Shopping at a Japanese Supermarket
Grocery shopping · a free Japanese immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
すみません、野菜売り場はどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the vegetable section?
Literal Excuse me, vegetable sales-floor where is?
A polite way to ask for directions inside a store. すみません grabs attention, and ～はどこですか asks where something is located.
- ～はどこですか is the standard pattern for asking where something is
- すみません is used to politely get a stranger's attention
このトマトは一個いくらですか。
How much is one tomato?
Literal This tomato, one piece how much is?
Uses the counter 個 (ko) for small round items and いくら to ask the price. A very natural question at a produce section.
- 一個 (ikko) uses the counter 個 for individual small objects
- いくらですか means 'how much is it?'
新鮮な卵はありますか。
Do you have fresh eggs?
Literal Fresh eggs exist?
～はありますか is the standard polite way to ask if something is available. 新鮮な is a な-adjective that directly modifies the noun 卵.
- ～はありますか asks whether something is available or in stock
- 新鮮な is a な-adjective; insert な before the noun it modifies
牛乳売り場はパン売り場の隣にありますか。
Is the milk section next to the bread section?
Literal Milk sales-floor, bread sales-floor's next-to is?
Uses the location expression ～の隣に to describe relative positions inside the store. A useful pattern any time you are trying to orient yourself.
- ～の隣に means 'next to ~'
- 売り場 (uriba) refers to a dedicated department or area within a store
- ありますか is the polite question form of ある, used for the existence or location of inanimate things
このリンゴは一キロいくらですか。
How much are these apples per kilogram?
Literal These apples, one kilogram how much?
キロ is used as a weight counter for produce sold by weight. Combine any unit with いくら to ask a price.
- キロ functions as a counter for kilograms
- いくら can follow any quantity or unit to ask the price
レジ袋をください。
Please give me a plastic bag.
Literal Register-bag please give me.
A short, direct request using ～をください, essential at any Japanese checkout. レジ袋 literally means 'register bag' and now typically costs a few yen.
- ～をください is a polite request meaning 'please give me ~'
- レジ袋 (reji bukuro) = plastic bag; paid for since Japan's 2020 regulations
これは三百五十円です。
This is 350 yen.
Literal This 350 yen is.
Basic price statement. Japanese numbers stack 百 (hundred) and 十 (ten): 三百五十 = 300 + 50 = 350.
- 三百五十 (san-byaku go-jū) = 350
- ～円です states the price in yen
このヨーグルトは賞味期限が長いですね。
This yogurt has a long best-before date, doesn't it.
Literal This yogurt, best-before-date is long, isn't it.
賞味期限 (shōmi kigen) is the term printed on food packaging for the best-before date. ～ですね gently seeks agreement from the listener.
- 賞味期限 means 'best-before date' — a key label on Japanese food products
- ～ですね invites gentle agreement, similar to 'isn't it' or 'don't you think'
カードで払えますか。
Can I pay by card?
Literal Card by pay-can?
Uses the potential form 払える (can pay) and the particle で to indicate the means of payment. A critical phrase at checkout.
- で marks the means or tool used: カードで = 'by card'
- 払える is the potential form of 払う (to pay), meaning 'can pay'
安い野菜はどれですか。
Which vegetables are cheap?
Literal Cheap vegetables which are?
どれ asks 'which one' when selecting among multiple visible options. 安い is a plain い-adjective that directly precedes the noun.
- どれですか asks 'which one?' from among several options
- 安い (yasui) is an い-adjective meaning 'cheap' or 'inexpensive'; opposite is 高い (takai)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
野菜
vegetables
新鮮な野菜を買いました。
I bought fresh vegetables.
Pronounced やさい (ya-sa-i); a staple supermarket word
売り場
section / department (in a store)
魚売り場はどこですか。
Where is the fish section?
Pronounced うりば (u-ri-ba); literally 'place for selling'; attach any product word before it to name a store section
新鮮な
fresh
新鮮な魚がありますか。
Do you have fresh fish?
Pronounced しんせんな (shin-sen-na); な-adjective: use 新鮮な before a noun, 新鮮です as a predicate
卵
egg(s)
卵を一パック買いました。
I bought one pack of eggs.
Pronounced たまご (ta-ma-go); sold in packs, use 一パック (one pack) as the counter
賞味期限
best-before date
賞味期限はいつですか。
What is the best-before date?
Pronounced しょうみきげん (shō-mi-ki-gen); printed on almost all food packaging; worth knowing to check freshness while shopping
レジ袋
plastic bag / checkout bag
レジ袋をください。
Please give me a plastic bag.
Pronounced レジぶくろ (re-ji-bu-ku-ro); レジ = register/checkout, 袋 = ふくろ (fukuro) = bag; in Japan bags are now typically paid, so clerks always ask first
払う
to pay
現金で払えますか。
Can I pay with cash?
Pronounced はらう (ha-ra-u); potential form: 払える (can pay); use ～で払う to specify payment method
隣
next to / neighbor
パン売り場は野菜売り場の隣にあります。
The bread section is next to the vegetable section.
Pronounced となり (to-na-ri); always used with の before it: ～の隣に = 'next to ~'
安い
cheap / inexpensive
このリンゴは安くておいしいですね。
These apples are cheap and delicious, aren't they.
Pronounced やすい (ya-su-i); い-adjective; opposite is 高い (takai = expensive); て-form: 安くて
いくら
how much (price)
これはいくらですか。
How much is this?
Use for any price question; always followed by ですか in polite speech
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
山田さんはスーパーに買い物に来ました。まず、野菜売り場で新鮮なトマトとキャベツを選びました。次に、牛乳売り場の隣にある卵売り場で卵を一パック取りました。レジに並んで、店員さんに「レジ袋はいりますか」と聞かれました。山田さんは「はい、一枚ください」と答えました。合計は千二百円でした。
Sentence by sentence
スーパーに買い物に来ました
came to the supermarket to do some shopping
Two に particles in a row: the first marks the destination (スーパーに = to the supermarket), the second marks purpose (買い物に = for shopping). This purpose-use of に with a noun is very common.
新鮮なトマトとキャベツを選びました
chose fresh tomatoes and cabbage
新鮮な modifies both nouns; と connects them ('and'); 選ぶ (erabu) = 'to choose', past polite form 選びました.
牛乳売り場の隣にある卵売り場
the egg section that is next to the milk section
～の隣にある is a relative clause ('that exists next to ~') that modifies 卵売り場. ある describes location of inanimate things.
レジ袋はいりますか
Do you need a plastic bag?
いる here means 'to need' (要る), not 'to exist'. This is a fixed phrase every Japanese checkout clerk uses — it is worth memorising as a chunk.
一枚ください
please give me one
一枚 uses the counter 枚 (mai) for flat, thin objects such as bags, sheets of paper, or slices. ください here is a polite imperative meaning 'please give me'.
合計は千二百円でした
the total was 1,200 yen
合計 (gōkei) = 'total'; 千二百 = 1,200 (1,000 + 200); でした is the past tense of the copula です.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Asking Where Things Are: ～はどこですか and ～の隣にあります
To ask where something is, use [noun]はどこですか. To say or confirm that something is next to something else, use [noun A]は[noun B]の隣にあります. These two patterns work together perfectly when navigating any store or building.
[noun]はどこですか / [noun A]は[noun B]の隣にあります
お手洗いはどこですか。
Where is the restroom?
飲み物売り場はどこですか。
Where is the beverage section?
パン売り場は野菜売り場の隣にあります。
The bread section is next to the vegetable section.
レジは出口の近くにあります。
The checkout is near the exit.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Japanese: "Excuse me, where is the vegetable section?"
Hint Use すみません to get attention politely, then ～はどこですか for location.
Translate to English: 「カードで払えますか。」
Hint 払えますか comes from 払う (to pay) in potential form.
Complete the sentence: 「牛乳売り場はパン売り場の___にありますか。」 (Is the milk section next to the bread section?)
Hint This word means 'next to' or 'neighbor.'
You want to ask how much one apple costs per kilogram. Which sentence is correct?
Rewrite using ～の隣にあります: 「レジはどこですか → the register is next to the bread section」
Hint Place the reference location before の隣にあります.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
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