Say It Sushi › How to Say “Check, Please” in Japanese: Paying at a Restaurant
How to Say “Check, Please” in Japanese: Paying at a Restaurant
How do you say “check, please” in Japanese? Say おかいけい おねがいします (okaikei onegaishimasu), “Check, please.” It's polite, and it works everywhere from an izakaya to a sushi bar.
Asking is only half of it, though. In Japan you may pay at the table, at a register by the door, or through a button on a touch screen. Some places take cards and some are cash only. This guide covers the phrases for each of those moments: paying by card or cash, splitting the bill, getting a receipt, and ordering to go. Each one is written in Japanese, romaji, and English.
After each section, you can drill those phrases in a short timed game: a plate rolls by with English on it, and you tap the right Japanese before it leaves. The game's voice is synthetic (VOICEVOX), not a native recording, so use it to learn the rhythm.
Want to remember these? Practice them in Say It Sushi, a free conveyor-belt sushi game: pick the right Japanese before the plate leaves the lane. No sign-up.
Practice: Paying the checkFree · plays in your browserOkaikei Onegaishimasu: The Phrase That Works Everywhere
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| おかいけい おねがいします (お会計お願いします) | okaikei onegaishimasu | Check, please. |
Here's how it breaks down:
- お (o): a polite prefix.
- 会計 (kaikei): the bill, or settling the account.
- お願いします (onegaishimasu): “please,” a polite way to make a request.
Say it like “oh-kai-kay oh-neh-guy-shee-mahs.” The final u in onegaishimasu is almost silent. Okaikei kudasai is also understood, but onegaishimasu sounds more natural when you're asking someone to do something rather than hand you an object.
It's common to start with すみません (sumimasen), “excuse me,” to get attention, then add the phrase: Sumimasen, okaikei onegaishimasu. When the staff confirm, they may say hai or kashikomarimashita (“certainly”).
- おかいけい おねがいします
- すみません
- はい
Getting the Staff's Attention First
If there's no bill slip on your table, staff will usually wait for you to ask for the check, so sitting and waiting may not work. Here's how to get attention, from most casual to most formal.
- Call button. Many chain restaurants have a small button on the table. Press it and someone comes over.
- Raise a hand and say “sumimasen.” At casual places, this is normal and not rude. Say it clearly enough to be heard.
- Make eye contact. At quieter or upscale restaurants, catching a server's eye and giving a small nod is often better than calling out.
What about gestures?
Some people sign an imaginary check in the air, which is widely understood. You may also see people cross two index fingers into a small X. Many people find this gesture too casual, and an X also means “no” or “wrong” in Japan, so saying the phrase is the safer choice.
- すみません
- おかいけい おねがいします
Where Do You Pay? Table, Register, or Touch Panel
This is the part that confuses visitors most, because it changes from place to place.
- At the register. At many casual restaurants, the staff leave a bill slip on your table, or they bring it when you ask. You take it to the register (レジ, reji) near the exit and pay there. If you see a slip in a holder on your table, that's your cue.
- At the table. At some restaurants, especially sit-down ones, staff bring the bill and the card reader to you.
- Before you eat. At many ramen and set-meal shops, you buy a meal ticket from a machine at the entrance (券売機, kenbaiki), so there's no check at the end.
- Conveyor-belt sushi. Many chains have a checkout button (お会計) on the touch panel. After that, staff may come to count your plates, or you may take a slip to the register or a self-checkout machine. It depends on the chain.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| レジは どこですか | reji wa doko desu ka | Where is the register? |
| いくらですか | ikura desu ka | How much is it? |
If you're unsure, say okaikei onegaishimasu to any staff member. They'll show you where to go.
- レジは どこですか
- いくらですか
- おかいけい おねがいします
Paying by Card or Cash
Card and cashless payments are common at chains and in big cities. Small family-run restaurants may still be cash only. Look for card logos at the entrance or register. If you can't tell, ask before you order, not after you eat.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| カードは つかえますか | kādo wa tsukaemasu ka | Can I pay by card? |
| カードで おねがいします | kādo de onegaishimasu | By card, please. |
| げんきんで おねがいします | genkin de onegaishimasu | Cash, please. |
| カード | kādo | Credit card |
| げんきん | genkin | Cash |
If the answer to kādo wa tsukaemasu ka is はい (hai), you're set. If it's いいえ (iie) or genkin dake desu, “cash only,” you'll need yen.
The small cash tray
At many registers there's a small tray next to the till. When you pay cash, put your money on the tray instead of handing it over directly. Your change often comes back on the same tray or is handed to you with the receipt.
- カードは つかえますか
- カードで おねがいします
- げんきんで おねがいします
- カード
- げんきん
- はい
- いいえ
Splitting the Bill: Betsubetsu or Issho
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| べつべつで おねがいします | betsubetsu de onegaishimasu | Separate checks, please. |
| いっしょで おねがいします | issho de onegaishimasu | All together, please. (one check) |
Betsubetsu (別々) means “separately.” Say it when you ask for the check, or better, when you order, so the staff can keep track. Some busy restaurants prefer a single payment at lunch rush. If they say sumimasen with an apologetic look, pay together and settle up among yourselves.
Staff may also ask you Go-issho de yoroshii desu ka?, “Is it all together?” Answer hai for one check, or betsubetsu de onegaishimasu for separate ones.
You may hear Japanese friends say わりかん (warikan, 割り勘), which means splitting the total evenly. It's something friends agree on among themselves, not usually something you ask the staff for.
- べつべつで おねがいします
- いっしょで おねがいします
- はい
Getting a Receipt
Most registers print a simple receipt (レシート, reshīto) automatically. If you need a formal receipt for expenses, ask for a りょうしゅうしょ (ryōshūsho, 領収書).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| りょうしゅうしょ おねがいします | ryōshūsho onegaishimasu | A receipt, please. (formal, for expenses) |
When you ask for a ryōshūsho, the staff may ask who to address it to (O-atena wa?) and what it's for (Tadashigaki wa?). For the second one, o-shokuji-dai de (for a meal) is a standard answer. You can write or spell your company name. If the name doesn't matter, some people answer Uesama de (上様で), a standard way of saying “just address it to the customer.” Whether that's acceptable for your expense report is up to your company.
- りょうしゅうしょ おねがいします
- はい
- いいえ
Ordering To Go: Mochikaeri
At takeout counters, cafés, and fast-food places, staff often ask whether you're eating in or taking out. You'll hear one of these:
- Tennai de omeshiagari desu ka? (店内でお召し上がりですか), “Will you be eating here?”
- O-mochikaeri desu ka? (お持ち帰りですか), “Is this to go?”
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| もちかえりで おねがいします | mochikaeri de onegaishimasu | To go, please. |
| てんないで おねがいします | tennai de onegaishimasu | For here, please. |
Many conveyor-belt sushi chains also take takeout orders, often through an app, by phone, or at a separate takeout counter. Leftovers are different. Some restaurants may decline to pack up uneaten raw fish for food-safety reasons, so if you want to take food home, ask before ordering rather than at the end.
- もちかえりで おねがいします
- てんないで おねがいします
- はい
- いいえ
Words to Skip and the Tipping Question
Oaiso and okanjō
You might read that sushi regulars say おあいそ (oaiso, お愛想) for the check. It's a real sushi-bar word, but it was originally used by the restaurant, not the customer, and some people in Japan find it odd or a little rude when a customer says it. A visitor using it can sound like they're trying too hard. おかんじょう (okanjō, お勘定) is understood and a bit old-fashioned. Okaikei onegaishimasu is always the safe choice.
Do you tip in Japan?
Tipping isn't part of restaurant culture in Japan. The amount on the bill is what you pay. If you leave extra money, staff may think you forgot it. Some restaurants do add a service charge, or a small table charge at izakaya (often with a little appetizer called otōshi), and these appear on the bill.
On your way out
After paying, say ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), “Thank you for the meal.” Add おいしかったです (oishikatta desu), “It was delicious,” if you liked it. For what gochisōsama really means and how people reply, see gochisousama deshita meaning. To prepare for the meal itself, start with how to order sushi in Japanese.
- ごちそうさまでした
- おいしかったです
- ありがとう
- おかいけい おねがいします
FAQ
How do you say “check, please” in Japanese?
Say okaikei onegaishimasu (おかいけい おねがいします). Start with sumimasen (excuse me) to get attention. It's polite and understood in every kind of restaurant.
Do you tip at restaurants in Japan?
No. Tipping isn't expected, and the total on the bill is what you pay. Some restaurants add a service or table charge, which will be shown on the bill.
Is it rude to ask for the check in Japan?
Not at all. Many restaurants wait for you to ask so they don't rush you. Use the call button, raise your hand and say sumimasen, or catch a server's eye at quieter places.
Can I pay by credit card at restaurants in Japan?
Often, especially at chains and in cities, but not everywhere. Some small restaurants are cash only. Ask kādo wa tsukaemasu ka (Can I pay by card?) before you order, and carry some yen.
Is it OK to say “oaiso” for the check?
It's understood, but it was originally a word used by sushi-bar staff, and some people find it odd from a customer. Okaikei onegaishimasu is the safer, more natural choice.
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Audio is synthesized with VOICEVOX (voice: 冥鳴ひまり), not a recording of a native speaker. Romaji uses macrons for long vowels (ō, ū).