Lesson 18
Food, Drinks, and Ordering at a Restaurant
Essential Food and Drink Vocabulary
Before stepping into a restaurant, it is essential to build a core vocabulary of basic foods and beverages. In Japanese, food in general is called たべもの (tabemono, 食べ物), and drinks are のみもの (nomimono, 飲み物). Staple items include ごはん (gohan, cooked rice or a meal), パン (pan, bread), にく (niku, 肉, meat), さかな (sakana, 魚, fish), and やさい (yasai, 野菜, vegetables).
Common beverages include おみず (o-mizu, お水, cold water), おちゃ (o-cha, お茶, green tea), コーヒー (koohii, coffee), and ジュース (juusu, juice). Notice the お (o-) prefix in front of mizu and cha. This is the polite prefix bikago (beautified speech), which adds politeness and refinement to everyday nouns.
When reading menus in Japan, you will encounter a mix of kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Traditional foods like すし (sushi), うどん (udon), and てんぷら (tempura) are typically written in hiragana or kanji, whereas foreign loanwords like ラーメン (raamen, ramen), カレー (karee, curry), and サラダ (sarada, salad) appear in katakana.
Ordering with をください and をお願いします
The most direct and natural way to order an item is using the pattern [Item] + を (o) + ください (kudasai) or [Item] + を (o) + お願いします (onegaishimasu). The particle を (o, written with the hiragana 'wo') marks the preceding noun as the direct object of the verb or request.
For example, saying 「お水をください」 (O-mizu o kudasai) means 'Water, please.' Alternatively, you can say 「コーヒーをお願いします」 (Koohii o onegaishimasu) for 'Coffee, please.' Both are polite, but お願いします (onegaishimasu) sounds slightly more polished and is very common in customer service environments.
If you are pointing directly at a menu item without knowing its name, you can combine this pattern with the demonstrative pronoun これ (kore, this): 「これをください」 (Kore o kudasai - 'This one, please') or 「これをお願いします」 (Kore o onegaishimasu - 'This one, please'). In casual speech, speakers occasionally omit the particle を, but using it is standard and correct at the N5 level.
Using General Counters to Specify Quantities
When specifying how many portions of a dish you want, Japanese uses a native counting system rather than simple cardinal numbers (ichi, ni, san). The general counters from one to five are: ひとつ (hitotsu, one), ふたつ (futatsu, two), みっつ (mittsu, three), よっつ (yottsu, four), and いつつ (itsutsu, five).
The standard word order when placing an order is [Item] + を (o) + [Quantity Counter] + ください (kudasai) / お願いします (onegaishimasu). For example, to order two coffees, say: 「コーヒーをふたつお願いします」 (Koohii o futatsu onegaishimasu). To order one bowl of ramen: 「ラーメンをひとつください」 (Raamen o hitotsu kudasai).
Notice that no particle is needed between the counter and ください (kudasai). The quantity simply sits directly in front of the request phrase. If you want to connect multiple items in an order, use the particle と (to, and): 「カレーをひとつと、サラダをふたつください」 (Karee o hitotsu to, sarada o futatsu kudasai - 'One curry and two salads, please').
Entering the Restaurant and Getting Seated
When you enter a restaurant in Japan, staff members will greet you with 「いらっしゃいませ」 (Irasshaimase, 'Welcome!'). You do not need to reply to this greeting with anything elaborate; a gentle head nod or smile is completely standard.
Next, the host will usually ask how many people are in your party by saying 「何名様ですか」 (Nan-mei sama desu ka?). To answer, use the specific people counters: ひとり (hitori, one person), ふたり (futari, two people), or さんにん (san-nin, three people). For instance, a solo diner says 「ひとりです」 (Hitori desu), while a couple replies 「ふたりです」 (Futari desu).
Once seated, if a menu is not already on your table, you can flag down a staff member by raising your hand slightly and saying 「すみません」 (Sumimasen, 'Excuse me'). Then ask: 「メニューをお願いします」 (Menyuu o onegaishimasu, 'The menu, please').
Dining Etiquette and Paying the Bill
Japanese culture features two set phrases tied to meals that express gratitude toward the food, the cooks, and nature. Before taking your first bite, press your hands together and say 「いただきます」 (Itadakimasu, literally 'I humbly receive'). When you finish eating, say 「ごちそうさまでした」 (Gochisousama deshita, 'Thank you for the wonderful meal').
When you are ready to settle the bill, call the staff by saying 「すみません」 (Sumimasen) and ask for the check using 「お会計をお願いします」 (O-kaikei o onegaishimasu) or 「お勘定をお願いします」 (O-kanjou o onegaishimasu). Both words refer to the bill/check, though お会計 (o-kaikei) is somewhat more common in modern casual dining.
In many Japanese restaurants, you take the small clipboard or slip left at your table directly to the register near the front door to pay. Tipping is not customary in Japan; a polite 「ごちそうさまでした」 (Gochisousama deshita) as you leave the register is the best way to show your appreciation.
Lesson quiz · 1 of 5
What is the most accurate English translation of 「お水をください」 (O-mizu o kudasai)?