Food and How to Order 食べ物

Ordering food in Japan is very common. However, it could be very intimidating for non native speakers because you never know when the server could say something that you don´t understand or you might accidentally say something misleading. Fortunately, with some tips and a few phrases, you can get past your fears of ordering in Japanese and order food like a native speaker.

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When entering the restaurant:

Most waiters will greet you with "いらっしゃいませ" (irasshaimase), which means "welcome".

Then, they will usually ask "何名様ですか?" (nan mei sama desu ka?), which means "how many people?".

You can respond by saying "(#)人です" (table for #) . The pronounciation varies depending on the number you use. Below is a list of what you can say:

1 - 一人です　(hitori desu)

2 - 二人です(futari desu)

3 - 三人です(san nin desu)

4 - 四人です (shiri desu)

5 - 五人です　（gori desu)

6 - 六人です (rokuri desu)

7 - 七人です (nanari desu)

8 - 八人です (hachiri desu)

9 -　九人です (kyuuri desu)

10 - 十人です (jyuuri desu)

If you have more than 10 people or you don't remember how to say any of the numbers, just give the number of people with your fingers or say it in English. Most Japanese people understand simple English so they should be able to understand.

After that, they might say "こちらへどうぞ" (kochira e douzo), which jut means "please sit here".

Once you sit down, they might say "メニューになります" (menu ni narimasu), which means "here is your menu".

If they ever say anything that you don't understand, you can say "私の日本語は良くありません" (watashino nihongowa yoku arimasen), which means "My Japanese isn't good". Waiters will understand and try to speak slowly or say things in an easier way for foreigners to understand. You can also use hand gestures or words that you already know to communicate with the server if you aren't sure how to say something.

Ordering:

Drinks-

The server will usually start off asking “お飲み物は?” (onomi mono wa?), which means "would you like a drink?". You can respond by saying yes (hai はい）　or no (i-e　いいえ). If you say yes, also say the drink you want by saying "___ お願いします" (onegai shimasu), which means "__ please". Scroll to the bottom of this post to find different drinks you can order.

Meal/Food-

The waiters will normally say something like "ご注文はお決まりですか?” (gochuumon wa okimari desu ka?), which means "Have you decided what to order?".

If you still need time, say “もう少し時間を頂けますか?” (mou sukoshi jikan wo itadakemasu ka?), menaing "can I have a little bit more time?".

Or you can respond by saying the same thing you would with ordering drinks: "___ お願いします" (onegai shimasu). If you want to ask for a certain number of dishes/plates of something, say

"(dish)を#つお願いします" ({dish} o # onegai shimasu). You can also point to the menu and show with your fingers how many servings you want.

Here are some other things you can say while ordering:

“お勧めは何ですか?” (osusume wa nan desu ka?) What do you recommend?

“これは何ですか?” (kore wa nan desu ka?) What is this?

“ベジタリアンメニューはありますか?” (bejitarian menyuu wa arimasu ka?) Is there a vegetarian menu?

“お子様メニューはありますか?” (okosama menyuu wa arimasu ka? )Is there a kids menu?

“あまり辛くない物はどれですか?” (amari karaku nai mono wa dore desu ka?) Which one isn't too spicy?

"___を抜きにしてもらえますか?” (___ wo nuki ni shite moraemasu ka?) Can I have it without ____ ?

When you are done ordering, the waiter will usually say “はい、少々お待ち下さい” (hai, shoushou omachi kudasai) which means "Ok, please wait".

Receiving your food-

When you receive your food, don't forget to say "arigato!"(thank you)

Before and after you eat:

You don't have to do this, but many Japanese people say it:

Before eating, say "いただきます" (itadakimasu). This is similar to the meaning of "Bon Appetite!", but politer in a sense.

After you're done eating, say "ごちそうさまでした" (gouchisousama deshita). It means something like "that was delicious" and is very polite to say after a meal.

How to get your server's attention:

You can usually get the waiter's attention by saying "すみません" (sumimasen)、which means "excuse me". Some Japanese restaurants have call buttons, so you simply push the button and the waiter will come to your table.

Near the end of your meal:

Near the end of your meal or after you order, “他にご注文はありませんか” (Hoka ni gochuumon wa arimasen ka?) might be said, which just means "would you like to order anything else?". Respond by saying no or telling the server what else you would like to order.

Paying:

To ask for the bill, say “お勘定をお願いします” (okanjou wo onegai shimasu).

In Japan, there are no tips, so don't feel obligated to tip. In fact, some Japanese people might find it odd if you tip since it never really happens!

As you leave, don't forget to say "Arigato Gozaimasu!" (Thank you!).

Vocabulary

Here are some vocabulary words related to food:

Food 食べ物 tabemono :

Apple 林檎 ringo

Orange オレンジ orenji

Pear 梨 nashi

Banana バナナ banana

Pineapple パイナップル　pa-inappuru

Watermelon スイカ　su-ika

Fruit　果物 kudamono

Cheese チーズ　chi-ju

Yogurt ヨーグルト yogu-ruto

Chocolate チョコレート chokoreto

Cake ケーキ keh-ki

Soup スープ　su-pu Pasta パスタ pasuta

Pizza ピザ piza

Sushi 寿司 sushi

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き okonomiyaki

Edamame 枝豆 edamame

Dumplings 餃子 gyoza

Drinks 飲料 inryo :

Milk 牛乳　gyoonyoo

Beer ビール biru

Wine ワイン wa-in

Coffee コー​​ヒー cou-fee

Tea お茶 ocha

Water 水 mizu

Orange Juice オレンジジュース orenji jusu

Apple Juice リンゴジュース ringo jusu

Other Things:

Table てーぶる　teburu

Dish/Cooking 料理　ryori

Cup カップ kappu

Napkin ナプキン napukin Chopsticks 箸 hashi Knife ナイフ naifu Fork フォーク fuoku Spoon スプーン supun

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I hoped you learned a little bit about how to order food in Japanese. Feel free to print this page and keep it for future reference. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!

Sayounara!