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How to Say ‘Good morning, Chef.’ in Japanese

料理長、おはようございます。

ryouri chou ohayou gozai masu

[RYOH-ree CHOH oh-HAH-yoh goh-zah-ee mahss]

Phrase Breakdown

料理長、

ryouri chou

Head chef

A title for the head chef, used as a form of address. Say it ryō-ri-chō, with long 'o' sounds in 'ryō' and 'chō'.

Example

料理長はどこですか。

Where is the head chef?

Words in this phrase

料理

ryouri

[RYOH-ree]

cooking

Noun meaning cooking or dishes; with する it means 'to cook'.

Example

毎日料理します。

I cook every day.

長

chou

[CHOH]

head; chief

Suffix meaning the person in charge; with 料理 it makes 'head chef'.

Example

料理長は厳しいです。

The head chef is strict.

おはようございます。

ohayou gozai masu

Good morning (polite)

A polite greeting used with superiors. The final 'su' is soft, almost 'ss'.

Example

みなさん、おはようございます。

Good morning, everyone.

Words in this phrase

おはよう

ohayou

[oh-HAH-yoh]

good morning

Morning greeting; in restaurants it is often used as the first greeting of a shift at any time.

Example

おはよう、田中さん。

Good morning, Tanaka.

ござい

gozai

[goh-zah-ee]

to be; polite set phrase part

Part of the formal thank-you expression used with customers.

Example

ございますをつけて丁寧に言います。

You add gozaimasu to say it politely.

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite ending

A polite ending attached to verbs in formal speech.

Example

まだありますか。

Are there still some available?

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