Restaurant phrases
How to order food in Japanese: 32 restaurant phrases
To order food in Japanese, point at the dish and say "Kore o onegai shimasu" (this one, please); call the staff with "Sumimasen!" and ask for the bill with "Okaikei o onegai shimasu". Below are 32 phrases for every stage of a meal, in Japanese script with Hepburn romanization, in the polite form that's right in any restaurant, plus the etiquette that surprises first-time visitors.
About the script
Japanese is written with three scripts: kanji, hiragana and katakana. Each phrase is shown in Japanese, as the staff would read it, with Hepburn romanization (romaji). Vowels sound roughly as in Italian, a macron (ō, ū) marks a long vowel, and the u in desu and -masu is barely voiced, so desu sounds like "dess". The phrases use the polite です/ます (desu/masu) form. In these phrases Japanese doesn't change with the speaker's gender.
Arriving
| Phrase | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 二人です。 | Futari desu. | Two people. | The answer to 何名様ですか (nanmei-sama desu ka?), how many people? One is hitori, three sannin, four yonin. |
| 予約したスミスです。 | Yoyaku shita Sumisu desu. | I have a reservation under Smith. | Literally "I'm Smith, who made a reservation". Say your own name instead of Smith. |
| 予約していません。 | Yoyaku shite imasen. | We don't have a reservation. | |
| 英語のメニューはありますか？ | Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka? | Do you have an English menu? |
Ordering
| Phrase | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| メニューをお願いします。 | Menyū o onegai shimasu. | The menu, please. | |
| すみません、注文お願いします。 | Sumimasen, chūmon onegai shimasu. | Excuse me, we'd like to order. | |
| 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? | |
| これをお願いします。 | Kore o onegai shimasu. | This one, please. | Point at the menu or at the plastic food model in the window. |
| これを二つお願いします。 | Kore o futatsu onegai shimasu. | Two of these, please. | Counting things: hitotsu (one), futatsu (two), mittsu (three). |
| お水をお願いします。 | Omizu o onegai shimasu. | Water, please. | Water and tea are usually free, and often self-service. |
| 生ビールを一つお願いします。 | Nama bīru o hitotsu onegai shimasu. | One draught beer, please. | |
| 大盛りでお願いします。 | Ōmori de onegai shimasu. | A large portion, please. | At rice-bowl and noodle shops; sometimes free, often a small extra charge. |
| 替え玉お願いします。 | Kaedama onegai shimasu. | An extra serving of noodles, please. | At ramen shops that offer it, especially Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. |
Dietary needs & allergies
| Phrase | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 肉が食べられません。 | Niku ga taberaremasen. | I can't eat meat. | |
| ベジタリアンです。 | Bejitarian desu. | I'm vegetarian. | Dashi stock is usually made with fish, so ask the next question too. |
| 魚のだしは入っていますか？ | Sakana no dashi wa haitte imasu ka? | Is there fish stock in it? | |
| ピーナッツアレルギーがあります。 | Pīnattsu arerugī ga arimasu. | I have a peanut allergy. | |
| ナッツ類のアレルギーがあります。 | Nattsu-rui no arerugī ga arimasu. | I have a nut allergy. | |
| えびとかにのアレルギーがあります。 | Ebi to kani no arerugī ga arimasu. | I'm allergic to prawns and crab. | Shellfish allergies are usually described by naming them: えび (ebi) prawn, かに (kani) crab. |
| 小麦が食べられません。 | Komugi ga taberaremasen. | I can't eat wheat. | Soy sauce, tempura batter, udon and most soba contain wheat. |
| これに卵は入っていますか？ | Kore ni tamago wa haitte imasu ka? | Does this contain egg? | |
| 豚肉は入っていますか？ | Butaniku wa haitte imasu ka? | Is there pork in it? | |
| わさび抜きでお願いします。 | Wasabi nuki de onegai shimasu. | Without wasabi, please. | 抜き (nuki) means without: ねぎ抜き (negi nuki) is without spring onion. |
During the meal
| Phrase | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| すみません！ | Sumimasen! | Excuse me! | Call the staff this way with a raised hand, or press the call button on the table. |
| いただきます。 | Itadakimasu. | Let's eat (said before eating). | |
| おいしかったです。 | Oishikatta desu. | It was delicious. | |
| ごちそうさまでした。 | Gochisōsama deshita. | Thank you for the meal (said when you finish or leave). |
Paying
| Phrase | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| お会計をお願いします。 | Okaikei o onegai shimasu. | The bill, please. | |
| カードで払えますか？ | Kādo de haraemasu ka? | Can I pay by card? | |
| 別々でお願いします。 | Betsubetsu de onegai shimasu. | Separate bills, please. | Not every restaurant splits bills, especially at busy times. |
| お通し代はかかりますか？ | Otōshi-dai wa kakarimasu ka? | Is there a table charge (otōshi)? | Worth asking at an izakaya before you sit down. |
Etiquette
- Staff greet you with "Irasshaimase!" (welcome). You don't need to reply; a nod is enough. Then show the number of people with your fingers or say "Futari desu".
- To call staff, raise your hand and say "Sumimasen!", or press the call button on the table.
- At many ramen, gyudon and soba shops you buy a ticket from a machine (券売機, kenbaiki) by the door and hand it to the staff.
- The wet towel (おしぼり, oshibori) is for your hands, not your face.
- Don't stand chopsticks upright in rice or pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks; both are associated with funerals.
- Slurping noodles is normal and isn't considered rude.
- At an izakaya a small appetiser (お通し, otōshi) arrives automatically and is charged per person.
- Tipping isn't customary. You usually pay at the register (レジ) by the exit, taking the bill with you.
- Say "Gochisōsama deshita" to the staff on your way out.
Let your phone say the order
If you'd rather not attempt the dish names yourself, scan the menu with MenuGuide, add the dishes you want to your order and tap Speak My Order: the app reads your whole order aloud in Japanese. You can also show the order on screen in Japanese or share it. It speaks the full order rather than single words, so the phrases above still help with everything else, from the door to the register.
MenuGuide also flags dishes that may contain the allergens you've chosen. Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
Before you go, read our guide to Japanese menus to know how izakaya menus, set meals and tax-included prices are written.
Frequently asked questions
How do you order food in Japanese?
Point at the dish on the menu or the plastic model in the window and say "Kore o onegai shimasu" (this one, please). To order two, say "Kore o futatsu onegai shimasu". To get the staff's attention first, say "Sumimasen!" with a raised hand, or press the call button on the table. At ticket-machine shops you order by buying a ticket at the entrance.
How do you ask for the bill in Japanese?
Say "Okaikei o onegai shimasu" (the bill, please). In many restaurants the bill is already on your table in a holder, and you pay at the register by the exit rather than at the table. Tipping isn't customary, so pay the amount shown; money left behind may well be returned to you.
How do you say I have an allergy in Japanese?
Name the food, then add "arerugī ga arimasu" (I have an allergy): "Pīnattsu arerugī ga arimasu" for peanuts, "Ebi to kani no arerugī ga arimasu" for prawns and crab. To say you can't eat something, use "… ga taberaremasen", as in "Komugi ga taberaremasen" (I can't eat wheat). Many chains publish allergen charts; ask for the アレルギー表 (arerugī-hyō).
What do you say before and after eating in Japan?
Before eating, say "Itadakimasu", a thank-you for the food that works like "let's eat". When you finish, or as you leave the restaurant, say "Gochisōsama deshita", thanks for the meal. Staff appreciate hearing it on your way out, and "Oishikatta desu" (it was delicious) is a kind addition.
How do you call a waiter in Japan?
Raise your hand and say "Sumimasen!" (excuse me) clearly; in a busy izakaya, saying it loudly is perfectly normal. Many restaurants also have a call button on the table, and some take orders on a tablet. There's no need to wave; staff will usually come over within a moment.
