Japanese for Beginners: Ask 'What Do You Recommend?' Instead of Just Ordering
Learn beginner Japanese phrases to ask staff or friends for recommendations, such as Osusume wa nan desu ka, and understand how this differs from simply ordering.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you already know what you want, you order it. But when you do not know the menu, a shop, or a city, you need a different skill: asking for a recommendation. In Japanese, the key word is おすすめ osusume, meaning 'recommendation' or 'recommended item'. This lesson teaches beginner-friendly questions such as おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka and 何がおいしいですか Nani ga oishii desu ka. You will also learn how to ask a friend or a staff member naturally, and how to respond when someone recommends something to you.
By the end, you can…
- ask 'What do you recommend?' in Japanese using おすすめは何ですか。
- ask what is good or popular at a restaurant or shop.
- understand and respond to a recommendation with いいですね or じゃあ、それをください。
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
おすすめは何ですか。
What do you recommend?
o-su-su-me wa nan desu ka.
A polite, general question. Use it with staff at a restaurant, cafe, bookstore, or sightseeing desk. The final か ka makes it a polite question.
何がおいしいですか。
What is good (delicious) here?
na-ni ga o-i-shii desu ka.
Use mainly for food or drinks. 何 nani becomes 何 nan before が ga in this phrase. It asks what tastes good, not what is merely popular.
おすすめを教えてください。
Please tell me your recommendation.
o-su-su-me o o-shi-e-te ku-da-sai.
A polite request using the te-form plus ください kudasai. Good when you want the staff to explain, not just point.
人気がありますか。
Is it popular?
nin-ki ga a-ri-ma-su ka.
Use this about a specific item you are considering. 人気 ninki means popularity, so it asks whether many people choose it.
じゃあ、それをください。
Then I'll have that, please.
jaa, so-re o ku-da-sai.
Use after hearing a recommendation. それ sore means 'that one' when the item is clear from context.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka. Here おすすめ osusume is the topic marked by は wa, and 何ですか nan desu ka means 'is what?'. You can replace おすすめ with another noun: 名物は何ですか Meibutsu wa nan desu ka means 'What is the local specialty?'. For food, 何がおいしいですか Nani ga oishii desu ka uses が ga because you are asking which item, among options, is delicious. Keep the polite です desu ending with strangers and staff.
When to use it
Use おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka when you genuinely want advice and have no clear preference. At a restaurant, this invites the staff to suggest a dish. At a shop, it can mean 'What do you recommend?' about products. With a friend, you can say 何がいい Nani ga ii, meaning 'What's good?', but it is casual. If you already know what you want, do not use this question; order directly with これをください Kore o kudasai, 'This one, please'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、おすすめは何ですか。
Excuse me, what do you recommend?su-mi-ma-sen, o-su-su-me wa nan desu ka.そうですね。日替わりランチがおすすめです。
Let me see. The daily lunch special is recommended.sou desu ne. hi-ga-wa-ri ran-chi ga o-su-su-me desu.それは何が入っていますか。
What is in that?so-re wa na-ni ga hai-tte i-ma-su ka.焼き魚と野菜です。とても人気がありますよ。
Grilled fish and vegetables. It is very popular.ya-ki-za-ka-na to ya-sai desu. to-te-mo nin-ki ga a-ri-ma-su yo.A little context goes a long way
In Japan, staff often use keigo, polite honorific language, and may recommend today's special or a popular item rather than the most expensive one. A polite question with です desu and a soft tone is appropriate. With friends, casual forms like 何がいい Nani ga ii are fine, but with staff, keep おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka. If you do not understand the recommendation, ask どういう料理ですか Dou iu ryouri desu ka, 'What kind of dish is it?'
One thing to watch for
Using 何をおすすめしますか。 Nani o osusume shimasu ka to mean 'What do you recommend?'
Try this instead: This sounds as if you are asking what the other person recommends to someone else, and it is not the natural beginner question. Say おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka instead. If you want a polite request, say おすすめを教えてください Osusume o oshiete kudasai.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely ask a restaurant staff member, 'What do you recommend?'
Show a sample answer
おすすめは何ですか。
This uses おすすめ osusume as the topic and 何ですか nan desu ka as the polite question. おすすめは何ですか is correct and natural; おすすめは何? Osusume wa nani? is too casual for staff.
2You want to ask what food is good at a cafe. Which phrase fits better: 何がおいしいですか or おすすめは何ですか?
Show a sample answer
何がおいしいですか。
何がおいしいですか Nani ga oishii desu ka asks specifically what is delicious. おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka is also possible, but it asks for a recommendation more generally, not specifically about taste.
3A staff member recommends the daily lunch. How can you accept it politely?
Show a sample answer
じゃあ、それをください。
じゃあ、それをください Jaa, sore o kudasai means 'Then I'll have that, please.' It works after the recommendation is clear. You could also say いいですね Ii desu ne to show approval before ordering.
To seek advice rather than just order, ask おすすめは何ですか Osusume wa nan desu ka. Use 何がおいしいですか Nani ga oishii desu ka for food, and accept with じゃあ、それをください Jaa, sore o kudasai.
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