Booking a Hotel
Japanese Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 11 ยท Booking a Hotel
๐จ Booking a Hotel โ ใใใซใฎ ใใใ
Hotels are where you will use almost everything from this course: numbers, dates, katakana, polite requests and your name. This chapter covers booking a room, checking in, breakfast, check-out and reporting a problem. Romaji is shown under every line of Japanese.
โ A Phone Reservation โ ใงใใใง ใใใ
A:
ใใใใใใใใใ ใใญใใใใพใใ
Moshi moshi. Yoyaku o onegai shimasu.
Hello. I'd like to make a reservation.
B:
ใฏใใใใคใงใใใ
Hai. Itsu desu ka.
Yes. When?
A:
ใใ
ใใซใใค ใซใใ
ใใใฃใใใ ใใใฑใใงใใ
Jลซnigatsu nijลซyokka kara sanpaku desu.
From 24 December, three nights.
B:
ใชใใซใใงใใใ
Nannin desu ka.
How many people?
A:
ใตใใใงใใ
Futari desu.
Two.
โก Which Room? โ ใธใใฎ ใฟใคใ
A:
ใทใณใฐใซใงใใใใใคใณใงใใใ
Shinguru desu ka, tsuin desu ka.
Single or twin?
B:
ใใคใณใ ใใญใใใใพใใ
Tsuin o onegai shimasu.
A twin, please.
A:
ใใใใพใใพใใใ
Kashikomarimashita.
Certainly.
โข Checking In โ ใใงใใฏใคใณ
A:
ใใใฃใใใใพใใ
Irasshaimase.
Welcome.
B:
ใใงใใฏใคใณใ ใใญใใใใพใใ
Chekkuin o onegai shimasu.
Check-in, please.
A:
ใใชใพใใ ใใญใใใใพใใ
Onamae o onegai shimasu.
Your name, please.
B:
ใชในใใญใขใฏใงใใ
Osutoromoku desu.
Ostromok.
A:
ใชในใใญใขใฏใใพใงใใญใใในใใผใใ ใฟใใฆ ใใ ใใใ
Osutoromoku-sama desu ne. Pasupลto o misete kudasai.
Mr Ostromok. Your passport, please.
B:
ใฏใใใฉใใใ
Hai, dลzo.
Here you are.
โฃ Breakfast and Wi-Fi โ ใใใใฏใใจ ใฏใคใใกใค
A:
ใใใใฏใใฏ ใชใใใใใงใใใ
Asagohan wa nanji kara desu ka.
From what time is breakfast?
B:
ใใกใใใ ใใ
ใใใพใงใงใใ
Shichiji kara jลซji made desu.
From 7 to 10.
A:
ใฏใคใใกใคใฏ ใใใพใใใ
Waifai wa arimasu ka.
Is there Wi-Fi?
B:
ใฏใใใใใพใใ
Hai, arimasu.
Yes, there is.
โค Checking Out โ ใใงใใฏใขใฆใ
A:
ใใงใใฏใขใฆใใฏ ใชใใใงใใใ
Chekkuauto wa nanji desu ka.
What time is check-out?
B:
ใใ
ใใใงใใ
Jลซji desu.
Ten o'clock.
A:
ใซใใคใ ใใใใฃใฆ ใใ ใใใ
Nimotsu o azukatte kudasai.
Please keep my luggage.
B:
ใฏใใใใใใพใใพใใใ
Hai, kashikomarimashita.
Yes, certainly.
โฅ A Problem โ ใทใฃใฏใผใ ใคใใใพใใ
A:
ใใฟใพใใใใทใฃใฏใผใ ใคใใใพใใใ
Sumimasen. Shawฤ ga tsukaemasen.
Excuse me. The shower doesn't work.
B:
ใใใธใ ใใคใใใใพใใใใใใซ ใใใพใใ
Taihen shitsurei shimashita. Sugu ni ikimasu.
I'm very sorry. I'll come right away.
๐๏ธ Key Phrases โ ใใใใคใช ใฒใใใใ
| Situation | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I'd like to make a reservation | ใใใใ ใใญใใใใพใ yoyaku o onegai shimasu | |
| Three nights | ใใใฑใใงใ sanpaku desu | see the nights table |
| For two people | ใตใใใงใ futari desu | |
| A twin room, please | ใใคใณใ ใใญใใใใพใ tsuin o onegai shimasu | |
| Check-in, please | ใใงใใฏใคใณใ ใใญใใใใพใ chekkuin o onegai shimasu | |
| Your passport, please | ใในใใผใใ ใฟใใฆ ใใ ใใ pasupลto o misete kudasai | what the clerk will ask |
| From what time is breakfast? | ใใใใฏใใฏ ใชใใใใใงใใ asagohan wa nanji kara desu ka | |
| Is there Wi-Fi? | ใฏใคใใกใคใฏ ใใใพใใ waifai wa arimasu ka | |
| Please keep my luggage | ใซใใคใ ใใใใฃใฆ ใใ ใใ nimotsu o azukatte kudasai | set phrase for now |
๐๏ธ Room Types โ ใธใใฎ ใใ ใใ
| Room type | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| single room | ใทใณใฐใซ shinguru | |
| twin room (two beds) | ใใคใณ tsuin | |
| double room | ใใใซ daburu | |
| Japanese-style room (tatami) | ใใใค washitsu | futon on tatami |
| Western-style room | ใใใใค yลshitsu | with a bed |
๐ Counting Nights โ ใใฏใ
Nights are counted with ใฏใ, and it changes sound at 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10: the same family of changes as the hundreds you've already met.
| Nights | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใฃใฑใ ippaku | changes |
| 2 | ใซใฏใ nihaku | |
| 3 | ใใใฑใ sanpaku | changes |
| 4 | ใใใฏใ yonhaku | |
| 5 | ใใฏใ gohaku | |
| 6 | ใใฃใฑใ roppaku | changes |
| 7 | ใชใชใฏใ nanahaku | |
| 8 | ใฏใฃใฑใ happaku | changes |
| 10 | ใใ
ใฃใฑใ juppaku | changes |
| how many nights? | ใชใใฑใ nanpaku |
๐จ Hotel Words โ ใใใซใฎ ใใจใฐ
| Word | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| reservation | ใใใ yoyaku | |
| room | ใธใ heya | |
| check-in | ใใงใใฏใคใณ chekkuin | |
| check-out | ใใงใใฏใขใฆใ chekkuauto | |
| breakfast | ใใใใฏใ asagohan | |
| passport | ใในใใผใ pasupลto | |
| luggage | ใซใใค nimotsu | |
| key | ใใ kagi | often a card key: ใซใผใใญใผ |
| lobby | ใญใใผ robฤซ | |
| bath | ใใตใ ofuro | ใ ใใใใใใ = the big public bath |
๐ค Three More Verbs โ ใฉใใ
| Verb | Present (polite) | Negative | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
| to stay overnight (ใจใพใ) | ใจใพใใพใ tomarimasu | ใจใพใใพใใ tomarimasen | ใจใพใใพใใ tomarimashita |
| to reserve (ใใใใใ) | ใใใใใพใ yoyaku shimasu | ใใใใใพใใ yoyaku shimasen | ใใใใใพใใ yoyaku shimashita |
| to forget (ใใใใ) | ใใใใพใ wasuremasu | ใใใใพใใ wasuremasen | ใใใใพใใ wasuremashita |
๐ Vocabulary โ ใใ
20 key words. Read the Japanese first, then check the romaji.
| # | Japanese | Romaji | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใใ | yoyaku | reservation; booking | noun |
| 2 | ใธใ | heya | room | noun |
| 3 | ใทใณใฐใซ | shinguru | single room | noun |
| 4 | ใใคใณ | tsuin | twin room | noun |
| 5 | ใใใซ | daburu | double room | noun |
| 6 | ใใงใใฏใคใณ | chekkuin | check-in | noun |
| 7 | ใใงใใฏใขใฆใ | chekkuauto | check-out | noun |
| 8 | ใใใใฏใ | asagohan | breakfast | noun |
| 9 | ใในใใผใ | pasupลto | passport | noun |
| 10 | ใฏใคใใกใค | waifai | Wi-Fi | noun |
| 11 | ใซใใค | nimotsu | luggage | noun |
| 12 | ใฏใ | -haku / -paku | nights (counter) | noun |
| 13 | ใญใ ใ | nedan | price | noun |
| 14 | ใใตใ | ofuro | bath | noun |
| 15 | ใใ | kagi | key | noun |
| 16 | ใญใใผ | robฤซ | lobby | noun |
| 17 | ใจใพใใพใ | tomarimasu | to stay overnight | verb |
| 18 | ใใใใใพใ | yoyaku shimasu | to reserve | verb |
| 19 | ใใใใพใ | wasuremasu | to forget | verb |
| 20 | ใใคใใใใพใใ | shitsurei shimashita | I'm sorry; excuse me (past) | phrase |
Real Japanese Tip โ Polite Hotel Speech
Hotel staff speak the most polite Japanese you will hear. You'll meet ใใใใพใใพใใ ("certainly"), ใใคใใใใพใใ ("I apologise") and ใใใพ after your name. You don't need to use the same level: ใใ ใใญใใใใพใ and ใใใใจใใใใใพใ are always right.
ใใใซ, ใใธใในใใใซ and ใใใใ
A ใใใซ is a Western-style hotel; a ใใธใในใใใซ is a small, cheap, efficient one, popular with workers and visitors; and a ใใใใ is a traditional inn (you met the word in Hiragana 3) with tatami rooms, futons and often a hot-spring bath. A night in a ใใใใ is a classic Japan experience.
Luggage Forwarding: ใใใฏใใณใ
Japan has a famous luggage-forwarding service called ใใใฏใใณใ. You can send your suitcase ahead to your next hotel, or to the airport, and travel with a small bag. Ask the front desk: it's cheap, reliable, and loved by travellers on the train.
Check-In and Check-Out Times
Check-in is usually in the afternoon and check-out in the late morning, often around ใใ
ใใ to ใใ
ใใใกใ, so ask ใใงใใฏใขใฆใใฏ ใชใใใงใใ on arrival. If you arrive early, you can leave your bags: ใซใใคใ ใใใใฃใฆ ใใ ใใ.
Kanji Spotlight โ ๆ ๅค ๅฎถ
ๆ (asa, chล) means morning, and ๅค (yoru, ya) means night. ๅฎถ (ie, ka) means house, home. A hotel sign for breakfast reads ๆ้ฃ (chลshoku),. Have a look: ๆ โธ ยท ๅค โธ ยท ๅฎถ โธ
โ๏ธ Try It Yourself โ ใใใใ ใ
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Say you'd like to make a reservation.
Show answer
ใใใใ ใใญใใใใพใใ
2. Say "Two people, three nights, a twin room, please."
Show answer
ใตใใใงใใใใใฑใใงใใใใคใณใ ใใญใใใใพใใ
3. The clerk says ใในใใผใใ ใฟใใฆ ใใ ใใ. What do you do?
Show answer
Show your passport, and say ใฏใใใฉใใ ("Here you are").
4. Ask what time check-out is.
Show answer
ใใงใใฏใขใฆใใฏ ใชใใใงใใใ
5. Ask the hotel to keep your luggage.
Show answer
ใซใใคใ ใใใใฃใฆ ใใ ใใใ
6. Say that the shower doesn't work.
Show answer
ใทใฃใฏใผใ ใคใใใพใใใ
Coming Up in Chapter 12
The final chapter: getting around by train and bus: ใใฃใท (ticket), ใใฐใใใ (platform), ใใใ (bound for), IC cards, and a Course Complete recap.