You sit down at a restaurant in Japan. The waiter walks over and says something. If you can only remember one ordering pattern, make it this one: 〜にします.
何にしますか: What Would You Like?
The waiter asks:
何にしますか。 → What would you like (to order)?
Literally, this means "What will you decide on?" — にします = decide on / choose something. 何 = what. Together: "What will you choose?"
Careful: Not「何をしますか」
何をしますか。 → What are you going to do?
This asks about plans or activities, not food orders.
| Pattern | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 何にしますか | What will you have / choose? | Restaurants, shops |
| 何をしますか | What will you do? | Asking about plans, activities |
The difference is in the particle: に means "settle on," を means "do something."
〜にします: I'll Have This
To answer, put what you want before にします:
ラーメンにします。 → I'll have the ramen.
カレーライスにします。 → I'll have the curry rice.
コーヒーにします。 → I'll have coffee.
More Polite Alternatives
In a slightly more formal restaurant, you can add お願いします (please):
ラーメンをお願いします。 → Ramen, please.
Or more simply:
私はラーメンです。 → I'm (having) the ramen.
Grammatically this says "I am ramen," but in the ordering context everyone understands it means "I'll have the ramen." Japanese allows this kind of shortcut in specific situations.
Ordering Practice Dialogue
Waiter: ご注文はお決まりですか。 → Have you decided on your order?
A: 私はラーメンにします。 → I'll have the ramen.
B: 私はカレーライスにします。 → I'll have the curry rice.
Waiter: お飲み物は何にしますか。 → What would you like to drink?
A: お茶にします。 → I'll have tea.
B: 水をお願いします。 → Water, please.
にします Beyond Restaurants
にします works whenever you're choosing from options — not just food:
赤にします。 → I'll go with red.
こちらにします。 → I'll take this one.
来週の月曜日にします。 → Let's make it next Monday.
The core logic stays the same: chosen thing + に + します = "I decide on this."
にしますか for Helping Others Choose
You can also use にしますか to offer someone a choice:
紅茶にしますか、コーヒーにしますか。 → Would you like tea or coffee?
This "A にしますか、B にしますか" structure is the standard way to present a choice between two options.
Summary
- 何にしますか: Asks "What will you have / choose?" にします = decide on something
- 〜にします: Answers "I'll have XX." Put your choice before にします
- Don't confuse it with 何をしますか (What will you do?) — に is for choosing, を is for doing
- Other useful patterns: 〜をお願いします (more polite), 私は〜です (casual shortcut)
- にします works in any "choosing" situation, not just restaurants
Practice Quiz
Q1. The waiter asks 「お飲み物は何にしますか。」 and you want coffee. How do you respond?
Show Answer
コーヒーにします。
Put your choice (コーヒー) before にします. You could also say 「コーヒーをお願いします」.
Q2. What's the difference between 「何にしますか」 and 「何をしますか」?
Show Answer
- 何にしますか = What will you have / choose? (ordering, selecting from options)
- 何をしますか = What will you do? (asking about plans or activities)
The key is the particle: に = decide on, を = do an action.
Q3. Translate into Japanese: "Would you like black tea or green tea?"
Show Answer
紅茶にしますか、緑茶にしますか。
Use the "A にしますか、B にしますか" structure for offering a choice. 紅茶 (こうちゃ), 緑茶 (りょくちゃ).