Japanese course

Lesson 88 of 240

New here? This is lesson 88 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.

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Getting a table in Japanese

Leo wants a booth at Kissa Hotaru this afternoon. The corner seats are already taken: Goro fills two of them, toast on the table, coffee untouched.

Masako does not take bookings. You will still ask for a table, give a party size, and ask how long the wait is.

Staff may ask you to wait a moment. You answer in polite Japanese, not shop honorifics.

By the end of this lesson

Ask for a table, a booking, and for the wait.

  • 予約(よやく)しています。I have a reservation.
  • 予約(よやく)したいです。I'd like to make a reservation.
  • ___名(めい)です。There are two of us.
  • どのくらい待(ま)ちますか。How long is the wait?
  • 席(せき)はありますか。Do you have a table?
  • 中村(なかむら)で予約(よやく)しました。I booked under Nakamura.

Scene — two seats taken

Saturday afternoon on a Yanaka lane. Leo opens the door of Kissa Hotaru and looks toward the booths. Masako wipes the wooden counter.

In the corner, Goro occupies two red seats. His blend coffee sits untouched beside his toast. The old black umbrella stays in the stand by the door.

Leo opens the kissa door and looks toward the booths as Masako wipes the counter and Goro occupies two seats.

Learn — a table and a booking

These six lines cover a booking you have, one you want, a party of two, and asking about a table or wait.

Keep them polite. Staff wait-lines are for listening only.

  1. Leo checks his phone at the entrance, carrying the expectation that a booth has been booked.

    予約(よやく)しています。

    I have a reservation.

    When to use it: Say this when you arrive after booking.

    ています here describes the state of already having a booking.

    Say it: The u in ます is almost silent.

  2. Leo leans toward Masako at the counter to ask about making a reservation.

    予約(よやく)したいです。

    I'd like to make a reservation.

    When to use it: Use this when you want to make a booking.

    たい expresses that you want to make a reservation.

  3. Leo indicates that his party has two people while Masako listens and Goro remains seated in the booth.

    ___名(めい)です。

    There are two of us.

    When to use it: Say this when staff ask and your group has two people.

    名 counts people at a restaurant; 二名 means a party of two.

  4. Leo asks Masako how long the wait will be while the occupied booth is visible behind him.

    どのくらい待(ま)ちますか。

    How long is the wait?

    When to use it: Ask this when a table is not free yet.

    どのくらい asks about an amount of time.

  5. Leo gestures toward an empty stretch of bench as he asks Masako whether there is a table.

    席(せき)はありますか。

    Do you have a table?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want a table now.

    は marks 席 as the thing you are asking about.

  6. Haruka checks her phone beside Kissa Hotaru before Leo arrives, expecting that a booth has been booked.

    中村(なかむら)で予約(よやく)しました。

    I booked under Nakamura.

    When to use it: Give the name you booked under at the door.

    で marks the name used for a booking here.

Story — the booth is full

Leo arrives hoping to get a booth. Haruka's message says she booked under Nakamura, but she only thought Kissa Hotaru took bookings.

Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.

  1. Before Leo arrives, Haruka messages him with her mistaken assumption that she has booked a booth.
  2. Haruka予約(よやく)しています。I have a reservation.
  3. Haruka中村(なかむら)で予約(よやく)しました。I booked under Nakamura.
  4. Leo reaches the kissa. Masako does not take bookings.
  5. Masakoいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
  6. Leo予約(よやく)したいです。I'd like to make a reservation.
  7. Masakoうちは予約(よやく)を受(う)けていません。We don't take reservations.
  8. Leo席(せき)はありますか。Do you have a table?
  9. Masako少々(しょうしょう)お待(ま)ちください。Please wait a moment.
  10. Masako何人(なんにん)ですか。How many people?
  11. Leo二(に)名(めい)です。There are two of us.
  12. Leoどのくらい待(ま)ちますか。How long is the wait?
  13. Masako五(ご)分(ふん)ぐらいです。About five minutes.

Practice — pick the right ask

Ten short tasks wait in this round. You will listen, match meanings, fill a gap, build a line, and choose a reply.

Each one is small, so you can move on quickly.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Japanese

    予約(よやく)しています。Drop the English here
    予約(よやく)したいです。Drop the English here
    どのくらい待(ま)ちますか。Drop the English here
    中村(なかむら)で予約(よやく)しました。Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Japanese, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You want to book a booth for another day, rather than sit down now.

  4. Pick the reply

    Masako says:

    少々(しょうしょう)お待(ま)ちください。

    Please wait a moment.

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    Do you have a table?

    席(せき)____ありますか。

  6. What does it mean?

    いらっしゃいませ。

  7. Build the line

    I booked under Nakamura.

    。

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    You booked under Nakamura. Fix the particle.

    中村(なかむら)____予約(よやく)しました。

  9. What do you say?

    Masako asks how many people are in your group. There are two of you; put 二 in the blank.

  10. True or false?

    This asks how many people are in the group.

Say it — your turn to speak

You are Leo at the kissa counter. When the cue is yours, say the polite line that fits the moment.

Tap play first if you want to hear the turns. Your speaking is recorded on this device, not scored.

  1. Masakoいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
  2. Leo (you)Ask if she has a table right now.

    席(せき)はありますか。

    Do you have a table?

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

JapaneseEnglish
予約(よやく)しています。I have a reservation.
予約(よやく)したいです。I'd like to make a reservation.
___名(めい)です。There are two of us.
どのくらい待(ま)ちますか。How long is the wait?
席(せき)はありますか。Do you have a table?
中村(なかむら)で予約(よやく)しました。I booked under Nakamura.
Next: lesson 89Questions at the café

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Keep these table lines in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.

A short Yak Cards round before lunch keeps the table ask ready.

Open Yak Cards