Japanese You Keep Seeing: 「一名様ですか？」レストランで最初に聞かれる日本語｜Japanese Grammar (N5–N3)

( A restaurant host asking Joy “Ichi-mei-sama desu ka?”, as Joy holds up three fingers, Ken and Raya walk in, and an orange cat tries to help count)

Welcome to “Japanese You Keep Seeing”!

You pull open the door to a Japanese restaurant, and the staff loudly shouts, “Irasshaimase!” (Welcome!). You smile, feeling confident. But before you can even take a step inside, the host immediately fires a question at you: 一名様ですか？ (Ichi-mei-sama desu ka?). If you are traveling with a group, answering “Yes” to this question might leave your friends waiting outside in the cold! Let’s learn how to decode the restaurant number game.

🗣 Conversation Scene

Joy, Ken, and Raya are visiting a highly-rated Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) restaurant. Joy eagerly opens the door and steps inside first, while Ken and Raya are still chatting outside.

Host

Line 1: 一名様ですか？ Line 2: Ichi-mei-sama desu ka? Line 3: (A party of one?)

いらっしゃいませ！一名様ですか？ (Welcome! Are you a party of one?)

Joy

あ、違います！3名です。 (Ah, no! We are 3 people.)

Raya

Wait for us, Joy! (Steps through the curtain with Ken)

💡 Explanation: The Polite Counter

Because you are a highly respected customer, the restaurant staff will not use the standard word for “people” (人 – nin). Instead, they upgrade their vocabulary to show respect.

1. What does “-mei-sama” mean? 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Let’s break the phrase down: ✅ 一名 (Ichi-mei): “Ichi” means 1. “Mei” (名) is the formal counter for people/customers. ✅ 様 (Sama): The extremely polite suffix added to names or titles to show deep respect. So, Ichi-mei-sama translates to “One honored guest” or “A party of one.” Because Joy walked in first, the host assumed she was dining alone!

2. How to answer the question ✌️

You do not need to use the polite “-sama” when talking about your own group! You simply say the number + 名です (mei desu). • 1 person: 一名です (Ichi-mei desu) • 2 people: 二名です (Ni-mei desu) • 3 people: 三名です (San-mei desu) • 4 people: 四名です (Yon-mei desu)

3. The Alternative Question: “Nan-mei-sama?” ❓

If your entire group walks in together, the host won’t guess the number. Instead, they will ask: 「何名様ですか？」 (Nan-mei-sama desu ka?), which means “How many people are in your party?”. You answer the exact same way as above!

💎 Pro Tip: The Finger Method

If you forget how to say the numbers in Japanese, do not panic! In Japan, it is completely acceptable and normal to hold up your fingers to show the number of people while smiling and saying 「〇〇です」 (…desu). The host will understand immediately!

🔥 Practice Quiz

Q1. A restaurant host asks you “Ichi-mei-sama desu ka?”. What are they asking? A. Would you like a menu? B. Are you a party of one?

Answer: B “Ichi” means one, and “mei-sama” is the polite counter for customers. They want to know if you are eating alone!

Q2. You are eating with one friend (total 2 people). How should you answer the host? A. Ni-mei-sama desu. B. Ni-mei desu.

Answer: B (Ni-mei desu) You drop the polite “-sama” because you are talking about yourself. “Ni-mei desu” is the perfect response.

Q3. The host looks at your group and asks, “Nan-mei-sama desu ka?”. What does “Nan” mean here? A. How many (people)? B. What is your name?

Answer: A (How many people?) “Nan” means what/how many. They are asking how many people are in your total party.

Ready to master the Ko-So-A-Do system?

Want to dive deeper? Check out our official Beginner’s Grammar Book for more examples, detailed explanations, and practice exercises to perfect your Japanese pointing skills!