13 Japanese Phrases For Shopping In Japan

Enjoy Shopping Even More - With Japanese!

There are shops and restaurants in Japan where there are staff who can speak English or maybe Chinese, but there are still many places where the staff can only communicate in Japanese.

Today, we'll be introducing some convenient Japanese phrases that you can use when you find yourself in such a situation.

If you want to boost your Japanese language skills through online or in-person lessons, consider applying for a course at Tokyo Central Japanese Language School (TCJ).

Click on the voucher above to find a promo code that allows you to get a discount on learning materials at TCJ! The discounts range between 5,000 yen and 20,000 yen depending on the course you're applying for.

* For how to read the pronunciations within the [ ], please read the following article: Japanese Basics: English In Japan And Japanese Pronunciation

Finding A Shop

1. Kono henni hyakuen shoppu arimasuka? / Is there a 100-yen shop around here?

[kono henni hyakuen shoppu arimaska]
Kono henni ◯◯　arimasuka? / Is there ◯◯ around here?
[kono henni ◯◯ arimaska]

This phrase is used to ask whether there's something you're finding around here. There are many various types of shops, so you might want to ask whether the shop you're looking for is nearby.

[hya] is pronounced by making an [i] shape with your mouth, and breathing out as if to rub your upper jaw (if you've ever studied German, it's the "ch" sound in "ich") combined with the vowel [a].

Ex.

・Kono henni kombini arimasuka? / Is there a convenience store around here?
[kono henni koｍbini arimaska]

If you read our "Where to Buy What: 5 Types of Shopping Facilities in Japan" article, you can learn what kinds of shopping spots you can find in Japan.

Finding Something new

2. Korewa nandesuka? / What is this?

[korewa nandeska]

There are many unique things sold at Japanese shops. If you've found something interesting but don't know what it is or how to use it, you can ask "korewa nandesuka?"

Looking For Something

3. Sensu wa arimasuka? / Do you have fans?

[sensuwa arimaska]

The phrase for searching for something is:

◯◯ wa arimasuka? / Do you have ◯◯?
[◯◯wa arimaska]

You can make use of this phrase when looking for souvenirs.

Ex.

・Shokuhin sampuru wa arimasuka? / Do you have food samples?
[shokhin sampuruwa arimaska]

・Yukata wa arimasuka? / Do you have yukata?
[yukatawa arimaska]

When You Want To Try Something Out

You can also ask:

Tesuta wa arimasuka? / Do you have a tester?
[testa:wa arimaska]

Find The Perfect Item

4. Shiro wa arimasuka? / Do you have this in white?

[shirowa arimaska]

If there's something you like and want to know if they have it in a different color, you can again use "◯◯ wa arimasuka?" Insert whatever color you want into the blank.

The names of colors in Japanese are:

shiro[shiro](white), kuro[kuro](black), chairo[chairo](brown), gure[gure:](gray),aka[aka](red),pinku[pinku](pink), ao[ao](blue), midori[midori](green), kiiro[ki:ro](yellow), and orenji[orenji](orange).

But, you can also just say the English name slowly.

5. Okino wa arimasuka? / Do you have a larger one?

[o:ki:nowa arimaska]

This is a good phrase for when you've found something you like, but the size isn't just right.

You should also remember:

・Chiisaino wa arimasuka? / Do you have a smaller one?
[chi:sainowa arimaska]

6. Shichaku shitemo iidesuka? / Can I try this on?

[shchak shtemo i:deska]

We recommend trying clothing items on before purchasing. This is because the Japanese sizes are generally smaller than those in Western countries. Be especially careful with items on sale, as most of the time they cannot be returned.

If "shichaku shitemo" is hard to pronounce, you can also just point at the fitting room and say "iidesuka"[i:deska](May I?) as well.

7. Sawattemo iidesuka? / May I touch it?

[sawattemo i:deska]

Compared to other countries, stores in Japan generally let you touch their products more freely.

However, if you want to hold a delicate craft or fragile item, you might want to ask the staff: "sawattemo iidesuka?"

"Mitemo iidesuka"[mitemo i:deska](Can I have a look?) will work too.

8. Oikura desuka? / How much?

[oikura deska]

This one is for asking how much a certain item costs. There are two different ways to indicate prices at Japanese stores: tax included and without tax. Some shops have price tags that are a little complicated to comprehend, so you can make use of this phrase.

If you want to make sure the price includes tax, you can ask:

Kore, zeikomi desuka? / Does this include tax?
[kore ze:komi deska]

Purchase An Item

9. Kore, onegai shimasu. / This one, please.

[kore onegai shimas]

Once you've chosen an item you want to buy, you can say "kore, onegai shimasu". "Kore kudasai" works as well and means the same thing, but "onegai shimasu" is more polite.

10. Kowakeno fukuro, onegai shimasu. / May I have a small bag?

[kowakeno fkuro onegai shimas]

When you want a small bag to put your souvenir in, you can use the above. Most shops in Japan will give you bags for free.

If this phrase is difficult to pronounce, you might say:

Purezento desu. Chiisai fukuro, arimasuka? / It's a present. Do you have a small bag?
[purezento des] [chi:sai fkuro arimaska]

11. Kadode onegai shimasu. / I want to pay with a card, please.

[ka:dode onegai shimas]

◯◯ de onegai shimasu. / ◯◯, please. (I want to pay with ◯◯.)
[◯◯de onegai shimas]

By saying this you can let the staff know how you want to pay.

You can use a transportation IC card like Suica or PASMO at many stores in Japan, including convenience stores.

Ex.

・Suica de onegai shimasu. / I'd like to pay with a Suica.
[suikade onegai shimas]

・Pasumo de onegai shimasu. / I'd like to pay with a PASMO.
[pasumode onegai shimas]

When You Want To Come Back

12. Nanji made aitemasuka? / What time are you open until?

[nanji made aite maska]

Even if you've found a great store, you might not have the time to thoroughly have a look at all the products. In a situation like that, you might want to ask the stores hours with this phrase and come back again later.

When you want to come back on another day, you can say:

Nanji kara aitemasuka? / From what time are you open?
[nanji kara aite maska]

By combining the two phrases, you can also ask:

Nanji kara nanji made aitemasuka? / From what time to what time are you open?
[nanji kara nanji made aitemaska]

When Leaving The Store

13. Arigato gozaimashita. / Thank you.

[arigato: gozai mashta]

If the staff helped you out or explained some things to you, you can thank them for their service upon leaving the store.

Review

1. Kono henni hyakuen shoppu arimasuka? / Is there a 100-yen shop around here?
[kono henni hyakuen shoppu arimaska]

2. Korewa nandesuka? / What is this?
[korewa nandeska]

3. Sensu wa arimasuka? / Do you have fans?
[sensuwa arimaska]

4. Shiro wa arimasuka? / Do you have this in white?
[shirowa arimaska]

5. Okino wa arimasuka? / Do you have a larger one?
[o:ki:nowa arimaska]

6. Shichaku shitemo iidesuka? / Can I try this on?

[shchak shtemo i:deska]

7. Sawattemo iidesuka? / May I touch it?
[sawattemo i:deska]

8. Oikura desuka? / How much?
[oikura deska]

9. Kore, onegai shimasu. / This one, please.
[kore onegai shimas]

10. Kowakeno fukuro, onegai shimasu. / May I have a small bag?
[kowakeno fkuro onegai shimas]

11. Kadode onegai shimasu. / I want to pay with a card, please.
[ka:dode onegai shimas]

12. Nanji made aitemasuka? / What time are you open until?
[nanji made aite maska]

13. Arigato gozaimashita. / Thank you.
[arigato: gozai mashta]

What did you think? We hope your shopping experience becomes an even better one with these Japanese phrases!
For those already studying, we recommend taking online conversation lessons with CafeTalk (1,000 yen coupon included).