Learn Japanese: Name 10 Staple Foods and Say 'I Eat' and 'I Like'
Learn to name 10 common foods in Japanese and use the verbs tabemasu (eat) and suki desu (like) to talk about them.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn the Japanese names for 10 staple foods and how to use them in two essential sentence patterns: 'I eat ___' and 'I like ___'. Unlike a lesson about meals, which focuses on meal times and set combinations, this lesson focuses on individual food items. By the end, you will be able to talk about what you eat and what you like, using natural Japanese. We will use the polite forms tabemasu (eat) and suki desu (like), which are safe in most situations. Let's get started!
By the end, you can…
- name 10 staple foods in Japanese.
- say 'I eat ___' using tabemasu.
- say 'I like ___' using suki desu.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
パンを食べます。
I eat bread.
Pan o tabemasu.
Use this pattern with any food. 'Pan' means bread (from Portuguese).
ご飯を食べます。
I eat rice.
Gohan o tabemasu.
'Gohan' means cooked rice or a meal. For raw rice, use 'kome'.
りんごが好きです。
I like apples.
Ringo ga suki desu.
Use 'ga' with suki. 'Ringo' means apple; no plural needed.
卵を食べます。
I eat eggs.
Tamago o tabemasu.
'Tamago' means egg. Japanese doesn't mark plural, so it can mean one or more.
チーズが好きです。
I like cheese.
Chiizu ga suki desu.
'Chiizu' is cheese. The long 'ii' sound is held for two beats.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To say 'I eat [food]', use: [food] + を + 食べます (o tabemasu). For example, 魚を食べます (sakana o tabemasu) means 'I eat fish'. To say 'I like [food]', use: [food] + が + 好きです (ga suki desu). For example, 鶏肉が好きです (toriniku ga suki desu) means 'I like chicken'. Note that 好きです literally means 'is liked', so the food is the subject marked by が. You can also use 大好きです (daisuki desu) for 'I love'.
When to use it
Use these patterns when talking about your eating habits or preferences. For example, at a restaurant, you might say 魚を食べます (sakana o tabemasu) to indicate you eat fish. When someone offers you food, you can say バナナが好きです (banana ga suki desu) to show you like bananas. These are polite forms, suitable for most situations. For casual conversation with friends, you can drop です and say 好き (suki) or use the plain form 食べる (taberu).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
朝ご飯に何を食べますか。
What do you eat for breakfast?Asagohan ni nani o tabemasu ka.パンと卵を食べます。
I eat bread and eggs.Pan to tamago o tabemasu.果物は好きですか。
Do you like fruit?Kudamono wa suki desu ka.はい、バナナが好きです。
Yes, I like bananas.Hai, banana ga suki desu.A little context goes a long way
In Japan, rice (ご飯, gohan) is a staple and often served with every meal, but bread (パン, pan) is also common for breakfast. When saying you like a food, 好きです (suki desu) is a polite and safe choice. Avoid using 大好き (daisuki) too casually with acquaintances; it can sound very strong. Also, note that 食べます (tabemasu) is polite; in casual settings, use 食べる (taberu).
One thing to watch for
Using を (o) with 好きです (suki desu), as in りんごを好きです (ringo o suki desu).
Try this instead: Use が (ga) instead: りんごが好きです (ringo ga suki desu). The particle が marks the object of liking because 好き is an adjective-like word, not an action verb.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I eat potatoes' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
じゃがいもを食べます。 (Jagaimo o tabemasu.)
Potato is じゃがいも (jagaimo). Use を (o) with 食べます (tabemasu). Alternatively, ポテト (poteto) is used for potato in some contexts, but じゃがいも is the standard.
2How do you say 'I like tomatoes' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
トマトが好きです。 (Tomato ga suki desu.)
Tomato is トマト (tomato). Use が (ga) with 好きです (suki desu). You could also say トマトは好きです (tomato wa suki desu) for contrast, but が is more neutral.
3What is the Japanese word for 'fish'?
Show a sample answer
魚 (sakana)
魚 (sakana) means fish. It can be used in both patterns: 魚を食べます (sakana o tabemasu) or 魚が好きです (sakana ga suki desu).
Use を (o) with 食べます (tabemasu) for eating, and が (ga) with 好きです (suki desu) for liking. Practice with the 10 foods: パン (pan), ご飯 (gohan), りんご (ringo), 卵 (tamago), チーズ (chiizu), 鶏肉 (toriniku), 魚 (sakana), バナナ (banana), トマト (tomato), じゃがいも (jagaimo).
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Japanese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr