How to Say ‘How many people’ in Japanese
何名様
nan mei sama
[nan may sah-mah]
💬 Usage Tip: [名] is a polite counter for people, so [何名様] is the customer-service way to ask "how many people?" In casual speech you'd more often hear [何人].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Staff often use [何名様] rather than plainer [何人] because it sounds respectful toward customers. You'll hear this a lot at restaurants, hotels, and clinics.
Phrase Breakdown
何
nan
[nan]
how many
Used in questions asking quantity or number.
何名様でご利用ですか。
How many people will be dining?
名
mei
[may]
counter for people
A counter used for counting people in formal situations.
何名様でご利用ですか。
How many people will be dining?
様
sama
[sah-mah]
honorific title
A respectful suffix used for customers or guests.
何名様でご利用ですか。
How many people will be dining?
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