Restaurant reservations Part 2 (Advanced): Understanding cancellation policies and deadlines.

💬 Put だと after a noun to say "if it's X". For example, 雨だと means "if it rains" and 二人だと means "if it's two people".

🇯🇵 Staff say this to soften bad news, like a fee or a rule you won't like. When you hear it, expect a "no" or a cost to follow.

💬 全額 (zengaku) pairs with 半額 (hangaku) "half price". 額 means "amount of money" in both.

💬 実は (jitsu wa) signals you're about to share something personal or unexpected. The は is said (wa).

💬 Adding か after a verb turns it into "whether…". For example, 行けるか分からない means "I don't know whether I can go".

💬 Ending on なくて leaves the sentence hanging on purpose, like "…so, um". It hints that you'd like the listener to help, without asking directly.

🇯🇵 Opening with 実は (jitsu wa) "actually" warns the listener that a complication is coming. Staff will usually step in with options without you having to ask outright.

💬 人数 is read (ninzū), with a long "ū". It's the standard word for "headcount" in any booking.

💬 場合 (baai) means "in the case of", and も adds "too". So 〜場合も同じですか works for any follow-up, like 遅れる場合も "if we're late, too".

💬 かかる is used for both money and time, as in 時間がかかる "it takes time". Here は is said (wa).

🇯🇵 This is the natural thing to say when someone tells you about a flexible policy. It sounds warmer than a plain "thank you".

💬 名 (mei) is a polite way to count people, so 4名 is (yonmei). The everyday version is 4人 (yonin).

🇯🇵 Restaurant staff will always count your party with 名. As a customer, saying 4人 is perfectly fine.

💬 時間に人数でお願いできますか is a ready-made booking frame: に marks the time and で marks the party size. You can swap in your own, like 金曜の20時に2名で.

🇯🇵 This is staff-to-customer language. When you're the customer, a simple わかりました "understood" is all you need.

💬 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.

💬 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.

💬 いたします is a humbler form of します "do". It makes the request sound more formal than plain お願いします.

💬 The お in front of 名前 and 電話番号 shows respect for *your* name and number. When you give your own, drop it: 名前は… "my name is…".

💬 Phone numbers are read digit by digit, with の (no) at the hyphens: (zero kyū zero no ichi ni san yon no...). 0 is usually said (zero), and 4 and 7 as (yon) and (nana).

💬 It's a long one to say: (uketamawaru).

🇯🇵 When the booking is confirmed, you'll often hear 承りました, meaning "your reservation is accepted".

🇯🇵 This is a set closing phrase from staff. A simple よろしくお願いします or a thank-you is all you need to say back.

💬 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.