How to ask what's in a dish in Japanese
これには何が入っていますか。
kore ni wa nani ga haitte imasu ka.
“What is in this?”
When: Before ordering a dish you do not recognise
The moment
You are at a small ramen shop in Tokyo and one bowl looks perfect. The problem is that you cannot eat egg, and you would rather skip the spring onion too.
A1 · Unit 2 · Café & food
The lines
Asking what is in a dish
Point at the menu and ask 「これには何が入っていますか。」 — what is in this? 入っています means it is inside, and staff will list the main ingredients for you.
これには何が入っていますか。
kore ni wa nani ga haitte imasu ka.
“What is in this?”
When to use it: Before ordering a dish you do not recognise
What you’ll hear back: 豚肉と玉ねぎが入っています。 butaniku to tamanegi ga haitte imasu. (It has pork and onion in it.)
Saying what you cannot eat
「卵が食べられません。」 means I can't eat egg. Swap 卵 for 肉, 乳製品 or えび and the rest of the sentence never changes.
卵が食べられません。
tamago ga taberaremasen.
“I can't eat eggs.”
When to use it: As you order, or before you choose a dish
What you’ll hear back: かしこまりました。厨房に確認いたします。 kashikomarimashita. chūbō ni kakunin itashimasu. (Certainly. I'll check with the kitchen.)
Words for this scene
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| えびアレルギーです | ebi arerugī desu | I'm allergic to shrimp |
すみません、えびアレルギーです。 Excuse me, I'm allergic to shrimp. Tip: Put the food first; staff recognise this pattern instantly. | ||
| ねぎ抜きでお願いします | negi nuki de onegai shimasu | without spring onion, please |
ラーメンをねぎ抜きでお願いします。 The ramen without spring onion, please. Tip: Ask while ordering; many kitchens politely refuse later changes. | ||
| 野菜だけの料理はありますか | yasai dake no ryōri wa arimasu ka | do you have any vegetable-only dishes? |
すみません、野菜だけの料理はありますか。 Excuse me, do you have any dishes with only vegetables? Tip: Fish stock hides in most broths, so ask about だし too. | ||
Your objective
Ask what’s in the dish, say one thing you can’t eat, and ask for it without that.
- what’s in it
- what you can’t eat
- asking for it without
Lines that get it done
- これには何が入っていますか。
- 卵が食べられません。
- ねぎ抜きでお願いします · negi nuki de onegai shimasu · without spring onion, please
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You want to know what is in a dish on the menu. What do you ask?
- これには何が入っていますか。
- これはおいしいですか。
- これはいくらですか。
- これはどこですか。
Show the answer
これには何が入っていますか。
何が入っていますか asks what is inside the dish, not its price or its taste.
2. You cannot eat egg. What do you tell the server?
- 卵が食べられません。
- 卵が好きじゃないです。
- 卵をお願いします。
- 卵は何ですか。
Show the answer
卵が食べられません。
食べられません signals a real restriction, while 好きじゃない only means you dislike it.
3. The ramen comes with spring onion on top and you do not want it. What do you say?
- ねぎ抜きでお願いします。
- ねぎをたくさんお願いします。
- ねぎはどこですか。
- ねぎが好きです。
Show the answer
ねぎ抜きでお願いします。
抜きで means with that ingredient left out, and it goes together with your order.