I can walk into a Japanese restaurant or izakaya, say how many of us there are, ask what they recommend, order a set meal and a drink, ask for a refill, and handle the check — together or separately.
お店で食べます
お店で食べます
The goal: handle a visit to a Japanese restaurant, from the door to the register. You already know everything you need: …をおねがいします, …にします, …はありますか, いじょうです.
At the door you'll be asked なんめいさまですか: how many people are in your party. Answer with the number of people: for two, ふたり, not ふたつ. The other words for counting people come at the next level.
At the table you get an おしぼり, a wet hand towel; water is usually free.
The menu. 定食（ていしょく） is a set meal: a main dish, rice, and soup, not a single dish. おすすめ is what they recommend today. Drinks are のみもの. Another serving of rice or beer is おかわり.
おとおし. In an izakaya (Japanese pub), everyone gets a small appetizer nobody ordered. It's not a gift: it costs money and goes on the check.
Before eating you say いただきます, after eating ごちそうさまでした.
The check. You pay at the register by the exit. If everyone pays separately, say べつべつで. There's no tipping in Japan: the total is final; money you leave is returned.
Sounds: ー in なまビール marks a long vowel (ビル is a building, ビール is beer); ん in なんめいさま is a mora of its own; the particle は is read as わ.
Common mistakes:
• NOT わたしはふたりです — say the number of people without わたしは.
• NOT おとおしはいりません — you don't usually refuse おとおし.
• NOT いただきます after eating — after eating, say ごちそうさまでした.
• NOT ていしょくはおいしいじゃないです — an い-adjective takes くないです: おいしくないです。
• NOT なまビールを2つがください — no が after を: なまビールを2つください。
How the scene goes
Five steps: you come in, sit down, order, eat, and pay.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| at the entrance | they ask how many of you there are: なんめいさまですか |
| at the table | you get おしぼり; water is usually free |
| order | …をおねがいします, …にします; at the end — いじょうです |
| the meal | before eating — いただきます, after — ごちそうさまでした |
| the check | at the register by the exit; each person pays separately — べつべつで |
Menu words
These words are on the menus of cafeterias and izakayas.
| Word | What it is |
|---|---|
| 定食（ていしょく） | set meal: main dish, rice, and soup |
| おすすめ | what the place recommends today |
| のみもの | drinks |
| なまビール | draft beer |
| おとおし | izakaya appetizer: everyone gets it, and it comes with a charge |
| おかわり | a refill of rice or a drink |
Lesson notes
お店で食べます
The goal: handle a visit to a Japanese restaurant, from the door to the register. You already know everything you need: …をおねがいします, …にします, …はありますか, いじょうです.
At the door you'll be asked なんめいさまですか: how many people are in your party. Answer with the number of people: for two, ふたり, not ふたつ. The other words for counting people come at the next level.
At the table you get an おしぼり, a wet hand towel; water is usually free.
The menu. 定食（ていしょく） is a set meal: a main dish, rice, and soup, not a single dish. おすすめ is what they recommend today. Drinks are のみもの. Another serving of rice or beer is おかわり.
おとおし. In an izakaya (Japanese pub), everyone gets a small appetizer nobody ordered. It's not a gift: it costs money and goes on the check.
Before eating you say いただきます, after eating ごちそうさまでした.
The check. You pay at the register by the exit. If everyone pays separately, say べつべつで. There's no tipping in Japan: the total is final; money you leave is returned.
Sounds: ー in なまビール marks a long vowel (ビル is a building, ビール is beer); ん in なんめいさま is a mora of its own; the particle は is read as わ.
Common mistakes:
• NOT わたしはふたりです — say the number of people without わたしは.
• NOT おとおしはいりません — you don't usually refuse おとおし.
• NOT いただきます after eating — after eating, say ごちそうさまでした.
• NOT ていしょくはおいしいじゃないです — an い-adjective takes くないです: おいしくないです。
• NOT なまビールを2つがください — no が after を: なまビールを2つください。