Dictionary / Japanese / Delicious
How to Say "Delicious" in Japanese
美味しい
oishii
Literally: Tasty, good to eat
Polite or casual
Polite美味しいです (oishii desu)
Casual美味しい (oishii) / うまい (umai)
美味しい on its own is the plain, casual form, natural with friends or when you take a first bite. Add です for the polite form: 美味しいです. It is often written in hiragana, おいしい. After a meal, use the past: 美味しかったです (oishikatta desu), it was delicious.
Correct
美味しい
What people say wrong
うまい
Tasty, great. Casual, and too blunt for a host or a work dinner.
The mistake to avoid. Learners pick up うまい from friends, TV and anime. It is common in casual speech and is heard more often from men, though many women use it too. With a host, a teacher or at a work meal, 美味しいです is the safe choice. One more trap: the past of 美味しいです is 美味しかったです, not 美味しいでした.
In context
このラーメン、美味しい。
Kono rāmen, oishii.
This ramen is delicious. (casual)
とても美味しいです。
Totemo oishii desu.
It is very good.
ごちそうさまでした。美味しかったです。
Gochisōsama deshita. Oishikatta desu.
Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.