How to Ask If a Room Is Available in Japanese
Learn to ask 'Do you have any rooms available?' in Japanese and understand common yes/no replies, focusing on inquiry rather than booking.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you arrive at a hotel or ryokan without a reservation, the first thing you need is not to book a room but to find out whether one is free. In Japanese, this is done with a simple question pattern using 空いていますか (aite imasu ka), which literally asks whether something is 'open' or 'free.' This lesson teaches you how to ask if a room is available, how to understand the most common yes/no responses, and how to keep the exchange at the inquiry stage. You will not learn how to make a reservation here; instead, you will practice the exact language needed to check availability politely and clearly.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether any rooms are available in Japanese.
- understand simple yes/no answers about room availability.
- use polite Japanese to make an inquiry without booking.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
部屋は空いていますか。
Do you have any rooms available?
heya wa aite imasu ka
The most direct and common way to ask if a room is free. 部屋 (heya) means 'room'; 空いています (aite imasu) means 'is free/available.'
空いている部屋はありますか。
Are there any rooms available?
aite iru heya wa arimasu ka
This version focuses on the existence of an available room. It is slightly more explicit than 部屋は空いていますか.
はい、空いています。
Yes, we have one available.
hai, aite imasu
A typical positive response. It literally means 'Yes, it is free/available.'
いいえ、空いていません。
No, we do not have any available.
iie, aite imasen
A typical negative response. The polite negative form of 空いています is 空いていません.
今夜、部屋は空いていますか。
Do you have a room available for tonight?
kon'ya, heya wa aite imasu ka
Add a time word like 今夜 (kon'ya, 'tonight') to make the inquiry specific. You can replace it with 明日 (ashita, 'tomorrow') or 今週末 (konshūmatsu, 'this weekend').
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [thing] は 空いていますか。 For rooms, say 部屋は空いていますか。 You can also use 空いている部屋はありますか, which means 'Is there a room that is free?' The verb 空く (aku) means 'to become empty,' and its polite -te iru form 空いています describes a current state: 'is free/available.' The negative answer is 空いていません. Remember that Japanese does not use articles like 'a' or 'an,' so 部屋 can mean 'a room,' 'the room,' or 'rooms' depending on context.
When to use it
Use these questions when you are standing at a reception desk, calling a hotel, or asking at a tourist information counter. For example, at a hotel front desk you can say すみません、部屋は空いていますか。 (Sumimasen, heya wa aite imasu ka) to get attention first. If you want to ask about a specific night, add the time: 今夜、部屋は空いていますか。 This keeps the exchange as an inquiry. If the answer is はい、空いています, you can then decide whether to ask about booking. If the answer is いいえ、空いていません, you can politely say そうですか。ありがとうございます。 (Sō desu ka. Arigatō gozaimasu) and move on.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、部屋は空いていますか。
Excuse me, do you have any rooms available?sumimasen, heya wa aite imasu kaはい、空いています。
Yes, we have one available.hai, aite imasu今夜、部屋は空いていますか。
Do you have a room available for tonight?kon'ya, heya wa aite imasu kaいいえ、今夜は空いていません。
No, we do not have any available tonight.iie, kon'ya wa aite imasenA little context goes a long way
In Japanese service settings, a polite inquiry often starts with すみません (sumimasen) to get attention. A direct 部屋は空いていますか without it can sound abrupt. Also, a negative answer may be softened with 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen, 'I am very sorry'), but the core meaning remains 空いていません. Keep your tone calm and polite; there is no need to apologize for asking.
One thing to watch for
Using ありますか with 空いています, as in 部屋は空くありますか.
Try this instead: Use either 部屋は空いていますか or 空いている部屋はありますか. Do not mix the two patterns. 空く is a verb, so it takes 空いています; あります is for existence and goes with a noun like 空いている部屋.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Do you have any rooms available?' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
部屋は空いていますか。
This is the standard inquiry. 空いている部屋はありますか is also correct and slightly more explicit.
2What does いいえ、空いていません mean?
Show a sample answer
No, it is not available.
いいえ means 'no,' and 空いていません is the polite negative of 空いています. It means there are no rooms available.
3How would you ask specifically about tonight?
Show a sample answer
今夜、部屋は空いていますか。
Adding 今夜 (kon'ya, 'tonight') at the beginning makes the question specific. You can also say 今夜は部屋が空いていますか, which is equally natural.
To check room availability in Japanese, ask 部屋は空いていますか。 Listen for はい、空いています or いいえ、空いていません, and remember this is only an inquiry, not a booking.
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