How to Order Food in Japanese: What Waiters Say, What You Answer
How to order food in Japanese, start to finish: what the waiter says when you walk in, sit down, order and pay, with simple replies and audio for each line.
Most guides on how to order food in Japanese give you one line: point and say これをください (kore o kudasai). That line works. The hard part is everything the waiter says before and after it.
A restaurant visit follows a script. The waiter asks how many you are, where you want to sit, what you want to eat and drink, and if that's all. This guide goes through the script in order, with a short reply for each line.
All 22 words on this page are in a flashcard deck at the bottom. Go to the flashcards ↓
What a Restaurant Visit Sounds Like
Here's a full visit for two people, from the door to the bill. Press the speaker button to hear each line.
The waiter's lines are long because they're in polite restaurant language. Yours are short. You can get through a whole meal with five or six phrases.
What You'll See at the Door
Check the signs before you go in. They tell you if there's a seat, if you can smoke and if your shoes come off.
Restaurants in Japan are non-smoking inside as a rule. Since April 2020 the law has allowed smoking only in a separate smoking room or in a venue marked as a smoking venue, and a sign at the entrance has to say so. Nobody under 20 may enter those areas, staff included. If you want to know, ask たばこは吸えますか？ (tabako wa suemasu ka?).
Menus in casual restaurants are full of katakana: ランチ (ranchi, lunch), セット (setto, set), ドリンク (dorinku, drink). If you can't read it yet, practise with the katakana flashcards before your trip.
What the Waiter Says, Line by Line
These come in roughly this order. Each one has a reply or two.
Water, Towels and Calling the Waiter
Once you sit down, you usually get a glass of water and an おしぼり (oshibori), a wet towel for your hands. Both are usually free. Staff often call the water お冷 (ohiya). In some shops the water is self-service, so look for a jug or a machine.
The waiter won't keep coming back to check on you. When you're ready, you call them. Say すみません (sumimasen), or press the call button on the table if there is one.
What You Say
These are the lines you start yourself.
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| すみません。 (sumimasen) | Excuse me. This is how you call a waiter. Raise your hand a little and say it clearly. |
| 英語のメニューはありますか？ (eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka?) | Do you have an English menu? |
| おすすめは何ですか？ (osusume wa nan desu ka?) | What do you recommend? |
| これは何ですか？ (kore wa nan desu ka?) | What is this? |
| これを二つください。 (kore o futatsu kudasai) | Two of these, please. |
| わさび抜きでお願いします。 (wasabi nuki de onegai shimasu) | Without wasabi, please. Put any ingredient in front of 抜き (nuki). |
| お水をください。 (omizu o kudasai) | Water, please. |
| 取り皿をください。 (torizara o kudasai) | A small plate for sharing, please. |
| たばこは吸えますか？ (tabako wa suemasu ka?) | Can I smoke here? |
| お手洗いはどこですか？ (otearai wa doko desu ka?) | Where is the toilet? |
| お会計お願いします。 (okaikei onegai shimasu) | The bill, please. |
| ごちそうさまでした。 (gochisousama deshita) | Thank you for the meal. Say it to the staff as you leave. |
For numbers of dishes, use 一つ (hitotsu, one), 二つ (futatsu, two) and 三つ (mittsu, three). The Japanese basics guide has the full set of numbers.
Paying and Leaving
In many casual restaurants the waiter leaves a slip on your table called a 伝票 (denpyou). When you're done, take it to the register near the door and pay there. In other places you ask at the table with お会計お願いします (okaikei onegai shimasu).
You don't leave a tip. It isn't a custom in Japan. Say ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita) on your way out. The questions at the register are close to the ones in the konbini checkout guide.
Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 何名様 | なんめいさま | nanmei-sama | how many people (polite) |
| 人数 | にんずう | ninzuu | number of people |
| 予約 | よやく | yoyaku | reservation |
| 満席 | まんせき | manseki | full, no seats |
| カウンター席 | カウンターせき | kauntaa seki | counter seat |
| テーブル席 | テーブルせき | teeburu seki | table seat |
| 座敷 | ざしき | zashiki | tatami seating |
| 下駄箱 | げたばこ | getabako | shoe locker |
| メニュー | メニュー | menyuu | menu |
| 注文 | ちゅうもん | chuumon | order |
| おすすめ | おすすめ | osusume | recommendation |
| 料理 | りょうり | ryouri | dish, cooking |
| お飲み物 | おのみもの | onomimono | drink |
| お冷 | おひや | ohiya | cold water (restaurant word) |
| おしぼり | おしぼり | oshibori | wet towel for your hands |
| 取り皿 | とりざら | torizara | small plate for sharing |
| おかわり | おかわり | okawari | refill, another helping |
| 以上 | いじょう | ijou | that's all |
| 禁煙 | きんえん | kin'en | no smoking |
| 喫煙室 | きつえんしつ | kitsuenshitsu | smoking room |
| 伝票 | でんぴょう | denpyou | bill slip |
| お会計 | おかいけい | okaikei | bill, payment |
Test Yourself
Flashcards
Tap a card to flip it, and press the speaker button to hear it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you order food in Japanese?
Call the waiter with すみません (sumimasen), point at the menu and say これをください (kore o kudasai), this one please. For more than one, add a number: これを二つください (kore o futatsu kudasai), two of these please. When the waiter asks if that's all, say はい、以上です (hai, ijou desu).
What do Japanese waiters say when you walk in?
いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), which means welcome. You don't need to answer it. The next question is usually 何名様ですか？ (nanmei-sama desu ka?), how many people, and that one needs an answer.
How do you ask for the bill in Japanese?
Say お会計お願いします (okaikei onegai shimasu). In many casual restaurants a slip called a 伝票 (denpyou) is left on your table, and you take it to the register by the door to pay.
Do you tip in Japanese restaurants?
No. Tipping isn't a custom in Japan. Say ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita), thank you for the meal, as you leave.
Is it rude to call out to a waiter in Japan?
No. Saying すみません (sumimasen) with a raised hand is the normal way to get a waiter's attention. Some restaurants have a call button on the table instead.
Ready to Order Food in Japanese?
You now know the waiter's side of the script and your own. Count your group, pick a seat, point and order, say that's all, and ask for the bill.
Put it to work in the dining test. The Greeting, Ordering, Water, Counter Seat, Shoes and Smoker questions all use the words from this guide.
References
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, passive smoking measures under the revised Health Promotion Act: indoor smoking is prohibited in principle from 1 April 2020, smoking rooms must carry signs, and people under 20 may not enter smoking areas. https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Tipping in Japan: tipping isn't common in bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis or hotels. https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/tipping-in-japan/
- Readings and meanings of every word checked against JMdict, via jisho.org.