New here? This is lesson 179 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
The famous snack in Japanese
Leo and Haruka stop at a sweet stall on a Kyoto lane. She orders like someone who grew up here. He tries a fresh yatsuhashi and finds it tastier than he expected.
You will order the famous snack, ask for matcha, and say how it tastes.
Then you pick up one more box to take home. Keep the counter lines polite.
By the end of this lesson
Order a famous Kyoto sweet and say what it tastes like.
- 生八つ橋を二つください。Two fresh yatsuhashi, please.
- 抹茶はありますか。Do you have matcha?
- 少し甘いですね。It’s a little sweet, isn’t it.
- 中がもちもちしています。The inside is chewy.
- 思ったよりおいしいです。It’s tastier than I expected.
- お土産にもう一箱ください。One more box as a souvenir, please.
Scene — a Kyoto stall
An old Kyoto street sits quiet after the Kodama ride. A tea-shop curtain hangs with no writing. Haruka tucks her sketchbook under one arm and heads for a sweet stall.
Leo holds his bag and looks at the trays of fresh yatsuhashi behind the glass.
Learn — order the snack
These six lines order fresh yatsuhashi, ask for matcha, and talk about taste.
The last line buys one more box to take home.
生八つ橋を二つください。
Two fresh yatsuhashi, please.
When to use it: Say this at the counter to order two fresh pieces.
二つ is the counter for pieces when you order this sweet.
抹茶はありますか。
Do you have matcha?
When to use it: Use this to ask if a matcha flavor is in stock.
は marks matcha as the item you are asking about.
Say it: Hold the small っ in 抹茶; do not drop it.
少し甘いですね。
It’s a little sweet, isn’t it.
When to use it: Use this after a bite when it tastes a bit sweet.
ね checks that the other person feels the same.
中がもちもちしています。
The inside is chewy.
When to use it: Use this to describe a chewy filling after you bite.
が marks what you are describing, here the inside.
思ったよりおいしいです。
It’s tastier than I expected.
When to use it: Use this when a first bite beats what you imagined.
より after 思った means than you had thought.
Say it: Hold the small っ before た in 思った.
お土産にもう一箱ください。
One more box as a souvenir, please.
When to use it: Use this to buy an extra box to take home.
に marks the purpose, here a souvenir.
Story — sweeter than planned
Haruka orders at the stall. Leo tries a piece and then asks for another box.
Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.
- They stop under a blank curtain. The stall has no queue.
- Clerkいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
Haruka生八つ橋を二つください。Two fresh yatsuhashi, please.
Leo抹茶はありますか。Do you have matcha?- Clerkはい、ございます。少々お待ちください。Yes, we do. Please wait a moment.
- They sit on a stone bench with two fresh pieces.
- Leoありがとうございます。Thank you.
- Haruka甘いですか。Is it sweet?
- Leo少し甘いですね。It’s a little sweet, isn’t it.
- Haruka中、どう？How’s the inside?
- Leo中がもちもちしています。The inside is chewy.
- Leo思ったよりおいしいです。It’s tastier than I expected.
- Haruka子供のころ、いつも一時間並んだよ。When I was a kid, I always queued for an hour.
- Leo本当ですか。Really?
- Harukaうん、本当。Yeah, really.
- The stall is still empty. He steps back to the counter.
- Leoお土産にもう一箱ください。One more box as a souvenir, please.
- Clerkかしこまりました。Certainly.
Practice — pick the right order
Ten short tasks wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, and build an order.
Each one is small, so you move on quickly.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Japanese
少し甘いですね。Drop the English here中がもちもちしています。Drop the English here思ったよりおいしいです。Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
You stand at the stall counter. Ask for two fresh pieces.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
The inside is chewy.
中____もちもちしています。
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
いらっしゃいませ。
Pick the reply
Haruka says:
Pick the reply
甘いですか。
Is it sweet?
And you reply with:
Build the line
Build the line
One more box as a souvenir, please.
。
Tap the words in order.
Swap the word
Swap the word
You want to say the snack beats what you imagined. Fix the word.
思ったより____です。
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
What do you say?
What do you say?
The clerk hands you the tray. Thank her politely.
Say it — your turn to speak
You are Leo at that Kyoto sweet stall. When the cue is yours, tap the microphone and say the line.
Tap play first if you want to hear it. The recording stays on this device.
- Clerkいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
- Leo (you)Order two fresh pieces of the snack.
Order two fresh pieces of the snack.
生八つ橋を二つください。
Two fresh yatsuhashi, please.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 生八つ橋を二つください。 | Two fresh yatsuhashi, please. | |
| 抹茶はありますか。 | Do you have matcha? | |
| 少し甘いですね。 | It’s a little sweet, isn’t it. | |
| 中がもちもちしています。 | The inside is chewy. | |
| 思ったよりおいしいです。 | It’s tastier than I expected. | |
| お土産にもう一箱ください。 | One more box as a souvenir, please. |
Save your progress — it’s free
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these snack lines in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.
A short Yak Cards round before a food stall keeps the order ready.
Open Yak Cards