When you go to a restaurant in Japan, you might be confused about what a waiter say in Japanese. A Japanese waiter says cliche one-sidedly regardless of whether a customer understands it or not in Japanese without responding flexibly in another language for non-Japanese customers.
You might only understand instinctively what a waiter tires to show you from an atmosphere, waiter’s gesture, and facial expressions. Taking this opportunity, let’s learn what a waiter says and remove your concerns when you enter a restaurant in Japan!
Japanese waiters will hardly say something ad-lib except for fixed phrases. If you have learned Japanese before, it is quite easy for you to understand what they say. Let’s start! In this article, we suppose conversation in only a casual restaurant.
Contents
When you enter a restaurant
Before showing you a table, a waiter asks you how many people do you have, if you smoke or not, if you are OK to have a counter seat if you come by yourself.
If all the tables and counter seats are fully occupied, a waiter tells you to write a name on a waiting list and you have to wait until your turn comes.
Irasshaimase, Nanmeisamadesuka?(pronounciation)
Welcome. How many people do you have?
This is what you are said right after you enter a restaurant.
Otabako-wa-suwaremasuka?(pronounciation)
Do you smoke?
Japanese restaurants separate smoking areas from non-smoking areas. Installing both non-smoking area and smoking area is mainstream in Japanese restaurants. There are few casual restaurants that lock out the smoking area perfectly.
Kaunta-demo-yoroshiidesuka? (pronounciation)
Only a counter seat is available now. It is Ok?
It literally means, “do you even mind having a counter seat?”
When you come by yourself and all the tables except for counter seats are occupied, a waiter offers you a counter seat.
Kochira-ni-Onamae-wo-Kaite-Omachikudasai (pronounciation)
Please write your name on this. I’ll be with you in a moment
Generally, there is a customer’s waiting list form in a waiting space in a restaurant in Japan. If there are no vacant tables, you have to write your name on it and wait till you are called by a waiter in turn according to a customer’s waiting list.
After a waiter shows you a table
Firstly, a waiter asks you if a table which a waiter shows you is good for you. A waiter leaves you a choice to have another table you might prefer to. And then, when you order a meal, there are two patterns to be asked, when you already decide what to order and when you’re still choosing what to order.
Kochira-de-yoroshiideshouka (pronounciation)
Do you have this table?
A waiter will kindly leave you a choice to have another table for the case you don’t like the shown table. You can choose another table if there are available tables around you.
Okimarino-koro-oukagaishimasu (pronounciation)
I will be with you when you deicde what to order
If you are glued to the food menu right after you take a seat, a waiter reads between the lines and offers you to take your order later.
Kimarimashitara buza-de oshirase negaimasu (pronounciation)
Please let me know with a buzzer when you decide what to order
Major restaurant chains generally place an order buzzer on a table and tell a customer to push a buzzer when deciding what to order. When a restaurant is really crowded, a waiter may not come to your table with even only one buzzer sound. So there is a case you need to push it three times or more.
However, just because a waiter has never come yet to your table doesn’t mean you should mash a buzzer button like when you handle a playstation controller. If you notify with a buzzer two times, a waiter alreadly realizes it.
Gochumon-wo-uketamawarimasu (pronounciation)
I am ready to take your order.
There is a meaning “please tell me what to order” behind it.
Gochumon-wo-kurikaeshimasu (pronounciation)
Let me repeat your order
When you finish ordering, a waiter will confirm what you order by repeating it.
A format of repeating order menu is combination of ordered item and the number of item you order. For example, when you order a steak, a waiter says “steak, itten”and when you order two steaks, a waiter says “steak, niten”. “Itten”, “niten” are how a waiter count items.
Payment
Okyaku-sama no okaikei 3,000 yen-ni narimasu (pronounciation)
The total comes to 3,000 yen
When you bring a bill to a casher and you are told the total bill again by a waiter
10,000 yen, oazukarishimasu (pronounciation)
Out of 10000 yen
This is a phrase used when you give a big bill enough to have change
7,000 yen-no okaeshidesu (pronounciation)
Your change is 7,000 yen
Phrases which you can tell easily your order to a waiter in Japanese
In an environment where people only speak Japanese, Japanese waiters hesitate to take an order from you because of the language barrier. Let’s learn a very easy expression you can easily remember to extend your scope of restaurants which you can go to in Japan.
Kore, kudasai (pronounciation)
I will take this.
You just indicate what you want to order with your finger on the menu and say this phrase
Onegaishimasu (pronounciation)
Thank you
After a waiter rpeats all the orders you have, you show your gratitude with this phrase.
Speaking of “Onegaishimasu”, it is generally translated as “please” in English. But, we also use this phrase to show our gratitude to someone who does a favor for us.
Gochisosamadeshita (pronounciation)
Thank you for the great meal
When leaving a restaurant, Japanese habitually use this phrase to express their gratitude. This is a very unique Japanese expression and there is no accurate English expression that means this word. Actually, its nuance is different from “thank you” but “thank you” is the closest phrases in English that can express “Gochisosama”
Note
When you go to a foreign country where people don’t even speak English, you are under flustration against the situation where you can’t understand what a waiter says and smoothly order what you want to eat.
Especially, the further away from an urban city you go, the more people don’t speak English. If you only know the Japanese cliche phrases of restaurants, your activity scope will be wider and wider.
I want you to learn these expressions and find a good local restaurant that nobody has yet found.