You have learned ten staple foods and the patterns を食べます (I eat) and が好きです (I like). Now you need to say them aloud without hesitating. This workshop gives you three role-plays that move from a simple breakfast chat to a lunch mix-up and a dinner invitation, so you can practise using the exact food names and sentence patterns from the lesson in real back-and-forth conversation.
Warm up your food words and sentence endings
Before starting the role-plays, say each food word aloud three times: パン (pan), ご飯 (gohan), りんご (ringo), 卵 (tamago), チーズ (chiizu), 魚 (sakana), 鶏肉 (toriniku), バナナ (banana), じゃがいも (jagaimo), トマト (tomato). Then attach the two patterns. For 'I eat', say the food plus を plus 食べます. For 'I like', say the food plus が plus 好きです. Notice that 好きです works like an adjective, so the food is marked by が. Keep your rhythm steady: パンを食べます, りんごが好きです. If a word feels long, break it into beats: chi-i-zu, to-ma-to. Do this warm-up once, then move to Exercise 1.
Handling the moment when you forget a food word
In a real conversation, you may blank on a food name. Do not switch to English. Pause, take a breath, and use a simple Japanese repair phrase from the lesson if you know one. Then describe the food with a category you know: for example, 果物 (kudamono, fruit) or 野菜 (yasai, vegetable). If you still cannot recall the word, use a broader word like 食べ物 (tabemono, food) and continue the sentence: 食べ物を食べます. The goal is to keep speaking in Japanese, even with a gap. After the conversation, note the missing word and practise it three times.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
パンを食べます。
I eat bread.
Pan o tabemasu.
ご飯を食べます。
I eat rice.
Gohan o tabemasu.
りんごが好きです。
I like apples.
Ringo ga suki desu.
卵を食べます。
I eat eggs.
Tamago o tabemasu.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
朝ご飯に何を食べますか。
What do you eat for breakfast?パンと卵を食べます。
I eat bread and eggs.果物は好きですか。
Do you like fruit?はい、バナナが好きです。
Yes, I like bananas.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Breakfast with a host family
You are staying with a Japanese family. At breakfast, the host mother asks: 朝ご飯に何を食べますか。(Asagohan ni nani o tabemasu ka. — What do you eat for breakfast?) On the table are bread, eggs, and rice. You usually eat bread and eggs, and you like cheese but there is none today.
Your task: Answer aloud in Japanese. Say what you eat for breakfast using を食べます. Mention at least two foods from the lesson. Then say one food you like using が好きです. For example: パンと卵を食べます。チーズが好きです。Speak clearly and keep your sentence order: food + を + 食べます, food + が + 好きです.
Lunch order mix-up at a casual restaurant
You are at a small restaurant. You ordered fish, but the server brings chicken. You do not eat chicken, but you do eat fish and you like tomatoes. The server places the dish in front of you and waits politely.
Your task: Politely explain the mistake. Say that you do not eat chicken, that you eat fish, and that you like tomatoes. Use を食べます and が好きです. For example: すみません、鶏肉を食べません。魚を食べます。トマトが好きです。Speak slowly and clearly, and keep the particles attached to the correct foods.
Dinner invitation with a dietary restriction
A Japanese friend invites you to dinner at their home. They ask: 何を食べますか。(Nani o tabemasu ka. — What do you eat?) You eat rice, fish, and vegetables, but you do not eat cheese. You like apples and bananas. Your friend is planning to cook.
Your task: Tell your friend what you eat and what you like. Include at least three foods you eat and two foods you like. Use を食べます and が好きです. For example: ご飯と魚と野菜を食べます。りんごとバナナが好きです。Then mention that you do not eat cheese: チーズを食べません。Speak in full sentences and pause between each food group.
Common questions
When I say 'I like apples', should I use りんごが好きです or りんごは好きです?
Both are possible. が marks the food as the neutral subject of 好きです, while は adds a contrast, such as 'Apples (as opposed to other fruit), I like.' For a simple statement, りんごが好きです is the safer choice.
How can I practise these patterns if I am alone and have no conversation partner?
Record yourself answering each exercise prompt aloud, then listen back and check whether you used を with 食べます and が with 好きです. You can also say your answers to a mirror or write them down and read them aloud twice.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: name common foodsChecked September 2026
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