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Scene illustrating a Japanese-language ordering a coffee conversation

Key Phrases

すみません

sumi mase n

Excuse me

どのサイズ

dono saizu

What size

少々お待ちください

shoushou o machi kudasai

Please wait

Skills You'll Learn

Ordering coffee

コーヒーの注文

koohii no chuumon

Responding to size options

サイズの選択に応じる

saizu no sentaku ni oujiru

Finalizing an order

注文を確定する

chuumon o kakutei suru

Lesson Roleplay

Imagine you're at a coffee shop in Japan. You're placing an order for coffee, and the interaction begins as you're asking the staff for a coffee, discussing the available sizes, and finalizing your order.

すみません、コーヒーを一つください。

sumi mase n koohii o hito tsu kudasai

Excuse me, can I have a coffee, please?

はい、どのサイズになさいますか?

hai dono saizu ni nasai masu ka

Sure, what size would you like?

サイズは何がありますか?

saizu wa nani ga ari masu ka

What sizes do you have?

小、中、大がありますよ。

shou naka ooki ga ari masu yo

We have small, medium, and large.

中でお願いします。

naka de o negai shi masu

Medium, please.

Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases

🙏

すみません

sumi mase n

Excuse me

💬 Commonly used to get someone's attention or to apologize.

🇯🇵 In Japan, politeness is highly valued, and saying [すみません] (su-mi-ma-sen) can be used in various contexts, like when entering a cafe or getting a waiter's attention.

See breakdown →

コーヒー

koohii

Coffee

💬 Phonetically similar to the English word, pronounced [コーヒー] (koohii).

🇯🇵 Japan has a vibrant coffee culture, with both international chains and unique local cafes.

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1️⃣

ichi

One

See breakdown →
🔢

tsu

Counter for items

💬 [つ] is commonly used with numbers 1-10 when counting general items.

🇯🇵 The use of counters is an important part of Japanese numerals and varies based on the item being counted.

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1️⃣

一つ

hito tsu

One

💬 This combination [一つ] (hi-to-tsu) is often used when ordering one item.

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🙏

ください

kudasai

Please

💬 Used to make polite requests; [ください] (ku-da-sa-i) follows the object being requested.

🇯🇵 Politeness in Japan is crucial, and using [ください] soften requests, especially in customer interactions.

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👍

はい

hai

Sure

💬 Can mean 'yes', 'okay', or 'I understand' depending on the context.

🇯🇵 It's respectful to acknowledge with [はい] (hai) to show attentiveness in conversation.

See breakdown →

どの

dono

Which

See breakdown →
📏

サイズ

saizu

Size

💬 Borrowed from English, used for clothing, drinks, etc.

🇯🇵 Western clothing and cafe size terminology is common in Japan, with some additions like S, M, L used interchangeably.

See breakdown →
🚀

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