The Place Is Packed. Ask This Before You Stand in Line.
To say may i wait here? in Japanese, say ここで待ってもいいですか？ (koko de matte mo ii desu ka?).
The place is packed. You're not sure if you should stand here. Ask this first.
ここで待ってもいいですか？
koko de matte mo ii desu ka?
may i wait here?
In this video
- ここで待ってもいいですか？ koko de matte mo ii desu ka? May I wait here?
- すみません、ここで待ってもいいですか？ sumimasen, koko de matte mo ii desu ka? Excuse me, may I wait here?
Why this phrase
The polite wait-anywhere question. Common outside small ramen shops, kissaten, or anywhere with a queue. Locals ask 「ここで待ってもいいですか？」 to confirm before standing in line. Tourists who don't ask sometimes get waved off awkwardly, or stand in the wrong spot.
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You Walked Thirty Minutes to That Restaurant in Japan. It Needed a Booking.
yoyaku wa hitsuyō desu ka · Do I need a reservation?
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You're Eight Minutes Late. In Japan That Is Not a Little Late.
okurete sumimasen · Sorry I'm late.
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The Cashier Scanned Everything, Then Pointed Behind You and Walked Off. You Haven't Paid Yet.
achira de onegai shimasu · Please pay over there.
Beginner
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The Machine Just Ate Your Five Hundred Yen. Do Not Walk Away From It.
kowarete imasu · It's broken. It isn't working.
More phrases like this
- The Cash Machine in Japan Just Gave You a Note the Bus Will Refuse. · ichiman-en satsu demo ii desu ka?
- You Wave. You Cough. Nobody Comes. There Is a Button Right Next to Your Hand. · yobidashi botan
- You Land at Nine. Check In Is at Three. Here Is the Sentence, and the Answer You Will Actually Get. · hayame ni chekku-in dekimasu ka
- A Hand Reaches for Your Plate in Japan. You Are Not Finished. · mada tabete imasu
- Twenty Five Thousand Steps a Day in Thirty Six Degrees. Your Feet Give Out Before Your Japanese Does. · bansoukou
- Couldn't Finish Your Ramen in Japan? Ask This Before You Box It Up. · mochikaeri dekimasu ka?
- Sharing a Konbini Meal in Japan? Don't Forget This One Request. · o-hashi o ni-zen kudasai
- Two Food Stalls, One Crowd, No Line in Sight. Ask This. · doko ni narabimasu ka?
- Getting in a Tokyo Taxi? Say Where You're Going in Three Words · ~ made onegai shimasu
- Walking Into a Japanese Restaurant? The First Thing They Ask You · futari desu
- The Easy Way to Ask for an English Menu · eigo no menyuu o onegai shimasu
- You're Not Ready to Buy. Three Words Get You Out Gracefully. · mata kimasu
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