How to Order in Japanese: Kudasai and Onegaishimasu

To order politely in Japanese, start with “item + を + quantity + ください”. For example, コーヒーを一つください means “One coffee, please.” お願いします is also common when ordering, particularly when confirming a choice with the person serving you. The difference is not simply “polite” versus “more polite”: the sentence pattern and situation matter.

Below, you will build a complete order, practise quantities, and answer questions about eating in or taking away. A short café conversation and four practice questions help you put the phrases together. You do not need to know Japanese verb conjugation to begin.

1. Your first ordering pattern: 〜を一つください

ください (kudasai) means “please give me” in this pattern. The small word を marks the item you are asking for. It is pronounced o here, rather than wo. Put the name of your food or drink before it.

If you cannot read the menu, point to the item and say これを一つください. This is clearer and more polite than just saying これ (“this”). To get someone’s attention first, use すみません (sumimasen, “excuse me”). For other everyday uses of this phrase, see our 15 everyday Japanese phrases with examples.

Can you use 一つ for everything?

一つ (ひとつ, hitotsu) means one, and 二つ (ふたつ, futatsu) means two in a general counting system. They are often useful for ordering one or two items. You may also hear 一杯 (いっぱい, ippai) for a cup or glass, or other counters for particular foods. Start with 一つ, then gradually learn the specific counters; Japanese does not use つ for every kind of quantity.

2. When do you use お願いします?

お願いします (おねがいします, onegaishimasu) is used to make requests. In an order, it can mean “please” or “I’d like …, please”. コーヒーを一つお願いします is a natural alternative to コーヒーを一つください. When staff ask you to choose an option, you can answer with “option + でお願いします”.

Here, で helps express your choice, such as a hot drink or takeaway. This differs from its location use in カフェで飲みます (“I drink at a café”). If you are learning particles for places, our guide to Japanese particles ni and de explains that separate use.

Both are polite, but they are not interchangeable everywhere

コーヒーを一つください and コーヒーを一つお願いします are both natural, polite orders in an everyday café. For a hot-or-iced choice, however, learn ホットでお願いします as a complete phrase. Do not simply replace its ending with ください to make ホットでください. You also do not need to combine the two expressions as くださいお願いします.

3. Two questions you may hear at a café

店内でお召し上がりですか。
てんないで おめしあがりですか。
Will you be having it here?

お召し上がり is a respectful expression that staff use for a customer’s eating or drinking. As a beginner, you only need to recognise the question; you do not need to repeat this formal wording in your answer.

店内でお願いします。 (てんないで おねがいします。) = To have here, please.
持ち帰りでお願いします。 = Takeaway, please.

ホットですか、アイスですか。
Would you like it hot or iced?

Answer ホットでお願いします (“Hot, please”) or アイスでお願いします (“Iced, please”). Staff will not always use exactly these questions. Listen for the key words 店内 (here/in the shop), 持ち帰り (takeaway), ホット (hot), and アイス (iced).

4. Put it together: ordering a hot coffee

Practise by changing the drink first, then the quantity, and finally switching to takeaway. You do not have to memorise a whole menu at once. Becoming comfortable with one reusable pattern gives you a manageable starting point.

5. Check your understanding

1. Fill in the particle: コーヒー（　）一つください。
2. For two coffees, which reading do you need: ひとつ or ふたつ?
3. Staff ask ホットですか、アイスですか. How would you ask for an iced drink?
4. How would you say “Takeaway, please”?

Your next step: make the order your own

Choose a drink from a Japanese café menu and practise ordering it with 〜を一つください. Then answer whether you want it to have here or to take away. Continue with our everyday Japanese phrases and short conversations, or explore the Japanese learning blog.

If you would like guided speaking practice, explore Himawari Education’s online Japanese courses with English support to find your next step.