いただきます

How it works

いただきます (I humbly receive) is the set phrase Japanese say right before eating. It's literally the polite 〜ます (polite) form of いただく (to receive humbly), so it sounds like a small, grateful “I'll gratefully take this”. The second half tacks 〜そう (looks like) onto the adjective おいしい (delicious) to drop the final い and give おいしそう (looks delicious) — a guess from appearance, “it looks tasty,” before you've even tasted it.