Clarifying dietary restrictions before ordering | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 一人のお客様に食事制限があるので、注文前に詳しい情報が必要です。

   One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.

   一人のお客様

   one guest

   食事制限

   dietary restriction

   あるので

   because there is

   注文前

   before ordering

   詳しい

   detailed; clear

   情報

   information

   必要です

   is needed

   More detail

   一人のお客様 means “one guest” here. 一人 is the Japanese counter expression for one person; it is not an indefinite article. お客様 is a polite term for a customer or guest. The following に marks the person associated with the condition in the pattern Xに Yがある: a condition exists for X. 食事制限 is a compound noun meaning “dietary restriction.” 食事 relates to food or meals, and 制限 means restriction or limitation. Here it refers to the guest’s restriction. あるので expresses “because there is” or, with an abstract condition, “because someone has.” ある is used for nonliving things and abstract conditions such as a restriction; いる is used for people and animals. ので connects this reason to the result with an explanatory “because” or “since.” 注文前 means “before ordering.” 注文 means ordering, and 前 means “before” in this time expression. A reusable pattern is N前に (“before N”), as in 出発前に (“before departure”). 詳しい is an i-adjective meaning “detailed” or “specific.” In 詳しい情報, it describes information that provides sufficient detail; the fixed translation’s “clear” conveys the intended usefulness here. Its attributive form is 詳しい, so 詳しい情報 means “detailed information.” 情報 means “information.” Here it refers to the relevant details needed for handling the order, not information in general. 必要です means “is needed” or “is necessary.” 必要 functions here as a noun-like な-adjective, and です makes the predicate polite. A noun can be described with 必要な, as in 必要な情報 (“necessary information”); in 情報が必要です, the noun is followed by が, and 必要です states that it is necessary. Putting the parts together, 一人のお客様に食事制限があるので gives the reason: “because one guest has a dietary restriction.” 注文前に sets the time limit, “before ordering,” and 詳しい情報が必要です states the result, “clear information is needed.” The complete meaning is: “One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.”

2. 材料を一覧にできます。

   We can list the ingredients.

   材料

   ingredients

   一覧

   list

   できます

   can make possible; can do

   More detail

   材料 means “ingredients” here. Its basic meaning is material or ingredient; the intended sense is the ingredients relevant to the meal. It is a noun, so 材料を marks it as the object of the action. Example: 材料を確認します。—“I check the ingredients.” 一覧 means a list or overview. In 一覧にする / 一覧にできる, it describes the result: “make something into a list” / “be able to list something.” It is a noun used with に to mark the resulting form or state. Example: 商品を一覧にします。—“I put the products into a list.” できます is the polite nonpast form of できる. Here it expresses ability or feasibility: “can do” or “can make possible,” not a completed past action. The relevant pattern is Xを一覧にできます: “can list X.” Japanese does not show the subject’s person or number in this verb, so the “we” in the fixed translation is supplied by the intended context rather than by the form itself. Example: 今日中に準備できます。—“We can prepare it by today.” Together, 材料を marks the ingredients being handled, 一覧に indicates that they are organized into list form, and できます politely states that this is possible. The full utterance means “We can list the ingredients.”

3. ただ、調理スペースは共用だとお伝えしておくべきです。

   But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.

   ただ

   but; however

   調理スペース

   prep area

   共用

   shared

   だと

   that it is

   お伝えしておくべきです

   should mention it beforehand

   More detail

   ただ introduces a contrast with what was said before. Here it sets up “but,” so the speaker adds an important qualification rather than changing the earlier statement. Example: ただ、今日は休みです。— “However, today is a day off.” 調理スペース is a compound noun: 調理 means “cooking or food preparation,” and スペース means “space.” In this sentence it refers to the prep area or areas. Japanese nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural, so the form itself does not specify whether there is one area or more than one. Example: 調理スペースを掃除します。— “I clean the prep area.” 共用 means “shared” or “for common use.” It describes a space or facility used by multiple people rather than reserved for one person. 共用のキッチン means “a shared kitchen.” だと combines the copula だ with quotative と. After 調理スペースは共用, it packages the proposition “the prep space is shared” as the content of what is communicated. The と here is not the “and” particle; it marks quoted or reported content. A reusable pattern is XはYだと伝える: “tell someone that X is Y.” お伝えしておくべきです contains several useful pieces. 伝える means “to convey or tell,” and お伝えする is a humble form used when presenting the speaker’s action respectfully. The て-form in お伝えしておく connects it to おく. Vておく means doing something in advance or making sure it is done for a later situation; here, the speaker should communicate the information beforehand. べきだ expresses what is advisable or expected, and べきです is its polite form. Thus お伝えしておくべきです means that the speaker should make sure to mention it in advance, not that the sentence merely reports an action already completed. Putting the parts together, ただ marks a contrast, 調理スペースは共用だと identifies the information being communicated, and お伝えしておくべきです says that the speaker ought to communicate that information beforehand. The complete meaning is: “But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.”

4. それなら助かります。お客様がどの程度のリスクなら受け入れられるか判断できます。

   That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.

   それなら

   if that is the case; then

   助かります

   that helps

   お客様

   guest; customer

   どの程度

   what level; to what extent

   リスク

   risk

   受け入れられる

   can accept

   判断できます

   can decide; can judge

   More detail

   それなら responds to a stated situation with “if that is the case” or “then.” なら is the conditional form used with それ here, making this a reusable way to connect a conclusion to the preceding situation. 助かります is the polite nonpast form of 助かる. In this utterance it means “that helps” or “that is helpful.” The ending ます makes the statement polite. お客様 means “the guest” here. It is a respectful form for a customer or guest; お and 様 contribute respectful wording. This form does not itself specify gender or number. どの程度 asks about degree or extent: “to what extent” or “what level.” The pattern どの程度の + noun asks about the level or extent of that noun, as in どの程度のリスク (“what level of risk”). どのくらい is a related, often more conversational expression for “how much” or “how far.” リスク is the noun “risk.” Here it is the thing whose acceptable level is being determined. The reusable pattern is どの程度の + noun for asking about a noun’s degree or level. 受け入れられる comes from 受け入れる (“to accept”). In this sentence it is the potential form, meaning “can accept”; the guest is understood as the one who can accept the risk level. Japanese 受け入れられる can also serve as a passive form in other contexts, but that is not the intended reading here. For example, この条件を受け入れられます means “I can accept these conditions.” 判断できます is the polite form of 判断できる, from 判断する (“to judge; to determine”): 判断する → 判断できる → 判断できます. It expresses ability to make a determination. Here お客様が marks the guest as the subject of this predicate. The clause どの程度のリスクなら受け入れられるか is an embedded question asking what level of risk the guest can accept. なら links the condition “if it is that level of risk” to the result 受け入れられる, and か marks the embedded question. The guest is explicitly the one who can decide, and is also understood as the relevant agent of “can accept” within this embedded question. Together, それなら助かります means “That helps.” The following clause says that the guest can determine what level of risk they can accept. The full utterance is: “That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.”

5. 推測で済ませずに、キッチンに一つ一つの材料を確認してもらいます。

   I'll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.

   推測

   guessing; inference

   済ませずに

   without settling for it

   キッチン

   kitchen

   一つ一つ

   each one individually

   材料

   ingredient; component

   確認してもらいます

   will have someone check

   More detail

   推測 means “guessing” or “inference” here. It is a noun that can be used with する to form 推測する, “to guess/infer.” For example: 推測で答えない。— “Don’t answer by guessing.” 済ませずに comes from 済ませる, “to finish” or “settle something,” in the negative connective form. The pattern Vずに means “without doing V”; here, 推測で済ませずに means “without settling the matter by guessing.” This form is more formal than Vないで, which can express the same general pattern. キッチン means “the kitchen.” In this sentence, キッチンに marks the party being asked to perform the check, yielding “ask the kitchen” or, more naturally in English, “have the kitchen check.” The particle に can mark the person or group from whom a favor is received in a Vてもらう construction. 一つ一つ means “one by one” or “each individually.” Repetition gives the idea of treating the items separately rather than as one group. For example: 部品を一つ一つ調べる。— “Inspect the components one by one.” 材料 means “ingredient” or “component” in this context. The pattern 一つ一つの材料 means “each individual ingredient.” 材料 can also refer more broadly to material or a component, so the fixed translation’s “component” is compatible with this use. 確認してもらいます combines 確認する, “to check or confirm,” with Vて＋もらう. The latter presents the speaker as receiving the benefit of someone else’s action, so 確認してもらいます means “I will have someone check” or “I will ask someone to check.” 確認して is the て-form of 確認する, and もらいます is the polite form of もらう. It is not the simple verb “check” by itself. Together, 推測で済ませずに sets the alternative aside: “instead of settling for guessing.” キッチンに identifies the kitchen as the party whose help is requested, and 一つ一つの材料を確認してもらいます says that the kitchen will check each ingredient individually. Thus the whole utterance means: “I’ll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.”

6. ソースやトッピングも含めてください。見落としやすいので。

   Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.

   ソース

   sauce

   トッピング

   topping

   も含めてください

   please include ... too

   見落としやすい

   easy to overlook

   ので

   because; since

   More detail

   ソース means “sauce.” It is a loanword written in katakana. In this sentence it refers to sauces as items that should be included in the check or request. トッピング means “topping,” also a katakana loanword. Together with ソース, it names another category of item to include. The two nouns are joined by や, which lists examples rather than necessarily giving an exhaustive list. も含めてください means “please include … too.” The verb is 含める (“to include”), and 含めて is its て-form. Adding ください to this form makes a polite request. も adds these items to something already under consideration: “include sauces and toppings as well.” A reusable pattern is Nも含めてください = “Please include N too.” 見落としやすい means “easy to overlook.” It combines 見落とす (“to overlook; to miss”) with 〜やすい (“easy to …”). The form before 〜やすい is the verb stem: 見落とし + やすい. This pattern describes something that tends to be easy for people to do, not an action that is happening at this moment. For example, この小さい文字は見落としやすい。 means “This small print is easy to overlook.” ので connects a reason to what comes before or after it and means “because” or “since.” Here, 見落としやすいので gives the reason for the request. Compared with the more direct から, ので commonly presents the reason in a relatively explanatory, gentle way. As a whole, ソースやトッピングも含めてください。見落としやすいので。 means “Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.” The first sentence makes the request; the short sentence ending in ので supplies its reason. In the supplied context, それら refers back to these sauces and toppings, so the explanation concerns checking them separately as well.

7. それらも別々に確認してもらいます。

   I'll make sure they check those separately.

   それらも

   those too

   別々に

   separately

   確認してもらいます

   I'll have someone check

   More detail

   それらも refers to “those” in the intended context: the items just mentioned, such as sauces and toppings, and も adds them to the checking request. それら is a plural demonstrative pronoun, while も means “also/too” here. Example: これらも必要です。 — “These are also necessary.” 別々に means that the items will be checked separately rather than as one combined group. It is an adverb, so it describes how the checking is done. Example: 二つを別々に確認します。 — “I will check the two separately.” 確認してもらいます contains 確認する “to check/confirm” in its て-form, 確認して, followed by もらいます, the polite nonpast form of もらう. The pattern 〜て もらう presents the speaker as arranging for or receiving the benefit of someone else doing the action; in this sentence, the intended meaning is that the speaker will have someone check the items. The polite form is もらいます; the plain form is もらう. Example: 担当者に確認してもらいます。 — “I’ll have the person in charge check it.” Together, それらも identifies the additional items, 別々に specifies that each is handled separately, and 確認してもらいます says that the speaker will arrange for someone to check them. Thus the complete utterance means, “I’ll make sure they check those separately.”

8. そうすれば、そのお客様にプレッシャーをかけずに、みんなが注文できます。

   Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.

   その

   that; the

   お客様

   guest; customer

   More detail

   そうすれば means “if that is so” or, in this context, “then.” そう points back to an understood action or situation, and -ば makes a conditional. This form connects that condition to the result that follows. Example: そうすれば、間に合います。 — “If you do that, you’ll be on time.” その is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or “the.” It comes before the noun it modifies. Japanese demonstratives distinguish viewpoints and discourse reference in several ways; その can identify something associated with the listener or something already identifiable from the context. Here, the fixed translation supports “the guest.” お客様 means “guest” or “customer” here. 客 is the noun meaning “guest” or “customer,” while 様 is an honorific suffix and お- is an honorific prefix. Together, お客様 is a respectful way to refer to the person. The fixed translation supports “guest” in this utterance. プレッシャー is the loanword “pressure.” In this sentence it occurs in the reusable expression プレッシャーをかける, literally “apply pressure,” meaning “put pressure on someone.” The particle を marks プレッシャー as what is applied. かけずに means “without applying.” It uses the negative ずに form of かける, “to apply” in this expression, and -ずに connects an action that is not done to another action, meaning “without doing.” The reusable pattern is V-ずに + result. Example: 急がずに話します。 — “I’ll speak without hurrying.” Here, かけずに combines with the preceding プレッシャーを as プレッシャーをかけずに, “without putting pressure.” みんな means “everyone” or “everybody.” It is a general word for all the relevant people; the sentence does not specify their individual identities. Example: みんなが来ました。 — “Everyone came.” The particle が marks みんな as the subject of the following predicate. 注文できます means “can order.” The lexical verb is 注文する, “to order.” Its potential form is 注文できる, and 注文できます is the polite form of that predicate: でき plus ます. Here, できる expresses ability or possibility, while ます makes the predicate polite. Example: ここで注文できます。 — “You can order here.” Together, そうすれば sets up the condition: “Then” or “If that is so.” そのお客様に identifies the person receiving the pressure, with に marking that target. プレッシャーをかけずに adds the condition “without putting pressure on [that guest].” Finally, みんなが注文できます says that everyone can order. The whole utterance is therefore: “Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.”

9. 詳しい情報が分かったら、戻ってきて順に説明します。

   Once I have the details, I'll come back and walk you through them.

   詳しい

   detailed

   情報

   information

   分かったら

   once I know

   戻ってきて

   come back

   順に

   in order

   説明します

   explain

   More detail

   詳しい means “detailed” here and modifies 情報. It is an i-adjective, so it can directly modify a noun. Its predicate form is also 詳しい; in polite speech, 詳しいです means “is detailed.” The negative is 詳しくない (“is not detailed”). Example: 詳しい説明 means “a detailed explanation.” 情報 means “information.” It is a noun and can combine with adjectives or other nouns: 必要な情報 means “necessary information.” Here, it is the detailed information that the speaker will learn and later explain. 分かったら means “once I know” or “once I find out.” Its base verb is 分かる, meaning “become known” or “understand”; 分かった is its past form, and adding ら creates a conditional or time condition. Thus 分かったら makes learning the information the condition for what follows. The speaker is the understood subject in the fixed translation. Example: 分かったら教えてください。 means “Please tell me once you know.” 戻ってきて means “come back,” and it also links to the next action. It is the te-form of 戻ってくる, a compound meaning “return and come back.” The 戻って part comes from 戻る, “return,” while きて is the te-form of くる, “come.” The te-form can connect sequential actions: 戻ってきて説明します means “I’ll come back and explain.” 順に means “in order” or “in sequence.” 順 means “order” or “sequence,” and に marks the manner in which the explaining is done. It indicates an organized progression without specifying a number of items. Example: 順に読んでください。 means “Please read them in order.” 説明します means “explain.” The base verb is 説明する; 説明します is its polite nonpast form. Japanese nonpast can describe a future action, so here it means “I’ll explain,” not only “I explain.” The ます ending makes the statement polite. Example: 理由を説明します。 means “I’ll explain the reason.” Together, 詳しい情報が分かったら sets the condition: “once I know the details.” 戻ってきて gives the return action and links it to 順に説明します, which says that the speaker will explain the details in order. The whole utterance is: “Once I have the details, I’ll come back and walk you through them.”