Ordering a Lunch Set | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 私たちのランチセットを注文したいです。

   I want to order a lunch set for us.

   私たちの

   our; for us

   ランチセット

   lunch set

   注文したい

   want to order

   More detail

   私たちの means “our” here: 私たち is “we/us,” and の links it to the following noun to show a belonging or relationship. The translation’s “for us” gives the intended group relationship in this sentence. Example: 私たちの車 — “our car.” ランチセット is a noun meaning “lunch set,” a set meal offered as one combination. It is a loanword-based expression; the noun itself does not show who will eat it. Example: ランチセットを選びます。 — “I will choose a lunch set.” 注文したい is built from 注文する (“to order”) and the desire form 〜たい: 注文する → 注文したい, “want to order.” The たい form expresses the speaker’s desire to do the action; it is not the same as a simple future statement. Example: 水を飲みたい。 — “I want to drink water.” The object marker を follows the lunch-set noun phrase, showing what the speaker wants to order. The sentence-ending です makes the statement polite. Thus, the linked meaning is: “our lunch set” + “as the thing to order” + “want to order” + a polite ending. Together, the utterance means “I want to order a lunch set for us.”

2. 鶏肉と魚のどちらがいいですか。

   Would you prefer chicken or fish?

   鶏肉

   chicken

   魚

   fish

   どちらがいいですか

   which would you prefer?

   More detail

   鶏肉 means chicken meat. 肉 means “meat,” and it can combine with a food name to specify the kind of meat, as in 鶏肉 “chicken” and 豚肉 “pork.” Example: 鶏肉を食べます。 — “I eat chicken.” 魚 means fish. In this sentence it names the second food choice. Example: 魚を食べます。 — “I eat fish.” どちらがいいですか asks which of two options is preferable. どちら means “which one” when the choice is between two possibilities; the more casual form is どっち. The particle が marks the option being evaluated, and いい means “good” or, in a choice question, “preferable.” ですか makes the question polite. Example: どちらがいいですか。 — “Which one would you prefer?” Together, 鶏肉と魚 presents chicken and fish as the two alternatives. と links the alternatives with “and,” while どちらがいいですか asks which one is preferable. The whole utterance therefore means “Would you prefer chicken or fish?”

3. 今日は魚のほうがよさそうです。

   Fish sounds better to me today.

   今日

   today

   魚

   fish

   のほうが

   rather; is preferable

   よさそうです

   seems good

   More detail

   今日 means “today.” In this sentence, 今日は sets today as the topic or time frame: “As for today…” The は is not included in the selected quote, but it helps frame the statement rather than naming a separate participant or object. 魚 means “fish.” It is a noun and can be used directly in comparisons or choice statements. For example: 魚を食べます。 — “I eat fish.” のほうが marks one side of a comparison as the preferred or more suitable one. Here, 魚のほうが means “fish is the preferable option” relative to another option. In the preceding question, the comparison is between chicken and fish, so this phrase identifies fish as the preferred side. The pattern Aのほうがいい commonly means “A is better/preferable,” while AよりBのほうがいい means “B is better than A.” よさそうです means “seems good” or “looks like the better choice” here. Its base adjective is いい (also よい), “good.” Before そう, this adjective uses the form よさ-, giving よさそう: “seems good.” です makes the statement polite. This そう expresses an appearance or impression based on the speaker’s judgment; it does not assert an objective fact that fish is always better. Together, 今日は魚のほうがよさそうです。 means “As for today, fish seems preferable” or naturally, “Fish sounds better to me today.” The sentence presents fish as the better-sounding option for today, with the comparison understood from the choice context.

4. ご飯と小さなおかずが一つ付きます。

   It comes with rice and one small side.

   ご飯

   rice

   小さな

   small

   おかず

   side dish

   一つ

   one

   付きます

   comes with

   More detail

   ご飯 means “rice” here. In other contexts it can also mean “a meal,” so the surrounding words determine the intended sense. Example: ご飯を食べます。— “I eat rice” or “I have a meal,” depending on context. 小さな means “small” and is placed before the noun it describes. It is a prenominal form related to 小さい, which can be used as a predicate: 小さいです。— “It is small.” Thus 小さなおかず means “a small side dish.” おかず means “side dish” or food served with rice. The initial お is part of the ordinary word as used here; it is not a quantity marker. Example: 野菜のおかず — “a vegetable side dish.” 一つ means “one” for a general item in the native Japanese counting series. Its reading is ひとつ, and it expresses one item here rather than an indefinite article. Example: りんごを一つください。— “Please give me one apple.” 付きます is the polite nonpast form of 付く. In this construction, 付く means “to come with” or “to be included,” not “to stick” or “to attach.” The nonpast form can describe a present offering or a standard feature. Example: サラダが付きます。— “A salad comes with it.” In the full sentence, ご飯と coordinates rice with 小さなおかず, while 一つ says that there is one such side dish. ご飯と小さなおかずが一つ付きます。 therefore means “It comes with rice and one small side.” The thing being accompanied is understood from the offering context; the sentence explicitly presents the rice and side dish as what comes with it.

5. どのおかずが一番よさそうですか。

   Which side looks best?

   どの

   which

   おかず

   side dish

   一番

   best; most

   よさそう

   looks good

   ですか

   polite question ending

   More detail

   どの asks “which” before a noun. It selects one item from a set known in the situation; it does not itself state how many items there are. Pattern: どの + noun — “which noun?” おかず means a side dish or accompaniment to rice. In this utterance it is the noun selected by どの, so どのおかず means “which side dish.” The form おかず is already the ordinary noun form here; it is not an inflected form of the nearby words. 一番 means “most” or “best” when it marks the highest degree in a comparison. Here it makes よさそう the strongest-looking option among the relevant side dishes. A reusable pattern is 一番 + adjective-like expression, as in 一番大きい (“the biggest”). よさそう combines よさ, the form of いい／よい used before this ending, with そう, which expresses an appearance or impression based on what seems observable. Thus よさそう means “looks good” or “seems good,” rather than directly asserting that the dish is objectively good. The form is irregular: いい becomes よさそう, not いそう. Example: この料理はおいしそうです。 — “This dish looks delicious.” ですか makes the utterance a polite question. In this sentence it follows the preceding expression and asks for a choice or evaluation politely; it does not supply the meaning “best” by itself. Together, どのおかず asks which side dish is being selected, 一番 asks for the highest degree, and よさそうですか asks which one appears best. The complete meaning is: “Which side dish looks best?”

6. 野菜は新鮮で、シンプルな感じです。

   The vegetables look fresh and simple.

   野菜

   vegetables

   新鮮で

   fresh, and

   シンプルな

   simple

   感じ

   impression; feel

   です

   is

   More detail

   野菜 is the noun “vegetables.” Japanese nouns normally do not mark singular versus plural, so this form can refer to vegetables as a group or to vegetable(s), depending on context. The は after it marks the topic: “as for the vegetables …”. 新鮮で means “fresh, and” here. Its base form is the な-adjective 新鮮だ (“be fresh”); 新鮮で is the connective form used to link this description to what follows. For example, 魚は新鮮です。 means “The fish is fresh.” シンプルな is the attributive form of the な-adjective シンプルだ. The な lets it modify the following noun, as in シンプルな料理 (“a simple dish”). In this sentence it modifies 感じ, rather than directly functioning as the sentence-ending predicate. 感じ is a noun meaning “feeling,” “impression,” or “general character.” シンプルな感じ therefore means “a simple feel” or “an impression of being simple.” A reusable pattern is 〜な感じがします, “〜 feels/seems …”; for example, 静かな感じがします。 means “It feels quiet.” です is the polite copula at the end of the sentence. Here it makes the noun phrase シンプルな感じ the polite predicate: “is a simple feel” or, more naturally in English, “has a simple feel.” Together, 野菜は sets the vegetables as the topic, 新鮮で adds the first description, and シンプルな感じです says that they have a simple character or impression. Thus the whole utterance naturally means, “The vegetables look fresh and simple.”

7. 野菜を選びましょう。

   Let's choose the vegetables.

   野菜

   vegetables

   選びましょう

   let’s choose

   More detail

   野菜 means “vegetables” here. It is a noun and can be used for vegetables generally or for a particular set understood from the situation. The particle を follows it and marks it as the direct object of the action: 野菜を選ぶ means “choose vegetables.” 選びましょう means “let’s choose.” The base verb is 選ぶ (“to choose”); 選びましょう is its polite volitional form, used to suggest a joint action. The ending ましょう can also be used for a polite proposal such as 始めましょう (“let’s begin”). This form presents the action as a proposal, not as a statement that someone is already choosing. Together, 野菜を選びましょう means “Let’s choose the vegetables.” Japanese places the object before the verb: 野菜を identifies what will be chosen, and 選びましょう makes the polite proposal to choose it. The sentence is suitable for a polite, cooperative suggestion.

8. 今、注文できます。

   I can place the order now.

   今

   now

   注文

   order

   できます

   can do; is possible

   More detail

   今 means “now,” referring to the present time. It can also be placed elsewhere in a sentence when the intended time contrast is clear. Example: 今、行きます。 — “I’m going now.” 注文 means an order, especially an order for goods or food. It is also used in the reusable pattern 注文する — “to place an order.” In this utterance, 注文 combines with できます to express the ability or possibility of ordering. できます is the polite nonpast form of できる, “can” or “be possible.” The form does not change for the speaker’s person or number; the context identifies who can do the action. Here, the fixed translation identifies the speaker as the person able to place the order. Example: 予約できます。 — “I can make a reservation.” Together, 注文できます means “can place an order” or “am able to order.” Japanese often leaves the subject unstated when it is understood. With 今, the complete utterance means “I can place the order now.”