Checking a Restaurant Order | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 料理が出てくる前に、注文を確認してもよろしいでしょうか。

   Could we review our order before the food comes out?

   料理

   food; dish

   出てくる

   come out; be served

   前に

   before

   注文

   order

   確認

   confirmation; check

   してもよろしいでしょうか

   would it be all right to do so?

   More detail

   料理 means “food” or “dish” here. It is a noun; for example, 料理を作ります means “I make a dish.” 出てくる means “come out” and, in this sentence, “be served.” It combines 出る “go out/come out” with くる “come,” presenting something as coming into the relevant situation or viewpoint. The form 出てくる is non-past, so it describes the food coming out as a future event relative to the checking. 前に means “before.” The noun or clause before 前に names the event that must happen later: 料理が出てくる前に means “before the food comes out.” The particle が marks 料理 as the subject of 出てくる. 注文 means “order,” as in an order placed for food. In 注文を確認, the particle を marks the order as what is being checked. 確認 means “confirmation” or “checking.” With する, it forms the verb 確認する, “to confirm/check.” Here, 確認して is its te-form: the する part changes to して so the verb can connect to the permission pattern that follows. For example, 注文を確認します means “I check the order.” してもよろしいでしょうか is a formal, softened way to ask whether doing something is acceptable. It consists of the te-form して, も in the “even if/if I do it” permission pattern, よろしい “acceptable,” and でしょうか, which makes a tentative question. The same reusable pattern is V-てもよろしいでしょうか, meaning “Would it be all right if I V?” For example, ここに座ってもよろしいでしょうか means “Would it be all right if I sat here?” Together, 料理が出てくる前に sets the time relation—before the food is served—and 注文を確認してもよろしいでしょうか asks permission to check the order. The complete utterance therefore means, “Could we review our order before the food comes out?” The Japanese does not state the subject directly; the fixed translation supplies the intended “we.”

2. 何を確認したいですか。

   What would you like to confirm?

   何を

   what (as the object)

   確認

   confirm; check

   したいですか

   would you like to do…?

   More detail

   何を means “what” as the thing being acted on. 何 is the question word “what,” and を marks the direct object of the action. A useful contrast is 何が (“what” as the subject), but here the question asks what the listener wants to confirm. 確認 means “confirmation” or “checking” here. It is commonly used with する to make the verb 確認する, “to confirm” or “to check.” For example, 予約を確認する means “check the reservation.” The noun 確認 itself is not the inflected verb; する supplies the verb meaning. したいですか asks politely whether someone wants to do something. The underlying verb is する; its stem し combines with たい to make したい, “want to do.” The た-looking part in したい is not the past-tense form した; it is part of the form expressing desire. ですか makes the question polite. For example, 休みたいですか。 means “Do you want to rest?” Together, 何を確認したいですか。 has the pattern 何を + verb-desire form + ですか: “What do you want to confirm?” In the fixed translation, the polite English wording “What would you like to confirm?” conveys the same question. The surrounding restaurant context makes this a suitable way to ask which part of the order the listener wants to check.

3. 私は、辛いものではなく、辛さ控えめのものをお願いしました。

   I asked for the mild version, not the spicy one.

   私は

   I; as for me

   辛い

   spicy

   もの

   thing; item

   ではなく

   not ... but ...

   辛さ控えめ

   mild in spiciness

   もの

   thing; item

   お願いしました

   asked for

   More detail

   私は marks 私 (“I”) as the topic, with は presenting the sentence from that person’s perspective. The topic marker does not itself mean “as for me” in every translation; here the intended actor is the speaker identified as “I.” 辛い means “spicy” here. It is an i-adjective, and its attributive form can directly modify a noun: 辛いもの means “a spicy item/version.” This word can also mean “painful” or “difficult” in other contexts, so the surrounding noun and the fixed translation establish the food-related sense here. もの is a noun meaning a thing or item. In 辛いもの, it stands for the food item or version characterized as spicy. The same form can refer to other kinds of things in other contexts; it does not itself mean “food” specifically. ではなく connects the first option to a rejection of it: Xではなく、Y means “not X, but Y.” This is the negative connective form of the copular pattern, and it contrasts 辛いもの with the item requested afterward. It is not a standalone replacement for the following noun; the contrast is completed by the later phrase. 辛さ控えめ means “with restrained spiciness” or “mild in spiciness.” 辛さ is the noun “spiciness,” formed from the adjective 辛い with -さ, which turns a quality into a measurable or describable property. 控えめ means restrained or moderate, so the compound describes an item whose spiciness is kept low. This is a description of the second item, not a statement that the item contains no spiciness. The second もの again means “item” or “version.” Together, 辛さ控えめのもの means “the item/version with mild spiciness.” Here の links the descriptive noun phrase 辛さ控えめ to もの. お願いしました is the polite past form of お願いする, used here to say “asked for” or “requested.” The ました ending marks a completed action in polite style. The noun お願い is part of this established verb expression; it is not the adjective 辛い or a form of もの. In the pattern Xをお願いします, a speaker can request X; in this sentence, the requested item is expressed as 辛さ控えめのもの. Putting the parts together, 私は identifies the speaker, 辛いものではなく rejects the spicy item, and 辛さ控えめのものをお願いしました states that the speaker requested the mild-spiciness item. The complete meaning is: “I asked for the mild version, not the spicy one.”

4. 厨房に確認してみます。

   Let me check that with the kitchen.

   厨房

   kitchen

   確認してみます

   I’ll try checking

   More detail

   厨房 means “kitchen,” especially the kitchen or food-preparation area in a restaurant. The form is a noun and does not itself specify a particular person working there. 確認してみます combines 確認する (“to check” or “confirm”) with 〜てみる (“try doing ...”) and polite ます. 確認する is the dictionary form; 確認して is its て-form, which links it to みる. The construction 〜てみる presents an action as an attempt or something the speaker will try: 食べてみます means “I’ll try eating it.” Here, みます is the polite non-past form of みる; in this context it naturally refers to a check the speaker is about to make. The object of the check is not stated in the Japanese sentence, but the fixed translation supplies “that,” understood from the situation. Together, 厨房に identifies the kitchen as the destination or party being contacted with the particle に, and 確認してみます says that the speaker will try to check or confirm the matter there. Thus the whole utterance means “Let me check that with the kitchen.”

5. 私は、付け合わせが一番心配です。

   The side dish is the part I am most worried about.

   私は

   as for me

   付け合わせ

   side dish

   一番

   most

   心配です

   am worried

   More detail

   私は sets the topic: “as for me” or “I.” は marks what the sentence is about, while 私 is the first-person pronoun. The form does not identify a particular person beyond the speaker. 付け合わせ means “side dish” here. It is a noun for an accompanying dish served with a main dish. Example: 付け合わせを選びます。 — “I’ll choose the side dish.” 一番 means “the most” or “the number one in degree.” Here it marks 心配 as the highest degree among the speaker’s concerns. It can also be used in patterns such as 一番好き (“like best”). 心配です means “am worried” here. 心配 expresses concern or worry, and です gives the sentence a polite form. The useful pattern is Nが心配です — “I am worried about N.” A related contrast is 安心です, “I feel relieved” or “it is reassuring,” which expresses the opposite state. Together, 付け合わせが一番心配です says that the side dish is the thing causing the speaker the greatest concern. With the topic 私は, the complete utterance means: “The side dish is the part I am most worried about.” The preceding context supports this as a concern the speaker intends to check with the kitchen, while the sentence itself does not state the specific problem with the side dish.

6. 注文が正しく準備されるように、分かりやすいメモを追加できます。

   I can add a clear note so the order is prepared correctly.

   注文

   order

   正しく

   correctly

   準備される

   be prepared

   ように

   so that

   分かりやすい

   clear; easy to understand

   メモ

   note

   追加できます

   can add

   More detail

   注文 means “order” here, specifically the order that should be prepared. It is a noun and can be reused in compounds such as 注文内容 (“order details”) or in 注文する (“to order”). 正しく means “correctly.” It is the adverbial form of the i-adjective 正しい (“correct”). The ending -く lets an i-adjective describe how an action is performed: 正しい → 正しく. 準備される means “be prepared.” The base verb is 準備する (“prepare”); 準備される is its passive form, so the order is presented as the thing being prepared. In this sentence, the passive form focuses on the order’s proper preparation rather than naming who prepares it. ように connects the desired result or purpose to the preceding clause: “so that …” or “in order that …”. The pattern Xように、Y is useful when Y is done with the aim that X will happen or be possible. Here, 正しく準備されるように means “so that it will be prepared correctly.” 分かりやすい means “clear” or “easy to understand.” It is an i-adjective formed from 分かる (“understand”) with -やすい, which expresses ease of doing something. For example, 分かりやすい説明 means “an easy-to-understand explanation.” メモ means “note” or “memo.” It is a noun; メモを書く means “write a note,” while メモを追加する means “add a note.” 追加できます means “can add.” The base verb is 追加する (“add”), and 追加できる is its potential form, expressing ability or possibility. 追加できます is the polite non-past form, so it can mean “I can add” or “you can add” depending on the subject supplied by context. The sentence’s translation supports “I can add.” Together, 分かりやすいメモを追加できます means “I can add a clear note,” with を marking the note as what is added. The purpose clause 注文が正しく準備されるように comes first: 注文が marks the order as the thing being prepared, and 正しく describes the manner of preparation. Thus the whole utterance means: “I can add a clear note so the order is prepared correctly.”

7. それは助かります。私たちは、注文どおりの料理をいただきたいだけです。

   That helps. We just want the meal to match our order.

   それは

   That (topic)

   助かります

   helps; is helpful

   私たちは

   we; as for us

   注文どおり

   as ordered

   料理

   meal; dish

   いただきたい

   want to have

   だけです

   just; only

   More detail

   それは sets “that” as the topic. Here, with the preceding offer to add a clear note, it points to that helpful action or proposal. それ is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that”; は marks the topic. 助かります comes from 助かる, “to be helped” or “to be saved,” in polite non-past form. In this sentence, the result is that the speaker finds the preceding action helpful. The polite form is useful in service interactions: 助かります = “That helps.” 私たちは means “as for us” or “we.” 私たち is the first-person plural expression, and は marks it as the topic. This explicitly presents the speakers as the people whose preference follows. 注文どおり combines 注文 (“order”) with どおり (“in accordance with; just as”). The pattern N + どおり means “as N says/specifies” or “in the manner of N.” Example: 予定どおり進みました。 — “It proceeded as scheduled.” 料理 means “food,” “a dish,” or “a meal,” depending on context. Here the fixed translation supports “the meal” as the food being requested. In the sentence, 料理を marks it as what the speakers want to have; を is outside the selected phrase quote. いただきたい is built from いただく plus たい: いただく → いただきたい. いただく can mean “receive” and, in a meal context, “eat” or “have” in a humble/polite expression. The ending たい expresses wanting to do something, so this form means “want to have/eat.” It is the speakers’ desired action here, not a command to someone else. だけです adds the limiting meaning “only” or “just.” The pattern X だけです means “it is just X” or “we only X.” It limits the request to the action expressed before it: they want to have the meal as ordered, without adding another stated request. Together, 注文どおりの料理 means “the meal/dish as ordered”: の links the specification 注文どおり to 料理. 料理をいただきたい means “want to have the meal,” and だけです narrows this to “just want to have the meal.” With 私たちは, the whole utterance means: “That helps. We just want the meal to match our order.”

8. 分かりました。料理が届く前に確認したほうがよいですね。

   I understand. It is better to check before the food arrives.

   分かりました

   I understand

   料理

   food; dish

   届く

   to arrive

   前に

   before

   確認したほうがよい

   it is better to check

   ですね

   right?; isn’t it?

   More detail

   分かりました is the polite past form of 分かる “to understand.” Here it means “I understand” or “Understood,” acknowledging the point just made. The polite form is useful in service or other respectful conversation; the past form presents the understanding as reached. 料理 means “food” or “a dish/meal.” It is a noun and can refer to food as a prepared dish, not only to the general concept of cooking. Example: 料理を注文します。 — “I will order a meal.” 届く is the dictionary form “to arrive” or “to be delivered.” It is an intransitive verb: the food is the thing that arrives, rather than something directly taking an object in this form. Example: 荷物が届く。 — “The package arrives.” In this sentence, 料理が届く means “the food arrives.” 前に means “before” when it follows an event or action. The pattern [event in plain form] + 前に expresses that the next action happens earlier: 出かける前に確認します。 — “I check before going out.” Here, 届く前に is “before the food arrives.” 確認したほうがよい recommends checking. 確認する is the verb “to check” or “to confirm”; its past form is 確認した, and たほうがよい uses that form in the pattern “it is better to do …” or “you should probably do ….” This is advice, not an unavoidable requirement. Example: 名前を確認したほうがよいです。 — “It is better to check the name.” ですね is a sentence-ending form that seeks or signals shared acknowledgment, often like “right?” or “isn’t it?” Its exact force depends on context; here it softens the recommendation and presents it as something the speaker expects the listener to agree with. Together, 料理が届く前に sets the time condition, “before the food arrives,” and 確認したほうがよいですね gives the recommendation, “it is better to check, right?” The complete utterance is therefore: “I understand. It is better to check before the food arrives.”

9. 料理が出される前に、注文を確認していただけますか。

   Could you confirm the order before the food is served?

   料理

   food; dish

   出される

   be served

   前に

   before

   注文

   order

   確認

   check; confirmation

   していただけますか

   could you please do ...?

   More detail

   料理 means food or a dish in this sentence. It is a noun and can be used in reusable compounds such as 料理店 (restaurant) and 料理する (to cook). Example: 料理を作ります。 — “I will make a dish.” 出される means “be served” here. Its base verb is 出す (to serve, put out, or take out), and 出される is its passive, nonpast form: the food is the thing being served. The passive form does not itself specify who serves it. Example: 料理が出されました。 — “The food was served.” 前に expresses “before” when it follows a noun or a clause. Here, 料理が出される is the clause before 前に, so the pattern is [event] 前に = “before [event].” Example: 寝る前に歯を磨きます。 — “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” 注文 means an order, especially a customer’s food order in this context. It is a noun and can also combine with する: 注文する means “to order.” Example: 注文を確認します。 — “I will check the order.” 確認 means checking or confirmation. With する, 確認する means “to check” or “to confirm”; in this sentence, the object of that action is 注文. Example: 内容を確認してください。 — “Please check the contents.” していただけますか is a polite request pattern. Here, して is the te-form of する, and いただけますか asks whether the listener can graciously do that action for the speaker. With 確認 immediately before it, 確認していただけますか means “Could you please confirm?” This is more deferential than a plain request such as 確認してください. Example: 名前を教えていただけますか。 — “Could you please tell me your name?” Together, 料理が出される前に sets the time as “before the food is served.” 注文を確認していただけますか asks the listener to confirm the order politely. The complete utterance therefore means: “Could you confirm the order before the food is served?”

10. 今確認して、変更が必要な点があればお伝えします。

    Let me check now and tell you if anything needs changing.

    今

    now

    確認して

    check; confirm

    変更

    change

    必要な

    necessary; needed

    点

    point; aspect

    あれば

    if there is; if there are

    お伝えします

    will tell you; will inform you

    More detail

    今 means “now” here and commonly sets the time for the following action. Example: 今行きます。 = “I’m going now.” 確認して comes from 確認する, “to check” or “to confirm.” The ending -て links this action to what follows: 確認して、伝えます means “check, and then tell [someone].” In this sentence, 確認して is not a command; the polite form appears later in お伝えします. 変更 is a noun meaning “change” or “modification.” It can also combine with する: 変更する = “to change” or “to modify.” Here it is part of 変更が必要な点, referring to points that require modification. 必要な means “necessary” or “needed.” The base adjective is 必要だ; before a noun, it takes な: 必要な変更 = “a necessary change.” The な belongs to 必要, not to the noun that follows. 点 literally means “point,” and in this context it means a particular point, aspect, or matter. 変更が必要な点 therefore means “points/aspects that need changing.” The relative clause 変更が必要な comes before the noun it describes, as is normal in Japanese. あれば is the conditional form of ある, “to exist” or “to be present.” In 変更が必要な点があれば, it means “if there are points that need changing” or, naturally, “if anything needs changing.” The condition is formed with -ば: あれば = “if there is/are.” The form itself does not specify a number. お伝えします means “will tell you” or “will inform you” here. It is the polite form of the humble expression お伝えする, used for the speaker’s act of conveying information. Japanese leaves the subject and recipient unstated in this sentence; the fixed translation identifies the intended action as telling the listener. Together, 今確認して means “I’ll check now,” 変更が必要な点があれば means “if there is anything that needs changing,” and お伝えします means “I’ll tell you.” The complete utterance is: “Let me check now and tell you if anything needs changing.”