Japanese phrases to use at Japanese restaurants
Apr 03, 2025
Japanese phrases to use at Japanese restaurants
Traveling in Japan can be difficult if you don’t understand the language, and some people hesitate to travel to Japan because they’re afraid of the language barrier they’ll experience while traveling across the country.
However, the truth is, you don’t need to be fluent in Japanese to have a successful and wonderful trip to Japan, all you need to do is to learn several key Japanese phrases to make your trip much better. In this feature, we’ll introduce some phrases you can use when ordering food and drinks at Japanese restaurants!
Index
- ___ mei desu (〜名です）
- Sumimasen (すみません)
- ___ wo kudasai (〜をください)
- Kampai! (乾杯)
- Itadakimasu (いただきます)
- Okaikei wo onegaishimasu (お会計をお願いします)
1. ___ mei desu (〜名です）
Once you enter a restaurant in Japan, usually the shopkeeper will ask “Nan mei sama desuka?”, which means “how many people?”, to you, and you can answer “ichi mei desu”, if you’re coming alone, or “ni mei desu”, if you’re coming with a friend. If it’s a table for two or more, you can change the number that comes before “mei”.
2. Sumimasen (すみません)
Sumimasen means excuse me, but you can use this word to get some attention from the servers at Japanese restaurants. Simply raise one of your hands and say “sumimasen”, and you’ll have a waiter or waitress approaching you to serve your table.
3. ___ wo kudasai (〜をください)
This phrase has several functions when used at a restaurant. If you want the server to bring you a menu, you can say “menu wo kudasai”. If you want to drink water, simply say “mizu wo kudasai”, and someone will serve you a glass of water. You can also use this phrase when ordering food by adding it after the menu you want to order.
4. Kampai! (乾杯)
Drink like the Japanese when you’re in Japan; instead of saying “cheers”, say “kampai”.
5. Itadakimasu (いただきます)
Japanese people say “itadakimasu” before they eat, which is a polite way of expressing gratitude for the meal that has been provided for you.
6. Okaikei wo onegaishimasu (お会計をお願いします)
When you’re done eating and ready to pay, you will need to ask for the bill. To do so, just say “okaikei wo onegaishimasu”, which means “please bring me the bill”.
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