Japanese for Planning a Party: Deciding Courses Politely
Learn intermediate Japanese phrases to plan a party menu with others: suggest courses, ask preferences, and confirm decisions politely using 〜はどうですか, 〜にしましょう, and more.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you plan a party in Japanese, you are not just ordering for yourself—you are proposing, negotiating, and confirming choices that affect everyone. This lesson teaches you how to suggest a course, ask about preferences, and reach a group decision politely. You will learn set phrases like 〜はどうですか and 〜にしましょう, and how to use 〜てもいいですか to check if a suggestion is acceptable. The focus is on planning for others, so you will practice making suggestions that sound considerate rather than pushy.
By the end, you can…
- suggest a course or dish for a party using 〜はどうですか and 〜はいかがですか.
- ask others about their food preferences and restrictions politely.
- confirm a group decision using 〜にしましょう and 〜でお願いします.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
コースはどうですか。
How about a course menu?
Kōsu wa dō desu ka.
Use this to propose a set course rather than individual dishes. どうですか is casual-polite; for a more formal setting, use いかがですか.
飲み放題付きのコースはいかがですか。
How about a course with all-you-can-drink?
Nomihōdai-tsuki no kōsu wa ikaga desu ka.
いかがですか is a polite alternative to どうですか, suitable for less familiar guests or a work party.
アレルギーはありますか。
Do you have any allergies?
Arerugī wa arimasu ka.
Ask this before finalizing the menu. It shows you are thinking of everyone’s needs.
ベジタリアン用の料理もお願いできますか。
Could you also prepare vegetarian dishes?
Bejitarian-yō no ryōri mo onegai dekimasu ka.
Use も to mean “also.” This is a polite request to the restaurant or organizer.
では、そのコースにしましょう。
Then let’s go with that course.
Dewa, sono kōsu ni shimashō.
〜にしましょう expresses a decision made together. It is softer than 〜にします, which can sound like you are deciding alone.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To suggest a course, use Noun + はどうですか or はいかがですか. Example: 和食のコースはどうですか (How about a Japanese-style course?). To ask about a specific item, say 〜はありますか (Do you have 〜?). To confirm a group choice, use 〜にしましょう (Let’s decide on 〜). Example: 飲み放題付きにしましょう (Let’s go with the all-you-can-drink plan). For polite requests, use 〜をお願いできますか (Could you please do 〜?).
When to use it
Use どうですか with friends or close colleagues. Switch to いかがですか when speaking to a supervisor, a client, or someone you just met. When asking about allergies or preferences, phrase it as a question: アレルギーはありますか. If you need to accommodate a vegetarian, say ベジタリアンの方もいますので、野菜料理もお願いできますか (Since there are vegetarians, could you also prepare vegetable dishes?). Always confirm the final choice with 〜にしましょう to include everyone.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
忘年会のコース、何がいいかな。
What should we do for the year-end party course?Bōnenkai no kōsu, nani ga ii kana.和食のコースはどう？飲み放題付きもあるみたい。
How about a Japanese course? It seems they also have an all-you-can-drink option.Washoku no kōsu wa dō? Nomihōdai-tsuki mo aru mitai.いいね。でも、田中さんはベジタリアンだから、野菜料理もお願いできるか聞いてみるね。
Sounds good. But Tanaka is vegetarian, so I’ll ask if they can also prepare vegetable dishes.Ii ne. Demo, Tanaka-san wa bejitarian dakara, yasai ryōri mo onegai dekiru ka kiite miru ne.ありがとう。じゃあ、そのコースにしよう。
Thanks. Then let’s go with that course.Arigatō. Jā, sono kōsu ni shiyō.A little context goes a long way
In group planning, Japanese speakers often avoid direct commands like これを選んで (Choose this). Instead, they use suggestions and questions to reach consensus. 〜にしましょう is a collaborative way to decide, while 〜にします can sound like you are taking charge. When asking about dietary needs, do so privately if possible, as some people may feel uncomfortable discussing allergies in front of others.
One thing to watch for
Using 〜にします when deciding for the group, as in そのコースにします。
Try this instead: Use 〜にしましょう to include everyone: そのコースにしましょう。If you are the organizer and need to make a final call, you can say そのコースにしましょうか (Shall we go with that course?) to invite agreement.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you politely suggest a course with all-you-can-drink to a supervisor?
Show a sample answer
飲み放題付きのコースはいかがですか。
いかがですか is the polite form of どうですか, appropriate for a supervisor. 飲み放題付きのコース is the target item.
2Ask if there are any allergies among the group.
Show a sample answer
アレルギーはありますか。
This directly asks about allergies. You could also say アレルギーの方はいらっしゃいますか (Is there anyone with allergies?) for a more formal tone.
3Confirm the group decision to go with the Japanese course.
Show a sample answer
では、和食のコースにしましょう。
〜にしましょう expresses a joint decision. では marks the transition to the decision.
When planning a party in Japanese, suggest with 〜はどうですか or はいかがですか, ask about needs with 〜はありますか, and confirm with 〜にしましょう to keep everyone included.
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