Japanese phrases for booking a restaurant by phone
The exact Japanese you need to book a table: the opening line, numbers of people, times, and the words the restaurant will say back to you.
Updated · 7 min read
Booking a table in Japanese is a short, predictable conversation. The restaurant asks the same few questions in the same order, and if you know the words for dates, times and people, you can get through it. Here is everything you need, in the order you'll need it.
Want it written out for your exact booking? Our phrase builder fills in your date, time, party size and name.
Opening the call
Restaurants answer with the shop name, often followed by でございます (de gozaimasu). Let them finish, then:
もしもし、予約をお願いしたいのですが。
Moshi moshi, yoyaku o onegai shitai no desu ga.
Hello, I'd like to make a reservation.
英語は話せますか。
Eigo wa hanasemasu ka.
Do you speak English? (Worth one try. Expect a no.)
日本語が少ししか話せません。ゆっくりお願いします。
Nihongo ga sukoshi shika hanasemasen. Yukkuri onegai shimasu.
I only speak a little Japanese. Slowly, please.
Date, time and number of people
This is the core of the call. Say it as one sentence:
十月十日の十九時から、二名で空いていますか。
Jū-gatsu tōka no jūku-ji kara, ni-mei de aite imasu ka.
Do you have a table for two on 10 October from 7pm?
Numbers of people
Restaurants count guests with 名 (mei).
| People | Japanese | Say |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一人 | hitori |
| 2 | 二名 | ni-mei |
| 3 | 三名 | san-mei |
| 4 | 四名 | yon-mei |
| 5 | 五名 | go-mei |
| 6 | 六名 | roku-mei |
Times
Restaurants use the 24-hour clock on the phone, which avoids any confusion between morning and evening. Add 半 (han) for half past.
| Time | Japanese | Say |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | 十二時 | jūni-ji |
| 18:00 | 十八時 | jūhachi-ji |
| 18:30 | 十八時半 | jūhachi-ji han |
| 19:00 | 十九時 | jūku-ji |
| 20:00 | 二十時 | nijū-ji |
Dates
Months are simple: the number plus gatsu, so October is jū-gatsu. Days are the tricky part, because the first ten and a few others are irregular. Tsuitachi is the 1st, futsuka the 2nd, mikka the 3rd, yokka the 4th, tōka the 10th, jūyokka the 14th, hatsuka the 20th and nijūyokka the 24th. The rest are regular: jūgo-nichi for the 15th, nijūku-nichi for the 29th. The phrase builder does all of this for you.
What they will ask you
お名前をお願いします。
O-namae o onegai shimasu.
Your name, please.
お電話番号をお願いします。
O-denwa bangō o onegai shimasu.
Your phone number, please.
アレルギーはございますか。
Arerugī wa gozaimasu ka.
Do you have any allergies?
コースのみになりますが、よろしいですか。
Kōsu nomi ni narimasu ga, yoroshii desu ka.
It's course menu only. Is that all right?
If you don't have a Japanese number, say so. It's one of the main reasons restaurants hesitate with overseas bookings:
日本の電話番号がありません。旅行中です。
Nihon no denwa bangō ga arimasen. Ryokō-chū desu.
I don't have a Japanese phone number. I'm traveling.
What you might hear back
満席です。
Manseki desu.
We're fully booked.
少々お待ちください。
Shōshō o-machi kudasai.
One moment, please. They're checking the book, so stay on the line.
その日は定休日です。
Sono hi wa teikyūbi desu.
We're closed that day.
二十時でしたらご用意できます。
Nijū-ji deshitara go-yōi dekimasu.
We could do 8pm.
かしこまりました。
Kashikomarimashita.
Certainly. This usually means you're booked.
If your time is full, ask what they have:
何時なら空いていますか。
Nanji nara aite imasu ka.
What time is free?
では、それでお願いします。
Dewa, sore de onegai shimasu.
Then that one, please.
Special requests
カウンター席をお願いできますか。
Kauntā-seki o onegai dekimasu ka.
Could we sit at the counter?
甲殻類のアレルギーがあります。
Kōkakurui no arerugī ga arimasu.
I'm allergic to shellfish.
誕生日のお祝いです。
Tanjōbi no o-iwai desu.
It's a birthday celebration.
For serious allergies, confirm again when you arrive. A restaurant can't always adapt a set course, and it is better to know before you sit down.
Cancelling
予約をキャンセルしたいのですが。
Yoyaku o kyanseru shitai no desu ga.
I'd like to cancel my reservation.
Then give your name and the date. Do it as early as you can. Our guide to cancellation fees explains why it matters so much to small restaurants.
Ending the call
ありがとうございます。よろしくお願いします。
Arigatō gozaimasu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
Thank you, I look forward to it.
失礼します。
Shitsurei shimasu.
Goodbye. The polite way to end a call.
Not feeling it?
Reading a script is one thing. Understanding a fast reply over a noisy line is another, and it's where most calls go wrong. If you'd rather not risk it, Moshicall's AI makes the call in natural, polite Japanese and tells you in English how it went. Call at the right time with the call-time checker, or skip the call entirely.
Questions
How do you say 'I'd like to make a reservation' in Japanese?
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Yoyaku o onegai shitai no desu ga (予約をお願いしたいのですが). It is polite, it is what locals say, and the trailing 'ga' invites them to answer.
How do I say the number of people?
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Use mei for people when booking: nimei (二名) for two, sanmei (三名) for three, yonmei (四名) for four. For one person, hitori (一人) is the most natural.
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