いただきます before you eat in Japan, that's rude. In Japan, before every meal, people press their hands together and say いただきます. And we are not just talking about family dinners. Even when eating completely alone, almost every Japanese person does this every single time. But here's what makes it special: this one short word carries two layers of gratitude at once. Thanks to the animal or plants that give life for the meal, and thanks to everyone who grew it, made it, and brought it to the table. That's why Japanese people still press their hands together, even when no one's watching. Japanese is full of words like this, single words packed with layers of meaning. But here's the thing: knowing what a word means isn't the same as being able to speak Japanese. What you actually need to learn is the order Japanese follows. いただきます
Itadakimasu. Before you eat in Japan, that's rude. In Japan, before every meal, people press their hands together and say itadakimasu. And we are not just talking about family dinners. Even when eating completely alone, almost every Japanese person does this every single time. But here's what makes it special: this one short word carries two layers of gratitude at once. Thanks to the animal or plants that give life for the meal, and thanks to everyone who grew it, made it, and brought it to the table. That's why Japanese people still press their hands together, even when no one's watching. Japanese is full of words like this, single words packed with layers of meaning. But here's the thing: knowing what a word means isn't the same as being able to speak Japanese. What you actually need to learn is the order Japanese follows. Itadakimasu
