It’s always great to learn languages that we don’t primarily speak. Whenever we travel to different places or countries that don’t speak English even if it already becomes a global language, there’s always a need to learn at least the basic native phrases that we can speak and understand.
Traveling in Japan can be really fun and memorable! There are a lot of foods, places, and shopping outlets that you can go to!
Well, shopping has always been a good way to remove stress and to enjoy it even more, better study some Japanese phrases that are very useful whenever you shop in Japan!
Here’s a list of some Japanese phrases that you will surely encounter when buying things at a Japanese shop.
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Irasshaimase.
| Hiragana | いらっしゃいませ。 |
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The expression “Irasshaimase” means “welcome” in the English language. This is exactly how most of the staff say when welcoming the customers with a polite gesture.
Kore onegai shimasu.
| Hiragana | これおねがいします。 |
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Choosing the right product in Japan can be really tough since there are a lot of great items on hand but if you have already chosen one, you can say this phrase to inform the staff of your preferred choice. It means “this one, please.” in the English language.
Omatase shimashita!
| Hiragana | おまたせしました |
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Omatase shimashita is a way of saying “Thank you and sorry to keep you waiting” in the English language.
It is a polite way of expressing your appreciation for the person’s patience in waiting so most of the staff will surely use this phrase to the customers after they finished preparing the customers order.
Kado de onegai shimasu.
| Hiragana | カードでおねがいします。 |
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This expression simply means: “I will pay using card please”. Right, it is very easy as it already contains the word “card” so whenever you don’t have cash, you can always use this phrase at the counter.
Menzei tetsuzuki wa dekimasu ka?
| Kanji/Hiragana | 免税手続きはできますか? |
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Japan’s shopping experience can be so much fun especially when you get items on sale, and sometimes the shops offer tax-free products.
If you want to confirm if the shop offers tax-free shopping, you can say “menzei tetsuzuki wa dekimasuka?” in English: “Do you offer tax-free shopping?”
Saizu chigai wa arimasu ka?
| Hiragana | サイズちがいはありますか？ |
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This expression is very helpful when you need other options for the item that you want to buy like clothes, shoes, etc. The English translation is “Are there other sizes?”
Iro chigai wa arimasuka?
| Hiragana | いろちがいはありますか？ |
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If you want to have a different shade/color of your chosen item, you can ask the staff by saying, “iro chigai wa arimasuka? which translates to “Are there other colors?”.
Sumimasen, ___ wa arimasuka?
| Hiragana | すみません、___ はありますか？ |
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Finding the product that you want to buy might be a little difficult in Japan especially if the labels are all in Japanese so if you need help, you can ask the staff by saying, “sumimasen, ___ wa arimasuka?” which means “Excuse me, do you have ___?”.
The blank part stands for something that you want to buy. For example, you want to buy a pen but couldn’t find one so you can say:
Sumimasen, pen wa arimasuka? (すみません、ペンはありますか？)
Shichaku demimasuka?
| Hiragana | しちゃくでみますか？ |
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Shichaku demimasuka is used when you want to try something on. You can tell or ask permission to the staff by telling his/her this phrase. It translates to “Can I try it on?! in English.
Most shops in Japan allow their customers to have it fit before buying so the store can still adjust some needed fixing.
Genkin de haraimasu.
| Hiragana | げんきんではらいます。 |
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This expression is used when you don’t have any other choices for payment aside from cash. To inform the staff, you can say: “genkin de haraimasu” which means “I’ll pay in cash”.
