Friendly to Senior
Care · Daily · Support
少しずつでいいですよ。食べられそうなところから始めましょう。 — A little at a time is perfectly fine. Let's start with whatever you feel you can manage. (Care · Daily · Support, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N4)
You
少しずつでいいですよ。食べられそうなところから始めましょう。
すこしずつでいいですよ。たべられそうなところからはじめましょう。
A little at a time is perfectly fine. Let's start with whatever you feel you can manage.
Romaji: Sukoshi zutsu de ii desu yo. Taberare sou na tokoro kara hajimemashou. / Reply Romaji: Sou desu ka... dewa, mazu kore kara.
Reply
そうですか…では、まずこれから。
そうですか…では、まずこれから。
Is that so... then I'll start with this.
Gesture & etiquette
Place the most appealing dish (usually the one they mentioned liking) closest to them before the conversation. Look away briefly as they begin eating — being watched while eating makes many people self-conscious.
Removing the pressure to finish a meal is often what allows a senior to eat more. 「食べられそうなところから」(from wherever you feel you can eat) gives them agency over their own eating pace. Avoid watching them eat with an expectant expression — relax and let the meal flow naturally.