UNIT 5
Restaurants & Cafes
Restaurants & Cafes
Lesson 4: Requests at a Restaurant
〇〇をお願いします — Getting What You Need
⏱️ About 20 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
You’ve ordered your food — but the meal has only just started. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask for utensils, request more water, customize your order, and politely decline things you don’t want. These short, simple requests make the difference between a stressful meal and a smooth, enjoyable one.
What you’ll learn:
- Ask for water or drinks — 水をお願いします
- Ask for utensils — お箸 / スプーン / フォーク
- Ask for a little more — もう少しください
- Order without something — 〇〇なしでお願いします
- Ask staff not to add an ingredient — 〇〇は入れないでください
- Politely decline an offer — 大丈夫です
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
水をお願いします。
Mizu o onegaishimasu.
Water, please.
お箸をお願いします。
Ohashi o onegaishimasu.
Chopsticks, please.
スプーンをお願いします。
Supuun o onegaishimasu.
Spoon, please.
フォークをお願いします。
Fooku o onegaishimasu.
Fork, please.
ナプキンをお願いします。
Napukin o onegaishimasu.
Napkin, please.
取り皿をお願いします。
Torizara o onegaishimasu.
Small sharing plate, please.
もう少しください。
Moo sukoshi kudasai.
A little more, please.
氷なしでお願いします。
Koori nashi de onegaishimasu.
Without ice, please.
卵は入れないでください。
Tamago wa irenaide kudasai.
Please do not put in egg.
2. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
① すみません — always first
Before any request during a meal, say すみません to get the staff’s attention. This is polite and natural in any Japanese restaurant. Then follow with your request.
すみません。 お水をお願いします。
すみません。 スプーンをお願いします。
② 〇〇なしでお願いします — ordering without something
Add なしで before お願いします to exclude something from your order. This is shorter and easier than 入れないでください.
氷なしでお願いします。Without ice.
ネギなしでお願いします。Without green onion.
砂糖なしでお願いします。Without sugar.
③ もう少しください — asking for a refill or more
Combine this with the item for precision: 水をもう少しください (“A little more water, please.”) or ご飯をもう少しください (“A little more rice, please.”).
④ 大丈夫です — the polite “no thank you”
When staff offer something you don’t need, say 大丈夫です (“I’m fine / no thank you”). Very versatile.
⚠️ Common Mistake
Don’t confuse なし (without) and あり (with). 氷なし = no ice, 氷あり = with ice. なし comes directly before でお願いします — there is no particle between them.
Don’t confuse なし (without) and あり (with). 氷なし = no ice, 氷あり = with ice. なし comes directly before でお願いします — there is no particle between them.
3. Utensils & Request Items ／ リクエストことば
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| お箸 | ohashi | chopsticks |
| スプーン | supuun | spoon |
| フォーク | fooku | fork |
| ナイフ | naifu | knife |
| ナプキン | napukin | napkin |
| ティッシュ | tisshu | tissue |
| 取り皿 | torizara | small sharing plate |
| 醤油 | shooyu | soy sauce |
| 氷 | koori | ice |
| 砂糖 | satoo | sugar |
4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — Asking for Water
💬 Conversation 2 — Asking for Chopsticks
💬 Conversation 3 — Without Ice
💬 Conversation 4 — No Egg
💬 Conversation 5 — Sharing Plates
💬 Conversation 6 — A Little More
5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| なし | nashi | without |
| もう少し | moo sukoshi | a little more |
| 入れないでください | irenaide kudasai | please do not put in |
| 大丈夫です | daijoobu desu | okay / no thank you |
| どうぞ | doozo | here you are / please |
| かしこまりました | kashikomarimashita | certainly (formal) |
| わかりました | wakarimashita | I understand |
6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. The answer and explanation are shown below each one.
Q1. How do you say “Water, please” in Japanese?
A. 水はどこですか。 B. 水をお願いします。 C. 水はいくらですか。 D. 水に住んでいます。
Answer: B
水をお願いします = “Water, please.” Always start with すみません to get the staff’s attention first.
水をお願いします = “Water, please.” Always start with すみません to get the staff’s attention first.
Q2. How do you say “Chopsticks, please” in Japanese?
A. ナプキンをお願いします。 B. スプーンをお願いします。 C. お箸をお願いします。 D. フォークをお願いします。
Answer: C
お箸 = chopsticks. All four are utensil words — A is napkin, B is spoon, D is fork.
お箸 = chopsticks. All four are utensil words — A is napkin, B is spoon, D is fork.
Q3. What does 「氷なしでお願いします。」 mean?
A. With extra ice, please. B. Cold water, please. C. Without ice, please. D. Iced coffee, please.
Answer: C
なし = without. 氷なし = without ice. Use this pattern for any ingredient: 砂糖なし (no sugar), ネギなし (no green onion).
なし = without. 氷なし = without ice. Use this pattern for any ingredient: 砂糖なし (no sugar), ネギなし (no green onion).
Q4. What does 「もう少しください。」 mean?
A. Please wait a little. B. Please speak slowly. C. A little more, please. D. A little less, please.
Answer: C
もう少し = a little more. ください = please give me. Great for refills: 水をもう少しください.
もう少し = a little more. ください = please give me. Great for refills: 水をもう少しください.
Q5. What does 「卵は入れないでください。」 mean?
A. Please put in extra egg. B. Does it have egg? C. I cannot eat egg. D. Please do not put in egg.
Answer: D
入れないでください = “please do not put in.” This is more specific than なしで and is used when you need to make a dietary request clearly.
入れないでください = “please do not put in.” This is more specific than なしで and is used when you need to make a dietary request clearly.
Q6. The staff offers dessert. You don’t want it. What do you say?
A. はい、お願いします。 B. 大丈夫です。 C. もう少しください。 D. ありがとうございます。
Answer: B
大丈夫です = “No, thank you / I’m fine.” Use this to politely decline any offer. It’s much softer than a direct “no.”
大丈夫です = “No, thank you / I’m fine.” Use this to politely decline any offer. It’s much softer than a direct “no.”
7. Match the Meaning ／ れんしゅう
水をお願いします。 → ______
お箸をお願いします。 → ______
スプーンをお願いします。 → ______
ナプキンをお願いします。 → ______
取り皿をお願いします。 → ______
氷なしでお願いします。 → ______
もう少しください。 → ______
Choices: A. Spoon, please. B. Without ice, please. C. Water, please. D. Small sharing plate, please. E. A little more, please. F. Chopsticks, please. G. Napkin, please.
Answers: 水をお願いします = C ／ お箸をお願いします = F ／ スプーンをお願いします = A ／ ナプキンをお願いします = G ／ 取り皿をお願いします = D ／ 氷なしでお願いします = B ／ もう少しください = E
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Practice making requests at a restaurant in Japanese.
Try saying these with your teacher, or practice before your next restaurant visit:
水をお願いします。／ お箸をお願いします。／ 氷なしでお願いします。／ ありがとうございます。
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson, you learned how to make requests during a meal. The most important phrases are:
水をお願いします。(Water, please.)
お箸をお願いします。(Chopsticks, please.)
氷なしでお願いします。(Without ice, please.)
お箸をお願いします。(Chopsticks, please.)
氷なしでお願いします。(Without ice, please.)
💡 The pattern 〇〇をお願いします works for any request. Add すみません first to get the staff’s attention politely.
FAQ
Q. What is the difference between 〇〇なしでお願いします and 〇〇は入れないでください?
〇〇なしでお願いします is shorter and used at the time of ordering — “Without ice, please.” 〇〇は入れないでください is a stronger, more explicit instruction — “Please do not put in 〇〇.” For allergy or dietary reasons, the second form is safer and clearer.
Q. Do Japanese restaurants normally provide free water?
Yes — in most Japanese restaurants, cold water is served automatically or upon request at no charge. You can ask for お水をください at any time. Some cafés may charge for bottled water, but tap water (お水) is almost always free.
Q. What if I can’t use chopsticks — is it okay to ask for a fork?
Absolutely. Just say すみません。フォークをお願いします。 — staff will bring one without any issue. Many restaurants in Japan keep forks for international customers. Never feel embarrassed about this.
🍜 Practice with a real teacher
Want to Practice with a Teacher?
Making requests naturally and confidently takes real practice. Try a free trial lesson with a professional teacher and feel completely comfortable dining out in Japan.
Online or in-person — both available on request.