Say It Sushi › Japanese Restaurant Phrases: What to Say From the Door to the Check

Japanese Restaurant Phrases: What to Say From the Door to the Check

These Japanese restaurant phrases follow a meal in the order it happens: walking in, ordering, eating, paying, and leaving. You don't need fluent Japanese. A handful of short phrases gets you through most restaurants in Japan, from a ramen counter to an izakaya to a sushi bar.

Lists of Japanese phrases for restaurants usually focus on what you say. Half the trouble, though, is understanding what the staff say to you, so this guide also has a section on the lines you'll hear and exactly how to answer each one. Every phrase in the tables is written in Japanese, romaji, and English, with a one-line pronunciation tip in each section.

After each section, a link takes you to a short timed game on that topic: 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, then listen to how people talk once you're there.

Start Here: Sumimasen and Onegaishimasu

Two words carry you through almost any meal in Japan.

Sumimasen calls the staff over. At casual restaurants, raising your hand slightly and saying it is normal, not rude. Many chain restaurants also have a call button on the table. Onegaishimasu turns almost anything into a polite request: say what you want, then add it. Kudasai works too. For when to use which, see how to order sushi in Japanese.

For yes and no, はい (hai) and いいえ (iie) are all you need when staff ask you a question.

Say it right: in quick speech, sumimasen often comes out as “suimasen.” Both are fine.

• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen
• これ おねがいしますkore onegaishimasu · This one, please▶ Listen
• これ くださいkore kudasai · This one, please (kudasai form)▶ Listen
• はいhai · Yes▶ Listen
• いいえiie · No▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Walking In: How Many People and Where to Sit

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) during the day and こんばんは (konbanwa) in the evening.

Next comes the question of how many: なんめいさまですか (nanmei-sama desu ka). Answer with the number plus desu, or just hold up fingers.

Staff may ask whether the counter is OK: カウンターせきでも よろしいですか (kauntā-seki demo yoroshii desu ka). Answer はい (hai) if it is. At busy places, you may be asked to write your name on a waiting list by the door, or take a numbered ticket from a machine. If the seating area is raised tatami, take your shoes off before stepping up.

At many ramen and set-meal shops, you buy a meal ticket from a machine at the entrance before you sit down. More on that in the section on restaurant types below.

Say it right: the fu in futari is made with your lips, not your teeth. Blow softly, somewhere between “f” and “h.”

• ひとりですhitori desu · Just me (party of one)▶ Listen
• ふたりですfutari desu · Two of us (party of two)▶ Listen
• こんにちはkonnichiwa · Hello▶ Listen
• こんばんはkonbanwa · Good evening▶ Listen
• はいhai · Yes▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Japanese Phrases for Ordering Food

Once you're seated, these cover most orders.

Many chain restaurants have picture menus, an English menu, or an ordering screen with an English setting. Some take orders on a tablet at the table or through a QR code you scan with your phone. Small family-run places may have a Japanese-only menu, which is when kore onegaishimasu and a pointing finger do the work.

Osusume is worth asking anywhere. The answer is often a seasonal dish or the house specialty. For a serious allergy, don't rely on the spoken phrase alone. Show a written note in Japanese that names the food.

For the full set of ordering phrases at a sushi restaurant, including sushi names, “no wasabi,” and omakase, see how to order sushi in Japanese.

Say it right: the final u in onegaishimasu is almost silent: “oh-neh-guy-shee-mahs.”

• メニュー おねがいしますmenyū onegaishimasu · Menu, please▶ Listen
• えいごの メニューは ありますかeigo no menyū wa arimasu ka · Is there an English menu?▶ Listen
• これ おねがいしますkore onegaishimasu · This one, please▶ Listen
• おすすめは なんですかosusume wa nan desu ka · What do you recommend?▶ Listen
• これは なんですかkore wa nan desu ka · What is this?▶ Listen
• アレルギーが ありますarerugī ga arimasu · I have an allergy▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

During the Meal: Water, Refills, and the Restroom

When the food arrives, people say いただきます (itadakimasu) before the first bite. For what it means and whether you need to say it, see gochisousama deshita meaning (and itadakimasu).

Many restaurants give you a wet towel (おしぼり, oshibori) when you sit down. It's for your hands. Water or tea often comes without asking and at no charge, and at some places it's self-serve from a jug or a dispenser.

Add onegaishimasu to any of the first four to ask for it: mizu onegaishimasu, “Water, please.” Whether a rice or drink refill is free depends on the place, so check the menu or ask.

Two chopstick don'ts

Don't stand your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, and don't pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's. Both are linked to funeral customs in Japan. Slurping noodles at a ramen or soba shop, on the other hand, is normal.

Say it right: toire has three even beats, “to-ee-reh,” not the English “toilet.”

• いただきますitadakimasu · Let's eat! (before the meal)▶ Listen
• みずmizu · Water▶ Listen
• おちゃocha · Green tea▶ Listen
• おかわりokawari · Seconds (another helping, a refill)▶ Listen
• はしhashi · Chopsticks▶ Listen
• トイレは どこですかtoire wa doko desu ka · Where is the restroom?▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Paying the Check

When you're ready to go, say おかいけい おねがいします (okaikei onegaishimasu), “Check, please.” Depending on the restaurant, you may pay at the table, take a bill slip to the register by the door, or press a checkout button on a touch panel.

Some small restaurants are cash only, so ask about cards before you order, not after you eat. Tipping isn't part of restaurant culture in Japan, and the amount on the bill is what you pay. For paying by card or cash, splitting the bill, receipts, and ordering to go, see how to say “check, please” in Japanese.

Say it right: hold the ā in kādo for two beats. It's the English word “card” in Japanese sounds.

• おかいけい おねがいしますokaikei onegaishimasu · Check, please▶ Listen
• カードは つかえますかkādo wa tsukaemasu ka · Can I pay by card?▶ Listen
• べつべつで おねがいしますbetsubetsu de onegaishimasu · Separate checks, please▶ Listen
• レジは どこですかreji wa doko desu ka · Where is the register?▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Leaving: Gochisōsama Deshita

On your way out, two phrases go a long way.

Say them to the staff as you pay or walk out, or to the chef at a counter. Staff usually reply with ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita), “Thank you (for coming).” You don't need to answer. A smile or a small nod is enough. For what gochisōsama really means and the different ways to say it, see gochisousama deshita meaning.

Say it right: hold the ō in gochisōsama for two beats, “so-o,” not a quick “so.”

• おいしかったですoishikatta desu · It was delicious▶ Listen
• ごちそうさまでしたgochisōsama deshita · Thanks for the meal (after eating)▶ Listen
• ありがとう ございますarigatō gozaimasu · Thank you (polite)▶ Listen

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What the Staff Say to You (and How to Answer)

These are the lines you're most likely to hear, in the order you'll hear them. Staff speak quickly and politely, so you won't catch every word. Recognizing the shape of the question is enough.

Notice how many questions end in yoroshii desu ka, “is that all right?” It's a yes-or-no question, so when you hear it, a simple hai is usually the answer.

Say it right: the double s in irasshaimase is a tiny pause before the s: “ee-rahs-shy-mah-seh.”

• はいhai · Yes▶ Listen
• いいえiie · No▶ Listen
• ひとりですhitori desu · Just me (party of one)▶ Listen
• ふたりですfutari desu · Two of us (party of two)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Ramen Shops, Izakaya, and Sushi Bars: What's Different

Ramen and set-meal shops: the ticket machine

At many ramen and set-meal shops, there's a ticket machine (券売機, kenbaiki) by the entrance. You pay first, press the button for your dish, and usually hand the ticket to the staff when you sit down. Some machines have English or photos on the buttons, and some take cash only. If you're stuck, say sumimasen and point at the machine. Because you've already paid, there's no check at the end.

Izakaya: the small dish you didn't order

At many izakaya (Japanese pubs), a small appetizer called おとおし (otōshi) arrives on its own, and it comes with a charge on the bill. It's a normal custom, not a mistake. If you want to know the price, ask ikura desu ka. When the drinks come, the table usually starts with かんぱい (kanpai), “Cheers!”

Sushi restaurants

At a sushi counter you order piece by piece or ask for the chef's choice. At conveyor-belt chains, you mostly order on a touch panel. Both are covered step by step in how to order sushi in Japanese.

Say it right: the n in kanpai gets a full beat of its own: “ka-n-pa-i.” Before the p it naturally sounds like an m, so “kahm-pie” with the m held a little is right. Just don't clip it short.

• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen
• いくらですかikura desu ka · How much is it?▶ Listen
• かんぱいkanpai · Cheers!▶ Listen

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When the Words Won't Come: Point, Show, or Write

Even with practice, there will be a moment when the phrase won't come out, or the staff don't catch it. That's normal. Here's what works.

• Point. Point at a photo on the menu, or at the plastic food models (食品サンプル, shokuhin sanpuru) some restaurants display in the window, and say kore onegaishimasu.
• Show your screen. If your pronunciation doesn't land, turn your phone around. Each phrase card on this page shows the Japanese in kana, which staff can read at a glance. Taking a screenshot before you go means it works without a signal.
• Write it down. For allergies or foods you can't eat, a written note in Japanese is safer than any spoken phrase.
• Ask them to repeat. If you didn't catch the answer, these two buy you time.

Reading a phrase once is easy. Recalling it in two seconds while someone waits for your answer is the part that needs practice, and that's what the game drills. A round is 20 plates against the clock. The Daily round is the same 20 for everyone that day, so you can compare scores with your travel partner before the trip.

Say it right: yukkuri has a tiny pause before the k, “yook-koo-ree.”

• これ おねがいしますkore onegaishimasu · This one, please▶ Listen
• もう いちど おねがいしますmō ichido onegaishimasu · Once more, please (say it again)▶ Listen
• ゆっくり おねがいしますyukkuri onegaishimasu · Slowly, please▶ Listen
• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

FAQ

More sushi-bar Japanese

• How to Order Sushi in Japanese (and Practice Before You Go)
• How to Say “Check, Please” in Japanese: Paying at a Restaurant
• Gochisousama Deshita Meaning: What to Say After a Meal in Japan

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).