Japanese restaurant booking phrase builder

Enter your date, time and party size. Get the exact Japanese to say on the phone, with romaji and English, plus a card to show at the door.

DateTimeGuestsName for the booking

Your call, line by line

You
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.
They
はい、いつがよろしいですか。
Hai, itsu ga yoroshii desu ka.
Certainly, for when?
You
十月五日（月曜日）の十九時から、二名で空いていますか。
Jū-gatsu itsuka (getsu-yōbi) no jūku-ji kara, ni-mei de aite imasu ka.
Do you have a table on Monday 5 October at 19:00, for 2 people?
They
お名前をお願いします。
O-namae o onegai shimasu.
May I have your name?
You
Smithです。
Smith desu.
It's Smith. Spell it slowly if they ask again.
They
お電話番号をお願いします。
O-denwa bangō o onegai shimasu.
Your phone number, please.
You
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 number. I'm traveling.
You
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 very much.

What they might say, and your answer

They
満席です。
Manseki desu.
We're fully booked.
They
少々お待ちください。
Shōshō o-machi kudasai.
One moment, please. Stay on the line.
They
その時間は空いていません。
Sono jikan wa aite imasen.
That time isn't available.
You
何時なら空いていますか。
Nanji nara aite imasu ka.
What time is available?
They
コースのみになります。
Kōsu nomi ni narimasu.
It's set course only.
They
キャンセル料がかかります。
Kyanseru-ryō ga kakarimasu.
There is a cancellation fee.
They
かしこまりました。
Kashikomarimashita.
Understood. You're booked.

Show this at the door

予約しております、Smithです。十月五日（月曜日）十九時から二名

Rather not make the call yourself? Our AI says all of this for you, in natural Japanese.

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How to use this script

Call in a quiet window. Our call-time checker shows when that is in your time zone. Keep the lines in front of you and read them at a calm pace. Restaurants in Japan answer with the shop name, so wait for them to finish before you start.

The romaji is written the way it sounds. A line over a vowel (ō, ū) means you hold that vowel a little longer. Getting it slightly wrong is fine. The numbers matter most, so say the date, time and number of people clearly, and repeat them if asked.

The words that decide the call

満席 (manseki) means full, and the call is over. 少々お待ちください means hold on, they are checking the book. かしこまりました means you are booked. Our full phrase guide covers allergies, counter seats, course menus and cancelling.

Questions

Why does the script use the 24-hour clock?

Restaurants confirm bookings in 24-hour time on the phone, so jūku-ji (19:00) can't be confused with 7 in the morning. Saying shichi-ji (7 o'clock) often gets you a follow-up question.

How do I say my name so they can write it down?

Say it slowly, family name first if it is short. They will write it in katakana. If it is long, a short version is fine. They only need something to match you with at the door.

What if they talk too fast?

Say 'Mō ichido, yukkuri onegai shimasu' (once more, slowly please). If it still isn't working, thank them and try a booking service instead. Don't let them guess at your details.