Shopping & Ordering: Where Beginners Become Customers
Shops and restaurants are the perfect training ground for real Japanese: the situations repeat, the staff phrases are predictable, and success is delicious. This chapter arms you with the three magic request patterns, the numbers-and-counters tested on the JLPT, and complete walkthroughs of Japan's two most common scenes — the convenience store and the restaurant.
1. The Three Magic Request Patterns
| Pattern | Politeness | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜をください (o kudasai) | standard "please give me ~" | これをください。— This one, please. |
| 〜をおねがいします (o onegaishimasu) | softer, extra polite — also for services | コーヒーをおねがいします。— Coffee, please. お会計をおねがいします。— The bill, please. |
| 〜はありますか (wa arimasu ka) | "do you have ~?" | Wi-Fiはありますか。— Do you have Wi-Fi? もっと大きいのはありますか。— Do you have a bigger one? |
Combine with the こそあど pointers and you can buy anything without knowing its name: これをください (this one, near me), それをください (that one, near the clerk), あれをおねがいします (that one on the far shelf). Pointing with an open hand is politer than a single finger!
Ordering quantities & key JLPT counters
Slot a counter between the object and the verb: [thing] を [number+counter] ください:
りんごをみっつください。(Ringo o mittsu kudasai.) — Three apples, please.
ビールをにほんおねがいします。(Bīru o nihon onegaishimasu.) — Two (bottles of) beer, please.
切符をにまいください。(Kippu o nimai kudasai.) — Two tickets, please.
JLPT N5 questions frequently test specific food and beverage counters and their irregular pronunciations:
- 〜杯 (-hai / -pai / -bai) — cups and bowls: コーヒーをいっぱい (one cup), うどんをにはい (two bowls), さんばい (three cups/bowls).
- 〜個 (-ko) — small items: りんごをいっこ (one), にこ (two).
- 〜本 (-hon / -pon / -bon) — bottles and cylindrical items: いっぽん (one), にほん (two), さんぼん (three), ろっぽん (six).
Forgot the specific counter during real conversation? The universal 〜つ still communicates — accuracy is admired, but courage is served first.
2. Asking Prices — and Understanding Answers
すみません、これはいくらですか。(Sumimasen, kore wa ikura desu ka.) — Excuse me, how much is this?
— 1,500円です。(Sen gohyaku en desu.) — It's 1,500 yen.
This is where numbers pay off. Big numbers fly fast in shops; if you miss one, no shame: もう一度おねがいします (mō ichido onegaishimasu, "once more please") — or peek at the register display. Handy reactions: 高いですね (expensive!), 安いですね (cheap!), じゃあ、これをください (well then, I'll take this one).
Cashier formulas on JLPT listening tasks
In JLPT Listening comprehension (Mondai 1 & 2), store clerks use standard polite phrasing when stating totals and returning change. You must recognize these patterns to calculate totals or change correctly:
全部で 〜 円でございます。(Zenbu de ~ en de gozaimasu.) — In total, it is ~ yen.
〜 円のお返しです。(~ en no okaeshi desu.) — ~ yen is your change.
3. Scene One: The Convenience Store (コンビニ)
Japan's convenience stores follow a set script. Here is what clerks ask at the register, and your two all-purpose replies:
| You'll hear… | Meaning | Your reply |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ! | Welcome! | (nod or bow politely) |
| 袋はいりますか。(Fukuro wa irimasu ka.) | Do you need a bag? | はい、おねがいします。/ だいじょうぶです。 |
| 温めますか。(Atatamemasu ka.) | Shall I heat it up? (bentō!) | はい、おねがいします。/ だいじょうぶです。 |
| ポイントカードはありますか。 | Do you have a point card? | ないです。/ だいじょうぶです。 |
| お箸はいりますか。(O-hashi wa irimasu ka.) | Do you need chopsticks? | はい、おねがいします。/ だいじょうぶです。 |
Memorize the golden reply pair: おねがいします = yes please; だいじょうぶです = no thanks, I'm fine. (だいじょうぶ, "okay/fine", is modern Japanese's preferred soft polite "no".) Payment vocabulary: 現金 (genkin, cash), カード (kādo, card) — カードでおねがいします ("by card, please"). Place cash on the small tray (コイントレイ) by the register, not directly into the clerk's hand.
4. Scene Two: The Restaurant
Walking in
Staff: いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。(Irasshaimase. Nanmei-sama desu ka.) — Welcome! How many people?
You: 二人です。(Futari desu.) — Two people. (一人 / ひとり for one person, 二人 / ふたり for two!)
Ordering
You: すみません!(calls the server — completely polite in Japan!)
Staff: ご注文は?(Go-chūmon wa?) — Your order?
You: この天ぷら定食をひとつと、うどんをにはいおねがいします。
(Kono tenpura teishoku o hitotsu to, udon o nihai onegaishimasu.) — One of this tempura set and two bowls of udon, please.
Staff: お飲み物は?(O-nomimono wa?) — Anything to drink?
You: お水でだいじょうぶです。(O-mizu de daijōbu desu.) — Water is fine.
Can't decide? Deploy: おすすめは何ですか (Osusume wa nan desu ka — "What do you recommend?") then simply じゃあ、それをください. Menu photos and plastic food displays mean pointing + これ is always available as Plan B.
Paying and leaving
すみません、お会計をおねがいします。(Sumimasen, o-kaikei o onegaishimasu.) — The bill, please.
(at the register) カードでいいですか。(Kādo de ii desu ka.) — Is card okay?
(leaving) ごちそうさまでした! — Thank you for the meal!
Two essential cultural rules: there is no tipping in Japan — none, ever; and payment usually happens at the register near the door, not at the table. Saying ごちそうさまでした to the staff on your way out is the polite universal sign of appreciation.
5. Bonus Scene: Clothes Shopping
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 見ているだけです。(Mite iru dake desu.) | "Just looking." |
| 試着できますか。(Shichaku dekimasu ka.) | May I try it on? |
| ちょっと小さいです。もっと大きいのはありますか。 | It's a bit small. Do you have a bigger one? |
| Mサイズをおねがいします。 | Size M, please. |
Note the pattern もっと〜の (motto ~ no): もっと大きいの "a bigger one", もっと安いの "a cheaper one" — where の stands in for the noun ("one"). And ちょっと ("a little") softens statements politely: ちょっと高いですね — "hmm, a bit pricey…"
6. How This Material Appears on the JLPT
Because the JLPT is strictly multiple-choice without a live speaking section, these shopping patterns are examined in distinct question types:
- Listening — Mondai 3 (Utterance Expressions / 発話表現): You look at an illustration with an arrow pointing to a person in a store or restaurant and select what they should say (e.g., calling a server with すみません, or ordering with これをください).
- Listening — Mondai 4 (Quick Response / 即時応答): You hear a prompt from a shopkeeper (such as 袋はいりますか) and choose the appropriate natural reaction (such as だいじょうぶです).
- Reading — Information Retrieval (情報検索): You read a practical menu, store flyer, or receipt to locate prices, special set discounts, or business hours.
Summary & Key Takeaways
- Three core request patterns: 〜をください (give me ~), 〜をおねがいします (please/services), 〜はありますか (do you have ~?).
- Counters: [thing] を + [number+counter] + ください. Key N5 counters include 〜つ (general), 〜本 (bottles/cylinders), 〜枚 (flat objects), 〜杯 (cups/bowls), and 〜個 (small 3D items).
- Price inquiries: これはいくらですか; Cashier total formulas: 全部で 〜 円でございます and change formula: 〜 円のお返しです.
- Golden reply pair: おねがいします (yes please) / だいじょうぶです (no thanks, I'm fine).
- Restaurant flow: 何名様? → 二人です → すみません! → order with counters → お会計をおねがいします → ごちそうさまでした.
- JLPT format: Tested via Listening Mondai 3 (Utterance Expressions), Listening Mondai 4 (Quick Response), and Reading notices/menus.