How to Respond to a Japanese Restaurant Greeting: いらっしゃいませ and 何名様ですか
Learn natural Japanese replies to いらっしゃいませ and 何名様ですか, including 一名です, 二名です, 予約があります, and how to ask for a table politely.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you walk into a Japanese restaurant, staff often greet you with いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), a welcoming expression, and then ask 何名様ですか (nan-mei-sama desu ka), meaning “How many people?” The most natural response is to state the number of people with the counter 名 (mei): 一名です (ichi-mei desu), 二名です (ni-mei desu), and so on. If you have a reservation, say 予約があります (yoyaku ga arimasu). This lesson gives you reusable patterns for those first moments, so you can answer smoothly without freezing at the door.
By the end, you can…
- respond politely to いらっしゃいませ without treating it as a question.
- answer 何名様ですか with the correct number and 名 counter.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
一名です。
One person.
ichi-mei desu
Use when you are alone. 名 is a polite counter for people; です makes the reply complete and courteous.
二名です。
Two people.
ni-mei desu
Use for a party of two. For larger groups, replace 二 with 三 (san), 四 (yon), and so on.
予約があります。
I have a reservation.
yoyaku ga arimasu
Say this after the greeting if you booked a table. You can add the name on the reservation: 山田の予約があります (Yamada no yoyaku ga arimasu).
三名でお願いします。
Three people, please.
san-mei de onegai shimasu
A polite way to state your party size and make the request. で marks the number as the condition, and お願いします softens it.
すみません、空いていますか。
Excuse me, is a table available?
sumimasen, aite imasu ka
Use this if no one has asked you yet or if you need to check availability. 空いていますか asks whether something is free or available; with 席 (seki, seat/table) understood from context, it is a neutral, polite question.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The key pattern is [number] + 名 + です. 名 (mei) is a polite counter for people, common in restaurants and service situations. For one person, say 一名です (ichi-mei desu). For two, 二名です (ni-mei desu). For three, 三名です (san-mei desu). You can also use でお願いします to make it a polite request: 二名でお願いします (ni-mei de onegai shimasu). If you have a reservation, use 予約があります (yoyaku ga arimasu) or 予約しています (yoyaku shite imasu). These patterns are reusable in many restaurants, though staff may also ask ご予約はありますか (go-yoyaku wa arimasu ka). Note that 名 is used for counting people in this polite service context; the everyday counter 人 (ri/nin) appears in 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari), which are fine in casual settings but less formal here.
When to use it
いらっしゃいませ is a greeting, not a question. A small nod or a quiet こんにちは (konnichiwa) is enough; you do not need to answer it with a number. When staff ask 何名様ですか, answer directly with the number pattern. If you are alone, 一名です is clear and polite. If you are with others, 二名です or 三名です works. If you have a reservation, say 予約があります before giving the number, because staff may check the name first. If you need to ask for a table, すみません、空いていますか is a natural opening. Avoid saying 一人です (hitori desu) in a formal restaurant if you want to match the staff’s polite register; it is not wrong, but 一名です fits the situation better.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。
Welcome. How many people?irasshaimase. nan-mei-sama desu ka二名です。予約があります。
Two people. I have a reservation.ni-mei desu. yoyaku ga arimasuお名前をお願いします。
May I have your name?o-namae o onegai shimasu山田です。
I’m Yamada.Yamada desuA little context goes a long way
In many Japanese restaurants, いらっしゃいませ is a set greeting rather than a personal question. A brief nod or a quiet こんにちは is usually enough. When you answer 何名様ですか, using 名 (mei) matches the polite tone of staff. If you have a reservation, saying 予約があります first helps staff find your booking. Tipping is not customary in most Japanese restaurants, and service charges vary by establishment, so it is best to check your bill or ask staff if you are unsure.
One thing to watch for
Responding to いらっしゃいませ with 一名です, as if the greeting were asking for your party size.
Try this instead: いらっしゃいませ is a welcome greeting, not a question. Wait for 何名様ですか, then answer 一名です or 二名です. If you want to acknowledge the greeting, a nod or こんにちは is enough.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Staff says 何名様ですか. You are alone. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
一名です。
一名です (ichi-mei desu) uses the polite counter 名 and です. 一人です (hitori desu) is also understandable, but 一名です matches the staff’s polite register better.
2You have a reservation under the name Sato. Staff asks 何名様ですか. Give a natural reply that includes your reservation.
Show a sample answer
二名です。佐藤の予約があります。
This answers the number question first and then mentions the reservation. You could also say 予約があります。佐藤です。 The order can vary, but stating the party size clearly is helpful.
3You enter a restaurant and no one has asked you yet. How do you politely ask if a table is available?
Show a sample answer
すみません、空いていますか。
すみません gets attention, and 空いていますか asks whether a table is free. 席は空いていますか (seki wa aite imasu ka) is another natural option.
At the entrance, treat いらっしゃいませ as a greeting, then answer 何名様ですか with [number] + 名 + です. Add 予約があります if you booked, and use すみません、空いていますか if you need to ask for a table.
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