Food in Japanese: Words and Ordering at a Restaurant
Basic Japanese food words: rice/food — ご飯 gohan, water — 水 mizu, tea — お茶 ocha, fish — 魚 sakana, meat — 肉 niku, vegetables — 野菜 yasai. In a restaurant, useful phrases include 'これをください' (kore o kudasai — this, please) and 'おいしい' (oishii — delicious). There are no tips in Japan. In Japanese Zen, phrases for cafes are in the Travel section.
In a Japanese cafe, food starts with a word. 'Itadakimasu' before eating is like a slight bow to the plate. Know a handful of food words, and the menu stops being a wall of characters, and the waiter warms up to your attempt.
Basic Food Words
| Food | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Rice / food | ご飯 | gohan |
| Water | 水 | mizu |
| Tea | お茶 | ocha |
| Fish | 魚 | sakana |
| Meat | 肉 | niku |
| Vegetables | 野菜 | yasai |
| Delicious | おいしい | oishii |
How to Order at a Restaurant
- Point to the menu and say 'kore o kudasai' (これをください) — 'this, please'.
- Ask for a recommendation: 'osusume wa?' (おすすめは?) — 'what do you recommend?'.
- Ask for the bill: 'o-kaikei onegai shimas' (お会計お願いします).
- No tips needed — they are not left in Japan.
How to Order If You Can't Read the Menu
Using これをください while pointing at the display or a photo works — the food replicas at the entrance are there for this purpose. It's useful to know おすすめは何ですか (what do you recommend) and アレルギーがあります (I have an allergy).
Words at the Table
- いただきます (itadakimasu) — said before eating, 'I gratefully receive'.
- ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita) — after eating, 'thank you for the meal'.
- 乾杯 (kanpai) — 'bottoms up!', a toast.
- お腹がすいた (onaka ga suita) — 'I'm hungry'.
What to Say Before and After Eating
Before starting — いただきます (itadakimasu), gratitude for the food, not 'bon appétit'. After — ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita). They are said even when alone, and when visiting, omitting them will be noticed.
FAQ
- How do you order food in Japanese?
- Point to the dish in the menu and say 'kore o kudasai' (これをください) — 'this, please'. To ask for a recommendation: 'osusume wa?' (おすすめは?).
- Do you need to leave tips in Japan?
- No. Tips do not exist in Japan, and attempting to leave them causes polite confusion. Good service is already included.
- What do you say before and after eating?
- Before eating — いただきます (itadakimasu), after — ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita). These are set phrases of gratitude for the meal.
- How do you say that I am vegetarian?
- ベジタリアンです (bejitarian desu) — 'I am a vegetarian'. It's useful to add 肉と魚は食べません (niku to sakana wa tabemasen) — 'I don't eat meat or fish'.
Updated: 2026-06-25