How to Ask for a Haircut in Japanese at a Salon
Learn elementary Japanese for the hair salon: ask for a haircut, say how much to cut, and handle appointment questions politely with お願いします and 〜たいです.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn how to ask for a haircut in Japanese and understand basic appointment questions at a salon. The key sentence is カットをお願いします (katto o onegai shimasu), which means 'A haircut, please.' You will also learn how to say you have an appointment, ask whether a time is available, and explain how short you want your hair. Japanese salons often ask ご予約はありますか (goyoyaku wa arimasu ka), so recognizing this question helps your visit go smoothly.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a haircut politely using カットをお願いします。
- say I have an appointment or ask if a time is available.
- explain how much hair I want cut using 〜センチ and 〜ください。
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
カットをお願いします。
A haircut, please.
katto o onegai shimasu
The standard polite request at a salon. Use it after a greeting or when you sit down.
予約があります。
I have an appointment.
yoyaku ga arimasu
Say this when the staff asks ご予約はありますか. Add your name with 〜です if needed.
三時に予約したいです。
I'd like to make an appointment for three o'clock.
sanji ni yoyaku shitai desu
Use 〜時に予約したいです to request a specific time. 〜たいです expresses 'I'd like to'.
今日は空いていますか。
Are you free today?
kyō wa aite imasu ka
Useful for walk-ins. 空いています means 'is free/available' for a time slot.
五センチくらい切ってください。
Please cut about five centimeters.
go-senchi kurai kitte kudasai
Use 〜センチくらい for an approximate length. 切ってください means 'please cut'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 〜をお願いします (〜 o onegai shimasu) means 'Please do 〜' or '〜, please.' It is polite and common in service situations. For example, カットをお願いします (katto o onegai shimasu) means 'A haircut, please.' You can replace カット with シャンプー (shanpū, shampoo) or ブロー (burō, blow-dry). To make an appointment request, use 〜たいです (〜tai desu), as in 三時に予約したいです (sanji ni yoyaku shitai desu), 'I'd like to make an appointment for three o'clock.'
When to use it
Use カットをお願いします when you are ready to start the service. If the staff asks ご予約はありますか (goyoyaku wa arimasu ka), answer はい、予約があります (hai, yoyaku ga arimasu) if you booked, or いいえ、今日は空いていますか (iie, kyō wa aite imasu ka) if you did not. When explaining the cut, say 五センチくらい切ってください (go-senchi kurai kitte kudasai) for 'Please cut about five centimeters.' Use 短くしてください (mijikaku shite kudasai) for 'Please make it short.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
いらっしゃいませ。ご予約はありますか。
Welcome. Do you have an appointment?irasshaimase. goyoyaku wa arimasu kaはい、予約があります。三時に予約しました。
Yes, I have an appointment. I made a reservation for three o'clock.hai, yoyaku ga arimasu. sanji ni yoyaku shimashitaかしこまりました。今日はどのようにしますか。
Certainly. How would you like it today?kashikomarimashita. kyō wa dono yō ni shimasu kaカットをお願いします。五センチくらい切ってください。
A haircut, please. Please cut about five centimeters.katto o onegai shimasu. go-senchi kurai kitte kudasaiA little context goes a long way
In Japanese salons, staff often use polite forms such as いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase, welcome) and かしこまりました (kashikomarimashita, certainly). Responding with お願いします (onegai shimasu) is natural and polite. Many salons require reservations, so 予約 (yoyaku) is a key word. If you are unsure, ask 今日は空いていますか (kyō wa aite imasu ka).
One thing to watch for
Saying カットをください (katto o kudasai) for 'A haircut, please.'
Try this instead: Use カットをお願いします (katto o onegai shimasu). 〜をください is used for goods, like 水をください (mizu o kudasai, 'Water, please'), not for services. For a service request, お願いします is the natural polite choice.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'A haircut, please' politely in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
カットをお願いします。
カットをお願いします (katto o onegai shimasu) is the standard polite request for a haircut. カットをください is understandable but less natural for a service.
2The staff asks ご予約はありますか。 You have a 3 p.m. appointment. What can you say?
Show a sample answer
はい、三時に予約があります。
はい、三時に予約があります (hai, sanji ni yoyaku ga arimasu) answers yes and gives the time. はい、予約があります is also correct if you do not need to state the time.
3How do you ask 'Please cut about five centimeters'?
Show a sample answer
五センチくらい切ってください。
五センチくらい切ってください (go-senchi kurai kitte kudasai) uses 〜センチくらい for approximate length and 切ってください for 'please cut.' You can replace 五 with another number.
Remember カットをお願いします for 'A haircut, please,' and use 予約 (yoyaku) to handle appointment questions politely.
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