Have you ever heard the word “oishii!” in Japanese?\u00a0 It’s a common adjective found in Japanese media, like anime, comics, TV, as well as in everyday life in Japan.
“Oishii” is an easy-to-use Japanese word. In other words, once you understand the meaning and how it’s used – you will be able to immediately add it to your daily Japanese vocabulary!
In this blog article we are looking at the meaning of the Japanese word “oishii” (\u304a\u3044\u3057\u3044) – and how you can start using it right away.<\/p>\n
“Oishii” is a Japanese i-adjective which means “delicious” or “good-tasting”. It is written in either hiragana as \u304a\u3044\u3057\u3044, or in kanji as \u7f8e\u5473\u3057\u3044. The short answer is – anytime the food is \u304a\u3044\u3057\u3044!
The kanji that make up “oishii” are: \u7f8e which means “beautiful”, and \u5473 which means “taste\/flavor”. These kanji can also be read \u7f8e\u5473\u3044 (umai) which also means delicious or good tasting. \u7f8e\u5473\u3044 (umai) is a more masculine sounding expression.
Because it is an i-adjective (\u3044\u30fc\u5f62\u5bb9\u8a5e), it can be modified to describe something that looks<\/i> delicious. In this case, you say \u7f8e\u5473\u3057\u305d\u3046 (oishi sou). For more information on this adjective modification, check out this Youtube video!<\/a>
You can also use it in past tense by replacing the \u3044 ending with \u304b\u3063\u305f\u00a0 \u2192\u00a0 \u7f8e\u5473\u3057\u304b\u3063\u305f (oishikatta – it was delicious). To make this polite, simply add \u3067\u3059 (desu) to the end.
Additionally, if you want to learn even MORE vocabulary to talk about food, check out this blog article full of useful words to describe food!<\/a><\/p>\nWhen Can I Use “Oishii”?<\/h2>\n
Just like in any other culture – this is a great way to compliment the chef.\u00a0 Like if you are doing a homestay with a Japanese family, you can tell whoever prepared the food that it is \u304a\u3044\u3057\u3044\uff01
Japanese people enjoy food – and they like commenting on it as well.\u00a0 So if you are out with your friends at a restaurant or cafe, you can tell them if you think the food is delicious, and see if they agree!
Can you think of any other situations where you might use “oishii”?\u00a0 Let us know on one of our social media outlets, like twitter!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\nLearn more Japanese phrases like “Oishii” with our Japanese courses! Find out more by filling out the form below!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t