How to Say ‘How many people?’ in Japanese
何名様
nan mei sama
[nan mei sama]
💬 Usage Tip: [名] is a polite counter for people, so [何名様] is a polite way to ask how many guests. In casual situations you'll more often hear [何人] instead.
Phrase Breakdown
何
nan
[nan]
how many
A question word asking quantity; here it asks how many people.
何名様でしょうか。
How many guests will there be?
名
mei
[mei]
counter for people
A formal counter used for counting people in reservations and service situations.
何名様でしょうか。
How many guests will there be?
様
sama
[sama]
honorific suffix
A very polite suffix used for customers or guests.
何名様でしょうか。
How many guests will there be?
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