Master Japanese Vocabulary and Phrases for Snacks and Desserts

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Learning how to talk about different foods and treats is an important part of learning any new language. Here is a guide for beginners to learn vocabulary and phrases related to snacks, candy and desserts in Japanese.

Topics covered in this article:

• • Common Snacks and Candy
  • Popular Japanese Desserts
  • Talking About Taste and Texture
  • Offering and Asking for Snacks
  • Talking About Going to Buy Snacks
  • Phrases to Use during a Japanese Conversation

Common Snacks and Candy

Learn essential Japanese vocabulary words for popular snacks and candy like chocolate, chips, chewing gum, lollipops, and cookies.

Here are some common Japanese words for popular snacks and candy:

• お菓子 (okashi) – sweets, candy, snacks
• ポテトチップス (poteto chippusu) – potato chips
• チョコレート (chokorēto) – chocolate
• キャンデー (kyandē) – candy
• ガム (gamu) – gum, chewing gum
• クッキー (kukkī) – cookies
• プリン (purin) – custard pudding
• アイスキャンデー (aisu kyandē) – popsicle, ice lolly

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Some useful phrases:

• お菓子が好きです (Okashi ga suki desu) – I like snacks/sweets
• チョコレートを食べたい (Chokorēto o tabetai) – I want to eat chocolate
• このガムの味は何ですか? (Kono gamu no aji wa nan desu ka?) – What flavor is this gum?
• キャンデーを一つください (Kyandē o hitotsu kudasai) – One candy please

Popular Japanese Desserts

Learn names and vocabulary for traditional and modern Japanese desserts. Example sentences show how to talk about ordering and asking what’s popular.

Here are some traditional Japanese desserts and sweets vocabulary:

• 和菓子 (wagashi) – traditional Japanese confectionery
• モチ (mochi) – soft rice cake
• ドーナツ (dōnatsu) – donut
• タイヤケーキ (taiyākēki) – sponge cake
• アイスクリーム (aisukurīmu) – ice cream
• パフェ (pafue) – parfait
• クレープ (kurēpu) – crepe
• 抹茶 (matcha) – green tea flavor dessert
• フルーツ (furūtsu) – fruit

Useful phrases:

• 抹茶のアイスクリームが好きです (Matcha no aisukurīmu ga suki desu) – I like green tea ice cream
• ストロベリーパフェを注文したいです (Sutoroberī pafue o chūmon shitai desu) – I would like to order a strawberry parfait
• お店でどんなデザートが人気ですか? (Omise de don’na dezāto ga ninki desu ka?) – What desserts are popular at this shop?

Talking About Taste and Texture in Japanese

Learn important Japanese adjectives to describe different flavors and texture like sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, sourness, and chewy.

To describe snacks and desserts in Japanese, use words like:

• 甘い (amai) – sweet
• 塩辛い (shiokarai) – salty
• 苦い (nigai) – bitter
• 酸っぱい (suppai) – sour
• 辛い (karai) – spicy
• ねっとりと (nettori to) – sticky
• もっちりと (motchiri to) – chewy
• サクサク (saku saku) – crunchy

For example:

• このキャンデーは甘すぎる (Kono kyandē wa amasugiru) – This candy is too sweet
• 抹茶アイスは苦みがある (Matcha aisu wa nigami ga aru) – Green tea ice cream has some bitterness
• モチはねっとりした食感が好き (Mochi wa nettori shita shokkaku ga suki) – I like the sticky texture of mochi

Politely Offering and Asking for Snacks

Learn phrases to make polite requests for snacks and desserts in Japanese using “kudasai” (please). Also understand how to politely offer snacks to someone.

Use the verb ください (kudasai) to make polite requests.

• ケーキを一切れください (Kēki o hitokire kudasai) – One slice of cake please

To offer snacks, use:

• ~しますか? (-shimasu ka?) – Would you like ~?
• ~したいですか? (~shitai desu ka?) – Do you want ~?

For example:

• キャンデーを食べたいですか? (Kyandē o tabetai desu ka?) – Would you like some candy?
• アイスクリームを取りますか? (Aisukurīmu o torimasu ka?) – Shall I get some ice cream?

Use はい (hai) and いいえ (iie) to politely accept or decline offers.

• はい、ケーキを頂きます。 (Hai, kēki o itadakimasu.) – Yes, I’ll have some cake, thanks.
• いいえ、結構です。 (Iie, kekkō desu.) – No thank you, I’m fine.

Talking About Going to Buy Snacks

Use the verb 買う (kau) to say that you will buy or purchase something.

• お菓子を買いに行きます (Okashi o kai ni ikimasu) – I’m going to go buy some snacks
• コンビニでアイスクリームを買ってきます (Konbini de aisukurīmu o katte kimasu) – I’ll buy ice cream at the convenience store

You can also use 取る (toru) to mean get or pick up snacks.

• 帰りにカフェでクッキーを取ってきます。 (Kaeri ni kafe de kukkī o totte kimasu.) – I’ll stop by the cafe on the way home and get some cookies.

Common Snack and Dessert Locations

Here are some places you can buy sweets and desserts in Japan:

• コンビニ (konbini) – convenience store
• スーパー (sūpā) – supermarket
• お菓子屋 (okashiya) – confectionery/sweets shop
• カフェ (kafe) – cafe
• パティスリー (patisserie) – bakery, pastry shop
• アイスクリーム屋 (aisukurīmuya) – ice cream shop

For example:

• このお菓子屋にはおいしそうなケーキがたくさんある (Kono okashiya ni wa oishisō na kēki ga takusan aru) – This confectionery shop has many delicious looking cakes
• 友達とカフェでデザートを食べに行くのが好き (Tomodachi to kafe de dezāto o tabe ni iku no ga suki) – I like going to cafes with friends to eat desserts

Useful phrases to use during a japanese conversation

一番好きなお菓子・デザートは何ですか？- Ichiban sukina okashi/dezaato wa nandesuka? – What is your favorite snack, dessert, or candy?

お菓子は好きですか？- Okashi wa suki desuka? – Do you like snacks/candy?

甘いお菓子と塩辛いお菓子とどっちが好きですか？- Amai okashi to shiokkarai okashi to docchi ga suki desuka? – Do you prefer sweet or savory snacks?

どんな時にお菓子を食べますか？- Donna toki ni okashi o tabemasuka? – When do you usually eat candy or snacks?

デザートはよく食べますか？- Dezaato wa yoku tabemasu ka? – Do you eat desserts often?

デザートやお菓子を作るのは好きですか？- Dezaato ya okashi o tsukuru no wa suki desuka? – Do you like making desserts or sweets/snacks?

( person’s nameさん）の国には面白いお菓子がありますか？- ( person’s name san）no kuni ni wa omoshiroi okashi ga arimasuka? – Are there interesting candy/snacks in your country?

( person’s nameさん）の国には特別なお菓子がありますか？- ( person’s name san) no kuni ni wa tokubetsu na okashi ga arimasu ka? – Are there special candy/snacks in your country?

( person’s nameさん）の国には面白いデザートがありますか？- ( person’s name san）no kuni ni wa omoshiroi dezaato ga arimasuka? – Are there interesting desserts in your country?

( person’s nameさん）の国には特別なデザートがありますか？- ( person’s name san）no kuni ni wa tokubetsu na dezaato ga arimasuka? – Are there special desserts in your country?

( person’s nameさん）の国にはどんな味のポテトチップスがありますか？- ( person’s name san）no kuni ni wa donna aji no poteto chippusu ga arimasuka? – What flavor potato chips exists in your country?

( person’s nameさん）の国にはどんな味のチョコレートがありますか？- ( person’s name san）no kuni ni wa donna aji no chokoreeto ga arimasuka? – What types of chocolate are there in your country?

嫌いなお菓子・デザートはありますか？- Kirai na okashi/dezaato wa arimasuka? – Do you have snacks, candy, or desserts that you don’t like?

一番好きなアイスクリームは何ですか？- Ichiban suki na aisu kuriimu wa nandesuka? – What’s your favorite ice cream?

日本のお菓子は食べたことがありますか？- Nihon no okashi wa tabeta koto ga arimasuka? – Have you tried Japanese snacks/candies?

If yes:

どれが好きでしたか？- Dore ga suki deshita ka? – Which one did you like?

子供の頃どのお菓子が一番好きでしたか？- Kodomo no koro dono okashi ga ichiban suki deshitaka? – Which candy, sweets, or snacks was your favorite as a child?

Make your own questions!

Feel free to insert anything like pringles, lays potato chips, kit kat, hershey’s.

＿＿＿＿さんの国には＿＿＿＿がありますか？- (person’s name san) no kuni ni wa (brand of snack or candy) ga arimasuka? – Do you have ____ in your country?

For example:

＿＿＿＿さんの国にはキットカットがありますか？- _____ san no kuni ni wa kitto katto ga arimasuka? – Do you have kit kat’s in your country?

With this basic Japanese vocabulary and phrases, you can start talking about buying, offering, and eating different sweets, candy and desserts.

Practice using these words in example conversations to help memorize them. Knowing food-related vocabulary is key to interacting in daily life in Japan.