寿司をお願いします
sushi o onegai shimasu
To say "sushi, please" in Japanese, you use 寿司をお願いします (sushi o onegai shimasu).
This phrase is a polite request used to order sushi at a restaurant.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down to sushi [object marker] onegai shimasu (request/please).
Which one should you use?
While Sushi o kudasai also means "sushi, please", sushi o onegai shimasu is slightly more polite and common when making a formal request to a staff member.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Sushi o kudasai is also a polite way to request sushi. For informal situations, you can use Sushi choudai, where Choudai is an informal expression meaning "please give me" or "I'd like".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle を (pronounced 'o') marks sushi as the direct object of the request. The verb part お願いします (onegai shimasu) is the polite form of the verb meaning "to request" or "to ask for".
How do you pronounce it?
sushi o onegai shimasu
Did you know?
- While you order sushi in Japanese, the word actually originally referred to the fermented rice used to preserve fish, not the fish itself. The rice was traditionally discarded, and only the fish was eaten.
- In Japan, sushi is often eaten with hands rather than chopsticks, especially nigiri. This is not considered rude and is often the preferred way to enjoy the texture of the rice.
- In traditional high-end sushi restaurants, you may not order from a menu at all. Instead, the chef provides omakase, which means 'I leave it up to you', and decides what you will eat based on the day's best catch.
Examples in context
- 寿司をお願いします。Sushi o onegaishimasu.Sushi, please.
- すみません、寿司をお願いします。Sumimasen, sushi o onegaishimasu.Excuse me, sushi, please.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are ordering food at a restaurant.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さん、何にしますか？Yota-san, nani ni shimasu ka?Yota, what would you like?
- 陽太 Yota僕は寿司をお願いします。Boku wa sushi o onegaishimasu.I'll have the sushi, please.
- 結衣 Yui私も同じにします。Watashi mo onaji ni shimasu.I'll have the same.
- 陽太 Yotaいいですね。Ii desu ne.That sounds good.
