Adding たて to some verbs means just (done), freshly (made), or generally indicates an activity which has just occurred.
Construction:
Add ~たて after the -masu verb stem:
焼く → 焼きます → 焼きます → 焼きたて
plain form → masu form → drop the masu → add たて
It is almost always written in kana, but the kanji is 立 (stand).
~たて is most often used with food. Fresh food!
Food examples
焼きたてのパン
yaki tate no pan
freshly baked bread
- 焼く to bake; roast; broil; toast
- パン bread
揚げたてのてんぷら
age tate no tenpura
just fried tempura
- 揚げる to deep-fry
- 天ぷら tempura; deep-fried fish or vegetables in a light batter
炊きたてのご飯
taki tate no gohan
freshly cooked rice
- 炊く to cook; to boil; to simmer
- ご飯 cooked rice; meal in general
摘みたてのイチゴ
tsumi tate no ichigo
newly picked strawberries
- 摘む to pinch; to pick up (with fingers; chopsticks; tweezers; etc)
- イチゴ strawberry
出来たての料理
deki tate no ryouri
just made food
- 出来る to be able to do (something); to be made
- 料理 cooking; cuisine
ひきたてのコーヒー
hiki tate no ko-hi-
freshly-ground coffee
- 挽く to grind (coffee beans); to mill
- コーヒー coffee
搗きたての餅
tsuki tate no mochi
freshly pounded mochi (rice cake)
- 搗く to hull (barley; rice; etc); to pound (rice); to polish (rice)
- 餅 mochi; sticky rice cake
絞りたてのジュース
shobori tate no ju-su
freshly squeezed juice
- 絞る to wring; to squeeze
- ジュース juice [this can also refer to soft drinks (sweet, non-alcoholic beverages whether carbonated or not)]
汲みたての水
kumi tate no mizu
freshly-drawn water
- 汲む to draw (water); to fetch (water); to dip
- 水 water
Non-food examples
生まれたてのこうし
umare tate no koushi
new born calf
- 生む to give birth; to bear (children); to lay (eggs)
- 子牛 calf; small cow
塗りたての壁
nuri tate no kabe
freshly painted wall
- 塗る to paint; to plaster; to lacquer
- 壁 wall
ペンキ塗りたて
penki nuri tate
wet paint
- ペンキ paint
- 塗る to paint; to plaster; to lacquer
免許とりたて
menkyo tori tate
just got a license (new driver)
- 免許 license; permit
- とる to take
洗いたての服
arai tate no fuku
just washed clothes
- 洗う to wash; to cleanse; to rinse
- 服 clothes
刷りたての新聞
suri tate no shinbun
fresh off the press newspaper
- 刷る to print
- 新聞 newspaper