Japanese for Cooking: Saying What You Need for a Simple Dish
Learn to list ingredients for a simple recipe in Japanese using the pattern 'First, I need ___' (Mazu, ___ ga irimasu), with counters, quantities, and natural cooking vocabulary.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you cook in Japanese, you often need to say what a recipe requires before you start. This is different from shopping: you are not asking where an item is or how much it costs, but stating the ingredients you need for a dish. The key pattern is Mazu, ___ ga irimasu, meaning 'First, I need ___'. In this lesson you will learn to name common ingredients, give simple quantities, and talk through the first steps of a basic dish such as a vegetable stir-fry or miso soup.
By the end, you can…
- say 'First, I need ___' for ingredients in a simple recipe
- name at least six common ingredients and give simple quantities
- ask and answer what a dish requires before cooking
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
まず、野菜がいります。
First, I need vegetables.
mazu, yasai ga irimasu
Use mazu at the start of a cooking explanation. Yasai is a general word for vegetables; irimasu means 'is needed'.
まず、玉ねぎが二ついります。
First, I need two onions.
mazu, tamanegi ga futatsu irimasu
Futatsu is the native Japanese counter for two general objects. Use hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu for one, two, three items.
まず、豆腐が一丁いります。
First, I need one block of tofu.
mazu, tōfu ga itchō irimasu
Tofu is counted with the counter chō. Itchō means one block. This is common in miso soup recipes.
まず、卵が三ついります。
First, I need three eggs.
mazu, tamago ga mittsu irimasu
Mittsu is the native counter for three items. Eggs can also be counted with ko, as in tamago sanko, but mittsu is natural in speech.
まず、だしが五百ミリリットルいります。
First, I need 500 milliliters of dashi.
mazu, dashi ga gohyaku miririttoru irimasu
For liquids, use milliliters or the counter hai for cups. Dashi is a basic Japanese soup stock.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is Mazu, [ingredient] ga irimasu. Mazu means 'first' and signals the beginning of a recipe. The particle ga marks the thing that is needed, and irimasu means 'is necessary' or 'is needed'. For example, Mazu, ninjin ga hitotsu irimasu means 'First, I need one carrot.' If you want to say 'I need' more personally, you can use ga hitsuyō desu, as in Mazu, ninjin ga hitsuyō desu. Both are correct; irimasu sounds slightly more like a recipe requirement, while hitsuyō desu is a general statement of need.
When to use it
Use this pattern when you are explaining a recipe step by step, not when you are shopping. In a store you might ask Ninjin wa doko ni arimasu ka, meaning 'Where are the carrots?' But in the kitchen you say Mazu, ninjin ga irimasu, meaning 'First, I need carrots.' You can also list several items: Mazu, ninjin to tamanegi ga irimasu. To means 'and' between nouns. If you are unsure, ask Kono ryōri ni wa nani ga irimasu ka, meaning 'What is needed for this dish?' The answer can be Mazu, yasai ga irimasu.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
今日は簡単な野菜炒めを作ります。まず、何がいりますか。
Today I will make a simple vegetable stir-fry. First, what do I need?kyō wa kantan na yasai itame o tsukurimasu. mazu, nani ga irimasu kaまず、キャベツと人参がいります。それから、油もいります。
First, I need cabbage and carrots. Then, I also need oil.mazu, kyabetsu to ninjin ga irimasu. sorekara, abura mo irimasuキャベツはどのくらいいますか。
How much cabbage do I need?kyabetsu wa dono kurai irimasu kaキャベツは四分の一、人参は一本でいいです。
A quarter cabbage and one carrot is fine.kyabetsu wa yonbun no ichi, ninjin wa ippon de ii desuA little context goes a long way
In Japanese cooking explanations, ingredients are often listed before the cooking steps, and quantities may be approximate. Using native counters like hitotsu, futatsu, and mittsu is natural for many items, while specific counters such as hon for long vegetables and mai for flat items are also common. When speaking with someone you do not know well, adding desu or masu keeps the tone polite. In casual conversation with friends, plain forms like iru instead of irimasu are fine, but in a recipe or class, irimasu is safer.
One thing to watch for
Saying Mazu, ninjin o irimasu with the particle o.
Try this instead: Use ga, not o, with irimasu. The correct sentence is Mazu, ninjin ga irimasu. The particle o marks a direct object of an action verb, but irimasu describes what is needed, so ga is the natural choice. If you use hitsuyō desu, ga is also used: Ninjin ga hitsuyō desu.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'First, I need two onions' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
まず、玉ねぎが二ついります。
Mazu starts the sentence, tamanegi is onion, futatsu is the native counter for two, and irimasu means 'is needed'. You could also say 玉ねぎが二つ必要です with the same meaning.
2What is the difference between saying Ninjin ga irimasu and Ninjin o kaimasu?
Show a sample answer
Ninjin ga irimasu means 'I need carrots,' while Ninjin o kaimasu means 'I buy carrots.'
The first uses ga with irimasu to express a need, often in cooking. The second uses o with kaimasu, an action verb meaning 'buy,' which fits shopping. Both are correct in their own contexts.
3Ask 'What do I need for this dish?' in Japanese.
Show a sample answer
この料理には何がいりますか。
Kono ryōri ni wa means 'for this dish,' nani ga irimasu ka means 'what is needed?' The particle ni wa marks the purpose or target. You can also say この料理に何が必要ですか with hitsuyō desu.
Use Mazu, ___ ga irimasu to state the first ingredient you need for a recipe, and remember that ga, not o, goes with irimasu.
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