Japanese Lesson 31 – Shopping for Groceries · N5

📋 Expression Reference — Shopping for Groceries

Key phrases across formality levels. Press ▶ to hear any expression.

STANDARD — ていねい (TEINEI)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
～はどこにありますか？	~ wa doko ni arimasu ka?	あちらのたなにあります。 Achira no tana ni arimasu.	Asking store staff where an item is
～はいくらですか？	~ wa ikura desu ka?	さんびゃくえんです。 Sanbyaku-en desu.	Asking the price of an item
～を～つください。	~ wo ~tsu kudasai.	はい、かしこまりました。 Hai, kashikomarimashita.	Requesting a specific number of items
ふくろはいりますか？	Fukuro wa irimasu ka?	はい、おねがいします。 Hai, onegai shimasu.	Cashier asking if you need a bag
ポイントカードはありますか？	Pointo kaado wa arimasu ka?	いいえ、ないです。 Iie, nai desu.	Cashier asking about a loyalty card

CASUAL — くだけた (KUDAKETA)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
～どこ？	~ doko?	あっちだよ。 Acchi da yo.	Asking a friend where something is
これやすいね。	Kore yasui ne.	ほんとだ。かおう。 Honto da. Kaou.	Commenting on a cheap item while shopping with a friend
～かう？	~ kau?	うん、かおう。 Un, kaou.	Asking a friend if they should buy something

🗣 Mini Dialogues

Three scenes at different formality levels. Press ▶ to hear each line.

A — STANDARD · Asking Staff Where Items Are

エマ

すみません、たまごはどこにありますか？

Sumimasen, tamago wa doko ni arimasu ka?

Excuse me, where are the eggs?

[ITEM] はどこにありますか？

[item] wa doko ni arimasu ka?

[item] (topic) where at exists (question)

→ "Where is/are [item]?"

てんいん

たまごはあちらのたなにあります。

Tamago wa achira no tana ni arimasu.

The eggs are on the shelf over there.

エマ

ありがとうございます。パンもありますか？

Arigatou gozaimasu. Pan mo arimasu ka?

Thank you. Do you also have bread?

B — STANDARD · At the Checkout Counter

てんいん

ポイントカードはありますか？

Pointo kaado wa arimasu ka?

Do you have a points card?

けん

いいえ、ないです。ぜんぶでいくらですか？

Iie, nai desu. Zenbu de ikura desu ka?

No, I don't. How much is it altogether?

ぜんぶでいくらですか？

zenbu de ikura desu ka?

altogether how much is (question)

→ "How much is it in total?"

てんいん

はっぴゃくえんです。ふくろはいりますか？

Happyaku-en desu. Fukuro wa irimasu ka?

It's 800 yen. Do you need a bag?

C — CASUAL · Friends Shopping Together

ゆい

にくとやさい、かおう。こんやはカレーだよ。

Niku to yasai, kaou. Kon'ya wa karee da yo.

Let's buy meat and vegetables. Tonight is curry!

[ITEM] をかおう。

[item] wo kaou.

[item] (object) let's buy

→ "Let's buy [item]." — casual volitional form

たける

いいね。あ、このさかなやすいね。

Ii ne. A, kono sakana yasui ne.

Nice. Oh, this fish is cheap.

ゆい

ほんとだ。くだものもかう？

Honto da. Kudamono mo kau?

True! Shall we buy fruit too?

📋 Key Patterns & Cheatsheet ▼

Asking where something is — ～はどこにありますか

STANDARD

[ITEM] はどこにありますか？

[item] wa doko ni arimasu ka?

→ "Where is/are [item]?" — polite, to store staff

CASUAL

[ITEM] どこ？

[item] doko?

→ "Where's [item]?" — with friends

Asking the price — ～はいくらですか

🟢 STANDARD

ぜんぶでいくらですか？

Zenbu de ikura desu ka?

How much is it altogether?

ぜんぶで = altogether. Use at the register.

🟡 CASUAL

これいくら？

Kore ikura?

How much is this?

Drop です and か — just the question word.

Requesting items — ～をください

STANDARD

[ITEM] を [NUMBER + COUNTER] ください。

[item] wo [number + counter] kudasai.

→ "Please give me [number] [item]."

CASUAL

[ITEM] かおう。

[item] kaou.

→ "Let's buy [item]." — casual volitional, with friends

Commenting on price — やすい / たかい

🟢 STANDARD

これはやすいですね。

Kore wa yasui desu ne.

This is cheap, isn't it?

い-adjective + ですね for polite observation.

🟡 CASUAL

これやすいね。

Kore yasui ne.

This is cheap!

Drop は and です — just adjective + ね.

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

tap to flip

1 / 10

B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

C — Choose the Right Response

Listen to the question, then choose the most natural reply.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji. Japanese letters are not needed.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

E — Shadowing Practice

Press ▶ to hear each line, say it aloud, then mark it as practised.

0 of 9 lines practised

📖 Grammar Notes ▼

～はどこにありますか — Asking where something is

どこ (doko) = where. に (ni) marks the location. あります (arimasu) = exists (for objects).

  • Use あります for things (not people/animals)
  • The item goes before は (wa) as the topic
  • Very common in shops, stations, and buildings

[ITEM] はどこにありますか？

[item] wa doko ni arimasu ka?

→ "Where is/are [item]?"

たまごはどこにありますか？

Tamago wa doko ni arimasu ka?

Where are the eggs?

～をください — Requesting items

ください (kudasai) = "please give me". Place the item + counter before it.

  • を (wo) marks the object you are requesting
  • Add a counter between を and ください for quantities
  • Polite and natural at shops, restaurants, and service counters

[ITEM] を [NUMBER] ください。

[item] wo [number] kudasai.

→ "Please give me [number] [item]."

りんごをみっつください。

Ringo wo mittsu kudasai.

Three apples, please.

Counters ～つ and ～こ — Counting things

Japanese uses counters after numbers. The ～つ counter (native Japanese) is the most versatile for general objects:

• ひとつ (1), ふたつ (2), みっつ (3), よっつ (4), いつつ (5)
• むっつ (6), ななつ (7), やっつ (8), ここのつ (9), とお (10)

The ～こ counter (Chinese-origin) also works for small round objects: いっこ, にこ, さんこ…

[ITEM] を [ひとつ / ふたつ / みっつ…]

[item] wo [hitotsu / futatsu / mittsu…]

→ "[number] [item]" — use ～つ for general counting

たまごをむっつください。

Tamago wo muttsu kudasai.

Six eggs, please.

～えん — Stating prices

えん (en) = yen. Attach it after a number to state prices.

  • ひゃく (100), にひゃく (200), さんびゃく (300)
  • Note the sound changes: さんびゃく (not さんひゃく), ろっぴゃく (not ろくひゃく), はっぴゃく (not はちひゃく)
  • せん (1,000): さんぜん (3,000), はっせん (8,000)

[NUMBER] えんです。

[number] en desu.

→ "It's [number] yen."

はっぴゃくえんです。

Happyaku-en desu.

It's 800 yen.

～はいりますか — Asking if someone needs something

いります (irimasu) = to need/require. Very common at checkout counters in Japan.

• ふくろはいりますか？ = "Do you need a bag?"
• レシートはいりますか？ = "Do you need a receipt?"

Respond: はい、おねがいします (yes, please) or いいえ、だいじょうぶです (no, I'm fine).

[THING] はいりますか？

[thing] wa irimasu ka?

→ "Do you need [thing]?"

ふくろはいりますか？

Fukuro wa irimasu ka?

Do you need a bag?

～がやすい / たかい — Describing prices with い-adjectives

やすい (yasui) = cheap, たかい (takai) = expensive. These are い-adjectives and follow standard い-adjective rules.

  • STANDARD: このさかなはやすいです (kono sakana wa yasui desu)
  • CASUAL: このさかなやすいね (kono sakana yasui ne)
  • Negative: やすくない (yasuku nai) = not cheap

[ITEM] は [やすい / たかい] です。

[item] wa [yasui / takai] desu.

→ "[Item] is cheap / expensive."

このさかなはやすいですね。

Kono sakana wa yasui desu ne.

This fish is cheap, isn't it?

～をかいます / かおう — Buying things

かいます (kaimasu) = to buy (polite). かう (kau) = to buy (plain).

  • STANDARD: にくをかいます (niku wo kaimasu) = I'll buy meat
  • CASUAL volitional: かおう (kaou) = let's buy
  • CASUAL question: かう？ (kau?) = shall we buy?

The volitional ～おう form is made from the dictionary form: かう → かおう, たべる → たべよう.

[ITEM] をかおう。

[item] wo kaou.

→ "Let's buy [item]." — casual suggestion

くだものもかう？

Kudamono mo kau?

Shall we buy fruit too?

📚 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
かいもの	kaimono	shopping
スーパー	suupaa	supermarket
やさい	yasai	vegetables
くだもの	kudamono	fruit
にく	niku	meat
さかな	sakana	fish
たまご	tamago	egg(s)
パン	pan	bread
レジ	reji	register / checkout
ふくろ	fukuro	bag
たな	tana	shelf
おつり	otsuri	change (money)
やすい	yasui	cheap
たかい	takai	expensive
かう	kau	to buy