How do you say "Is this seat taken?" in Japanese?

"Is this seat taken?" in Japanese is "この席は空いていますか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘Is this seat taken?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "この席は空いていますか。" mean in English?

"この席は空いていますか。" means "Is this seat taken?" in English. Usage tip: [空いていますか] here means "is it available / free?", not just physically empty. You can reuse it for all kinds of availability, like [この席、空いていますか。] or [トイレ空いていますか。]

この席は空いていますか。

kono seki wa ai te i masu ka

[koh-noh seh-kee wah ah-ee teh ee mahss kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [空いていますか] here means "is it available / free?", not just physically empty. You can reuse it for all kinds of availability, like [この席、空いていますか。] or [トイレ空いていますか。]

Phrase Breakdown

この

kono

[koh-noh]

this

A determiner used before a noun near the speaker.

Example

この席は見やすいです。

This seat has a good view.

席

seki

[seh-kee]

seat

A seat, chair, or place to sit, often used in restaurants and trains.

Example

窓の近くの席が好きです。

I like seats near the window.

は

[wah]

topic marker

A particle that marks the topic of the sentence; written は but pronounced わ.

Example

この席は広いです。

This seat is spacious.

空い

[ah-ee]

open; vacant

The stem of 空く, meaning to become empty or available.

Example

奥の席が空いています。

The seat in the back is open.

て

[teh]

and; -ing

Part of the te-form that links to いる for an ongoing state.

Example

ドアが開いています。

The door is open.

い

[ee]

to be

Part of います here, helping describe a current state.

Example

電気がついています。

The light is on.

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite verb ending

A polite ending attached to verbs in non-past form.

Example

店はもう開いています。

The shop is already open.

か

[kah]

question marker

A sentence-ending particle that makes the sentence a question.

Example

空いていますか。

Is it open?

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