Ordering a Table for Two

The Initial Restaurant Interaction

When you enter a restaurant in Japan, you'll almost always be greeted with a loud, welcoming いらっしゃいませ！(Irasshaimase!), which means "Welcome!" or "Please come in!". You don't need to say anything back, but a smile and a nod are always good.

After the greeting, a staff member will approach you. They will typically ask one key question to get you seated. Think of this as the initial "handshake" in a communication protocol, establishing the basic parameters for your visit.

To learn this common interaction, please read the first part of the following article.

As you just read, the key question is:

何名様ですか？ (Nan mei sama desu ka?) - "How many people are in your group?"

• 何 (nan) means "how many".
• 名様 (mei sama) is a very polite way to count people.
• ですか (desu ka) makes it a question.

Now, let's learn how to answer it.

Stating the Number of People in Your Party

Answering this question is straightforward, but Japanese has a special counting system for people. The words for one and two people are unique, while numbers from three upwards follow a more regular pattern. This is a common feature in Japanese counting systems, which often change depending on what is being counted.

For your trip, you'll mainly need to know the numbers for small groups.

Here are the essential counters you need to memorize:

• 1 person: ひとり (hitori)
• 2 people: ふたり (futari)
• 3 people: さんにん (san-nin)
• 4 people: よにん (yo-nin)

Notice the special forms for one (hitori) and two (futari). From three onwards, you generally use the standard number followed by にん (nin). The counter for four, yo-nin, uses a slightly different reading of the number four (yon instead of shi).

The following infographic is a great visual summary for counting people.

Forming Your Response

To answer the staff's question, you simply state the counter for your group size, followed by です (desu).

Let's look at some examples:

• For one person: ひとりです。 (Hitori desu.)
• For two people: ふたりです。 (Futari desu.)
• For three people: さんにんです。 (San-nin desu.)

To see this pattern explained, please read this short section from another helpful guide.

A Sample Dialogue

Let's put it all together into a short, practical script. Imagine you and a friend are entering a ramen shop.

1. You walk in.
   • Staff: いらっしゃいませ！ (Irasshaimase!)
2. The staff approaches you.
   • Staff: 何名様ですか？ (Nan mei sama desu ka?)
3. You answer for your group of two.
   • You: ふたりです。 (Futari desu.)
4. The staff leads you to your table.
   • Staff: お席へご案内いたします。 (O-seki e go-annai itashimasu.) - "I will show you to your seat."

Memorizing this simple exchange—Nan mei sama desu ka? and your response [Number] desu—will make your first interaction at any Japanese restaurant smooth and successful.

Bonus: Smoking or Non-Smoking?

As the resources mentioned, many restaurants in Japan still have separate smoking and non-smoking sections. After you state your party size, you might be asked which you prefer.

• 禁煙席 (kin'en seki) - Non-smoking seat
• 喫煙席 (kitsuen seki) - Smoking seat

You can proactively request a non-smoking table using a phrase pattern we've seen before: ...をお願いします (...o onegaishimasu).

禁煙席をお願いします。 (Kin'en seki o onegaishimasu.) - "A non-smoking seat, please."

This is a great, practical use of a phrase you already know.

Conclusion

Great job! You've just learned a fundamental part of dining etiquette in Japan. This single skill will make entering restaurants much less intimidating.

Key Takeaways:

• When you enter a restaurant, you'll hear いらっしゃいませ (Irasshaimase).
• The staff will ask 何名様ですか？ (Nan mei sama desu ka?) for your party size.
• The counters for people are irregular for one (ひとり - hitori) and two (ふたり - futari).
• To answer, simply say your group size followed by です (desu). For example: ふたりです (Futari desu).

Preview of the next lesson:
You've successfully gotten a table. What's next? Ordering! In our next lesson, we will learn how to apply the ... をください (...o kudasai) pattern to order food and drinks directly from a menu.