Restaurant reservations (Advanced): Checking table availability for specific dates and times.

🇯🇵 Starting a request with できれば makes it sound like a preference rather than a demand, for example できれば個室で "a private room if possible". This kind of softening is expected when you ask for something special.

🇯🇵 Many izakaya and Japanese restaurants have private rooms, and groups often request one. Sometimes a room charge or a minimum group size applies, so it's worth asking.

💬 〜がいい means "~ would be good" and is an easy way to state a preference: 窓側がいい "a window seat would be good". The trailing けど "but…" softens it so it sounds like a wish rather than a demand.

🇯🇵 Many izakaya and restaurants offer 個室 (koshitsu) "private rooms" for groups, and they often book out first on weekends. Opening with できれば "if possible" signals you're flexible, which staff appreciate.

🇯🇵 When staff open with this word on the phone, bad news is coming, usually that they're full. It's a polite, formal cushion that you'll hear far more often than you'll say it.

💬 埋まる literally means "to be buried" or "filled in". For seats you'll usually hear it as 埋まっております "are all taken".

💬 半 (han) means "half", so add it after any hour to get half past: 七時半 (shichi-ji han) "7:30". Note that 4 o'clock is 四時 (yo-ji), not (yon-ji).

💬 でしたら is a polite "if it's…", used to set a condition. Swap in any time or option: 九時からでしたら "if it's from 9".

💬 Putting ご before a verb and adding できます is a humble way for staff to say "we can do this for you". You'll hear the same shape in ご案内できます "we can show you in".

💬 いかが is the polite version of どう "how". Staff use it when offering an alternative, and you can answer simply with それでお願いします "That, please".

🇯🇵 Saying something is ちょっと "a bit" late is the usual polite way to turn down an offer. Staff will understand it as a no and suggest something else.

💬 だと after a time or option means "if it's that". It works well for weighing a choice: 日曜日だと大丈夫です "Sunday would be fine".

💬 同じ (onaji) "same" goes straight before a noun with no の in between, unlike most describing words. Compare 同じ時間 with 日曜日の時間.

💬 Put any option before はどうですか to suggest it: 土曜日はどうですか "How about Saturday?". The は here is said (wa).

💬 七時 is said (shichi-ji). Watch out for 9 o'clock, which is 九時 (ku-ji), not (kyū-ji).

💬 おります replaces います when you speak humbly about yourself or your side. Staff use it about themselves, as in お待ちしております.

💬 おります is the humble form of います, which staff use about their own shop. 一部屋 (hito-heya) counts rooms, and the same pattern gives 二部屋 (futa-heya) "two rooms".

💬 じゃあ is the casual, spoken version of では (dewa). It's fine to use when you're about to settle on a choice, even in an otherwise polite conversation.

💬 Use 〜でお願いします to settle on a choice: 二名でお願いします "Two people, please" or それでお願いします "That, please".

🇯🇵 Staff use this very polite "understood" with customers. As a customer, you'd just say わかりました or はい.

💬 The お in front adds respect toward the other person's name, so you never use it for your own. When giving yours, just say the name followed by です.

💬 番号 is said (bangō), with a long "o" at the end, so hold that last vowel.

💬 お電話番号 is the polite version of 電話番号 (denwa bangō), used when asking about someone else's number. Drop the お when you're talking about your own.

🇯🇵 In Japan people usually give their family name when booking, and 様 (sama) gets added on the restaurant's side. Never add さん or 様 to your own name.

💬 Say phone numbers digit by digit, with の (no) at each dash: (zero kyū zero no ichi ni san yon no…). Zero is often said (zero) or (rei).

💬 Adding ご to 予約 (yoyaku) makes it polite, the way staff refer to your reservation. When you ask about it yourself, plain 予約 is fine.

💬 承りました (uketamawarimashita) is a very humble way to say "we've received it". It's long and tricky to say, but you only need to recognize it, because it means you're booked.

🇯🇵 Restaurants almost always close a reservation call with this. It's your cue that everything is settled, and you can reply with よろしくお願いします "thank you, I'm counting on you".

💬 Literally it means "I'm being rude", as in excusing yourself for leaving. The same phrase is used when you enter or leave a room.

🇯🇵 This is the standard polite way to end a phone call in Japan, rather than さようなら. Wait for the other person to hang up first if you can.