What does Go-Chiso-sama-deshita mean in Japanese?

What does Go-Chiso-sama-deshita mean in Japanese?

In Nepal, someone comes to your house after Sun sets, you should consider him as a messenger sent by God, and if he wishes to stay for whole night, you MUST give a shelter, give him food even if the cooked food is not enough to your own family. This is a culture. Culture values are so strong that I realize more as grew up and get older and older. It has a profound meaning. Whether you are a foreigner or Japanese or US Citizen or European, if you visit any Nepalis house in remote areas, and request for shelter in the night, they will offer you free food, and free shelter based on their capability. I am still trying to search for the answer why did we have this culture? What was the reason this culture was developed? There must be some reasoning, and it just did not happen because it was written in religious books? How many things we strictly follow that is written in religious books, but why did we follow this particular one? My guess would be that its favor you give to someone, and someone will offer you a same favor in future when you leave your house for some reasons. As a Hindu / Buddhist predominant country, we have several (33 million gods!) thousands pilgrim sites around India and Nepal, so people are supposed to visit these places before they die, so that they get "Mokchhya", reach to heaven.

Despite of such great culture, I never heard any specialized word to express my gratitude to someone who serves me a great food -supper-, but interestingly in Japanese there is avery particular word that you must speak as an honor to his / her favor for the free dinner or lunch or any food. The "Gochiso-sama-desita" phrase is frequenly heard at the restaurant's gate when a group of people get out of dining hall. It means that "you are great person for me by offering such great food free of charge". You will tell this phrase only if you are not paying for the cost of the food. So, phrase is reserved only for the person who offers food free of charge, and you tell if only after you eat it. IF you are taking it home and eat later, you owe "Gochiso-sama-deshita" phrase on the next meeting.

Well, next question is that what should be reply to "Go-chiso-sama-deshita", if you are a free food provider (or if you are the one who pays the bill). Then, "iie-iie" or "iie-iie-kochira-koso-desu" depending on your relation with the receiving side. First one is formal reply, while the second one is too polite form. It means, "its alright, its my pleasure" i.e. its alright, you don't need to be grateful to me for such simple dinner ..."..... eventhough, reply expressions are like this "you don't need to express gochiso-sama-desita", but if don't tell, then you might miss another chance of getting free dinner. So, its a culture. It is a very difficult culture. Both side expect such replies. If you don't reply "iie-iie", then you are also rude, and next time the person who ate free food this time will pay you his parts instead of saying "Gochiso-sama-desita". If you are college or university student, and the person who offered free food or paid the bill is also your almost same aged friend, then you won't use "gochiso-sama-desita", instead you use "go-chi-soooo" or "go-chisoo-san", or "go-chi-so-sama".... you can have your own style or version after "go chi so" phrase. That up to you. To your superier it should not be "san" it should be "sama". People quite often express this gratitude to the shop-keepers, especially, if the shop is small and within your own town, and if you visit this shop very frequently, to mean that "Aunti/Uncle ... thank you for serving such a nice food", and it does not mean that you are relieved of paying the charges. Don't think like that because you will find your address in Police Custody in a few minute if leave without paying the cost of the food. So, there is no excuse "you won't get free food" by saying "Gochiso-sama-desita" to the shop-keeper, its just a culture. What I mean is that the phrase is not only used as a gratitude to someone who paid your bill or who offered free food, but in different situations you can tell this kind of phrase, even to a nice waiter, because that is a real tips in Japan. In Japan, tips are not required at all. Never ever.

Hey readers, you owe me "Gochiso-sama" for giving this nice phrase for your consumption. Its OK, "iie-iie-kochira-koso". I don't find such nice specialized words / phrases in other cultures. Simple "Thanks" is very light to me.