Order at a café in Japanese
Learn to order a drink in Japanese, specify a size or option, and ask the price politely using 〜をください, 〜でお願いします, and いくらですか.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
This lesson teaches you a complete, polite café or restaurant exchange in Japanese: getting the staff's attention, ordering a drink, specifying a size or option, and asking the price. You will learn the core request pattern 〜をください (kudasai), the softer 〜でお願いします (de onegaishimasu), and the price question いくらですか (ikura desu ka). The phrases use standard polite forms (desu/masu style) that are safe with strangers and staff in most of Japan. Pay attention to the small counters and particles: を marks the item you want, で marks the choice or option, and は marks the topic when asking about price.
By the end, you can…
- order a drink politely using 〜をください.
- specify a size or option with 〜でお願いします.
- ask the price politely with いくらですか.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
すみません。
Excuse me.
su-mi-ma-sen
Use this to get a server's attention before ordering; it is polite and common in shops and cafés.
コーヒーをください。
Coffee, please.
kō-hī o ku-da-sai
The basic order pattern: item + を + ください. Use it for a simple drink order.
アイスでお願いします。
Iced, please. / I'd like it iced.
ai-su de o-ne-gai-shi-ma-su
Use 〜でお願いします to choose an option such as hot or iced. Slightly softer and more polite than ください.
Mサイズでお願いします。
Medium size, please.
emu-sai-zu de o-ne-gai-shi-ma-su
Use this to specify a size: S, M, or L. The size word comes before でお願いします.
いくらですか。
How much is it?
i-ku-ra de-su ka
A polite, direct way to ask a price. Add これは (kore wa) at the start if you want to point to a specific item.
これはいくらですか。
How much is this?
ko-re wa i-ku-ra de-su ka
Use これは when pointing at a menu item or a displayed item. は is pronounced 'wa' here.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is item + をください (o kudasai), meaning 'please give me ~'. For example, コーヒーをください (kōhī o kudasai) means 'Coffee, please.' To add a choice or size, use choice + でお願いします (de onegaishimasu): アイスでお願いします (aisu de onegaishimasu) means 'Iced, please,' and Mサイズでお願いします (emu-saizu de onegaishimasu) means 'Medium size, please.' You can combine them: コーヒーをアイスでお願いします (kōhī o aisu de onegaishimasu) means 'Coffee, iced, please.'
When to use it
Use 〜をください for a straightforward order and 〜でお願いします when you are choosing an option or confirming a preference. In a café, you might say ホットコーヒーをください (hotto kōhī o kudasai) for 'Hot coffee, please,' then add Mサイズでお願いします (emu-saizu de onegaishimasu) for 'Medium size, please.' Ask いくらですか (ikura desu ka) after the staff confirms your order, or これはいくらですか (kore wa ikura desu ka) while pointing at the menu. Keep your voice calm and add すみません (sumimasen) first if the staff is not nearby.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません。
Excuse me.su-mi-ma-senはい、いらっしゃいませ。ご注文は?
Yes, welcome. May I take your order?hai, i-ras-shai-ma-se. go-chū-mon wa?コーヒーをください。アイスでお願いします。
Coffee, please. Iced, please.kō-hī o ku-da-sai. ai-su de o-ne-gai-shi-ma-suかしこまりました。サイズは?
Certainly. What size?ka-shi-ko-ma-ri-ma-shi-ta. sai-zu wa?Mサイズでお願いします。いくらですか。
Medium size, please. How much is it?emu-sai-zu de o-ne-gai-shi-ma-su. i-ku-ra de-su kaMサイズは450円です。
Medium is 450 yen.emu-sai-zu wa yon-hyaku-go-jū en de-suA little context goes a long way
In many Japanese cafés and restaurants, staff greet you with いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) and may ask ご注文は? (go-chūmon wa?), meaning 'Your order?' A brief すみません (sumimasen) is a normal, polite way to call a server. Prices are usually stated with the counter 円 (en), and tax is often already included in the displayed price, though some menus note 税抜き (zeinuki, before tax).
One thing to watch for
Saying コーヒーがください (koohii ga kudasai) with が instead of を.
Try this instead: Use を with ください: コーヒーをください (kōhī o kudasai). The particle が marks the subject, not the object you are requesting. For options, use で: アイスでお願いします (aisu de onegaishimasu).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you order a hot coffee politely?
Show a sample answer
ホットコーヒーをください。
This uses item + をください, the standard polite request pattern. ホットコーヒーでお願いします is also acceptable and slightly softer.
2How do you say 'Large size, please'?
Show a sample answer
Lサイズでお願いします。
The size comes before でお願いします. If the shop uses ラージ (rāji), you may hear that instead of Lサイズ.
3How do you ask the price of a specific item politely?
Show a sample answer
これはいくらですか。
これは marks the item as the topic, and いくらですか asks the price. いくらですか alone also works if the item is already clear.
Order with 〜をください, add options or sizes with 〜でお願いします, and ask the price with いくらですか. Start with すみません to get polite attention.
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