In this Bonus Topic, we're going to learn more essential phrases, and see how they're used in real-life situations, like at a shop or a restaurant.

Japanese customer service workers are famous for being incredibly polite, and what they say generally follows a specific script. If you know your lines, then everything becomes much easier!

Let's take a tour through a variety of common situations where manners come in handy.

Welcome!

When entering a store in Japan, it is normal to hear staff shout いらっしゃいませ. This means something like 'Welcome!', and the customer is not expected to say anything back (although a polite smile or small bow of the head is fine!).

Once in the store, you can catch the attention of staff by saying すみません, 'excuse me'. In more casual restaurants, such as a ramen shop or an izakaya (Japanese pub), it is okay to call for the waiter across the room. In fact, they normally won't come to serve you until you have called for them!

Please!

There are multiple ways to say 'please' in Japanese. The most common two phrases are ください and お願(ねが)いします.

ください is generally used for direct requests, often towards someone of equal or lower status. お願(ねが)いします is more general and polite. It feels less like a demand and more like you are entrusting someone with a task. In fact, its literal translation is ‘I wish for that’.

We can use either to ask for or order an item.

I'm Sorry!

There are two versatile phrases which cover most apologies. すみません and ごめんなさい.

We have just seen that すみません can be used to get someone’s attention. However, it can also be used as a light apology when causing someone an inconvenience, like ‘pardon me’. In speech, you will often hear it being pronounced like すいません.

On the other hand, for more serious or personal apologies ごめんなさい is used. In casual situations, it may be shortened to just ごめん.

Jacks Of All Trades

よろしくお願(ねが)いします is a Japanese phrase which you'll hear in all sorts of different contexts. It is used when meeting people for the first time, when signing off a polite request at work, when asking a formal favor, and so on.

It can be taken to literally mean 'Please treat me favorably', but it is quite flexible in its real usage. In casual situations, it may be shortened to just よろしく.

Finally, どうぞ is another multi-purpose word. It is used most commonly when allowing someone to do something, or handing something over to someone.