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Dive into the world of restaurant lingo with our comprehensive guide, decoding 98 essential restaurant terms from kitchen slang to front-of-house.
- Japanese For Enjoying A Meal in Japan
- Entering The Restaurant
- To Order
- While Eating
- After Eating
- To Pay
- Others: Words You'll Hear When Eating in Japan
- Review
If you can make an order or ask for what you want smoothly at a restaurant, cafe, bar, or other eateries in Jpana, your food experience will probably be even better! Therefore, it's important to practice some Japanese. This article introduces convenient phrases that you can use at a restaurant in Japan.
1. Sumimasen / Excuse me
[sumimasen] At most Japanese restaurants, a staff member will welcome you at the entrance and guide you to your table. You can use this phrase to call for someone when there's no one at the entrance. If the [sumimasen] pronunciation is difficult, you can also say [suimasen]. At Japanese restaurants, it's okay to call out for a waiter/waitress. Slightly raise your hand and call out "sumimasen".
2. Futari desu / For two
[ftari des] ◯◯ desu[des] You can use this phrase to let the staff know how many are in your party. You will usually say this at the entrance of the restaurant. How to say the number of people in your party is as follows: ・hitori[htori](one person), futari[ftari](two people), sannin[san nin](three people), yonin[yonin](four people) ・[hi]…Make a narrow shape with your mouth and breathe out as if rubbing your upper jaw (if you've ever studied German, it's the "ch" sound of "ich") combined with t...
3. Osusume wa nandesuka? / What do you recommend?
[ossumewa nandeska] Looking at a Japanese menu, there might be times that you don't know what to order. In that case, you can use this phrase.
4. Korewa nandesuka? / What is this?
[korewa nandeska] Use this one when there's a photo of something you're interested in but don't know what it is. If there's a certain type of meat that you can't have, say: Korewa nanno oniku desuka? / What type of meat is this? [korewa nanno oniku deska] ・When pronouncing [nanno], extend the [nn]. Saying [nano] might sound unnatural. The names of types of meatare as follows: butaniku[butaniku](pork) gyuniku[gyu:niku](beef) toriniku[toriniku](chicken) ramu[ramu](lamb) etc.
5. Kore, onegai shimasu / This one, please.
[kore onegai shimas] ◯◯ onegai shimasu [◯◯ onegai shimas] When ordering, you can point at the item you want and just say this. Kore kudasai. [kore kudasai] This one works as well and means the same thing, but "onegai shimasu" is more polite. You can replace "kore"(this) with other words, such as a menu item. You can order more than one by using the words for numbers: hitotsu[htotsu](one), futatsu[ftatsu](two), mittsu[mittsu](three), yottsu[yottsu](four) ・[tsu]… This pronunciation is the sound...
10. Shashin, iidesuka? / Could you take a picture?
[shashin i:deska] If you want to ask the staff to take your picture, hand them your cameraand say, "shashin, iidesuka?"
11. Mochikaeri ni dekimasuka? / Can I take it home?
[mochkaerini dekimaska] In Japan, in many cases the restaurant will not let you take home your leftovers for hygiene reasons, but it's still worth asking. ・The [ch] sound is close to the "ch" in "cheese", but don't curl your lip. This one isn't the German "ch" in "ich".
12. Betsu betsu ni, dekimasuka? / Can we pay separately?
[betsu betsuni dekimaska] ・[tsu]… the "ts" sound in "cats" and "boots"combined with the vowel[u]. Make sure you don't separate the "t" and "su". Use this phrase if you want to pay separately. Most izakayaand other places require paying together, so there may be times when you can't pay separately.
13. Gochisosama deshita.
[goch so:sama deshta] ・The [ch] sound is close to the "ch" in "cheese", but don't curl your lip. This one isn't the German "ch" in "ich". This is a phrase that's used when you finish eating in Japan. After paying, you can say this to the staff when leaving the restaurant.
Izakaya
An izakaya is a Japanese-style restaurant. It's used when you want to drink a lot of alcohol, or when you want to enjoy a party in a group. For more information, check out this article: What's On The Drink Menu At A Typical Izakaya In Japan?
Nomihodai
A nomihodai allows you to order as many drinks as you want within a certain time period for a certain price. A tabehodai is the same, for food. Many restaurants offer these services, such as izakaya, yakiniku, and sushi shops.
Oshibori
An oshibori is a small, wet towel. Many restaurants and food joints (other than cafes) will bring you water and an oshibori when you take a seat. This water and oshibori is free. If you want a refill of water, say: ・Omizu, onegai shimasu. [omizu onegai shimas] Refills are free as well. If you want to learn more about the rules of restaurants in Japan, check out this article: 10 Things You Should Know About Eating Out In Japan
1. Sumimasen / Excuse me. [sumimasen] 2. Futari desu / For two. [ftari des] 3. Osusume wa nandesuka? / What do you recommend? [ossumewa nandeska] 4. Korewa nandesuka? / What is this? [korewa nandeska] 5. Kore, onegai shimasu / This one, please. [koreo onegai shimas] 6. Are to onajino, onegai shimasu. / The same as that one, please. [areto onajino o...
Jul 3, 2023 · Japanese restaurant etiquette can vary greatly from the customs of your home country. Here are some essential points to watch out for to ensure that you enjoy the best meal possible while avoiding any serious mistakes.
In this guide, we will provide you with essential tips and techniques to help you navigate and understand Japanese menus, making your dining experience in Japan even more enjoyable. Additionally, we will provide the names of popular Japanese dishes in both English and Japanese to help you recognize them on menus.
Jul 22, 2023 · If you have never eaten at a Japanese restaurant, you may be hesitant about the language barrier, but there is no reason to be. Whether you are visiting Japan, or you're dining locally, learning essential words and phrases will help you navigate the menu and allow you to have meaningful interactions with the staff.
Jan 20, 2016 · A helpful guide to some of the most common Japanese food terms found on restaurant menus, so you know what to expect next time you order!
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Dec 22, 2020 · Knowing the language in a restaurant can really make or break your meal! In this article, we’d like to introduce to you some simple but extremely useful phrases to make sure you aren’t too lost in translation at restaurants in Japan.
