Word Detail

The Japanese word 予約 (よやく) means "reservation," "booking," or "appointment." It refers to the act of securing a specific time or place for a service, item, or event in advance. It implies a prior agreement or arrangement. It can apply to various contexts, such as restaurants, hotels, doctors' appointments, train tickets, and more. The core concept is securing something for later use. This also includes the act of making a 予約, not just the reservation itself.

⚫︎レストランを予約しました。 Translation: I made a reservation at the restaurant. ⚫︎ホテルの部屋を予約したいです。 Translation: I want to book a hotel room. ⚫︎明日の歯医者の予約はありますか？ Translation: Do you have a dental appointment for tomorrow?

You use 予約 when you want to schedule something for a later time or date. It's crucial for pre-planning. ⚫︎ Use the verb する (suru, to do) to make a reservation: 予約 + する = 予約する (yoyaku suru, to make a reservation). ⚫︎ You can also use the noun form 予約 with other verbs: 予約を取る (yoyaku o toru, to make a reservation, literally "take the reservation"). ⚫︎ It's common to see it in polite forms such as 予約をお願いします (yoyaku o onegaishimasu, "I would like to make a reservation"). ⚫︎ When asking about a 予約, you might say 予約はありますか？ (yoyaku wa arimasu ka?, "Do you have a reservation?").

⚫︎ The word is typically written with the kanji 予約. ⚫︎ The reading is よやく (yoyaku) in hiragana. ⚫︎ You won't usually see it in katakana. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) for the verb is する (suru). Conjugation of the verb will change the suffix.

There aren't many direct synonyms, but words that relate to making arrangements could be considered similar in concept: ⚫︎ 手配 (tehai): arrangement, preparation. ⚫︎ 申し込み (moushikomi): application, request.

There isn't a direct antonym. The opposite concept might be something like "walk-in" (not making a 予約). If you're looking to cancel a 予約, you'd use the verb キャンセルする (kyanseru suru, to cancel).

来週の金曜日に美容院を予約したいです。 ・Translation: I want to make a reservation at the beauty salon for next Friday. ・Explanation: This sentence directly uses 予約 to express the desire to book an appointment.

新幹線の切符を予約しました。 ・Translation: I reserved a Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the use of 予約 for transportation.

The word 予約 is a compound word: ⚫︎ 予 (yo): meaning "beforehand," "in advance," or "in preparation." ⚫︎ 約 (yaku): meaning "promise," "agreement," or "contract." Therefore, 予約 literally means a "promise made beforehand" or an "agreement made in advance." This reflects its function of securing something in the future.