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How to Say ‘Excuse me, one yakisoba, please.’ in Japanese

すみません、焼きそば一つください。

sumi mase n yakisoba hito tsu kudasai

[sue-mee mah-SEH n yah-kee-SOH-bah HEE-toh tsoo koo-dah-sigh]

🇯🇵 In Japan: At a busy festival stall, すみません is how you get the vendor's attention before ordering. It works like "excuse me" here, not as an apology.

Phrase Breakdown

すみません、

sumi mase n

excuse me

すみません (sumimasen) gets someone's attention politely. It is often pronounced like 'sumimasen' with a soft 'su'.

Example

すみません、駅はどこですか？

Excuse me, where is the station?

Words in this phrase

すみ

sumi

[sue-mee]

excuse

A stem used in polite expressions like apologies or getting someone's attention.

Example

すみません、コンサートのチケットについて聞きたいです。

Excuse me, I would like to ask about the concert tickets.

ませ

mase

[mah-SEH]

polite verb form (here part of 'sumimasen')

The polite auxiliary 'masu' in its stem form 'mase', followed by 'n' to make it negative. Together with 'sumi' it forms 'sumimasen', meaning 'excuse me'.

Example

まだ決まっていません。

It hasn't been decided yet.

ん

[n]

(negative ending)

Contracted form of the polite negative ending, as in ありません.

Example

今日は時間がありません。

I don't have time today.

焼きそば

yakisoba

[yah-kee-SOH-bah]

fried noodles (yakisoba)

Stir-fried wheat noodles with sauce, vegetables and pork; a classic festival stall food.

Example

屋台で焼きそばを食べました。

I ate yakisoba at a stall.

一つください。

hito tsu kudasai

one, please

一つ means 'one'. ください means 'please give me'. Use it to order a single item.

Example

これを一つください。

One of these, please.

Words in this phrase

一

hito

[HEE-toh]

one

The number one; read 'hito' before the counter tsu.

Example

ケーキを一つください。

One cake, please.

つ

tsu

[tsoo]

counter

A counter for general objects in Japanese.

Example

卵を一つください。

Please give me one egg.

ください

kudasai

[koo-dah-sigh]

please (give me)

Used to make polite requests.

Example

水をください。

Please give me water.

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