Today’s Case
During a Meal…
これ、おいしい！
Kore, oishii!
(This is delicious!)
うますぎて 飛ぶ～！
Uma-sugite tobu!
飛ぶ？どういう意味？
“Tobu”? Dou iu imi?
(“Tobu”? What do you mean?)
The verb “飛ぶ (tobu)” means “to fly” in English.
Then, what does “うますぎて飛ぶ (uma-sugite tobu)” mean?
Decoder’s Notes
「delicious＝おいしい (oishii)」
Many Japanese learners already know this.
And yes, Japanese people often say “おいしい (oishii)” when something tastes good. But that’s not the only way to say it.
In today’s case, “うますぎて飛ぶ (uma-sugite tobu)” literally means: “It’s so delicious that I could fly.” In other words, it means: “This is unbelievably delicious!”
So it means, “It’s so delicious that I could fly!”
Japanese people sometimes use the verb “飛ぶ (tobu) =to fly” in a humorous way to express just how amazingly delicious something is.
By the way, “うますぎて飛ぶ (uma-sugite tobu)” is sometimes used in conversations with friends, but you’re even more likely to see it on social media, especially among younger people.
The Clue
Japanese people often say “おいしい (oishii)“, but they don’t use it all the time.
Here are some other expressions you might hear in restaurants, dramas, or on social media.
- うまい！(Umai!): Casual way to say “Delicious!”
- うまっ！(Uma!): Quick, emotional way to say “Delicious!”
- うんまっ！(Unma!): Even more emotional
- やばい！(Yabai!)/やばっ！(Yaba!): Crazy! in a good way
- やばうま！(Yaba-uma!): Crazy delicious! やばい＋うまい
- 神！(Kami!): This is god-tier! Absolutely amazing!
- おいちい！(Oichii!): Childlike speech
Today’s Field Mission
The next time you’re at a restaurant, watching a drama, or scrolling through social media, see if you can find expressions people use instead of “おいしい (oishii)”.
You probably learned that “delicious” means “おいしい (oishii)”. But in real life, Japanese people also say things like “うまっ！(uma!)”, “やば！(yaba!)“, and “神！(kami!)“. If you can spot these real-life expressions, you’re becoming a true Japanese Language Detective.
And the next time you eat something delicious, try saying something other than “おいしい (oishii)”.
Case Solved
See you in the next case!
