Hello everyone!
Today, I’d like to explain the Japanese learning video that was published on June 20, 2025.
If you haven’t watched it yet, please take a look first:

📝 Script

「ぶーん」
「ゆうくん、いちご、たべる？ゆうくん、いちご、たべる？たべる？たべない？どっち？」
「たべる！いちご！」
「はーいどうぞ。いただきますしてね。」
「いただきます！」
「はい、どうぞ。」
「いただきます」
「おいしい？」
「おいしい」
「あまい？」
「あまい！」
「よかったね！いちご、すきだね。」
「いちご、すき！」

📚 Explanation

「ぶーーん」 is a sound effect typically used for cars or vehicles.

The verb 「食べる(たべる)」 means to eat. Its negative form is 「食べない(たべない)」 (not eat).
The phrase 「どっち？」 is used when choosing between two options, as in:
「りんごといちご、どっちが好き？(りんごといちご、どっちがすき?)」 (Which do you like, apples or strawberries?)
In this case, the child is asked whether they want to eat or not, so it’s a binary choice: 「食べる？(たべる)」 or 「食べない？(たべない)」, followed by 「どっち？」 (Which one?).

🍽️ What is「いただきます」?

Literally, 「いただきます」 is a humble form of the verb to eat (食べる), so it technically means I will eat.
However, in real life, Japanese people commonly say this phrase before meals as a set expression.

This expression carries a sense of gratitude—not just to the person who prepared the meal, but also to the farmers, producers, and even the lives (plants or animals) that are part of the meal.
It’s a way of saying, “Thank you for letting me eat this.” It’s deeply rooted in respect and appreciation.

Although not included in this video, 「ごちそうさまでした」 is the phrase said after finishing a meal.
This literally means something like “I have received the feast”, and, much like 「いただきます」, it expresses gratitude.

So in short:

Before eating: 「いただきます」

After eating: 「ごちそうさまでした」

When you come to Japan, try observing people at casual diners or set-meal restaurants.
You’ll notice that maybe around 30% of people say both phrases.
Why not more? Well, Japanese people tend to be shy, especially when eating alone.
Some adults may feel too embarrassed to say it out loud, but many will still put their hands together in a small gesture of prayer before eating.

🗣️ Vocabulary from the script

「おいしい」 = delicious

「あまい」 = sweet

「よかったね」 = I’m glad / That’s great

「好き」 = like / love

That’s all for today’s explanation.
Hope it helped deepen your understanding of Japanese language and culture! 😊