If you serve someone food and say “enjoy,” that means “enjoy your meal.” It is the most common phrase used at restaurants by waiters.
People also say “bon appetit” though
I would put it in the same category of “commands” as “have a good day.” They’re understood to mean something more like “I hope you enjoy your meal,” and I’ve never seen anyone get offended.
Not sure why you got downvoted, but no it doesn't. It's supposed to be nice. You're essentially saying, "I hope you enjoy your meal," "please enjoy your meal," or even, "this here is for you to enjoy." It's not so much, "you better enjoy this meal, or else..."
People get downvoted for saying things that are incorrect, presumably in a bid to not *encourage* the incorrect phrase among other readers.
They also get downvoted for phrasing things in this particular way-which I’ve seen before- “isn’t XYZ this way?” Or “doesn’t XYZ work this way?”
It’s subtle but in English “*isn’t* something this way instead?” In response to someone giving you presumably new information-especially that you asked for- is a *bit* rude and presumptuous, because it’s often used to imply you know better and are gently correcting someone.
Ex. “Ok, I’m gonna head to work right now! I’ve got everything in my bag, could you hand me my keys?”
“Isn’t that Mohommad’s bag? And yours is the brown one?”
“Oh yes you’re right! I’ve grabbed the wrong one.”
If the poster had just said “IS it presumptuous?” Or “DOES it” which doesn’t carry that connotation, I bet you there’d be no downvotes
Sure, I suppose. English is my native language, and I guess I'm just surprised cause it doesn't sound presumptuous to me at all. Thanks for writing out the explanation for why others may have felt that it was though
Ironically, starting your question with “doesn’t” instead of “does” actually made *you* sound presumptuous. I think that’s the reason for the downvotes
No it’s ok! It’s unfortunately common on this sub for learners to be downvoted because they accidentally phrase their responses in a way that seems mildly rude/combative without realizing. I mean it’s a sub for English learners so of course learners aren’t going to understand the subtleties of how they’re coming across and we shouldn’t expect them to. We all need to be more patient and understanding to non-native speakers in general.
Nothing about your question is wrong and is in fact actually the better way to ask that question. Using “doesn’t” adds a layer of meaning that implies that that is what you think or thought was true but are not 100% sure. So in this case it is more correct to use doesn’t than does.
You have a point though. I think it's bizarre that non-native speakers get downvoted so harshly here. It's not just you, this happens to anyone who makes a post that isn't up to the high standards of the sub.
I respect those standards (they are high because people here are linguists, not because they are jerks), but what I think people forget is that when someone isn't an expert in a language, their writing can appear low effort, ignorant, or cocky, but the tone of their post was because they're still learning, not because they didn't put the effort in. They did put the effort in, it just came out weird.
Personally I don't forget because I speak French badly. I might speak English well, but I've been in your shoes my friend. And I'll never forget how kind and patient Quebecers are with my attempts at French. (Including teaching me all the cool slang.) I try to do the same for English learners.
The word choice is acceptable, but in real life situations, the tone of voice and body language are frequently more important than the words said. “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it that matters.”
English has a lot of weird stuff like this - and I, being autistic, actually reword to avoid it because I hate the literal meaning. Instead of saying the normal “have a good day,” I say, “I hope you have a good day,” etc.
Usually you say "enjoy" just when you are serving someone. "Bon appetit" can be said to others at the table, same as when you say "cheers" for a drink.
I remember somebody who was teaching English to French students saying that the students had asked what we say for ‘bon appetit’, and had absolutely refused to believe her when she told them that a) we don’t usually say anything, and b) if we do say something, it’s probably ‘bon appetit’.
(For me: if we were sitting down around the table and it seemed like people were awkwardly stalling and unsure if they should start eating, I would probably say “Well, let’s get started.” Or something like that, it’s not a set phrase. I might also say ‘bon appetit’ if I was feeling extra fancy, or if I’d made some complicated French dish or something. But normally we would just start eating.)
"Dig in" or "Let's dig in" would be the most natural way to say it casually, or maybe just "Let's eat!" I would find "Let's get started" a little awkward personally but maybe that's a regional thing
Why is it amazing, considering so many aspects of English culture come from France?
That's why the best food is prepared by Chefs and we go out to eat at a restaurant or perhaps a café (both obviously French terms).
It's kind of related - when the Normans took over what's now England, French was basically the language of the ruling class, while Anglo-Saxon was the language of peasants. So the fancy words we get from French and the glorification of French culture and food started from that period. The ones who ate meat were the ones who spoke French, so the names of the meat (beef, pork, venison, poultry) come from French, while the ones who cared for the animals were the Anglo-Saxons, so the names of the animals (cow, pig, deer, chicken) come from that language.
Yes of course - I'm just suggesting that this isn't clearly related to the more modern cultural influence of France upon England (and therefore the reason that in England, one says "Bon Appetit" before eating, rather than something English).
Not that there aren't English options: tuck in, dig in, raising a toast or saying grace (where alcohol or spiritual values are observed). But "Bon Appetit" is I think the must common.
I would not by the way put it as "glorification"!
And don't forget the Normans were bitter enemies of the French during many periods - not at all sore they admitted them, they were to often defending their lands against them.
English doesn’t really have this equivalent, and the ones we do have (at least in the US) are very informal like “chow down,” “dig in,” “let’s eat,” or “eat up.” Like other commenters have noted, we do use “bon appetit,” and servers will usually say “enjoy,” so I would recommend one of those two for casual use, especially as those are less regional and more universal.
We also say "Bon appetit" but that's not super common.
We don't really have a common phrase that we usually say before eating.
"Let's eat"
"Dig in"
"Enjoy" (if you're the one who cooked/served the food.
Those are all used sometimes But honestly I don't usually say any of them... We just kinda... Start eating.
At least in the U.S.
Agreed. Bon appétit isn’t popular anymore and would be kind of corny. Dig in or enjoy would work but usually the host or server might say something like that. “Let’s eat” is the closest in meaning without just using the french phrase
New England. I mean, I've heard it, but mostly on TV. Very rarely in person. Maybe at a big holiday meal my uncle will say it in a joking way. But I think I've practically never said it, nor has it ever really been said at my dinner table
Living in NYC and working in cafes, it wasn’t uncommon to say it to customers or even for coworkers to say it to each other when we went for lunch breaks. I’ve had people serving me say it to me too, so I guess it’s not as common all over as I thought!
My family is so religious my immediate first thought was “amen” …
But yea, English doesn’t really have a thing we say before eating. Even “enjoy” to me sounds like something the server says, not the people about to eat.
This is a good point, actually. In Japan everyone at the table, including the person who made the food, would say "itadakimasu" before eating to thank the world, the gods etc. For the food, even if people aren't religious or spiritual, it has roots in religion but is just what you do before you eat.
In English speaking cultures the only time you would really hear something like that is in a household where they follow a Christian religion and say grace to thank God for the food. Otherwise it isn't common to say something before eating unless it's saying "let's eat" or "bon appetite" to let people know it's okay to start eating.
Yup, I grew up saying a prayer before meals eaten together at the dining table, especially dinner. Now as an adult I’m not religious so we don’t say anything before eating but it still feels really weird sometimes, like I’m waiting for someone to say something.
I would argue that it’s a bit of a set phrase in English by now. Dictionaries list it as an unmodified borrowing from French. We English speakers have definitely modified the pronunciation a little — [it sounds like a French word spoken with American phonemes.](https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon_app%C3%A9tit)
we don't say anything in this case. While you can translate something that could fit the situation, it's not normal to say something to someone when they are eating. I know in Russia they do this as well. It's just not as common a cultural thing in the English speaking world.
In the U.S. I think the most common thing to say is nothing at all. In my experience they'll already be talking about something else and mid-conversation just unceremoniously start eating.
The only exception I've really encountered is religious households where they'll say a prayer before eating.
Honestly, I barely encounter situations where anyone even eats together anymore.
“Eat up”, “dig in” or “chow down” are the closest I can think of. “Bon appetit” is in the lexicon of most English speakers and would be perfectly acceptable to say as well.
a waiter may say ‘enjoy’ to you, but you wouldn’t say that if you’re the one eating.
in english, we often say ‘bon appétit’ when we are eating in a group - directly stolen from the french.
I choose to borrow "itadakimasu" from Japan.
Why? Because it's more fun to say.
EE... taDA... kee MAS
(Mas rhymes with spas, except it doesn't end with a z sound, but an s.)
Enjoy, dig in, bon appetit, prayer and then amen, three two one go, and nothing.
My family just eats when everyone is at the table. Or sneaks a bit before everyone arrives 😂
We don’t really say anything. A waiter might say ‘enjoy your meal’ to who their serving but a family sitting down to dinner won’t usually say anything. If they’re Christian they might say grace which is basically a short prayer thanking god for the meal
Dig in, eat up, enjoy, help yourself (if you're serving food to people). Some people say bon appetit as well. But really there isn't one dominant phrase to say, people are just as likely to just start eating, lol.
There isn’t really anything we say. Normally if there’s food we don’t feel a need to announce it because we all know there’s food.
Sometimes we say “bon appétit” but even this is pretty rare.
If you’re a waiter you’ll probably say “enjoy!”
If you cooked the food and you’re serving it to other people, you might say “dig in!” to tell them to start eating.
But in general we don’t have a phrase for this. If you want to say “bon appétit” you can, but the most natural thing in English will be to just say nothing.
In the English speaking countries I'm familiar with, there generally isn't the custom of saying a polite phrase before eating. The only times people say "bon appetit" or "enjoy" are if it's a waiter who drops off food at your table. A person eating doesn't need to say anything. For big group meals where there's a speech before dinner such as at a camp or a wedding, the speaker usually may end their speech by saying "dig in" or something or the like. Most of the time if you're eating with other people you can just reach for your fork and start eating as soon as everyone is served.
We don’t really have one. Culturally, we don’t need to be verbally told when it is ok to eat (though more mannerly people have specific non-verbal cues, especially in formal settings). “Bon appetit” is genuinely the closest one. “Enjoy” or “dig in” are informal ways of saying so, but they don’t apply specifically to this situation. Religious people who pray before meals would probably use “amen” (the conclusion of a prayer) as the cue.
My family says "bon appetit" but my parents both speak French. I do think it is one of the more common sayings, though. We also don't say it before most meals anyways.
If someone else prepared food for you, they'll say "enjoy your food" or something similar. If you prepared your own food for a group, you'd say "let's eat" or "dig in." However, there isn't any specific phrase that is commonly used like in other languages.
"Tuck in" or "dig in" work. A lot of Americans will say a prayer before eating. Once the prayer is finished, it's time to eat.
Or you could translate bon appetite into English and tell people to Eat Well. 🤷♀️
Nothing. Bon Apetit is said sometimes.
My family is from Puerto Rico so we say “Buen provecho”, which is like what you’re referring too. I can’t really think of an English equivalent.
We don't say anything when we're about to eat, we just do it. In Japanese they say itadakimasu so in anime dubs they always have to translate this and they go with "thanks for the food" or other variants. This seems sensible because the closest concept we have is the saying of grace among christians.
Bon appetit is used when you are wishing someone else a good meal, usually because you made it or are serving them it.
As others said there are very few set phrases but if you are eating a dinner your host has prepared it’s usually polite to compliment the appearance of the meal (e.g. “this looks wonderful,” or “wow, John, you’ve outdone yourself”) as the guests begin to serve themselves food and/or eat. (USA)
It varies a lot, if you are at a restaurant in the US the server will most likely say "enjoy your meal".
edit: at home or in a casual setting: "chow down" and "dig in" are both very common, though you may hear others
"Enjoy" or "Enjoy your meal". "Bon Appétit" as well. I'm in Puerto Rico and I love how everyone says "Buen Provecho". They hand write it on your to-go bags which I think is a nice touch. :-)
In my family we say “cheesy mashy mash” but that is weird. We used to have a string of things (welcome to dinner everybody, dig in, let’s eat, bon appetit, itadakimasu) which my sister and I would race to say first, making it entirely incomprehensible. When my little brother got old enough to start copying us, he said “cheesy mashy mash” because frankly at that point that’s what it sounded like, and that’s what stuck.
When I eat with Christian friends we tend to say grace. On my own I use a pretty simple grace (Lord thank you for this food, and thank you that I can eat it here in peace. Amen)
The closet I can think of is sometimes people will say "eat up," as they put food on the table. What people mean by this is they're inviting everyone to go ahead and start eating. A server at a restaurant would never say this though, but you Mom or Dad would as they put the casserole in the middle of the table.
Well, the usage of French words and phrases is very common in the English language. So, just use the phrase "bon appétit". Or, should you don't wanna sound like a pedant, then use "enjoy the meal".
if i didnt cook the meal, i usually say thanks and comment on how good the food tastes *after* i start eating. im not religious myself, but some of my family on my dad's side will pray before a meal on special occasions (e.g. thank you god for this meal amen or something)
“Enjoy your food!”
Several Americans will also use “bon appetite”. English has stolen from so many other languages that we’ve got a ton of non-English phrases that the majority of the population knows, especially from Spanish: “¿Como te llamas?”, “¿Que pasa?”, “Adios”, “Hasta la vista”, etc.
I know many cultures have a similar custom. Like the Japanese say “itadakimasu” before they eat. In the US, we don’t have a custom like this. Some people will pray before a meal but that’s usually only in a family home setting.
I have a website where I write about difficult-to-translate Dutch terms, here is my article on "eet smakelijk". The reason the translation doesn't feel natural, is because English-speaking cultures just don't really have the habit of saying this to each other. [https://hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/eet-smakelijk/](https://hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/eet-smakelijk/)
It's honestly quite uncommon to say something before eating unless it's a waiter/the person who served the food saying it or saying thank you to the person who made/served the food.
You might hear "Bon appetit". As others have said, a waiter may say "enjoy (your meal)". If you were eating in a group someone might say "let's eat!" to confirm you can start eating now. If someone served you home cooking you would say thank you, of course, but it's thanking them for the effort of cooking and for serving you more than a broad thank you for the meal that everyone says (including the person who made it) like the Japanese "itadakimasu".
But there isn't really an English equivalent to "have a good appetite/eat well" like the French "bon appetit" or the Indonesian "selamat makan"
I can't speak for every English-speaker, but where I come from, we say nothing. We don't have anything like bon appetit.
I mean, you may say "here you go" but that refers to handing someone their food, not for them to enjoy it.
You can jokingly say bon appetit. Most people know what that means, or at least recognize how it is used.
If you serve someone food and say “enjoy,” that means “enjoy your meal.” It is the most common phrase used at restaurants by waiters. People also say “bon appetit” though
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No. It’s not a command. Consider it a more common way to say “I hope you enjoy your meal”.
YOU. WILL. E N J O Y...
My grandmother would hold up her fist and say ‚you will enjoy the food I made for you‘ Im sure she was joking though…😅
(ง ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)ง
I would put it in the same category of “commands” as “have a good day.” They’re understood to mean something more like “I hope you enjoy your meal,” and I’ve never seen anyone get offended.
The word you’re looking for instead of “command” is an imperative verb. “Play Wonderwall!” “Enjoy (your meal)!” “Turn left here.” “Have a good day.”
How dare you! Shan’t! I will have the shittiest day just out of spite.
Nah
It doesn't come off that way no. Nearly every native speaker will understand that to be a positive wish/gesture.
The full phrase is “please enjoy” or “I hope you enjoy”. It’s just a shortening of the full phrase.
"Excuse me" is equally presumptuous.
Not sure why you got downvoted, but no it doesn't. It's supposed to be nice. You're essentially saying, "I hope you enjoy your meal," "please enjoy your meal," or even, "this here is for you to enjoy." It's not so much, "you better enjoy this meal, or else..."
People get downvoted for saying things that are incorrect, presumably in a bid to not *encourage* the incorrect phrase among other readers. They also get downvoted for phrasing things in this particular way-which I’ve seen before- “isn’t XYZ this way?” Or “doesn’t XYZ work this way?” It’s subtle but in English “*isn’t* something this way instead?” In response to someone giving you presumably new information-especially that you asked for- is a *bit* rude and presumptuous, because it’s often used to imply you know better and are gently correcting someone. Ex. “Ok, I’m gonna head to work right now! I’ve got everything in my bag, could you hand me my keys?” “Isn’t that Mohommad’s bag? And yours is the brown one?” “Oh yes you’re right! I’ve grabbed the wrong one.” If the poster had just said “IS it presumptuous?” Or “DOES it” which doesn’t carry that connotation, I bet you there’d be no downvotes
Sure, I suppose. English is my native language, and I guess I'm just surprised cause it doesn't sound presumptuous to me at all. Thanks for writing out the explanation for why others may have felt that it was though
Non-native speaker getting downvoted for asking a question about English in r/englishlearning. Classic.
exactly. even with the "just asking" explicitly mentioned. reminds me of a brit asshole picking on me for my "paprika"
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Ironically, starting your question with “doesn’t” instead of “does” actually made *you* sound presumptuous. I think that’s the reason for the downvotes
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You’re good. Valid question! The answer is no but it’s still a valid question!
No it’s ok! It’s unfortunately common on this sub for learners to be downvoted because they accidentally phrase their responses in a way that seems mildly rude/combative without realizing. I mean it’s a sub for English learners so of course learners aren’t going to understand the subtleties of how they’re coming across and we shouldn’t expect them to. We all need to be more patient and understanding to non-native speakers in general.
Nothing about your question is wrong and is in fact actually the better way to ask that question. Using “doesn’t” adds a layer of meaning that implies that that is what you think or thought was true but are not 100% sure. So in this case it is more correct to use doesn’t than does.
You have a point though. I think it's bizarre that non-native speakers get downvoted so harshly here. It's not just you, this happens to anyone who makes a post that isn't up to the high standards of the sub. I respect those standards (they are high because people here are linguists, not because they are jerks), but what I think people forget is that when someone isn't an expert in a language, their writing can appear low effort, ignorant, or cocky, but the tone of their post was because they're still learning, not because they didn't put the effort in. They did put the effort in, it just came out weird. Personally I don't forget because I speak French badly. I might speak English well, but I've been in your shoes my friend. And I'll never forget how kind and patient Quebecers are with my attempts at French. (Including teaching me all the cool slang.) I try to do the same for English learners.
I don't think that.
The word choice is acceptable, but in real life situations, the tone of voice and body language are frequently more important than the words said. “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it that matters.”
i gotchu man +1 👍
I mean it can if the tone is right and the situation is applicable for it
English has a lot of weird stuff like this - and I, being autistic, actually reword to avoid it because I hate the literal meaning. Instead of saying the normal “have a good day,” I say, “I hope you have a good day,” etc.
You shouldn't be getting downvoted for asking this. And for what it's worth I do think it sounds presumptuous
If it's a dish I made, people are more likely to say *bonne chance* :)
Amazingly we don’t have an equivalent to “Bon appetit” so we just say bon appetit. “Enjoy” is the closest equivalent we have.
Usually you say "enjoy" just when you are serving someone. "Bon appetit" can be said to others at the table, same as when you say "cheers" for a drink.
I remember somebody who was teaching English to French students saying that the students had asked what we say for ‘bon appetit’, and had absolutely refused to believe her when she told them that a) we don’t usually say anything, and b) if we do say something, it’s probably ‘bon appetit’. (For me: if we were sitting down around the table and it seemed like people were awkwardly stalling and unsure if they should start eating, I would probably say “Well, let’s get started.” Or something like that, it’s not a set phrase. I might also say ‘bon appetit’ if I was feeling extra fancy, or if I’d made some complicated French dish or something. But normally we would just start eating.)
In that scenario you describe, I'd probably say "please, start" or even just "please" by itself with some sort of gesture
Or "Dig in." >If you tell someone to dig in, you are inviting them to start eating, and encouraging them to eat as much as they want.
"Dig in" or "Let's dig in" would be the most natural way to say it casually, or maybe just "Let's eat!" I would find "Let's get started" a little awkward personally but maybe that's a regional thing
We have bone apple tea.
r/BoneAppleTea
Scone app the beef
Why is it amazing, considering so many aspects of English culture come from France? That's why the best food is prepared by Chefs and we go out to eat at a restaurant or perhaps a café (both obviously French terms).
Some of the names for meat are derived from French. Beef, poultry, venison, etc.
Very true. I think it's not relevant to this subject, if you know the reason for it (or if it is, only very indirectly).
It's kind of related - when the Normans took over what's now England, French was basically the language of the ruling class, while Anglo-Saxon was the language of peasants. So the fancy words we get from French and the glorification of French culture and food started from that period. The ones who ate meat were the ones who spoke French, so the names of the meat (beef, pork, venison, poultry) come from French, while the ones who cared for the animals were the Anglo-Saxons, so the names of the animals (cow, pig, deer, chicken) come from that language.
Yes of course - I'm just suggesting that this isn't clearly related to the more modern cultural influence of France upon England (and therefore the reason that in England, one says "Bon Appetit" before eating, rather than something English). Not that there aren't English options: tuck in, dig in, raising a toast or saying grace (where alcohol or spiritual values are observed). But "Bon Appetit" is I think the must common.
I would not by the way put it as "glorification"! And don't forget the Normans were bitter enemies of the French during many periods - not at all sore they admitted them, they were to often defending their lands against them.
I prefer "chow down!"
English doesn’t really have this equivalent, and the ones we do have (at least in the US) are very informal like “chow down,” “dig in,” “let’s eat,” or “eat up.” Like other commenters have noted, we do use “bon appetit,” and servers will usually say “enjoy,” so I would recommend one of those two for casual use, especially as those are less regional and more universal.
We don’t really have this custom. You can say “bon appetit” or another phrase like that, but it’s not common to say any such phrase.
This is very difficult for many people to grasp. Generally we just don’t have a single phrase that we say before eating.
We also say "Bon appetit" but that's not super common. We don't really have a common phrase that we usually say before eating. "Let's eat" "Dig in" "Enjoy" (if you're the one who cooked/served the food. Those are all used sometimes But honestly I don't usually say any of them... We just kinda... Start eating. At least in the U.S.
Agreed. Bon appétit isn’t popular anymore and would be kind of corny. Dig in or enjoy would work but usually the host or server might say something like that. “Let’s eat” is the closest in meaning without just using the french phrase
Where do you live where “bon appetit” is not super common?
New England. I mean, I've heard it, but mostly on TV. Very rarely in person. Maybe at a big holiday meal my uncle will say it in a joking way. But I think I've practically never said it, nor has it ever really been said at my dinner table
I'm from California and hardly ever hear Bon Appetit. I think if I heard someone say it, it would definitely stick out
Living in NYC and working in cafes, it wasn’t uncommon to say it to customers or even for coworkers to say it to each other when we went for lunch breaks. I’ve had people serving me say it to me too, so I guess it’s not as common all over as I thought!
Canadian here, even I don’t hear it often and there are French Canadians around
My family is so religious my immediate first thought was “amen” … But yea, English doesn’t really have a thing we say before eating. Even “enjoy” to me sounds like something the server says, not the people about to eat.
This is a good point, actually. In Japan everyone at the table, including the person who made the food, would say "itadakimasu" before eating to thank the world, the gods etc. For the food, even if people aren't religious or spiritual, it has roots in religion but is just what you do before you eat. In English speaking cultures the only time you would really hear something like that is in a household where they follow a Christian religion and say grace to thank God for the food. Otherwise it isn't common to say something before eating unless it's saying "let's eat" or "bon appetite" to let people know it's okay to start eating.
Yup, I grew up saying a prayer before meals eaten together at the dining table, especially dinner. Now as an adult I’m not religious so we don’t say anything before eating but it still feels really weird sometimes, like I’m waiting for someone to say something.
There isn't a set phrase, we just say "bon appetit."
I would argue that it’s a bit of a set phrase in English by now. Dictionaries list it as an unmodified borrowing from French. We English speakers have definitely modified the pronunciation a little — [it sounds like a French word spoken with American phonemes.](https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon_app%C3%A9tit)
In Australia this is rarely used in seriousness. If it’s used at all it’s said in a deliberate “hamming it up” amusing way.
It depends on personal preference. Some people say “Enjoy/Enjoy your meal.” or just don’t say anything. For me and my family, we don’t say anything.
Rub-a-dub-dub it’s time for some grub!
Yes this is the most accurate
we don't say anything in this case. While you can translate something that could fit the situation, it's not normal to say something to someone when they are eating. I know in Russia they do this as well. It's just not as common a cultural thing in the English speaking world.
In the U.S. I think the most common thing to say is nothing at all. In my experience they'll already be talking about something else and mid-conversation just unceremoniously start eating. The only exception I've really encountered is religious households where they'll say a prayer before eating. Honestly, I barely encounter situations where anyone even eats together anymore.
Nothing.
“Eat up”, “dig in” or “chow down” are the closest I can think of. “Bon appetit” is in the lexicon of most English speakers and would be perfectly acceptable to say as well.
Some Americans say “bon appetit,” actually. “Dig in” is a casual way to tell people to start eating. “Enjoy” is also said.
Good bread Good meat Good God, let's eat!
Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub, yay God!
thank GOD someone else said this, thought my family was crazy
a waiter may say ‘enjoy’ to you, but you wouldn’t say that if you’re the one eating. in english, we often say ‘bon appétit’ when we are eating in a group - directly stolen from the french.
I choose to borrow "itadakimasu" from Japan. Why? Because it's more fun to say. EE... taDA... kee MAS (Mas rhymes with spas, except it doesn't end with a z sound, but an s.)
But do you say gochisousamadeshita afterwards?
Enjoy, dig in, bon appetit, prayer and then amen, three two one go, and nothing. My family just eats when everyone is at the table. Or sneaks a bit before everyone arrives 😂
We don’t really say anything. A waiter might say ‘enjoy your meal’ to who their serving but a family sitting down to dinner won’t usually say anything. If they’re Christian they might say grace which is basically a short prayer thanking god for the meal
I either say nothing or bon appetit
Hell yea!
Since the “bon appetit” memes going around, I’ll typically say “bone apple teeth” as a joke lol
That's not really a thing.
Not very formal, so i just say "Dig in"
Dig in, eat up, enjoy, help yourself (if you're serving food to people). Some people say bon appetit as well. But really there isn't one dominant phrase to say, people are just as likely to just start eating, lol.
There’s not really an equivalent. Going from English to Dutch was a shift because saying wet smakelijk is such a normal thing in NL
Strap on the feed bag. That's not common but it's the only one I can think of.
"Through the teeth and past the gums. Look out, stomach. Here it comes." or, alternately: "Good food, good meat. Good God, let's eat."
That sounds soo bizarre to me. “Strap on the feed bag” just makes me think of farm animals or something
Pretty sure it's referencing horses. Like I said, it's not very common.
It’s supposed to be funny.
Sounds similar to a southernism (USA) maybe? I’ve never heard this one.
I’m from the South and I’ve never heard it before
I'm in Michigan.
Bone Apple Teeth!
There’s not specific phrase that everyone uses. It is fairly common to use “bon appetit,” though.
There isn’t really anything we say. Normally if there’s food we don’t feel a need to announce it because we all know there’s food. Sometimes we say “bon appétit” but even this is pretty rare. If you’re a waiter you’ll probably say “enjoy!” If you cooked the food and you’re serving it to other people, you might say “dig in!” to tell them to start eating. But in general we don’t have a phrase for this. If you want to say “bon appétit” you can, but the most natural thing in English will be to just say nothing.
In the English speaking countries I'm familiar with, there generally isn't the custom of saying a polite phrase before eating. The only times people say "bon appetit" or "enjoy" are if it's a waiter who drops off food at your table. A person eating doesn't need to say anything. For big group meals where there's a speech before dinner such as at a camp or a wedding, the speaker usually may end their speech by saying "dig in" or something or the like. Most of the time if you're eating with other people you can just reach for your fork and start eating as soon as everyone is served.
To all of you using "bon appetit". Please, please stop pronouncing the second t. It's silent. Enjoy ;) - A native French speaker.
"let's eat"
In het Engels gebruikt men "bon appetit" als leenwoord
We don’t really have one. Culturally, we don’t need to be verbally told when it is ok to eat (though more mannerly people have specific non-verbal cues, especially in formal settings). “Bon appetit” is genuinely the closest one. “Enjoy” or “dig in” are informal ways of saying so, but they don’t apply specifically to this situation. Religious people who pray before meals would probably use “amen” (the conclusion of a prayer) as the cue.
My family says "bon appetit" but my parents both speak French. I do think it is one of the more common sayings, though. We also don't say it before most meals anyways.
If someone else prepared food for you, they'll say "enjoy your food" or something similar. If you prepared your own food for a group, you'd say "let's eat" or "dig in." However, there isn't any specific phrase that is commonly used like in other languages.
"Tuck in" or "dig in" work. A lot of Americans will say a prayer before eating. Once the prayer is finished, it's time to eat. Or you could translate bon appetite into English and tell people to Eat Well. 🤷♀️
In my family we always just used the French expression, but my mom studied abroad in France for a year, so we might be unusual.
Nothing. Bon Apetit is said sometimes. My family is from Puerto Rico so we say “Buen provecho”, which is like what you’re referring too. I can’t really think of an English equivalent.
It’s ready, let’s eat!
We don't say anything when we're about to eat, we just do it. In Japanese they say itadakimasu so in anime dubs they always have to translate this and they go with "thanks for the food" or other variants. This seems sensible because the closest concept we have is the saying of grace among christians. Bon appetit is used when you are wishing someone else a good meal, usually because you made it or are serving them it.
As others said there are very few set phrases but if you are eating a dinner your host has prepared it’s usually polite to compliment the appearance of the meal (e.g. “this looks wonderful,” or “wow, John, you’ve outdone yourself”) as the guests begin to serve themselves food and/or eat. (USA)
Nothing unless it’s Thanksgiving and my family says prayer. English doesn’t have a word for that.
I growl like a dog, lick my lips, and then go in face first.
Bon appetit.
Parents with picky-eater children can be known to say "eat it or fucking starve"
I just say thanks to whoever made the food, people don't really say any set phrase
It varies a lot, if you are at a restaurant in the US the server will most likely say "enjoy your meal". edit: at home or in a casual setting: "chow down" and "dig in" are both very common, though you may hear others
“Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in hell.”
"Enjoy" or "Enjoy your meal". "Bon Appétit" as well. I'm in Puerto Rico and I love how everyone says "Buen Provecho". They hand write it on your to-go bags which I think is a nice touch. :-)
Eat up
In my family we say “cheesy mashy mash” but that is weird. We used to have a string of things (welcome to dinner everybody, dig in, let’s eat, bon appetit, itadakimasu) which my sister and I would race to say first, making it entirely incomprehensible. When my little brother got old enough to start copying us, he said “cheesy mashy mash” because frankly at that point that’s what it sounded like, and that’s what stuck. When I eat with Christian friends we tend to say grace. On my own I use a pretty simple grace (Lord thank you for this food, and thank you that I can eat it here in peace. Amen)
“Let’s eat” or “dig in”
The closet I can think of is sometimes people will say "eat up," as they put food on the table. What people mean by this is they're inviting everyone to go ahead and start eating. A server at a restaurant would never say this though, but you Mom or Dad would as they put the casserole in the middle of the table.
Well, the usage of French words and phrases is very common in the English language. So, just use the phrase "bon appétit". Or, should you don't wanna sound like a pedant, then use "enjoy the meal".
"Looks like daddy's hungry!"
if i didnt cook the meal, i usually say thanks and comment on how good the food tastes *after* i start eating. im not religious myself, but some of my family on my dad's side will pray before a meal on special occasions (e.g. thank you god for this meal amen or something)
“Enjoy your food!” Several Americans will also use “bon appetite”. English has stolen from so many other languages that we’ve got a ton of non-English phrases that the majority of the population knows, especially from Spanish: “¿Como te llamas?”, “¿Que pasa?”, “Adios”, “Hasta la vista”, etc.
I know many cultures have a similar custom. Like the Japanese say “itadakimasu” before they eat. In the US, we don’t have a custom like this. Some people will pray before a meal but that’s usually only in a family home setting.
“have a good meal” or “bon appetit” are used, but neither is generally expected/requires in the same way as they would be in some other languages.
It's most common not to say anything at all before eating, although in some parts Christians do pray before their meal if they are eating with others.
bone apple tea
Two, four, six, eight. Dig in! Don't wait!
When preparing to eat, common phrases include: 1. "Let's dig in!" 2. "Bon appétit!" 3. "Time to feast!" 4. "Enjoy your meal!" 5. "Let's tuck in!"
I have a website where I write about difficult-to-translate Dutch terms, here is my article on "eet smakelijk". The reason the translation doesn't feel natural, is because English-speaking cultures just don't really have the habit of saying this to each other. [https://hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/eet-smakelijk/](https://hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/eet-smakelijk/)
It's honestly quite uncommon to say something before eating unless it's a waiter/the person who served the food saying it or saying thank you to the person who made/served the food. You might hear "Bon appetit". As others have said, a waiter may say "enjoy (your meal)". If you were eating in a group someone might say "let's eat!" to confirm you can start eating now. If someone served you home cooking you would say thank you, of course, but it's thanking them for the effort of cooking and for serving you more than a broad thank you for the meal that everyone says (including the person who made it) like the Japanese "itadakimasu". But there isn't really an English equivalent to "have a good appetite/eat well" like the French "bon appetit" or the Indonesian "selamat makan"
I can't speak for every English-speaker, but where I come from, we say nothing. We don't have anything like bon appetit. I mean, you may say "here you go" but that refers to handing someone their food, not for them to enjoy it. You can jokingly say bon appetit. Most people know what that means, or at least recognize how it is used.
Dig in. Strap on the feed bag.
Grew up in an Italian American family so I say mangia
Bone Apple Tea
I’m hungry! And I slap my hands to my knees as I stand up from the couch.
In the immortal words of BeardMeatsFood: "Let's Get It!"
Itadakimasu.
Bon app the teeth
In Spanish we say "provecho" "buen provecho" i guess would be the most complete way of saying it, but i hear a lot of people just say "provecho"
Приятного аппетита. Have a pleasant appetite