How to share dishes and split the bill in Japanese
これ、前に食べましたけど、すごくおいしかったですよ。
kore, mae ni tabemashita kedo, sugoku oishikatta desu yo.
“I had this before, and it was really good.”
When: Suggesting a dish from the menu
The moment
You are at an izakaya in Tokyo with two friends, choosing dishes for the whole table and sorting out the bill at the end.
A2 · Unit 1 · Eating out
The lines
Recommending what you tried
Vouch for a dish in the past tense: 「これ、前に食べましたけど、すごくおいしかったですよ。」 けど joins the two halves like and, and the final よ marks it as news your friends did not have.
これ、前に食べましたけど、すごくおいしかったですよ。
kore, mae ni tabemashita kedo, sugoku oishikatta desu yo.
“I had this before, and it was really good.”
When to use it: Suggesting a dish from the menu
What you’ll hear back: へえ、じゃあそれにしましょう。 hē, jā sore ni shimashō. (Oh nice, let's go with that then.)
Splitting it evenly
割り勘 is an even split of the bill. Float it as a suggestion with 〜にしましょうか: 「じゃあ、割り勘にしましょうか。」 Among friends this is the normal way to settle up.
じゃあ、割り勘にしましょうか。
jā, warikan ni shimashō ka.
“So, shall we split the bill?”
When to use it: When the bill lands on the table
What you’ll hear back: いいですよ。一人三千円ですね。 ii desu yo. hitori sanzen en desu ne. (Sounds good. Three thousand yen each, right?)
Words for this scene
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 取り皿 | torizara | small plate for sharing |
すみません、取り皿を三つお願いします。 Excuse me, could we have three small plates? Tip: Shared dishes arrive bare — ask for one plate per person. | ||
| 乾杯 | kanpai | cheers, a toast |
飲み物が来ましたね。じゃあ、みんなで乾杯しましょう。 The drinks are here. Let's all raise a glass. Tip: Nobody sips until every glass is on the table. | ||
| シェアしませんか | shea shimasen ka | shall we share it? |
これ、量が多いので、シェアしませんか。 This is a big portion, so shall we share it? Tip: Normal at an izakaya; never at a sushi counter. | ||
Your objective
Recommend a dish you’ve had before; when a friend can’t eat it, suggest another to share, then propose how to split the bill.
- a dish you recommend
- another dish when they can’t eat it
- how to split the bill
Lines that get it done
- これ、前に食べましたけど、すごくおいしかったですよ。
- シェアしませんか · shea shimasen ka · shall we share it?
- じゃあ、割り勘にしましょうか。
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. Your friend asks what is good. How do you say the karaage was really tasty when you had it before?
- 唐揚げ、前に食べましたけど、すごくおいしかったですよ。
- 唐揚げ、前に食べますけど、すごくおいしいでした。
- 唐揚げ、前に食べたいですけど、すごくおいしかったです。
- 唐揚げ、前に飲みましたけど、すごくおいしいですよ。
Show the answer
唐揚げ、前に食べましたけど、すごくおいしかったですよ。
A past experience needs 食べました plus the past adjective おいしかったです.
2. The bill arrives and you want to suggest an even split. What do you say?
- じゃあ、割り勘にしましょうか。
- じゃあ、割引にしましょうか。
- じゃあ、両替にしましょうか。
- じゃあ、おつりにしましょうか。
Show the answer
じゃあ、割り勘にしましょうか。
割り勘 is an even split; 割引 is a discount and 両替 is changing money.
3. When is the right moment to say 乾杯?
- Once everyone has a drink, before anyone takes a sip.
- As soon as you sit down at the table.
- After you finish your first drink.
- When the plates are cleared at the end.
Show the answer
Once everyone has a drink, before anyone takes a sip.
The whole table toasts together, so drinking before 乾杯 looks impatient.