Shopping & Prices
Japanese Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 9 ยท Shopping & Prices
๐๏ธ Shopping & Prices โ ใใใใฎ
Shopping brings together several things you have already learned: numbers, katakana, polite requests and pointing words. This chapter teaches you to ask the price, read yen amounts up to ten thousand, talk about colour and size, and pay. Romaji is shown under every line of Japanese.
โ How Much Is It? โ ใใใใงใใ
A:
ใใฟใพใใใใใใฏ ใใใใงใใใ
Sumimasen. Kore wa ikura desu ka.
Excuse me. How much is this?
B:
ใใฒใใใใใงใใ
Gohyaku-en desu.
It's 500 yen.
A:
ใใใใจใใใใใพใใ
Arigatล gozaimasu.
Thank you.
โก The Total โ ใใใถใง
A:
ใใใถใง ใใใใงใใใ
Zenbu de ikura desu ka.
How much is it altogether?
B:
ใใใซใฒใใใใใงใใ
Sen nihyaku-en desu.
It's 1,200 yen.
โข A Bit Expensive โ ใกใใฃใจ ใใใ
A:
ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใงใใญใ
Chotto takai desu ne.
It's a bit expensive.
B:
ใงใฏใใใกใใฏ ใฉใใงใใใ
Dewa, kochira wa dล desu ka.
Well then, how about this one?
A:
ใใใฏ ใใใใงใใญใใใใ ใใ ใใใ
Kore wa yasui desu ne. Kore o kudasai.
This one is cheap. I'll take this.
โฃ Colours and Sizes โ ใใใจ ใตใคใบ
A:
ใปใใฎ ใใใฏ ใใใพใใใ
Hoka no iro wa arimasu ka.
Do you have other colours?
B:
ใฏใใใใใจ ใใใ ใใใพใใ
Hai, aka to ao ga arimasu.
Yes, we have red and blue.
A:
ใจใ ใตใคใบใฏ ใใใพใใใ
Emu saizu wa arimasu ka.
Do you have a medium?
B:
ใฏใใใใใพใใ
Hai, arimasu.
Yes, we do.
โค Paying by Card โ ใซใผใ
A:
ใซใผใใฏ ใคใใใพใใใ
Kฤdo wa tsukaemasu ka.
Can I use a card?
B:
ใฏใใใคใใใพใใ
Hai, tsukaemasu.
Yes, you can.
A:
ใงใฏใใใใ ใใ ใใใ
Dewa, kore o kudasai.
Then I'll take this.
โฅ Trying On and Bags โ ใใกใใ
A:
ใใใ ใใกใใใใฆใ ใใใงใใใ
Kore o shichaku shite mo ii desu ka.
May I try this on?
B:
ใฏใใใฉใใใ
Hai, dลzo.
Yes, please go ahead.
A:
ใตใใใฏ ใใใพใใใ
Fukuro wa irimasen.
I don't need a bag.
B:
ใฏใใใใใใจใใใใใพใใ
Hai. Arigatล gozaimasu.
Alright. Thank you.
๐๏ธ Key Phrases โ ใใใใคใช ใฒใใใใ
| Situation | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it? | ใใใใงใใ ikura desu ka | ใใใฏ ใใใใงใใ |
| How much altogether? | ใใใถใง ใใใใงใใ zenbu de ikura desu ka | |
| It's a bit expensive | ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใงใใญ chotto takai desu ne | a gentle way to say it |
| It's cheap | ใใใใงใใญ yasui desu ne | |
| Do you have other colours? | ใปใใฎ ใใใฏ ใใใพใใ hoka no iro wa arimasu ka | |
| Can I pay by card? | ใซใผใใฏ ใคใใใพใใ kฤdo wa tsukaemasu ka | |
| May I try this on? | ใใกใใใใฆใ ใใใงใใ shichaku shite mo ii desu ka | set phrase for now |
| I'll take this one | ใใใ ใใ ใใ kore o kudasai | |
| I don't need a bag | ใตใใใฏ ใใใพใใ fukuro wa irimasen |
๐ This, That and That Over There โ ใใใใใใใใ
Japanese has three "this/that" words, based on where the thing is: near you, near the other person, or far from both.
| Word | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ใใ kore | this (near me) | stands alone: ใใใฏ ใใใใงใใ |
| ใใ sore | that (near you) | stands alone |
| ใใ are | that over there | stands alone |
| ใใฎ kono | this โฆ | goes before a noun: ใใฎ ใใฐใ |
| ใใฎ sono | that โฆ | goes before a noun |
| ใใฎ ano | that โฆ over there | goes before a noun |
๐ด Yen and Big Numbers โ ใใใจ ใใใใ ใใ
The Japanese currency is the ๅ (ใใ, yen). Prices are the number plus ใใ: ใใฒใใใใ is 500 yen. Learn the hundreds, then the thousands, then the ten-thousands: the sound changes for 3, 6 and 8 are the same pattern you met in Hiragana 3.
| Number | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | ใฒใใ hyaku | |
| 300 | ใใใณใใ sanbyaku | changes |
| 600 | ใใฃใดใใ roppyaku | changes |
| 800 | ใฏใฃใดใใ happyaku | changes |
| 1,000 | ใใ sen | |
| 2,000 | ใซใใ nisen | |
| 3,000 | ใใใใ sanzen | changes: ใใ |
| 4,000 | ใใใใ yonsen | |
| 5,000 | ใใใ gosen | |
| 6,000 | ใใใใ rokusen | |
| 7,000 | ใชใชใใ nanasen | |
| 8,000 | ใฏใฃใใ hassen | changes: small ใฃ |
| 9,000 | ใใ
ใใใ kyลซsen | |
| 10,000 | ใใกใพใ ichiman | ใพใ: ten thousand; you must say ใใก |
| 20,000 | ใซใพใ niman |
Reading a Price
Say each part in order: 1,580 yen is ใใ ใใฒใใ ใฏใกใใ
ใ ใใ (sen gohyaku hachijลซ en): one thousand, five hundred, eighty yen. Notice that 1,000 is just ใใ, but 10,000 is ใใกใพใ: you can't leave out the ใใก before ใพใ.
๐จ Colours and Sizes โ ใใใจ ใตใคใบ
| Colour | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| red | ใใ aka | |
| blue | ใใ ao | |
| white | ใใ shiro | |
| black | ใใ kuro | |
| yellow | ใใใ kiiro | |
| green | ใฟใฉใ midori | |
| pink | ใใณใฏ pinku | katakana |
| Size | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| small (S) | ใจใน / ใกใใใ esu / chiisai | |
| medium (M) | ใจใ emu | |
| large (L) | ใจใซ / ใใใใ eru / ลkii | |
| long | ใชใใ nagai | |
| short | ใฟใใใ mijikai |
๐ค Three More Verbs โ ใฉใใ
| Verb | Present (polite) | Negative | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
| to buy (ใใ) | ใใใพใ kaimasu | ใใใพใใ kaimasen | ใใใพใใ kaimashita |
| to look; to see (ใฟใ) | ใฟใพใ mimasu | ใฟใพใใ mimasen | ใฟใพใใ mimashita |
| to use (ใคใใ) | ใคใใใพใ tsukaimasu | ใคใใใพใใ tsukaimasen | ใคใใใพใใ tsukaimashita |
๐ Vocabulary โ ใใ
20 key words. Read the Japanese first, then check the romaji.
| # | Japanese | Romaji | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใใ | ikura | how much | noun |
| 2 | ใใ | en | yen | noun |
| 3 | ใใใถใง | zenbu de | altogether | noun |
| 4 | ใใใ | takai | expensive; tall | adj |
| 5 | ใใใ | yasui | cheap | adj |
| 6 | ใใใใ | ลkii | big | adj |
| 7 | ใกใใใ | chiisai | small | adj |
| 8 | ใใ | iro | colour | noun |
| 9 | ใใ | aka | red | noun |
| 10 | ใใ | ao | blue | noun |
| 11 | ใใ | shiro | white | noun |
| 12 | ใใ | kuro | black | noun |
| 13 | ใใ | are | that over there | noun |
| 14 | ใใฎ | ano | that โฆ over there | noun |
| 15 | ใซใผใ | kฤdo | card | noun |
| 16 | ใตใใ | fukuro | bag | noun |
| 17 | ใใคใ | otsuri | change (money) | noun |
| 18 | ใใกใใ | shichaku | trying on | noun |
| 19 | ใใใพใ | kaimasu | to buy | verb |
| 20 | ใคใใใพใ | tsukaimasu | to use | verb |
Real Japanese Tip โ Tax Included? ใใใใฟ and ใใใฌใ
Look for ใใใใฟ (tax included) and ใใใฌใ (tax not included) on price tags, because in Japan a shelf price is often shown in both ways. If a tag shows two prices, the one marked ใใใใฟ is what you actually pay.
Money on the Tray
In many Japanese shops the cashier will point to a small tray (ใใฌใผ) beside the register. Put your money on it rather than handing it over: it's polite, it avoids touching hands, and you'll get your ใใคใ (change) back on the same tray. And since 2020 you normally pay a few yen for a carrier bag, which is why ใตใใใฏ ใใใพใใ ("no bag, thanks") is a very useful phrase.
Cards, Points and Cash
Cards are accepted in most big shops, but small shops and many restaurants still prefer cash, so carry some. You may be asked ใใคใณใใซใผใใฏ ใใใพใใ ("do you have a points card?"): just say ใใใ.
Kanji Spotlight โ ๅ ๅ ไธ
ๅ (en) is the yen, and also means round: a yen coin is round. ๅ (sen) is thousand and ไธ (man) is ten thousand. Prices on shop signs are often written with these: ๅๅ is 1,000 yen and ไธไธๅ is 10,000 yen. Together with ็พ (hyaku, hundred), they make up almost every price you'll see.
โ๏ธ Try It Yourself โ ใใใใ ใ
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Ask how much something costs.
Show answer
ใใใฏ ใใใใงใใใ
2. Say these prices: 500 yen, 1,000 yen, 3,000 yen, 10,000 yen.
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ใใฒใใใใ ยท ใใใใ ยท ใใใใใใ ยท ใใกใพใใใ
3. Say "1,580 yen" in Japanese.
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ใใใใฒใใใฏใกใใ ใใใ
4. You think something is a bit expensive. What do you say?
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ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใงใใญใ
5. Ask if the shop has the same thing in another colour.
Show answer
ใปใใฎ ใใใฏ ใใใพใใใ
6. Ask if you can pay by card, and refuse a bag.
Show answer
ใซใผใใฏ ใคใใใพใใใ ยท ใตใใใฏ ใใใพใใใ
Coming Up in Chapter 10
Asking for directions: ใใฏ ใฉใใงใใ, ใฒใ ใ / ใฟใ / ใพใฃใใ, ใใ / ใใ / ใใใ and landmarks. A very practical chapter for any trip.