Ordering yakitori in Japanese: words and phrases

How Kenji opens the conversation

Kenji always speaks first. This is the scene's own opening line, with a reply you could give back at the same level:

• 

  おう、久ひさしぶり！ここのねぎま、最高さいこうなんだよ。とりあえず生なまでいい？

  Ō, hisashiburi! Koko no negima, saikō nan da yo. Toriaezu nama de ii?

  Hey, long time no see! The negima here is the best. Draft beer to start?

  You could say

  久ひさしぶり！うん、生なまで。ねぎまも頼たのもう！

  Hisashiburi! Un, nama de. Negima mo tanomō!

  Long time no see! Yeah, draft beer. Let's get some negima too!

Other ways it can begin

No two conversations go the same way, and the first line changes too. Each of these can open the scene:

• 

  お、電車でんしゃの音おとすごいな。ここ、線路せんろの下しただもんな。

  O, densha no oto sugoi na. Koko, senro no shita da mon na.

  Whoa, the trains are loud. Well, we are right under the tracks.

  You could say

  ほんとだ。でも、もう慣なれたよ。

  Honto da. Demo, mō nareta yo.

  You're right. But I'm used to it already.

• 

  聞きいてくれよ。息子むすこが野球やきゅう始はじめたんだ。

  Kiite kure yo. Musuko ga yakyū hajimeta n da.

  Listen to this. My son's started playing baseball.

  You could say

  へえ、すごいな。ポジションは？

  Hē, sugoi na. Pojishon wa?

  Wow, that's great. What position?

• 

  お前おまえ、全然ぜんぜん変かわらないな。最近さいきんどう？

  Omae, zenzen kawaranai na. Saikin dō?

  You haven't changed a bit. How've you been lately?

  You could say

  まあまあかな。健二けんじは元気げんき？

  Māmā ka na. Kenji wa genki?

  So-so, I guess. How about you, Kenji?

• 

  この砂肝すなぎも、めちゃくちゃうまいぞ。食たべてみろよ。

  Kono sunagimo, mechakucha umai zo. Tabete miro yo.

  This gizzard is insanely good. Give it a try.

  You could say

  じゃあ、一本いっぽんもらうよ。

  Jā, ippon morau yo.

  Okay, I'll take one skewer.

• 

  とりあえず、鳥とりから頼たのもうか。なんてな！

  Toriaezu, tori kara tanomō ka. Nante na!

  For starters, let's start with the chicken — get it?

  You could say

  そのダジャレ、昔むかしと同おなじだな。

  Sono dajare, mukashi to onaji da na.

  That joke's the same as back in the day.

Phrases worth knowing here

Lines for what you do at the yakitori bar, each with when you'd say it.

• 塩しおとタレ、どっちにする？Shio to tare, docchi ni suru?Salt or sauce, which do you want?Ask when ordering skewers — most yakitori places let you pick salt or tare for each one.
• 盛もり合あわせにしようかMoriawase ni shiyō kaShall we get the assortment?Suggest the mixed skewer set when you can't decide what to order.
• ねぎま、二本にほんずつでいい？Negima, nihon zutsu de ii?Two negima each, okay?Confirming amounts with your friend before you call the order out; skewers are usually ordered in pairs.
• レバー、食たべられる？Rebā, taberareru?Can you eat liver?Check before ordering an organ skewer like liver or gizzard, which some people avoid.
• 煙けむりすごいね、服ふくに匂においつくよKemuri sugoi ne, fuku ni nioi tsuku yoSo much smoke — it gets in your clothes.Small talk at the counter while the charcoal grill is going right in front of you.

Words you'll hear

How polite to be

casual Here Kenji speaks casual Japanese: plain forms, without です and ます, the way friends and family talk, and the replies suggested to you match the level you'd use back. The guide to keigo explains the three levels, and when each is right.

Eating out somewhere else? The guide to ordering food in Japanese walks through a whole meal, from the door to the check.

More scenes with Kenji

• Running into a neighbor健二（けんじ） · Convenience storepolite
• A sales meeting健二（けんじ） · Meeting roomformal
• Picking up a prescription健二（けんじ） · Pharmacypolite
• Bargains at the supermarket健二（けんじ） · Supermarketpolite
• Buying a rice cooker健二（けんじ） · Electronics storepolite
• Booking the bullet train健二（けんじ） · Ticket officepolite
• Signing up at the gym健二（けんじ） · Gympolite
• Picking up the rental car健二（けんじ） · Car rentalpolite
• A night at the ballpark健二（けんじ） · Baseball stadiumpolite

Or see every scene, with all four characters.