{"id":27307,"date":"2023-09-07T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/?p=27307"},"modified":"2023-09-07T03:17:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T03:17:21","slug":"how-to-make-an-appointment-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-make-an-appointment-in-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make an appointment in Japanese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether it\u2019s calling your hairdresser or a dental office for your yearly dental checkup, you\u2019re going to need to make an appointment in Japanese at least a few times while living in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking on the phone in a foreign language can be stressful, especially if you don\u2019t feel confident speaking the language yet. Unfortunately, while apps and websites sometimes offer online appointments, a large portion of clinics, salons, and even restaurants still only accept them over the phone. But don’t worry, we are here to help with some need-to-know words and phrases for when you need to make an appointment in Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tokai<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The basics for making an appointment in Japanese<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word for \u201creservation\u201d or \u201cappointment\u201d in Japanese is yoyaku<\/i><\/b>, \u4e88\u7d04 and \u201cto make a reservation\/appointment\u201d is yoyaku o suru<\/i><\/b>, \u4e88\u7d04\u3092\u3059\u308b. This phrase can be used to make an appointment or reservation at any place in Japan, whether it be at the salon, clinic, or even restaurants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you call to make an appointment in Japanese, the phrase to say after the initial greeting is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoyaku o onegai shitain desu ga.
<\/i><\/b>\u4e88\u7d04\u3092\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u305f\u3044\u3093\u3067\u3059\u304c\u3002
I would like to make an appointment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201c-n desu ga\u201d combination is used to soften a request since it sounds harsh, or rough, without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoyaku shitain desu ga.
<\/i><\/b>\u4e88\u7d04\u3057\u305f\u3044\u3093\u3067\u3059\u304c\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoyaku onegaishimasu.
<\/i><\/b>\u4e88\u7d04\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we could recommend sticking to the first phrase to keep it as polite as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example: Make an appointment in Japanese at the dentist<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is just a basic guide for how making a reservation for a dental clinic may go. When you make an appointment in Japanese in reality, you need to actively listen to what the other person is saying and respond to them appropriately. Additionally, they may use different levels of politeness, so also be aware of how that will affect the words used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dentist:
\u201cHai, Go! Go! Nihon Shika-inn desu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u306f\u3044\u3001\u30b4\u30b4\u30cb\u30db\u30f3\u6b6f\u79d1\u533b\u9662\u3067\u3059\u3002
Hello, it\u2019s Go! Go! Nihon Dental office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cMoshi moshi. Sumimasen, yoyaku o onegai shitain desu ga.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u3082\u3057\u3082\u3057\u3002\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u4e88\u7d04\u3092\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u305f\u3044\u3093\u3067\u3059\u304c\u3002
Hello, I would like to make an appointment please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cHai\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u306f\u3044
Sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cKiny\u014dbi oneigashimasu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u91d1\u66dc\u65e5\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002
Friday, please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cNanji kara ga yoroshii desuka?\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u4f55\u6642\u304b\u3089\u304c\u3088\u308d\u3057\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f
What time works for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cRokuji han kara onegaishimasu\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\uff16\u6642\u534a\u304b\u3089\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002
From 6:30 please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cHai, onamae wa nan deshouka?\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u306f\u3044\u3001\u304a\u540d\u524d\u306f\u4f55\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b\uff1f
Certainly, what\u2019s your name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cAnna desu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u30a2\u30f3\u30ca\u3067\u3059\u3002
It\u2019s Anna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cOdenwabango o onegaishimasu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u304a\u96fb\u8a71\u756a\u3092\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002
Your phone number, please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cIchi-ni-san-no-<\/span>yon-go-roku-no-nana-hachi-ky\u016b\u201d
<\/i><\/b>123\u306e<\/span>456\u306e<\/span>789<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cHai, goyoyaku no kakunin o itashimasu. Kiny\u014dbi no rokuji han kara Anna-sama desu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u306f\u3044\u3001\u3054\u4e88\u7d04\u306e\u78ba\u8a8d\u3092\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\u91d1\u66dc\u65e5\u306e\uff16\u6642\u534a\u304b\u3089\u30a2\u30f3\u30ca\u69d8\u3067\u3059\u3002
Sure, I\u2019ll repeat your reservation. Friday at 6:30, for Anna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cHai, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u306f\u3044\u3001\u3088\u308d\u3057\u304f\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002
Yes, thank you very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cOmachi shite orimasu. Arigat\u014dgozaimasu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u304a\u5f85\u3061\u3057\u3066\u304a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002
We\u2019ll be waiting. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may also encounter a situation where the dental office isn\u2019t able to accommodate your appointment for your preferred day and\/or time. Here\u2019s how that conversation might go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cSumimasen, kiny\u014dbi no yoru wa yoyaku ga ippai desu. Hoka no hi wa ikaga desuka?
<\/i><\/b>\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u91d1\u66dc\u65e5\u306e\u3088\u308b\u306f\u4e88\u7d04\u304c\u3044\u3063\u3071\u3044\u3067\u3059\u3002\u4ed6\u306e\u65e5\u306f\u3044\u304b\u304c\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f
I\u2019m sorry, but reservations for Friday are full. How about another day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You:
\u201cS\u014ddesuka, ja, nichiy\u014dbi wa d\u014d desuka?
<\/i><\/b>\u305d\u3046\u3067\u3059\u304b\u3001\u3058\u3083\u3001\u65e5\u66dc\u65e5\u306f\u3069\u3046\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f
Oh really, well, how about Sunday?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental office:
\u201cHai, kekk\u014d desu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u306f\u3044\u3001\u7d50\u69cb\u3067\u3059\u3002
Yes, that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If at any point you don\u2019t understand the other person, you can ask them to repeat what they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSumimasen, m\u014d ichido itte moraemasenka?\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u3082\u3046\u4e00\u5ea6\u8a00\u3063\u3066\u3082\u3089\u3048\u307e\u305b\u3093\u304b\uff1f
Sorry, could you please repeat that for me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read our article<\/a> on other useful phrases and vocabulary for when you want to make an appointment in Japanese at the dentist or a clinic. If you need help with a specific illness or need support, try checking out Japan Healthcare Info<\/a>, or a similar service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Making other types of appointments<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No matter what you\u2019re making it for, the basic vocabulary and phrases for when you want to make an appointment in Japanese remain more or less the same. However, you may get asked some specific questions depending on what type of appointment you\u2019re making, and we would recommend studying some relevant vocabulary so you\u2019re prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when you call a hairdresser, they may ask you:
\u201cGokib\u014dno s\u0101bisu wa nan deshouka?\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u3054\u5e0c\u671b\u306e\u30b5\u30fc\u30d3\u30b9\u306f\u306a\u3093\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b?
What service would you like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing basic words like torimingu<\/i><\/b> \u30c8\u30ea\u30df\u30f3\u30b0 (trim), katto<\/i><\/b> \u30ab\u30c3\u30c8 (haircut), and hairaito <\/i><\/b>\u30cf\u30a4\u30e9\u30a4\u30c8 (highlights) would be handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a specific hairdresser you would like to book with, you can say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTanaka-san de onegaishimasu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u3067\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002
Tanaka-san, please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or if you\u2019re already at the salon and wish to make a future appointment with your specific hairdresser, you can say:
\u201cTsugi mo Tanakasan de onegaishimasu.\u201d
<\/i><\/b>\u6b21\u3082\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u3067\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002
Tanaka-san next time too, please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that when you make an appointment in Japanese it is a two-way conversation, and while it may seem scary doing it for the first time, it\u2019s better not to have a rehearsed dialogue already in your head. Instead, go into the phone call knowing the important information and how to convey that in Japanese and do your best to actively listen to what the other person is saying. You\u2019ll get the hang of it once you do it a few times and as your language skills improve!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in learning more Japanese? Why not sign up for our online 12-week beginner Japanese language course, taught by Akamonkai, one of Tokyo\u2019s largest language schools? Find out more about the course <\/b>here<\/b><\/a>.<\/b> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/a> about Japanese language and culture on our blog!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s calling your hairdresser or a dental office for your yearly dental checkup, you\u2019re going to need to make an appointment in Japanese at least a few times while living in Japan. Talking on the phone in a foreign language can be stressful, especially if you don\u2019t feel confident speaking the language yet. Unfortunately, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":27311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[402],"tags":[666],"class_list":["post-27307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","tag-language"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}