‘I’ll receive the life =thank you for the food’ in Japanese「いただきます/ itadakimasu」
Sep 14, 2023食べる前に言う「いただきます」は英語のEnjoy your mealじゃなくて、動植物の命を「いただく」という意味です。
‘Itadakimasu’ is the expression before eating. It literally means ‘I’ll receive the life of plants and animals’, and doesn’t mean ‘Enjoy your meal’ in English.
その命を食べさせていただくことで、自分が生かされているので、食べ物や飲み物に感謝する言葉です。
We can express our appreciation for food and drinks because we are allowed to live by receiving their life.
それで、一人で食べるときにも「いただきます」と言うし、感謝を込めてよく手を合わせて言います。
Therefore, we say ‘itadakimasu’ when you eat alone and often put our hands together to express the feeling more strongly.
輝いて Enrich your life!
新井峰子(Mineko Arai)
Managing Director
Arai Academy of Japanese Studies
Calligraphy by Moji Brush
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