Learn Hardcore Japanese: haha no ryouri ha suteki da to omoimasu. - I think my mother's cooking is wonderful.

母の料理は素敵だと思います。
→ “As for my mother’s cooking, I think it’s wonderful.” (neutral, topic-comment style)
母の料理が素敵だと思います。
→ “I think my mother’s cooking is wonderful.”
Often feels more emphatic or contrastive, as if answering an implicit question like “Whose cooking do you think is wonderful?” or contrasting with other cooking.

In many everyday contexts, both can sound quite natural, and the difference is subtle.

Why is it 素敵だと思います and not 素敵ですと思います?

Before と思います, you almost always use the plain (dictionary) form of the predicate, not the polite form:

Verbs: 行くと思います (not 行きますと思います)
い-adjectives: 高いと思います (not 高いですと思います)
な-adjectives / nouns: 静かだと思います, 学生だと思います (not 静かですと思います, 学生ですと思います)

So 素敵だと思います is correct because 素敵だ is the plain form of 素敵です.
素敵ですと思います sounds unnatural or wrong to native speakers.

Can I drop だ and say 母の料理は素敵と思います?

No, that’s unnatural/ungrammatical in standard Japanese.

With な-adjectives like 素敵, you need:

素敵だと思います (plain form + と)
or sometimes 素敵だなと思います (adding な for a slightly softer/reflective tone)

素敵と思います (without だ) is not correct in standard usage. The だ is part of the basic form that must appear before と in this structure.

What is the role of と in 素敵だと思います?

と here is the quotative particle. It marks what is being “said,” “thought,” or “felt” as a quote or content:

「素敵だ」 → the inner statement “(It) is wonderful”
…と → marking that content as a “quote”
思います → “I think”

So the structure is literally:

“I think, ‘(it) is wonderful.’”

This same と is used with verbs like 言う (to say), 思う (to think), 考える (to think/consider), etc.

Why is it 思います instead of 思う?

思います is the polite (ます) form.
思う is the plain (dictionary) form.

You’d typically choose based on the level of politeness needed:

母の料理は素敵だと思います。
→ Polite, suitable for most everyday conversations, especially with people you’re not very close to.
母の料理は素敵だと思う。
→ Casual, used with family, close friends, or in informal writing (like a diary).

So here, 思います matches the polite register.

Where is “I” in this sentence? How do we know it means “I think”?

Japanese often omits the subject if it’s obvious from context.

In 母の料理は素敵だと思います, there is no explicit 私 (“I”), but native speakers automatically interpret 思います as “I think” unless context clearly indicates someone else’s thoughts.

If you needed to make the subject explicit, you could say:

私は母の料理は素敵だと思います。
→ “I think my mother’s cooking is wonderful.”

But in most natural speech, 私は is left out.

What nuance does 素敵 have? Is it the same as saying “delicious”?

素敵 means “wonderful,” “lovely,” “nice,” “fantastic” — it’s a general positive word, often about appearance, atmosphere, style, or overall impression.

For food specifically:

おいしい = “delicious,” about taste.
素敵 = could include taste, but also presentation, the feeling it gives you, the warmth of the occasion, etc.

So:

母の料理はおいしいと思います。
→ “I think my mother’s cooking is delicious.” (focus on taste)
母の料理は素敵だと思います。
→ “I think my mother’s cooking is wonderful.”
(can suggest taste + love + memories + atmosphere, more emotional/overall praise)

They’re both compliments, but 素敵 is broader and more “warm/fond” in tone.

Why is it 母 and not お母さん when talking about “my mother”?

In Japanese, when you talk about your own family in a neutral or polite way, you normally avoid honorific お- and -さん:

Your own mother: 母, 母親, or 母ちゃん (casual)
Someone else’s mother / calling your mother: お母さん

So:

Talking about your own mother to others:
- 母の料理は素敵だと思います。
  → “I think my mother’s cooking is wonderful.”
Talking to your mother or about someone else’s mother (respectfully):
- お母さんの料理は素敵だと思います。

Using お母さん for your own mother when speaking to outsiders can sound slightly childish or overly familiar, depending on context.

Could I just say 母の料理は素敵です? What’s the difference from 素敵だと思います?

Yes, 母の料理は素敵です is grammatically correct and natural.

母の料理は素敵です。
→ Direct statement: “My mother’s cooking is wonderful.”
母の料理は素敵だと思います。
→ Softer / more subjective: “I think my mother’s cooking is wonderful.”

Adding と思います often:

Softens the statement (less forceful, more humble).
Emphasizes that it’s your opinion rather than an absolute fact.

In many social situations, Japanese speakers prefer this softer style, especially when praising something of their own.

Why is the order “mother’s cooking + is wonderful + I think” instead of “I think (that) my mother’s cooking is wonderful” like in English?

Japanese sentence structure is typically:

[Content clause] + と + [verb of saying/thinking]

So:

母の料理は素敵だ = “My mother’s cooking is wonderful.”
Add と to mark that as a quote/content: 母の料理は素敵だと
Add 思います = “I think”

Result: 母の料理は素敵だと思います。
Literally: “(As for) my mother’s cooking, ‘(it) is wonderful,’ I think.”

In English we usually front the “I think,” but in Japanese the thought or statement (the quoted part) commonly comes before the verb 思います.