Everyone wants to enjoy their trip with what they want to eat and drink. It's one of the most important things for a great stay in Japan.
Do you want to drink your favorite coffee in a Japanese Starbucks?
Great! Here is a perfect guide on how to order drinks at Starbucks in Japanese!
How to order drinks at Starbucks in Japanese
The basic order is the same as in any other country. You tell them the size first, a beverage you want to drink, and then tell them whether you want it hot or iced.
Lastly, you can customize it if you want to add or reduce something you want!
note
In Japan, Starbucks crews don't ask your name. So, don't forget your order because they'll call it out!
Let's learn with a real conversation!
Greetings
Kon-nichiwa! Omatase-itashi-mashita!
Hello! Thank you for waiting!
Kon-nichiwa
Hello!
note
Japanese staff in any other shop say いらっしゃいませ (Welcome to our store), but Starbucks crews say こんにちは (Hello) instead of いらっしゃいませ as a greeting. It's because they want to make the customer feel at ease in Starbucks.
Let's order!
Toru-saizuno-kafemokawo, hottode-onegaishimasu.
Can I have a tall size, hot cafe mocha, please?
Toru-saizuno-kafemoka, hottodesune. Kashikorimashita!
Tall size, hot cafe mocha. I've got it!
Particles!
The particle の (no) in this case goes after the adjective to describe the beverage. So for example, a tall, caramel macchiato will be 「トールのキャラメルマキアート」“Tall no caramel macchiato.” (For the sake of clarity, we will use English words for "tall" and "caramel macchiato" etc. rather than putting them in romaji.)
The particle を (wo) connects the object with the verb. So if you want to say, “I want a tall caramel macchiato” you can say 「トールのキャラメルマキアートをお願いします」"Tall no caramel macchiato wo onegaishimasu."
But wait! We need to say whether it's hot or iced! This is where the particle で (de) comes in. The particle で (de) in this case literally translated means “in a state of.” So if you want to say “I want a tall, hot caramel macchiato” you can say 「トールのキャラメルマキアートをホットでおねがします。」"Tall no caramel macchiato wo hot de onegaishimasu."
Point
You don't have to worry about grammar so much. If you say the size, beverage, and hot or iced in Japanese pronunciation, they will understand what you want to order!
Let's tell them your favorite customization!
Ato, fomu miruku wo ome de onegai-shimasu.
Also, can I have more foamed milk, please?
Fomu miruku ome desune. Kashikomarimashita!
More foamed milk. I've got it!
Starbucks has a lot of items you can customize with. You can customize your drink for free to change the amount of foamed milk, whip cream, syrup and sauce!
if you want to add more foamed milk, whip cream, syrup or sauce, you use 多め(ome) which means more!
if you want less, you use 少なめ(sukuname) which means less.
Point
When you want to customise your drink, you say あと(ato) which means "also" at beginning of the sentence. When you say this, the Starbucks crew understands that you want to add something for your drink.
If you want to change milk type
Miruku wa mushibou ni kaetekudasai!
Could you change the milk to non-fat milk, please?
Mushibou miruku desune. Kashikomarimashita!
Non-fat milk. I've got it!
Some people say that Japan is a country that doesn't have much food for vegans. But Starbucks has vegan options!
You can change your drink's milk to soy milk or almond milk 「アーモンドミルク」if you are a vegan!
Would that be for here or to go?
Tennai de osugoshi-desuka?
Would that be for here?
Hai, tennnai de.
Yes, for here.
トールサイズのホットカフェモカで、お会計500円でございます。
Kashikomarimashita! torusaizuno hotto kafemoka-de, okaikei gohyakuende-gozaimasu.
I've got it! It's 500 yen for a tall size, hot cafe mocha.
Kurejittode onegaishimasu.
I want to pay with my credit card.
Kashikomarimashita!
Okay!
Lastly, the crew will ask you if you want to stay in the cafe or take your drink home. When you want to stay in the cafe, you can say 店内で(tennaide) which means "for here."
If you would like to take out, you can say おもちかえりで (omochi kaeride).
*When you don't understand what they said*
すみません、もう一度おねがいします！
Sumimasen, mouichido-onegaishimasu!
Excuse me, could you say that again?
Don't worry even if you couldn't catch what they said one time. You can use the phrase above to ask them again!
*If you got a wrong drink*
Omatase-itashimashita! mushibou-mirukuno-kyarameru-makiato-desu!
Thank you for waiting! This is your caramel macchiato with non-fat milk!
Sumimasen, kafemoka wo tanondanodesuga...
Excuse me, I ordered a cafe mocha...
Taihen shitsurei-itashimashita! Suguni-tsukuri-naoshimasune!
I'm so sorry! I'll make one right away!
Daijoubudesu! Onegaishimasu.
Don't worry about it! Thank you.
If you got the wrong drink or the wrong customized drink, you can use this phrase above.
When you want to ask something, you say すみません(sumimasen) which means "Excuse me" at first.
It's a really polite way to ask for something!
Let's try to order drinks in Japanese at Starbucks!
It is a big challenge when you order your drinks in a foreign language! Some people might feel nervous for their first time.
But you can enjoy your favorite drink if you use the phrases in this article☺