美味(おい)しい

おいしい
i-adjective
delicious, tasty
descriptive
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present美味(おい)しい美味(おい)しくない
Past美味(おい)しかった美味(おい)しくなかった
て form美味(おい)しくて美味(おい)しくなくて
Adverbial美味(おい)しく—
Conditional ば美味(おい)しければ美味(おい)しくなければ
Conditional たら美味(おい)しかったら美味(おい)しくなかったら
1. delicious, tasty
Describes food or drink that tastes good. One of the most common and useful adjectives for expressing positive opinions about food. Used in everyday conversation.
これは美味(おい)しいですね。
This is delicious, isn't it?
美味(おい)しいレストランを知(し)っていますか。
Do you know a good restaurant?
美味しい here means 'good' for food
お母(かあ)さんの魚(さかな)はとても美味(おい)しいです。
Mom's fish is very delicious.
友達(ともだち)が作(つく)った料理(りょうり)がとても美味(おい)しくて、びっくりしました。
The food my friend made was so delicious that I was surprised.
この店(みせ)の魚(さかな)は新鮮(しんせん)で美味(おい)しいです。毎週(まいしゅう)来(き)たくなるほど気(き)に入(い)っています。
The fish at this restaurant is fresh and delicious. I like it so much that I want to come every week.
2. profitable, advantageous
Colloquially used to describe a situation that is favorable or beneficial.
それは美味(おい)しい話(はなし)だね。
That sounds like a sweet deal.
Colloquial usage meaning advantageous

美味(おい)しい is one of the first adjectives learners need for talking about food. More commonly written in hiragana (おいしい) than with the kanji 美味(おい)しい.

Usage

  • Sense 1 (taste): the everyday word for food or drink that tastes good. Saying 美味(おい)しい while eating is a natural, polite way to compliment the cook.
  • Sense 2 (colloquial): 美味(おい)しい話(はなし) means "a sweet deal" or a too-good-to-be-true offer.

Register

Neutral and usable in any setting. The casual synonym うまい sounds rougher and more masculine.

Forms

  • Adverbial: おいしく (美味(おい)しく作(つく)る — to make deliciously)
  • Negative: おいしくない (not delicious)
  • Past: おいしかった (was delicious)

Similar words

Related Words

Antonym: 不味(まず)い (bad-tasting)
Compare: うまい (also "delicious," but more…)
Compare: 美味(びみ) (delicious, fine-tasting)
Compare: 口(くち)に合(あ)う (to suit one's taste (of food))
Related: 塩辛(しおから)い (salty)
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:10 · Revised 2026.10.9 23:20
00500/00740_oishii