249 - She Eats Like a Pig!
Let’s talk about one of my favorite subjects--food! As you all know, Japanese food is amazing, so you will most definitely want to talk about it. Most of you are already through the basics of saying something is delicious (おいしい), disgusting (まずい), or even just so-so (まあまあ). But in this lesson I want to talk about how we eat.
Just like in English, Japanese has adjectives for people eating. Someone can "eat like a pig, dive into their meal, or devour the food in front of them." In order to use this colorful language, we turn again to 擬音語（ぎおんご）and 擬態語（ぎたいご）which are the words for onomatopoeia in Japanese. These words are usually two repeated sounds and are very useful in describing the ways in which people do things. There are 5 of these words I want to go over today.
1.) がつがつ
Wolfing down. Eating quickly and with intensity. Not savoring or enjoying the food.
お腹が空いていた私たちは、夕食をガツガツ食べた。
おなか が すいていた わたしたち は、 ゆうしょく を がつがつ たべた。
We were so hungry that we wolfed down our dinners.
Literally: “stomach + が + was empty + we + は, + dinner + を + greedily / wolfing down + ate.”
野球の試合を見ながら彼らはホットドッグをがつがつ食べた.
やきゅう の しあい を みながら かれら は ホットドッグ を がつがつ たべた。
They devoured their hot dogs while watching the baseball game.
Literally: “baseball + の + match + を + while watching + they + は + hot dogs + を + greedily / wolfing down + ate.”
やせた犬がえさをがつがつ食べている。
やせた いぬ が えさ を がつがつ たべている。
The skinny dog is wolfing down its food.
Literally: “skinny + dog + が + food / treat + を + greedily / wolfing down + is eating."
Note: えさ is a word used for food for animals. It is usually translated as “feed” or “bait.”
2.) ぱくぱく
The image conveyed by ぱくぱく is that of a fish (e.g. a carp) opening and closing its mouth. This image of continuously opening and closing one's mouth can then be used to give the nuance of eating without stopping... in other words, eating too much. Imagine, for example, eating popcorn while watching a movie. You just keep putting popcorn into your mouth, one bite after another, without stopping.
鯉がぱくぱくえさを食べている.
こい が ぱくぱく えさ を たべている。
The carp are gobbling up the food.
Literally: “carp + が + flapping (mouth) open and closed + food + を + are eating.”
チョコは美味しいのでついパクパク食べてしまう。
ちょこ は おいしい ので つい ぱくぱく たべてしまう。
Because chocolate is so good, I never remember to stop myself when eating it.
Literally: “chocolate + は + tasty + since + by mistake + flapping (mouth) open and closed + end up eating.”
Note: Note how ～てしまう at the end gives the nuance of not intending to eat so much.
3.) むしゃむしゃ
Eating loudly and ravenously. Chewing with a lot of noise. Crunching like an animal.
あやかがリンゴをむしゃむしゃしながら入って来た。
あやか が りんご を むしゃむしゃ しながら はいって きた。
Ayaka came in while crunching on an apple.
Literally: “Ayaka + は + apple + を + crunching + while doing + enter + came.”
その赤ちゃんパンダは笹の葉をむしゃむしゃ食べている。
その あかちゃん ぱんだ は ささ の は を むしゃむしゃ たべている。
That baby panda is crunching on a bamboo leaf.
Literally: “that + baby + panda + は + bamboo grass + の + leaf + を + crunching + eating”
4.) もぐもぐ
The image given off with もぐもぐ is that of chewing food with your mouth full and your cheeks puffed out... in a cute way. That's why you'll usually hear it being used to describe animals or children eating. Imagine, for example, how a chipmunk with his cheeks full of food might chew repeatedly.
草食動物はゆっくりとモグモグ食べます。
そうしょく どうぶつ は ゆっくりと もぐもぐ たべます。
Herbivores eat by chewing slowly.
Literally: “herbivore + animal + は + slowly + chewing + eat”
歯の少ない赤ちゃんは、いつまでもモグモグしていてとても可愛い。
は の すくない あかちゃん は、 いつまでも もぐもぐ していて とても かわいい。
Since babies have so few teeth, they look really cute when they chew their food for so long.
Literally: "tooth + の + few + baby + は, + forever + chewing + are doing + very + cute."
ハムスターは、あげたものは何でもモグモグ食べてしまいます。
はむすたー は、 あげた もの は なんでも もぐもぐ たべてしまいます。
The hamster will chew on anything you give it.
Literally: "hamster + は + gave + thing + は + anything + chewing + end up eating."
Note: Here is ～てしまう adding the nuance of "completely" or "end up" once again.
5.) もりもり
Eating heartily. Full of gusto while eating. To dive into your meal.
10代の男の子はほんとによくモリモリ食べる。
じゅうだい の おとこのこ は ほんとに よく もりもり たべる。
Boys in their teens really do put down a lot of food.
Literally: "teenage + の + boy + は + truly + well / often + with gusto + eat."
みんなも野菜をモリモリたべようね！
みんな も やさい を もりもり たべようね！
Everyone, let's also eat lots of vegetables!
Literally: "everyone + も + vegetables + を + heartily / with gusto + lets eat + ね"
食べ放題行ってモリモリ食べまくろう！
たべほうだい いって もりもり たべまくろう！
Let's go to all-you-can-eat and eat a ton of food!
Literally: "all you can eat + go (and) + heartily / with gusto + let's eat with reckless abandon."
Note: Adding the verb ～まくる to the stem of another verb gives the meaning of "VERB with reckless abandon." It deserves a full lesson of its own, honestly. Also, 食べ放題 is a very important word to memorize!
Is there a specific way that you eat? Try practicing using these words to tell people how hungry you got, or describing how other people are eating. It is always fun to talk about food!
This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor:
0 comments