👉💺❓🆓

How to Say ‘Is this seat free?’ in Japanese

この席、空いていますか？

kono seki ai te i masu ka

[koh-noh seh-kee AH-ee teh ee mahs kah]

💬 Usage Tip: Japanese often names the thing first, pauses, then asks about it, with no particle in between: この席、空いていますか？. You can reuse this pattern: このペン、使っていいですか？ "Can I use this pen?"

🇯🇵 In Japan: In a busy Japanese café this is a perfectly normal, low-pressure question to a stranger, which makes it a natural opener. Keep it polite with ます. Strangers rarely chat in cafés, so a small, polite first step lands better than a bold one.

Phrase Breakdown

この席、

kono seki

this seat

この (kono) means 'this' and 席 (seki) means 'seat.' Read it as 'kono seki'. The comma marks a short natural pause before the question.

Example

この席は窓側です。

This seat is by the window.

Words in this phrase

この

kono

[koh-noh]

this (near speaker)

Demonstrative modifying a noun: この女 = “this woman.”

Example

この女がどれほど巨大な組織に追われてきたか知っている。

I know how huge an organization this woman has been chased by.

席

seki

[seh-kee]

seat

A seat or seating section at a venue.

Example

前の方の席はありますか。

Are there seats toward the front?

空いていますか？

ai te i masu ka

is it free?

This is a polite question about whether something is currently unoccupied. Raise your intonation slightly on the final か.

Example

明日の午後、空いていますか？

Are you free tomorrow afternoon?

Words in this phrase

空い

[AH-ee]

to be free; to be available (vacant)

Form of 空く (aku), meaning a seat, table or time slot is open and not taken.

Example

今夜の席は空いていますか。

Are there any seats available tonight?

て

[teh]

and; -te form

A linking form used to connect verbs to following grammar, such as progressive or polite forms.

Example

仕事を探している人と話しました。

I spoke with a person who is looking for work.

い

[ee]

be; ongoing state part

Part of the continuous form that shows an action is currently happening.

Example

今も条件を比べている最中です。

I am still in the middle of comparing conditions.

ます

masu

[mahs]

polite verb ending

A standard polite ending added to verbs, often used in customer service and formal speech.

Example

予約を確認します。

I will confirm the reservation.

か

[kah]

question marker

Placed at the end of a sentence to make it a question.

Example

A席はありますか。

Are there A seats available?

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