In this workshop you will practice a short restaurant entrance exchange in Japanese. You will hear a staff greeting and a customer reply, then practice giving your own party size and answering a name question. The recordings give you clear models for each line, so you can listen, repeat, and then choose the right reply in a guided exchange. You will also practice recalling which role says which line. This is active speaking practice, not a grammar lecture. Keep your voice calm and clear, and focus on one line at a time.
Greeting and Party Size
A restaurant staff member often begins with a greeting and a question about how many people are in your group. The recorded line «いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。» means the staff member welcomes you and asks how many people. A customer can answer with a simple number of people. The recorded line «一名です。» means one person, and «二名です。» means two people. If you are a customer entering with a group, you can use a polite request form. The recorded line «三名でお願いします。» means three people, please. Notice that the customer does not need to repeat the welcome. The customer gives the number and may add a polite ending. Practice saying the number clearly, then add the polite request if you are the customer. When you hear the staff question, your job is to choose the correct party size line and say it smoothly.
Reservation and Name
If you have a reservation, you can say so after the greeting. The recorded line «予約があります。» means I have a reservation. A customer can combine a party size with a reservation. The recorded line «二名です。予約があります。» means two people, and I have a reservation. After that, the staff member may ask for your name. The recorded line «お名前をお願いします。» means may I have your name. The customer can answer with a family name. The recorded line «山田です。» means I am Yamada. In this practice, you can use the recorded name as a model, but you can also use your own name in the same pattern. The important speaking skill is to answer the name question without switching to English. Listen to the staff line, then give a short name answer.
Roles and Direction of the Exchange
In this scene, the staff member speaks first. The staff line «いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。» is a welcome and a question about party size. The customer replies with a number or a reservation. The customer line «二名です。予約があります。» combines two people and a reservation. Then the staff member asks for a name with «お名前をお願いします。». The customer answers with a name using «山田です。». When you practice, decide which role you are playing. If you are the customer, you respond to the staff questions. If you are the staff member, you say the welcome and the name question. Do not mix the roles in one turn. The recordings give you the exact lines, so you can play both roles by repeating after the audio. This helps you hear the difference between a question from staff and an answer from a customer.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
一名です。
One person.
ichi-mei desu
二名です。
Two people.
ni-mei desu
予約があります。
I have a reservation.
yoyaku ga arimasu
三名でお願いします。
Three people, please.
san-mei de onegai shimasu
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。
Welcome. How many people?二名です。予約があります。
Two people. I have a reservation.お名前をお願いします。
May I have your name?山田です。
I’m Yamada.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Enter and Give Party Size
You are a customer entering a restaurant. The staff member greets you and asks how many people. Use the recorded staff line as your prompt, then answer with a party size line.
Your task: Listen to «いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。». Then say a customer reply using «一名です。» for one person or «二名です。» for two people. If you want to practice a larger group, use «三名でお願いします。» for three people, please. Repeat the exchange three times, changing the number each time.
Reply Comprehension: Reservation or Name
You will hear a customer line and a staff line. Decide which line is a reservation statement and which line asks for a name.
Your task: Listen to «予約があります。» and «お名前をお願いします。». Which one means I have a reservation? Which one means May I have your name? Say your answer aloud, then repeat each line once. Next, listen to «二名です。予約があります。» and «山田です。». Which one includes a party size and a reservation? Which one gives a name?
Recall and Role Switch: Staff and Customer
Now you will recall the whole exchange without reading the lines first. Imagine a small restaurant entrance scene with a staff member and a customer.
Your task: Say the staff welcome and party size question from memory using «いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。». Then answer as the customer with «二名です。予約があります。». After that, ask the name question as staff using «お名前をお願いします。», and answer as the customer with «山田です。». Do the full exchange once as staff and once as customer.
Common questions
Can I use my own name instead of the recorded name?
Yes. The recorded line «山田です。» gives a model name, but you can use your own family name in the same short pattern. Keep the answer brief and clear. The goal is to answer the staff name question without switching to English.
What if I do not have a reservation?
You can still practice the party size lines. Use «一名です。», «二名です。», or «三名でお願いします。» to give the number of people. The reservation line «予約があります。» is only for when you have a reservation. In this workshop, you can choose either situation and practice the matching reply.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: respond to japanese restaurant greetingChecked September 2026
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