‘thank you for the food’ in unison.
ごちそうさま and its partner いただきます bookend a meal with gratitude, and together they express a worldview in which eating is something to be thankful for rather than taken for granted. The thanks reaches past the cook to farmers, fishers, and even the lives of the plants and animals consumed, reflecting a sense that a meal is the product of many hands and lives.
Children in Japan learn to say the phrase from a young age, often in chorus at school lunches, so it becomes a deeply ingrained habit rather than a conscious effort. For learners, picking up ごちそうさま is an easy but meaningful step into everyday courtesy, signaling that you understand the small rituals that frame Japanese daily life.