Izakaya phrases: Japanese to get you through the night
The Japanese you'll actually use at an izakaya, from walking in to paying. Tap any phrase to show it to staff full screen.
You don’t need much Japanese at an izakaya — a few phrases and a lot of pointing go a long way. Tap any phrase to show it full screen, big enough for staff to read across the counter.
Getting in
Ordering
Skewers: most yakitori and yakiton can be grilled with salt (shio) or a sweet soy glaze (tare). If you don’t say, staff will often ask “Shio to tare, dochira ni shimasu ka?” — “salt or sauce?”
Food you can’t eat
For a full list of what you can’t eat, set it up in Izakaya Buddy — it makes a card in Japanese for staff and warns you on every scanned menu.
Toasting and the end of the night
The ✕ sign: making a small ✕ with your two index fingers is a common way to ask for the bill across a noisy room.
More on how the evening goes: How an izakaya works.
Related guides
- How an izakaya works: a first-timer's guide to the nightFrom your first drink to the bill — what happens at a Japanese izakaya, in order, so nothing catches you off guard.
- Before you go to an izakaya: getting in, seating and the rulesHow to pick a place, walk in, get a seat (even alone), and the house rules nobody explains — smoking, shoes, cash and more.