Japanese for English speakers Bakery · Lesson 1

Asking about food served in a cafe

Order at a Japanese café by asking いくらですか (how much is it?) and listing menu items with the particle と (to). Rocky asks Meera about today's 定食 (set menu), which includes 納豆 (fermented soybeans), bread and fish.

Conversation

  1. Rocky Rocky

    すみません、定食は何ですか？

    Sumimasen, teishoku wa nan desu ka?

    Excuse me, what is the set menu?

    Tip: <Teishoku> = Meal set, set menu In Japan, it is common for food places to have set menus available

  2. Meera Meera

    納豆とパンと魚です

    Nattō to pan to sakana desu

    Fermented soy beans, bread and fish

    Tip: <Nattō> = Japanese fermented soybeans <Pan> = Bread <To> = Particle to link two nouns, like "and" in English (but it cannot be used to link verbs) <Sakana> = Fish

  3. Rocky Rocky

    いくらですか？

    Ikura desu ka?

    How much is it?

    Tip: <Ikura> = how much

  4. Meera Meera

    1560円です

    Sen go hyaku roku jū en desu

    1560 yen

    Tip: <Sen> = One thousand <Hyaku> = One hundred <En> = Yen

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you ask 'how much is it?' in Japanese?

いくらですか (ikura desu ka) — the standard polite way to ask the price of anything in a shop or restaurant.

What does the particle と (to) mean?

と links nouns like 'and' in English. パンと魚 = 'bread and fish'. It only connects nouns, never verbs.

What is 定食 (teishoku)?

A Japanese set menu — a fixed meal with rice, miso soup, a main dish, and side dishes. Common at lunch in cafes and casual restaurants.

What is 納豆 (nattō)?

Traditional fermented soybeans with a strong smell and sticky texture, typically eaten over rice for breakfast.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Japanese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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