You Walked Thirty Minutes to That Restaurant in Japan. It Needed a Booking.
To say Do I need a reservation? in Japanese, say 予約は必要ですか (yoyaku wa hitsuyō desu ka).
The thing that ruins an evening in Japan is not the language. It is a place that quietly required a reservation.
Kanji in this phrase
- 予約
- よやく
- 必要
- ひつよう
Why this phrase
A role play at a restaurant door. Hana plays the staff member, Kōfuku plays the visitor who walks up and asks 「予約は必要ですか」 before committing the whole evening to the place. The exchange should cover both answers, yes you need one and no please come in, because the point is that asking in advance costs one sentence and saves the night. This is not booking a table and not announcing a booking you already hold, it is the question you ask first.
Up next
Survival
▶
You're Eight Minutes Late. In Japan That Is Not a Little Late.
okurete sumimasen · Sorry I'm late.
Survival
▶
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
▶
The Machine Just Ate Your Five Hundred Yen. Do Not Walk Away From It.
kowarete imasu · It's broken. It isn't working.
Beginner
▶
The Cash Machine in Japan Just Gave You a Note the Bus Will Refuse.
ichiman-en satsu demo ii desu ka? · Is a ten thousand yen note okay?
More phrases like this
- 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
- The Place Is Packed. Ask This Before You Stand in Line. · koko de matte mo ii desu ka?
Get the free phrasebook
15 essential phrases for your trip — romaji included, zero studying.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.