Practice Making a Reservation in Japans
Phone reservations test your Japans more than face-to-face conversation: there's no body language, no menu to point at, and the other person is often busy. This scenario walks through booking a restaurant table — choosing a date and time, specifying the number of guests, mentioning dietary needs, and confirming the booking. You'll practise the specific Japans formulas for politeness on the phone, the verbs for 'to reserve' and 'to confirm', and how to spell your name letter by letter when the host can't catch it.
Sample Japans conversation
こんにちは！お電話ありがとうございます。ご用件をお伺いします。
Good afternoon! Thank you for calling. How can I help you?ディナーの予約をしたいのですが。
I'd like to make a reservation for dinner, please.かしこまりました！何名様で、いつのご予約ですか？
Of course! How many people, and what date and time?今夜8時に2名でお願いします。
A table for two, tonight at 8 PM.確認いたしますね…はい、今夜8時にお席がございます。室内と屋外、どちらがよろしいですか？
Let me check... Yes, we have a table available at 8 PM tonight. Would you prefer indoor or outdoor seating?室内でお願いします。
Indoor, please.
Wat je leert
- Open a phone call politely in Japans
- Specify date, time, and number of guests precisely
- Mention dietary requirements or special occasions
- Spell your name with the Japans alphabet
- Confirm the booking and end the call gracefully
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How do I open a phone call politely in Japans?
There's a near-universal construction — 'Hello, this is X, I'd like to book…' — that signals you're calling for a specific reason. The scenario teaches it.
How do I spell my name in Japans?
Each Japans has its own alphabet pronunciation (or a NATO-style version). The vocabulary list includes the common spelling alphabet.
Can I make reservations in Japans via apps instead of calling?
Often yes — but knowing how to call gives you flexibility for places that don't use apps. The scenario rehearses the phone version.
What if I need to cancel a Japans reservation?
We include the cancellation phrases in the vocabulary list: 'I'd like to cancel…' and 'I need to change the date'.