Checking in at a Hotel in Japanese - Learn

Learn how to check in at a hotel in Japanese

Lesson Transcript

Do you know how to manage a hotel check-in in Japanese?

You'll learn how in just a moment.

Hi, my name is Emiri, and this is Three Step Japanese by JapanesePod101.com.

In this lesson, you'll learn about managing hotel check-ins in japanese

through a quick conversation.

Let's look at the dialogue.

As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds.

チェックインは3じからですね。

Chekkuin wa san-ji kara desu ne.

あと30ぷん、ありますね。

Ato san-juppun, arimasu ne.

あそこにラウンジがあります。

コーヒーをのみますか。

Asoko ni raunji ga arimasu. Kōhī o nomimasu ka.

そうですね。ここのおんせんはどんなおんせんですか。

Sō desu ne. Koko no onsen wa donna onsen desu ka.

しろいおゆです。おんせんは

よる12じまでですよ。

Shiroi o-yu desu. Onsen wa yoru jū ni-ji made desu yo.

Let's break it down.

チェックインは3じからですね。

Chekkuin wa san-ji kara desu ne.

チェックイン (chekkuin) is a loanword from English that means "check-in," commonly used in contexts like hotels or travel.

The particle は (wa) functions as a topic marker, indicating that the sentence is about check-in. It introduces "check-in" as the topic of the conversation.

3じ (san-ji) means "3 o’clock," specifying the time. The word から (kara) means "from" and marks the starting point for check-in.

The ending ですね (desu ne) combines です (desu), a polite copula meaning "is," with ね (ne), a sentence-ending particle that seeks confirmation or agreement from the listener. It adds the nuance of "right?" or "isn’t it?" to the sentence, making it polite and conversational.

Altogether, it's "Check-in starts at three o’clock, right?"

あと30ぷん、ありますね。

Ato san-juppun, arimasu ne.

That's 30 minutes away.

あそこにラウンジがあります。

コーヒーをのみますか。

Asoko ni raunji ga arimasu. Kōhī o nomimasu ka.

There is a lounge over there. Would you like a cup of coffee?

そうですね。ここのおんせんはどんなおんせんですか。

Sō desu ne. Koko no onsen wa donna onsen desu ka.

Yes, I would. What kind of hot spring do you have here?

しろいおゆです。おんせんはよる12じまでですよ。

Shiroi o-yu desu. Onsen wa yoru jū ni-ji made desu yo.

First is "shiroi o-yu desu." That translates to "it has milky-white water."

Next is the word おんせん (onsen), meaning "hot spring," which is the topic of the sentence. The topic marker は (wa) indicates that the statement is specifically about the hot spring.

よる (yoru) translates to "night," providing a time frame. 12じ (jū-ni ji) means "12 o’clock." In combination, they mean "midnight."

The particle まで (made) means "until" and marks the endpoint of the time. Combined with です (desu), the polite copula meaning "is," it forms a polite statement.

Finally, the sentence ends with よ (yo), a sentence-ending particle that emphasizes the information or indicates that it might be new or helpful to the listener. It adds a nuance of informing someone or ensuring they understand the statement.

Altogether, the sentences mean "It has milky-white water. The hot spring is open until midnight."

Let's look at the sentence patterns. There were two featured in the dialogue.

These patterns are the structures that all of our examples will follow.

NOUN は TIME からです｡

NOUN wa TIME kara desu.

NOUN is from TIME.

The noun is the topic of the sentence. は (wa) is the topic-marking particle that attaches to the noun to show that it’s the topic of this sentence. "TIME から" (kara) indicates that something begins at that specific time, so it means “starting from TIME.” です (desu) is a polite sentence-ending copula that means “is.”

Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern.

チェックインは3じからですね。

Chekkuin wa san-ji kara desu ne.

“Check-in starts at three o’clock, right?”

In this sentence, チェックイン (chekkuin), check-in, is the topic of the sentence being referred to, and takes the place of noun in the pattern. The time is 3じ (san-ji), “3 o’clock,” and から (kara) means “from,” so together they indicate the start time is "from 3 o'clock."

Now you can use this structure to say when something begins in Japanese!

For the next pattern, let's look at how to say until what time something will be.

NOUN は TIME までです｡

NOUN wa TIME made desu.

NOUN is until TIME.

Like the previous pattern, the pattern starts with a noun followed by は (wa), which marks the noun as the topic. Next is the time, followed by まで (made). This indicates that something continues up to that time, so it can translate as “until TIME.” です (desu) is a polite sentence-ending copula that means “is.”

Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern.

おんせんはよる12じまでですよ。

Onsen wa yoru juuni-ji made desu yo.

“The hot spring is open until midnight.”

Here, おんせん (onsen) is the noun, and よる12じ (yoru juuni-ji) is the time. よる12じ (yoru juuni-ji) means “12 o’clock at night,” and まで (made) means “until,” so together they indicate that the topic will continue until midnight.

Now you can use this structure to talk about how long something lasts in Japanese!

In addition, when you tell someone what time something starts and ends, you can combine kara and made, and make a pattern like this:

NOUN は TIME から TIME までです｡

By using this pattern, the sentence means "The noun is from Time to Time." So, if you wanted to say "The store is open from 1 to 7," this is the pattern you would use.

お店は1時から7時まで開いています。

Now let's look at some speaking examples.

パーティーはなんじからですか。

Can you see how the pattern applies also here?

Here, we begin with パーティー (pāti, “party”), the noun, and mark it as the topic of the sentence using は. We then have なんじ (nan-ji, “what time”), which will serve as the time reference. Attaching から after なんじ indicates that the party begins “from” that time onward. The ですか at the end of the sentence makes it a polite question, asking at what time the party starts.

Let's try one more,

チェックアウトは12時までです。 (Chekkuauto wa jūni-ji made desu.)

"Check-out is until twelve o'clock."

かいしゃは9じから5じまでです。

チェックアウトは12時までです。 (Chekkuauto wa jūni-ji made desu.)

"Check-out is until twelve o'clock."

かいしゃは9じから5じまでです。

One last example,

かいしゃは9じから5じまでです。 (Kaisha wa ku-ji kara go-ji made desu.)

"The office is open from 9 to 5."

かいしゃは9じから5じまでです。 (Kaisha wa ku-ji kara go-ji made desu.)

"The office is open from 9 to 5."

Let's review.

Do you remember how to say "Check in"?

チェックイン (Chekkuin)

And how to say "3 o'clock"?

3じ (san-ji)

Do you remember how to say "from"?

から (kara)

And how to say "right"?

ですね (desu ne)

Do you remember how to say "Check-in starts at three o’clock, right?"?

チェックインは3じからですね。 (Chekkuin wa san-ji kara desu ne.)

And how to say "hot-spring"?

おんせん (onsen)

Do you remember how to say "midnight"?

よる12じ (yoru jūni-ji)

And how to say "until"?

まで (made)

Do you remember how to say "The hot spring is open until midnight."?

おんせんはよる12じまでですよ。 (Onsen wa yoru jū ni-ji made desu yo.)

Now you know how to manage hotel check-ins in japanese

in Japanese.

...and now you can move on to the practice.

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