When you go to Japan, how would you order food from the menu?
In this article, I’m going to teach you how to order food in a Japanese restaurant.
Let’s prepare for your travel!
・How do you order food?
・How do you get the bill?
Entering a restaurant
When you enter a restaurant, servers would say ”いっらしゃいませ” to you.
This is a just welcome greeting, so you don’t have to answer it.
Then, they would ask ”なん めい さま ですか”.
This means how many people.
You can say ”○○にんです”. For example, さんにんです.
However, if you’re alone, you can say ”ひとりです” and two people, you can say ”ふたりです”.
Please check this article too.↓
Let’s learn Japanese counters, counting words
If the restaurant is full, the server will say ”なまえを かいて、おかけに なって おまちください”, which means ”please fill in your name and wait while sitting.”
Then, they will let you to the table and they say ”こちらに どうぞ” or ”こちらに おねがいします”
They would also say ”おきまりに なりましたら およびください”, which means “please call me when you have decided on your order.
Ordering meal
When you call your server, you can say “すみません”, which means “excuse me”.
Some restaurants have bells, so you can push it when you have decided on your order.
The server will ask you ”ごちゅうもんは おきまり ですか”, which means “have you decided on your order?”
When you order meal you can say ”○○ ひとつ おねがいします”.
For example,
English：One bowl of curry and rice and one cup of coke please.
Or you can point the menu and you can say “これを おねがいします”, which means “this one please”.
Then if you don’t order something to drink, probably, the server will ask you ”おのみものは いかが されますか”, which means do you want something to drink?
You can also say ”○○ ひとつ おねがいします”.
You can say ”おみず ください”, which means “water please” as well.
If your order is the same as your friend, you can say ”おなじ ものを おねがいします。”
After you order, they will confirm your order.
They would say ”ごちゅうもんを くりかえします”
This means that they will repeat your order.
If you have questions about the dish, you can ask ”これは なんですか”, which means “what is this dish?”
Let’s see how to count.
| English | Japanese |
| one | ひとつ |
| two | ふたつ |
| three | みっつ |
| four | よっつ |
| five | いつつ |
| six | むっつ |
| seven | ななつ |
| eight | やっつ |
| nine | ここのつ |
How to pay
Servers will likely leave the bill at your table, but if not, you can say ”すみません。おかんじょうを おねがいします”.
Or you can say ”すみません。おかいけいを おねがいします”.
Then, they will give you your bill.
After you get your bill, you can go to a register to pay.
Unlike north American countries, you should go to the register to pay with the bill.
Example situation
Server: いらっしゃいませ。なんめいさまですか。
Customer:ふたりです。
Server:こちらによろしいでしょうか。
Customer:はい、ありがとうございます。
Server:ごちゅうもんがきまりましたら、およびください。
Customer:わかりました。
Customer:すみません。
Server:ごちゅうもんは おきまりでしょうか。
Customer1:はい、ラーメンいっぱいとおみずをおねがいします。
Customer2:わたしもおなじのをおねがいします。
Server:かしこまりました。ごちゅうもんをくりかえします。ラーメンにはいでおまちがえないでしょうか。
Customer:はい、おねがいします。
Server:おまたせしました。ラーメンです。あついのでおきをつけください。
Customer:ありがとうございます。
Customer:すみません。おかんじょうおねがいします。
Server:かしこまりました。
If you’d like to learn more Japanese, please feel free to contact me.
I teach Japanese in-person or online.
You can also learn Japanese on my Instagram page.
