Chapter 18 — Food, Restaurants, and Shopping

This chapter is different from most chapters in this book. It is not built around a single grammar pattern. It is built around situations — the things you need to understand and say when you eat at a restaurant, buy something at a shop, or talk about food. The grammar is minimal: one new expression (～にします) and a handful of set phrases. The bulk of the chapter is vocabulary and practical phrases that function as units.

Situational language is important because it follows scripts. A restaurant interaction in Japan follows a predictable sequence: you enter, you are greeted, you are seated, you order, you eat, you pay, you leave. Each step has standard phrases. If you know the script, you can navigate the situation even when your grammar is limited. This chapter gives you the script.

18.1 Restaurant Entry and Seating

When you enter a restaurant in Japan, the staff will greet you. The exchange follows a fixed pattern. Most of what the staff says, you only need to recognize — you do not need to produce it.

いらっしゃいませ — Welcome

The moment you step through the door, you will hear:

いらっしゃいませ。

This means "Welcome" and is said by every shop and restaurant employee in Japan. It is a highly polite imperative form of the verb いらっしゃる, which itself is an honorific verb meaning "to come / to go / to be." You do not need to understand the grammar behind it. You do not need to respond to it. It is a one-directional greeting from staff to customer. Simply acknowledge it and wait to be addressed further.

You will also hear いらっしゃいませ when entering any shop — convenience stores, department stores, bookstores. It is universal in Japanese customer service.

なんめいさまですか — How many in your party?

The host will ask how many people are in your group:

なんめいさまですか。

This means "How many people?" The word なんめいさま is the honorific form of なんにん (how many people). The さま suffix is the ultra-polite version of さん. Again, you only need to recognize this question.

Your answer uses the counter にん for people, which you learned in Chapter 7:

ひとりです。 — One person. ふたりです。 — Two people. さんにんです。 — Three people. よにんです。 — Four people.

If the restaurant has different seating options, the staff may ask:

カウンターと テーブル、どちらが いいですか。 "Counter or table — which do you prefer?"

カウンターで おねがいします。 — Counter, please. テーブルで おねがいします。 — Table, please.

In some older or smaller restaurants, you may be asked about smoking sections:

きつえんと きんえん、どちらが いいですか。 "Smoking or non-smoking — which do you prefer?"

きんえんで おねがいします。 — Non-smoking, please.

The word きつえん means "smoking" (literally "inhale-smoke") and きんえん means "non-smoking" (literally "prohibit-smoke"). Since 2020, indoor smoking in restaurants has been largely banned in Japan by law, so this question is increasingly rare. But you may still encounter it.

18.2 Ordering

Once you are seated and have looked at the menu (メニュー), you are ready to order. This section covers the phrases that make up the ordering interaction.

Calling the waiter

If the waiter does not come to you, raise your hand slightly and say:

すみません。

You already know this word from earlier chapters. In a restaurant, it functions as "Excuse me" — a polite way to get the server's attention. Many restaurants also have a call button (よびだしボタン) at each table.

Signaling that you want to order

ちゅうもんを おねがいします。 "I'd like to order, please."

The word ちゅうもん means "order" (as a noun). With を おねがいします, this is a standard request formula. Some speakers shorten this to ちゅうもん おねがいします, dropping the を — this is natural in spoken Japanese.

Ordering items: ～を おねがいします

The simplest way to order is:

[item]を おねがいします。

Examples:

ラーメンを おねがいします。 "Ramen, please."

てんぷらを おねがいします。 "Tempura, please."

ビールを おねがいします。 "A beer, please."

You can also use ください instead of おねがいします:

ラーメンを ください。 "Ramen, please."

Both are polite. おねがいします is slightly softer and more common in restaurant settings. ください is a direct request ("please give me"). Either is perfectly appropriate.

Ordering multiple items

Chain items with と (and):

ラーメンと ぎょうざを おねがいします。 "Ramen and gyoza, please."

コーヒーと ケーキを おねがいします。 "Coffee and cake, please."

～にします — I'll have ~ / I'll go with ~

When you have been deciding between options and want to announce your choice, use:

～にします。

This literally means "I will make it ~" or "I will decide on ~." It is used when the act of choosing is part of the context — when the waiter is waiting for your decision, or when someone has asked what you want.

わたしは ラーメンに します。 "I'll have the ramen."

のみものは コーヒーに します。 "For my drink, I'll go with coffee."

やっぱり うどんに します。 "Actually, I'll go with udon." (やっぱり = "on second thought / actually")

The particle に here marks the target of the decision. します is the polite form of する. Together, にします is a set expression for decision-making. You will hear it constantly in daily life — not just in restaurants, but anywhere someone announces a choice.

Compare:

コーヒーを おねがいします。 — "Coffee, please." (neutral request) コーヒーに します。 — "I'll go with coffee." (announcing a decision)

The difference is subtle. Both result in you getting coffee. But にします carries the nuance of "I've made my choice."

Asking about the menu

If you see something on the menu and want to ask what it is:

これは なんですか。 "What is this?"

If you want a recommendation:

おすすめは なんですか。 "What do you recommend?"

The word おすすめ means "recommendation." It comes from the verb すすめる (to recommend).

18.3 During the Meal

Requesting water

In most Japanese restaurants, water (おみず) or tea (おちゃ) is provided free of charge. If you need more:

おみず ください。 "Water, please."

おちゃ ください。 "Tea, please."

The お prefix on みず and ちゃ is a politeness marker. You learned about this prefix in earlier chapters. In restaurant contexts, おみず and おちゃ are the standard forms.

Requesting extras

はし ください。 "Chopsticks, please."

スプーン ください。 "A spoon, please."

フォーク ください。 "A fork, please."

ナイフ ください。 "A knife, please."

おさら ください。 "A plate, please."

おかわり — Refill / Second helping

The word おかわり means "another helping" or "a refill." It is a noun.

おかわり おねがいします。 "Another helping, please."

ごはんの おかわり おねがいします。 "Another serving of rice, please."

In many restaurants, rice refills are free (おかわり じゆう — "free refills," where じゆう means "freedom/free"). You may see this written on the menu or on a sign.

During the meal: set phrases

Two phrases are used at the beginning and end of every meal in Japan. They are cultural rituals, not optional niceties.

Before eating:

いただきます。

This is said before the first bite. It expresses gratitude for the food — to the cook, to the person who paid, and in a broader sense, to the ingredients themselves. It comes from the humble verb いただく (to receive humbly). You do not need to analyze the grammar. Say it before you eat.

After eating:

ごちそうさまでした。

This is said when you finish your meal. It means something like "That was a feast" or "Thank you for the meal." ごちそう means "a feast" or "a treat," and さまでした is a polite past-tense ending. In casual settings among friends, the shorter ごちそうさま is also used.

These two phrases are used in homes, restaurants, school cafeterias — anywhere food is eaten. They are among the most important cultural expressions in daily Japanese life.

18.4 Paying

When you are ready to leave, you need to ask for the bill.

Asking for the check

おかいけい おねがいします。 "Check, please."

The word おかいけい means "the bill" or "the check" (with the お politeness prefix). In casual speech, you may also hear おあいそ, which is a slang term for the bill used in some traditional restaurants. Stick with おかいけい — it works everywhere.

In many Japanese restaurants, you pay at the register near the entrance (レジ), not at the table. The waiter will bring a slip (でんぴょう) to your table, and you take it to the register to pay.

Splitting the bill

べつべつで おねがいします。 "Separately, please." (Each person pays for what they ordered.)

いっしょで おねがいします。 "Together, please." (One bill for the whole table.)

The word べつべつ means "separately" — it is a repetition of べつ (separate, different). The word いっしょ means "together." Both take で here, marking the manner of payment.

Payment method

カードで いいですか。 "Is card okay?"

げんきんだけですか。 "Cash only?"

The word カード refers to credit or debit cards. げんきん means "cash." The word だけ means "only."

In Japan, cash is still widely used, though card and electronic payment (でんしマネー) have become much more common in recent years. It is always worth checking.

If the cashier confirms:

はい、カード だいじょうぶです。 "Yes, card is fine."

すみません、げんきんだけです。 "Sorry, cash only."

18.5 Shopping

Shopping interactions follow a similar script to restaurant interactions. You enter, you are greeted with いらっしゃいませ, you browse, you ask about items, you decide, and you pay.

Asking the price

これは いくらですか。 "How much is this?"

その かばんは いくらですか。 "How much is that bag?"

You already know いくら and the number system from Chapter 7. This is review. The response will be a number followed by えん:

さんぜんえんです。 — "It's 3,000 yen."

Asking to see something

それを みせてください。 "Please show me that."

The verb みせる (to show) is a 一段 verb. みせてください is its て-form + ください — "please show me." You use it when an item is behind a counter or in a display case.

Deciding to buy

これを ください。 "I'll take this, please."

これに します。 "I'll go with this." (Using the にします decision expression from 18.2.)

Commenting on price

ちょっと たかいです。 "It's a bit expensive."

The word ちょっと means "a little" or "a bit." Combined with たかい (expensive), this is a gentle way of saying the price is too high. It may prompt the shopkeeper to suggest alternatives.

Asking for something cheaper

もう すこし やすいのは ありますか。 "Do you have something a bit cheaper?"

Let us break this sentence down:

• もう すこし — "a little more" (もう = "more, further"; すこし = "a little")
• やすいの — "a cheap one" (の replaces a noun, as you learned in Chapter 5 — やすいの = "a cheap one")
• は — topic marker
• ありますか — "is there?" / "do you have?"

This is a useful sentence pattern for any shopping situation. You can replace やすい with other adjectives:

もう すこし おおきいのは ありますか。 "Do you have something a little bigger?"

もう すこし ちいさいのは ありますか。 "Do you have something a little smaller?"

Declining politely

If you decide not to buy:

ちょっと かんがえます。 "I'll think about it." (A polite way to decline.)

だいじょうぶです。 "I'm fine." (A polite refusal.)

18.6 Food Vocabulary

Below are approximately 30 food-related words organized by category. Pitch accent is marked with the standard notation from this book.

Staples

Protein

Vegetables and Fruit

Drinks

Common Dishes

Taste Adjectives

These are all い-adjectives. You can conjugate them using the system from Chapter 13.

Note on しょっぱい and しおからい: both mean "salty." しょっぱい is more colloquial and common in eastern Japan (including Tokyo). しおからい is the standard/literary form. You will encounter both. They are interchangeable in meaning.

Together with おいしい (delicious) and まずい (bad-tasting) from Chapter 13, you now have the full set of basic taste vocabulary.

18.7 Meal Vocabulary

Japanese has specific words for each meal of the day. These are compounds built on ごはん (meal/rice):

The first three follow a transparent pattern: time of day + ごはん. あさ is "morning," ひる is "noon/daytime," and ばん is "evening." The word ゆうしょく uses different kanji readings and is found in slightly more formal contexts — hotels, printed schedules, formal announcements.

You may also encounter:

Example sentences:

あさごはんは パンを たべました。 "For breakfast, I ate bread."

ひるごはんは まだ たべていません。 "I haven't eaten lunch yet."

ばんごはんに なにを たべますか。 "What will you eat for dinner?"

きょうの ゆうしょくは カレーです。 "Today's dinner is curry."

18.8 Reading Passage

The following passage describes a restaurant visit. It uses only grammar and vocabulary taught in this chapter and preceding chapters. Read it through once, trying to parse each sentence before checking the translation below.

きのう、ともだちと いっしょに えきの ちかくの レストランに いきました。みせに はいると、「いらっしゃいませ、なんめいさまですか」と きかれました。「ふたりです」と こたえました。テーブルに すわって、メニューを みました。

わたしは ラーメンが すきですから、みそラーメンに しました。ともだちは ぎょうざと チャーハンを ちゅうもんしました。「のみものは どう しますか」と きかれたので、ふたりとも ビールに しました。

りょうりが きました。みそラーメンは とても おいしかったです。ちょっと からかったですが、スープが あまくて よかったです。ともだちの ぎょうざも おいしそうでした。ごはんの おかわりは いりませんでした。

たべおわってから、おかいけいを おねがいしました。ふたりで にせんはっぴゃくえんでした。べつべつに しました。わたしは せんごひゃくえんで、ともだちは せんさんびゃくえんでした。カードで はらいました。

みせを でるとき、「ごちそうさまでした」と いいました。とても いい みせでした。また いきたいです。

Translation

Yesterday, I went to a restaurant near the station with a friend. When we entered the restaurant, we were asked, "Welcome, how many?" I answered, "Two." We sat at a table and looked at the menu.

I like ramen, so I decided on miso ramen. My friend ordered gyoza and fried rice. We were asked, "What will you do for drinks?" and we both decided on beer.

The food came. The miso ramen was very delicious. It was a little spicy, but the soup was sweet and that was good. My friend's gyoza also looked delicious. We did not need a rice refill.

After we finished eating, we asked for the check. It was 2,800 yen for two people. We split it separately. Mine was 1,500 yen and my friend's was 1,300 yen. We paid by card.

When we left the restaurant, we said, "Thank you for the meal." It was a very good restaurant. I want to go again.

Parsing Notes

A few constructions in this passage go slightly beyond what has been formally taught. They appear here for natural reading exposure. Brief explanations:

• きかれました — passive form of きく (to ask). You were "asked." Passive forms are formally taught in Stage 2, but the meaning is transparent from context.
• こたえました — past of こたえる (to answer), a 一段 verb.
• おいしそうでした — "looked delicious." The そう suffix (attached to the adjective stem おいし-) expresses appearance. This is also formally covered in Stage 2.
• たべおわってから — "after finishing eating." たべおわる is a compound verb (eat + finish). から after the て-form means "after."
• いきたいです — "want to go." The たい form (want to ~) attaches to the ます-stem of a verb: いき + たい. This is covered in a later chapter; here, simply recognize the meaning.

Reading Passage 2 — ラーメンやで ちゅうもん

Read the following passage. A customer orders at a ramen shop. All grammar and vocabulary come from this chapter and earlier chapters.

ひるごはんに ラーメンが たべたかったので、えきの そばの ラーメンやに はいりました。

ちいさい みせでした。カウンターに ろくにん すわれます。まず、にゅうぐちの よこに けんばいきが ありました。けんばいきで しょくけんを かいます。

メニューを みました。しょうゆラーメンは はっぴゃくえん、みそラーメンは きゅうひゃくえん、とんこつラーメンは きゅうひゃくえんでした。わたしは しょうゆラーメンに しました。それから、ぎょうざも たべたいので、ぎょうざの しょくけんも かいました。ぎょうざは さんびゃくごじゅうえんで、ごこいりです。

カウンターに すわって、しょくけんを だしました。「にんにく、いれますか」と きかれました。「はい、おねがいします」と こたえました。

ごふんぐらいで ラーメンが きました。まず、スープを のみました。あつくて とても おいしかったです。めんも ちょうどよかったです。ぎょうざも かりかりで おいしかったです。

ぜんぶ たべて、みせを でました。「ごちそうさまでした」と いいました。せんひゃくごじゅうえんで、こんなに おいしい ひるごはんが たべられます。いい みせです。

Translation

I wanted ramen for lunch, so I went into a ramen shop near the station.

It was a small shop. Six people can sit at the counter. First, next to the entrance there was a ticket machine. You buy meal tickets at the ticket machine.

I looked at the menu. Soy sauce ramen was 800 yen, miso ramen was 900 yen, and tonkotsu ramen was 900 yen. I decided on soy sauce ramen. I also wanted to eat gyoza, so I bought a gyoza ticket too. The gyoza was 350 yen for five pieces.

I sat at the counter and handed over my tickets. I was asked, "Do you want garlic?" I answered, "Yes, please."

The ramen came in about five minutes. First, I drank the soup. It was hot and very delicious. The noodles were just right. The gyoza were also crispy and delicious.

I ate everything and left the shop. I said, "Thank you for the meal." For 1,150 yen, you can eat such a delicious lunch. It is a good shop.

Notes

• けんばいき — a ticket vending machine, common at ramen shops. You buy a しょくけん (meal ticket) before sitting down.
• しょくけん — meal ticket/food ticket.
• にんにく — garlic. Many ramen shops ask if you want garlic added.
• かりかり — a mimetic word (onomatopoeia) meaning "crispy."
• こんなに — "this much" / "so." An intensifier meaning "to this degree."

Vocabulary

New words introduced in this chapter: