Say It Sushi › How to Order Sushi in Japanese (and Practice Before You Go)
How to Order Sushi in Japanese (and Practice Before You Go)
Learning how to order sushi in Japanese is easier than it looks. You don't need fluent Japanese, just about a dozen phrases and one simple pattern. This guide walks you through a sushi restaurant in the order things actually happen: walking in, reading the menu, asking questions, making requests, and paying.
Every phrase is written three ways: Japanese (kana, with kanji where menus use it), romaji, and English. After each section you can drill just those phrases in a short game: a plate rolls down the conveyor belt with English on it, and you pick the right Japanese before it leaves. Reading a phrase once is easy. Recalling it in two seconds while someone is waiting for your answer is the part that needs practice.
A note on audio: the voice in the game is synthetic (VOICEVOX), not a recorded native speaker. Use it to learn the rhythm of each phrase, then listen to how the staff talk when you're there.
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: Ordering sushiFree · plays in your browserThe One Pattern You Need: [Item] + Kudasai or Onegaishimasu
Almost every order in Japanese follows the same shape: say the thing you want, then add ください (kudasai) or おねがいします (onegaishimasu). Both mean “please” here. You don't need a verb, and you don't need to say “I would like.”
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| これ ください | kore kudasai | This one, please. |
| まぐろ ください | maguro kudasai | Tuna, please. |
| これ おねがいします | kore onegaishimasu | This one, please. |
| メニュー おねがいします | menyū onegaishimasu | Menu, please. |
| もう ひとつ おねがいします | mō hitotsu onegaishimasu | One more, please. |
Kudasai or onegaishimasu?
Both are polite and both work at any sushi restaurant. Kudasai literally means “please give me,” so it fits things you can hand over: a dish, a drink, a menu. Onegaishimasu is a little softer and also covers requests that aren't objects, such as “the check” or “no wasabi.” If you only remember one, remember onegaishimasu. It works for everything in this guide.
The easiest order of all is pointing at a photo or a plate and saying kore (this). Pair it with either word and you can order anything on the menu without knowing its name.
- これ ください
- まぐろ ください
- これ おねがいします
- メニュー おねがいします
- もう ひとつ おねがいします
Walking In: Greetings and Telling Them How Many
As you enter, staff will usually call out いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), “welcome.” You don't need to answer it. A small nod is enough, or a quiet こんにちは (konnichiwa, hello) during the day and こんばんは (konbanwa, good evening) at night.
Next, someone will ask how many people are in your group: なんめいさまですか (nanmei-sama desu ka). Answer with the number plus です (desu):
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| ひとりです | hitori desu | Just me. (one person) |
| ふたりです | futari desu | Two of us. |
| さんにんです | sannin desu | Three of us. |
| よにんです | yonin desu | Four of us. |
One and two people have special words (hitori, futari). From three on, it's a number plus nin. Holding up fingers works too, and staff do this all the time.
Once you're seated, if the menu is all in Japanese, ask えいごの メニューは ありますか (eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka), “Do you have an English menu?” Many chain restaurants have one or an English setting on the ordering screen. Small counters may not. If you need to call someone over at any point, raise your hand slightly and say すみません (sumimasen), “excuse me.” At casual places this is normal, not rude.
- こんにちは
- こんばんは
- ひとりです
- ふたりです
- えいごの メニューは ありますか
- すみません
Sushi Names on the Menu: Neta and Types
The topping on sushi is called ネタ (neta), and the vinegared rice is シャリ (shari). Here are toppings you'll see almost everywhere. Chain restaurants usually write them in kana, often katakana (マグロ, エビ, イカ), with photos. Traditional counters often use kanji, so the kanji column helps you match a name to a wall menu.
| Kana | Kanji | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| まぐろ | 鮪 | maguro | Tuna |
| おおとろ | 大トロ | ōtoro | Fatty tuna (the fattiest cut) |
| サーモン | - | sāmon | Salmon |
| いくら | - | ikura | Salmon roe |
| えび | 海老 | ebi | Shrimp |
| いか | 烏賊 | ika | Squid |
| ほたて | 帆立 | hotate | Scallop |
| たまご | 玉子 | tamago | Sweet egg omelet |
| うに | 雲丹 | uni | Sea urchin |
Watch out for ikura. いくら means salmon roe, but いくらですか (ikura desu ka) means “How much is it?” Same sound, two different words. Context almost always tells you which one you're hearing, but it's a classic beginner mix-up, and our game puts both on the belt.
Types of sushi
- にぎり (nigiri, 握り): a slice of topping pressed onto a small block of rice.
- まき (maki, 巻き): rolls wrapped in seaweed (nori) and cut into pieces.
- ぐんかん (gunkan, 軍艦): “battleship” sushi. Rice wrapped in a band of nori with a soft topping, like ikura or uni, piled on top.
- てまき (temaki, 手巻き): a hand roll shaped like a cone, eaten with your hands.
To order, just combine the name with the pattern from earlier: サーモン ください (sāmon kudasai), “Salmon, please.”
- まぐろ
- おおとろ
- サーモン
- いくら
- えび
- いか
- ほたて
- たまご
- うに
Asking Questions When You're Not Sure
Two questions cover most situations at the counter. Ask what's good, or ask what something is.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| おすすめは なんですか | osusume wa nan desu ka | What do you recommend? |
| これは なんですか | kore wa nan desu ka | What is this? |
| いくらですか | ikura desu ka | How much is it? |
| もう いちど おねがいします | mō ichido onegaishimasu | Once more, please. (say it again) |
| ゆっくり おねがいします | yukkuri onegaishimasu | Slowly, please. |
Osusume is a great question at a sushi counter. The answer is often the fish that came in that day, which is not always on the printed menu.
Don't mix up mō ichido and mō hitotsu. They sound alike, but mō ichido onegaishimasu means “say that one more time,” while mō hitotsu onegaishimasu means “one more of that, please.” Mix them up and you might get another plate instead of a repeat. This pair is worth drilling until you can tell them apart without thinking.
If the answer comes back fast and you catch only the fish name, that's fine. Repeat the name with kudasai and you've ordered.
- おすすめは なんですか
- これは なんですか
- いくらですか
- もう いちど おねがいします
- ゆっくり おねがいします
- もう ひとつ おねがいします
Special Requests: No Wasabi, Less Rice, Allergies
Requests follow the pattern [request] + で おねがいします (de onegaishimasu), “…, please.”
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| さびぬきで おねがいします | sabinuki de onegaishimasu | No wasabi, please. |
| シャリ すくなめで おねがいします | shari sukuname de onegaishimasu | Less rice, please. |
| わさび おおめで おねがいします | wasabi ōme de onegaishimasu | Extra wasabi, please. |
Sabi is sushi-bar shorthand for wasabi, and nuki means “without,” so sabinuki is “no wasabi.” Wasabi nuki de onegaishimasu is also understood. Whether wasabi goes inside the nigiri by default depends on the restaurant. At some conveyor-belt chains, plates come without it and you add your own from packets or a tube at your seat. At a counter, the chef usually adds it, so ask before they start your order.
Allergies and raw fish
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| アレルギーが あります | arerugī ga arimasu | I have an allergy. |
| なまの さかなは たべられません | nama no sakana wa taberaremasen | I can't eat raw fish. |
For a serious allergy, don't rely on a spoken phrase alone. Show a written note in Japanese that names the specific food, and ask before you order. Sushi restaurants handle many kinds of seafood on the same counter, so even a careful kitchen may not be able to promise zero contact.
If you or someone in your group doesn't eat raw fish, look for cooked toppings: tamago (egg omelet) is always cooked, and many menus also have boiled shrimp, grilled eel, or cucumber rolls.
- さびぬきで おねがいします
- シャリ すくなめで おねがいします
- わさび おおめで おねがいします
- アレルギーが あります
- なまの さかなは たべられません
Omakase or Order Piece by Piece?
At a sushi counter there are two main ways to order:
- おまかせ (omakase, お任せ): “I'll leave it to you.” The chef chooses and serves pieces one at a time, usually what's best that day. At casual restaurants, “omakase” on the menu may simply be a chef's-selection platter served all at once.
- おこのみ (okonomi, お好み): you order the pieces you want yourself, using the pattern above.
To ask for the chef's choice, say おまかせで おねがいします (omakase de onegaishimasu), “Chef's choice, please.”
Omakase prices vary a lot from place to place, and some high-end counters take only reservations. If the price isn't written anywhere, it's completely normal to ask いくらですか (ikura desu ka) before you start. If there's something you can't eat, say it at the very beginning, before the first piece arrives, using the phrases from the section above.
During an omakase meal, the chef may place each piece directly in front of you. A simple おいしいです (oishii desu), “It's delicious,” is the best feedback you can give.
- おまかせで おねがいします
- おすすめは なんですか
- いくらですか
- おいしいです
At a Conveyor-Belt (Kaiten) Sushi Restaurant
Conveyor-belt sushi, 回転寿司 (kaiten-zushi), is where most travelers eat sushi for the first time in Japan, and it needs the least talking. Details differ by chain and by branch, but here's what you're likely to see.
Ordering on the touch panel
Many chains have a touch screen at each seat, often with an English option. Items you order may come on the main belt or on a separate express lane that stops at your seat. The screen usually tells you when your order is arriving. Take only the plates you ordered.
Taking plates from the belt
You can take any plate you like from the main belt, and you pay for every plate you take. Lift the whole plate off. Some plates come under a clear cover that you open first. At some branches only ordered items run on the belt, so check the touch panel before reaching for a plate. Once you've taken a plate, don't put it back on the belt. At most places you stack your empty plates at your seat. Some chains, such as Kura Sushi, have a slot at the table where you drop empty plates instead, and a machine counts them. Some restaurants price plates by color, with a chart on the wall or menu. Others charge one price for most plates. Check the chart before you start.
Tea, ginger, and soy sauce at your seat
Green tea is usually self-serve. You'll find a cup (湯呑み, yunomi), powdered green tea (粉茶, konacha) or tea bags, and a hot water tap at the counter. Put the tea in the cup first, then hold the cup and push it firmly against the pad under the tap. The tap only gives hot water, and it's very hot, so keep your fingers clear. Pickled ginger (ガリ, gari) is usually in a container at your seat too, and you can take as much as you like.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| おちゃ | ocha | Green tea |
| あがり | agari | Green tea (sushi-bar word) |
| ガリ | gari | Pickled ginger |
| しょうゆ | shōyu | Soy sauce |
| はし | hashi | Chopsticks |
| みず | mizu | Water |
You may hear agari used for tea at sushi restaurants. It's good to recognize, but plain ocha is perfectly fine for customers.
- おちゃ
- あがり
- ガリ
- しょうゆ
- はし
- みず
Finishing Up: Paying and Saying Thanks
When you're done, catch a staff member's eye and say おかいけい おねがいします (okaikei onegaishimasu), “Check, please.” At many conveyor-belt chains, you press a checkout button on the touch panel instead. Then staff count your plates, or you take a slip to the register. If you're not sure whether they take cards, ask カードは つかえますか (kādo wa tsukaemasu ka), “Can I pay by card?” For splitting the bill, getting a receipt, and ordering to go, see our guide on how to say “check, please” in Japanese.
On your way out, two phrases go a long way:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| おいしかったです | oishikatta desu | It was delicious. |
| ごちそうさまでした | gochisōsama deshita | Thank you for the meal. |
At a sushi counter, saying gochisōsama deshita to the chef as you leave is a small thing that people notice. For what it really means and how people reply, read gochisousama deshita meaning (and itadakimasu).
- おかいけい おねがいします
- カードは つかえますか
- おいしかったです
- ごちそうさまでした
FAQ
Do I need to speak Japanese to order sushi in Japan?
No. Many chain restaurants have picture menus, English menus, or touch panels with an English setting. A few phrases still help a lot, especially at small sushi counters. Pointing and saying “kore kudasai” (this one, please) works almost anywhere.
Should I say kudasai or onegaishimasu?
Both are polite. Kudasai means “please give me” and fits physical things like a dish or a drink. Onegaishimasu is a little softer and also works for requests like “no wasabi” or “the check.” If you learn only one, learn onegaishimasu.
How do you say “no wasabi” in Japanese?
Say “sabinuki de onegaishimasu” (さびぬきで おねがいします). Sabi is sushi-bar shorthand for wasabi and nuki means “without.” “Wasabi nuki de onegaishimasu” is also understood. At a counter, ask before the chef starts making your order.
Is it OK to eat sushi with my hands in Japan?
For nigiri and hand rolls, eating with your fingers is widely accepted at sushi counters, and chopsticks are fine too. Use chopsticks for sashimi (sliced fish without rice).
Does “ikura” mean salmon roe or “how much”?
Both. いくら (ikura) on its own is salmon roe, and いくらですか (ikura desu ka) means “How much is it?” Context almost always makes it clear which one is meant.
Ready for the real thing? Plates roll by, you tap the Japanese. Hit 10 in a row for SUSHI FEVER.
Play Say It SushiOrdering sushiMore sushi-bar Japanese
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).