How to Say ‘How many people?’ in Japanese
何名様でしょうか。
nan mei sama deshou ka
[nan mei sama deh-shoh ka]
💬 Usage Tip: [何名様] is the polite set phrase for asking guest count. Adding [でしょうか] makes it even softer and more formal than a direct [何名ですか].
🇯🇵 In Japan: This is classic polite staff phrasing in restaurants. A customer normally wouldn't repeat the whole sentence back—just answer with the number, like [二人です] or [四人です].
Phrase Breakdown
何名様
nan mei sama
how many people?
A very polite way to ask the number of guests. Used by staff in shops, hotels, and restaurants.
何名様ですか。
How many people are there?
Words in this phrase
何
nan
[nan]
how many; what number
Used to ask for a number in a polite question.
何名様でしょうか。
How many people will there be?
名
mei
[mei]
counter for people
A formal counter for counting people, common in reservations.
何名様でしょうか。
How many people will there be?
様
sama
[sama]
honored person; polite suffix
A respectful suffix used for customers or guests.
何名様でしょうか。
How many people will there be?
でしょうか。
deshou ka
I wonder if / may I ask
A soft, polite question ending. It makes the sentence sound more courteous.
お名前は何でしょうか。
May I ask your name?
Words in this phrase
でしょう
deshou
[deh-shoh]
would it be; is it perhaps
A polite softening phrase often used in service interactions.
何名様でしょうか。
How many people will there be?
か
ka
[ka]
question marker
Marks the sentence as a question.
何名様でしょうか。
How many people will there be?
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