Japanese You Keep Seeing: 食べた後の「ごちそうさま」にはどんな意味がある？｜Japanese Grammar (N5–N3)

(Joy pressing her hands together saying “Gochisousama!” after finishing ramen, with Ken, Raya, and a full-bellied orange cat cleaning its paw)

Welcome to “Japanese You Keep Seeing”!

In our last lesson, we learned that Itadakimasu is the beautiful phrase used to start a Japanese meal. But what happens when the plates are empty and your stomach is full? In Japan, no meal is truly finished until you say ごちそうさま (Gochisousama). While it translates to “Thank you for the meal,” the history hidden inside the kanji reveals a beautiful story of hard work and appreciation. Let’s dig in!

🗣 Conversation Scene

Joy, Ken, and Raya have just finished eating massive bowls of tonkotsu ramen at a popular local shop. They are getting ready to leave, and Joy shouts her thanks to the chef.

Joy

Line 1: ごちそうさま！ Line 2: Gochisōsama! Line 3: (Thank you for the meal!)

あー、美味しかった！大将、ごちそうさま！ (Ah, that was delicious! Boss, thank you for the meal!)

Ken

Joyさん、お店を出る時は「でした」をつけた方が丁寧ですよ！ (Joy-san, when leaving a shop, it is more polite to add “deshita”!)

Raya

That’s right! Let’s say “Gochisousama deshita” to the staff before we pay.

💡 Explanation: The Art of “Running Around”

While Itadakimasu (before the meal) thanks the plants and animals for their lives, Gochisousama (after the meal) is directed entirely at the people who worked hard to feed you.

1. What does it literally mean? 🏃‍♂️💨

The phrase is written in kanji as 御馳走様 (Go-chi-sou-sama). Let’s look closely at the middle two characters: 馳 (Chi) and 走 (Sou). Both of these kanji mean “to run.” Long ago, before supermarkets existed, a host had to literally run around mountains, fields, and oceans to gather ingredients to serve their guests. By saying “Gochisousama,” you are politely saying: “Thank you for running around and working so hard to prepare this meal for me.”

2. Adding “Deshita” for Politeness 👔

Just like many Japanese phrases, you must adjust the politeness level based on who you are talking to: ✅ ごちそうさま (Gochisousama): Casual. Used with family members, your partner, or close friends who cooked for you. ✅ ごちそうさまでした (Gochisousama deshita): Polite. Used at restaurants, with coworkers, or when a boss pays for your meal. (Adding “deshita” puts the phrase in the past tense, finalizing the polite action).

3. When else do you use it? 💸

This phrase is not only for the person who cooked the food. If your boss or a friend treats you to a meal and pays the bill, you must bow and say “Gochisousama deshita” to them as you leave the restaurant to thank them for their generosity!

💎 Pro Tip: The Hand Gesture (Gassho) Part 2

Just like with Itadakimasu, many Japanese people will gently press their hands together (Gassho) while saying Gochisousama. Doing this slightly bowing toward the restaurant staff as you walk out the door is considered incredibly polite and will earn you a massive smile!

🔥 Practice Quiz

Q1. What is the literal meaning behind the kanji for “Chisou” (馳走)? A. Delicious food and soup. B. Running around (to gather ingredients).

Answer: B (Running around) It acknowledges the hard physical work and effort the host put into preparing the meal.

Q2. You just finished a great meal at a sushi restaurant and are walking out the door. What should you say to the chef? A. Gochisousama deshita! B. Itadakimasu!

Answer: A (Gochisousama deshita!) Because it is a restaurant setting, you must use the polite past-tense version (“deshita”) to thank the staff.

Q3. Your manager treats the team to lunch and pays the entire bill. When you get outside, what do you say to your manager? A. Gochisousama deshita. B. Omatase itashimashita.

Answer: A (Gochisousama deshita) You use this phrase to thank anyone who paid for your meal, not just the person who cooked it!

Ready to master the Ko-So-A-Do system?

Want to dive deeper? Check out our official Beginner’s Grammar Book for more examples, detailed explanations, and practice exercises to perfect your Japanese pointing skills!