Eating out
Collocations, Stage 2chunk 13 of 24Food & drink
A meal out: suggesting it, finding the place packed, saying it's your treat, and remarking on a big portion.
- gohan ni ikugo out to eat
- mise ga komu(a place) gets crowded (konderu = is packed)
- gohan o ogorutreat someone to a meal
- ryou ga ooiit's a big portion
Mix-ups gohan ni iku needs no taberu. mise ga komu is said as konderu and is not mise ga aiteru (open). Treating someone is ogoru (kyou wa ogoru yo); being treated is gochisou ni naru (in People). A big portion is ryou ga ooi, not ookii.
gohan ni iku
polite gohan ni ikimasugo out to eat
ご飯に行く ごはんにいく ご飯に行きます
verbiku 行くgo; with a purpose noun + ni, go out for it (kaimono ni iku)typical 22% of gohan
trap English 'go out for dinner' pushes learners to spell it all out (yuushoku o tabe ni ikimasen ka, which is stiff) or to name the place (resutoran ni iku, which means a Western-style restaurant). Friends just say gohan ikou or gohan ikanai?, with no taberu; gohan tabe ni ikou also works.
The everyday invitation: gohan ikou (let's get food) or kondo gohan ikanai? (want to get dinner sometime?), usually without ni in casual speech. Whether it means lunch or dinner comes from context.
shigoto owattara, gohan ikanai?
Want to grab dinner after work?
仕事終わったら、ご飯行かない？
shigoto ga owattara, gohan ni ikimasen ka?
Would you like to go for dinner after work?
仕事が終わったら、ご飯に行きませんか？
kondo gohan ikou ne is often a friendly 'let's get dinner sometime', not a fixed plan. At work the polite invitation is often shokuji ni ikimasen ka. For drinks it's nomi ni iku.
Same verb: ranchi (lunch), raamen (ramen), yakiniku (grill-your-own meat), sushi (sushi)Learn alongside: gohan o taberu, gohan o tsukuru, gohan ga dekiru, gohan ga sameru, nomi ni iku (Stage 3)Main list: iku (Stage 1), -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4), -nai? (Stage 4), -ou / -you (Stage 4)
mise ga komu
polite mise ga komimasu(a place) gets crowded (konderu = is packed)
店が混む みせがこむ 店が混みます
verbkomu 混むfill up with people or traffic
trap English 'crowded' is an adjective, but Japanese uses the verb komu, said as konderu; komu alone means 'gets crowded'. hito ga ooi and ippai (full) are also fine.
Said when choosing where to eat or go. You mostly hear konderu (it's packed now) or kondeta (it was), often without ga; plain komu means 'gets crowded', as in yoru wa komu yo.
kono mise, itsumo konderu ne.
This place is always packed.
この店、いつも混んでるね。
kono omise, itsumo kondemasu ne.
This place is always packed.
このお店、いつも混んでますね。
Opposite: mise ga suiteru (not crowded). Keep it apart from mise ga aiteru (the shop is open), from mise ga aku.
Same verb: densha (train), michi (roads, traffic), eki (station), byouin (hospital)Learn alongside: michi ga komu (Stage 3), hito ga ooi (Stage 3)Main list: ippai (Stage 3), ooi (Stage 4)
gohan o ogoru
polite gohan o ogorimasutreat someone to a meal
ご飯をおごる ごはんをおごる ご飯をおごります
verbogoru おごるpay for someone else, treat
trap ogoru is the payer's verb, like 'treat'. When you are the one treated, add kureta or moratta (senpai ga ogotte kureta, senpai ni ogotte moratta); ogotta with no subject named is heard as 'I paid'.
Said when offering to pay and when telling who paid: kyou wa ogoru yo (it's on me), senpai ni gohan ogotte moratta (my senpai bought me dinner). The meal is often left out, and casual speech drops o.
tetsudatte kureta kara, kondo gohan ogoru ne.
You helped me out, so I'll buy you dinner sometime.
手伝ってくれたから、今度ご飯おごるね。
tetsudatte moratta node, kondo gohan o ogorimasu ne.
You helped me out, so I'll buy you dinner sometime.
手伝ってもらったので、今度ご飯をおごりますね。
In polite speech the usual offer is gochisou shimasu (kondo gochisou shimasu ne). To a senior, ogorasete kudasai (let me treat you) also works; the noun is ogori: kyou wa watashi no ogori.
Same verb: ranchi (lunch), koohii (coffee), ippai (a drink: ippai ogoru yo)Learn alongside: mendou o miru, osewa ni naru (Stage 3), gochisou ni naru (Stage 3)Main list: gochisousama (Stage 1), -te morau (Stage 2), -te kureru (Stage 2), -asete / -sasete (Stage 2), kondo (Stage 3)
ryou ga ooi
polite ryou ga ooi desuit's a big portion
量が多い りょうがおおい 量が多いです
adjectiveooi 多いmany, much, a lot (number or amount)typical 9% of ryou
trap English 'a big portion' leads to ookii, which is the size of a thing (ookii sara, a big plate). An amount of food is ooi or sukunai: ryou ga ooi.
Said about servings in restaurants and when sharing food: koko ryou ooi ne (the portions here are big), ryou ooi kara hanbunko shiyou (it's a lot, let's share). Casual speech drops ga, and the opposite is ryou ga sukunai.
koko no raamen, ryou ooi ne.
The ramen here comes in big portions.
ここのラーメン、量多いね。
koko no raamen wa, ryou ga ooi desu ne.
The ramen here comes in big portions.
ここのラーメンは、量が多いですね。
When ordering, ask for oomori (a large serving) or sukuname (a smaller one): gohan sukuname de onegai shimasu.
Same adjective: kazu (number: kazu ga ooi), ninzuu (headcount: ninzuu ga ooi), shigoto (work: shigoto no ryou ga ooi)Main list: ooi (Stage 4), sukunai (Stage 4), ookii (Stage 4)