お待たせしました
omatase shimashita
The English phrase "order up" is expressed in Japanese as お待たせしました (omatase shimashita).
In a restaurant setting, お待たせしました is the standard phrase used when a server brings food to a table to signal that the order is ready. While the literal meaning is "I have made you wait," it serves the functional purpose of announcing that the food has arrived.
How do you pronounce it?
omatase shimashita
Did you know?
- The phrase is so deeply ingrained in service culture that it can be used playfully between friends when someone arrives late to a meeting, though it sounds slightly sarcastic.
- While 'order up' in English is a shout from the kitchen to the dining room, お待たせしました is a direct communication from the server to the customer. The phrase focuses on the customer's experience of waiting rather than the kitchen's completion of the task.
- The grammar of お待たせしました uses a 'causative' structure, which literally translates to 'I have caused you to wait'. This places the burden of the wait entirely on the server, showing extreme humility.
Examples in context
- お待たせしました、ラーメンです。Omatase shimashita, rāmen desu.Sorry to keep you waiting, here is your ramen.
- お待たせしました！ご注文のハンバーグです。Omatase shimashita! Gochūmon no hanbāgu desu.Here you go! Here is the hamburger steak you ordered.
- お待たせしました。温かいうちにどうぞ。Omatase shimashita. Atatakai uchi ni dōzo.Sorry for the wait. Please enjoy it while it's hot.
Example conversation
A waitress brings food to a customer in a small cafe.
- 蓮 Renお待たせしました。サンドイッチです。Omatase shimashita. Sandoitchi desu.Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is your sandwich.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます、蓮さん。Arigatō gozaimasu, Ren-san.Thank you, Ren.
- 蓮 Renコーヒーもすぐにお持ちしますね。Kōhī mo sugu ni omochi shimasu ne.I will bring your coffee right away.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、お願いします。Hai, onegaishimasu.Yes, please.
