Requests on arrival
| Your situation | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| You need a table | Haben Sie einen Tisch für zwei Personen? | Do you have a table for two people? |
| You have a reservation | Wir haben auf den Namen Nguyen reserviert. | We have a reservation under Nguyen. |
| You need the menu | Könnten wir bitte die Speisekarte bekommen? | Could we have the menu, please? |
| You need more time | Wir brauchen noch einen Moment, bitte. | We need another moment, please. |
Follow the venue’s signs or staff guidance about where to wait or sit. This guide does not assume that every restaurant seats guests in the same way. If you are unsure, Können wir uns hier hinsetzen? means “Can we sit here?” It asks permission without requiring a long explanation.
Two situations to practise
The following situations are invented for language practice. They do not describe a particular venue or its actual prices. Use the stated conditions for each example.
Arrive without a reservation
Guten Abend. Haben Sie noch einen Tisch für zwei Personen?
Ja, bitte warten Sie einen Moment.
Danke. Können wir hier warten?
The request gives the party size. The guest responds to the instruction to wait and clarifies where, instead of assuming that a table has already been assigned.
Name a reservation that already exists
Guten Tag. Wir haben auf den Namen Tran reserviert.
Für wie viele Personen?
Für drei Personen.
Wir haben … reserviert refers to a booking already made. It is not a telephone request for a future booking. The reply answers the staff’s question about the number of people.
Try a reply, then read the explanation
Two people arrive without a booking. Ask whether a table is available.
Haben Sie einen Tisch für zwei Personen?
Einen Tisch is the accusative object of haben. Für zwei Personen states the party size, not a request for two separate tables.
You already booked under Tran. The staff ask Auf welchen Namen? Give a short reply.
Auf den Namen Tran.
The reply supplies the requested reservation name. A longer answer such as Wir haben auf den Namen Tran reserviert is also possible.
You hear Bitte warten Sie einen Moment. You are unsure where to wait. Ask.
Wo können wir warten?
This follows the waiting instruction and asks for the missing place. Können wir hier warten? is another useful model if you can indicate a specific spot.
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