Japanese for Asking About Today's Special at a Restaurant
Learn to ask 'What is today's special?' in Japanese, understand the server's description, and respond naturally when ordering at a restaurant or cafe.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you eat out in Japan, many restaurants display a daily special or lunch set that is not on the regular menu. Asking about it shows interest and often gets you a better value meal. In this lesson you will learn the key question 今日のおすすめは何ですか (kyou no osusume wa nan desu ka), how to understand a short description of the dish, and how to confirm or order it. The focus is on daily offers, not general menu recommendations, so you can handle the moment when a server says 'today we have...'.
By the end, you can…
- ask what today's special or recommendation is.
- understand a short description of a daily dish, including main ingredients and price.
- confirm the dish and order it politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
今日のおすすめは何ですか。
What is today's special?
kyō no osusume wa nan desu ka
Polite and natural. Use at a restaurant or cafe when you want the daily recommendation. おすすめ means recommendation, and 今日の makes it today's.
日替わり定食はありますか。
Do you have a daily set meal?
higawari teishoku wa arimasu ka
日替わり means daily change, and 定食 is a set meal. Very common at casual restaurants and izakaya at lunch.
それは何が入っていますか。
What is in it?
sore wa nani ga haitte imasu ka
Use when you want to know the ingredients. 入っています means is contained or includes.
おすすめをお願いします。
I'll have the recommendation, please.
osusume o onegaishimasu
A polite way to order the special without repeating its name. お願いします is the standard polite request.
今日は魚ですか、肉ですか。
Is it fish or meat today?
kyō wa sakana desu ka, niku desu ka
A useful either-or question. The pattern X ですか、Y ですか asks which of two options.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 今日の + noun + は何ですか. For example, 今日のランチは何ですか (kyō no ranchi wa nan desu ka) means 'What is today's lunch?' You can replace ランチ with おすすめ (recommendation), 定食 (set meal), or スープ (soup). To ask if something exists, use はありますか, as in 日替わりはありますか (higawari wa arimasu ka), 'Is there a daily special?' These two patterns cover most daily-offer questions.
When to use it
Use 今日のおすすめは何ですか when you sit down and the server has not yet explained the special. If the server says 今日のおすすめは魚です (kyō no osusume wa sakana desu), 'Today's recommendation is fish,' you can respond with そうですか (sō desu ka), 'I see,' then ask 何が入っていますか (nani ga haitte imasu ka), 'What is in it?' To order, say おすすめをお願いします (osusume o onegaishimasu). This keeps the exchange short and polite.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、今日のおすすめは何ですか。
Excuse me, what is today's special?sumimasen, kyō no osusume wa nan desu ka今日は日替わり定食です。魚と野菜です。
Today it is the daily set meal. It is fish and vegetables.kyō wa higawari teishoku desu. sakana to yasai desuそうですか。それは何が入っていますか。
I see. What is in it?sō desu ka. sore wa nani ga haitte imasu ka焼き魚とご飯と味噌汁です。八百円です。
Grilled fish, rice, and miso soup. It is 800 yen.yakizakana to gohan to misoshiru desu. happyaku en desuA little context goes a long way
In Japan, おすすめ often means the dish the restaurant wants to sell today, not just a personal favorite. At lunch, 日替わり定食 is usually a fixed set with rice, soup, and a main dish, and it is often cheaper than ordering separately. If you have allergies or cannot eat something, say 〜は食べられません (taberaremasen), 'I cannot eat ~', before ordering. This is polite and clear.
One thing to watch for
Using 今日のスペシャルは何ですか (kyō no supesharu wa nan desu ka) because English 'special' looks like a direct loanword.
Try this instead: スペシャル is understood in some modern cafes, but the natural everyday word is おすすめ. Say 今日のおすすめは何ですか (kyō no osusume wa nan desu ka). If you want the daily set meal, say 日替わり定食はありますか (higawari teishoku wa arimasu ka).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'What is today's special?' politely in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
今日のおすすめは何ですか。 (kyō no osusume wa nan desu ka)
This uses 今日の (today's) + おすすめ (recommendation) + は何ですか (what is it?). 今日のスペシャルは何ですか is sometimes understood, but おすすめ is the natural choice.
2The server says 今日は魚です (kyō wa sakana desu). What does this mean?
Show a sample answer
Today it is fish.
今日は means 'today' and 魚です means 'is fish'. The server is describing today's special. If you want more detail, ask 何が入っていますか (nani ga haitte imasu ka).
3How do you order the recommendation politely?
Show a sample answer
おすすめをお願いします。 (osusume o onegaishimasu)
おすすめをお願いします is a polite order. You can also say 日替わり定食をお願いします (higawari teishoku o onegaishimasu) if you want the daily set meal.
Ask 今日のおすすめは何ですか to find the daily special, listen for the main ingredient and price, then order with おすすめをお願いします. Keep it short and polite.
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