technically its "beteavon", but considering the ppl i usually eat with (if i eat with ppl) it would be a combination of moves to guard the food i eat and scare away beggers ^_^; .
so true. we are pigs among society. some things i've heard said before eating was. "for fucks sake, use your cutlery" or "don't shovel your food down!"
however some people thank the "lord" for their meal. you know, religious people
Well, here in Romania you can say "Pofta buna", which is the exact equivalent to "Bon appetit" from French. It basically means something like "Enjoy your food". Not exactly, but that's the general idea. But you say that to other people who are eating, not to yourself. xDD
And yeah, of course, like some people mentioned, we have another and FAR more frequently used formula to thank for a meal (and not to God), which is used after eating. xD
Doesn't that mean 'eat slowly'?.... heh, do u eat too fast or something?
In a way, it means eat slowly and enjoy your food because when you eat slower you are able to savor the meal.
I usually say 食饭 (sik fan), which means "eat rice" before sitting down and eat, or 慢慢吃. I guess in a way saying 食饭 is like ringing a bell telling everyone that there's food to be eaten.
"Guten Hunger" or just "Mahlzeit" are more common over here.
I don't agree with you. You say "Mahlzeit" just as a greeting around lunch time, but not if you're just about to eat something. And "Guten Hunger" is just incorrect german and not used a lot.
Hum... In my native language (Portuguese), I think it is "Bom apetite". It looks like the french "bon appétit" (I also speak french, although it isn't my native language), but the accent is a little bit different. ^^