Shops and hotels in Japanese
Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk. Play the ten Japanese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Japanese phrases in this lesson
- ありますかa-ri-MAS-kah
- Do you have...?
- どこですかDOH-ko des-KAH
- Where is...?
- 営業中eh-GYOH-chu
- Open
- 閉店heh-TEN
- Closed
- 袋fu-KU-ro
- A bag?
- 高すぎますta-KA-su-gi-mas
- Too expensive
- 予約していますyo-YA-ku shi-teh i-mas
- I have a reservation
- 朝食は含まれていますかCHOH-sho-ku wa fu-KU-ma-reh-teh i-mas-ka
- Is breakfast included?
- Wi-Fiのパスワードは何ですかWAI-fai no PAS-wah-do wa NAN des-ka
- What's the wifi password?
- ...てもいいですかteh mo EE des-ka
- Can I...?
Tack it after anything: ビールありますか (do you have beer?). Show a photo on your phone plus arimasu ka and any shop conversation works.
Same pattern: トイレはどこですか (where is the toilet?). Staff will often walk you to the item rather than point, a small kindness that startles first-time visitors.
The sign meaning "open for business".
Closed for the day. During a break, the sign says 準備中 (jun-BI-chu), preparing.
Bags cost a few yen, so every konbini asks 袋はご利用ですか (do you need a bag?). Answer hai for yes or daijōbu desu for no. This is the most common listening test in Japan.
Prices are fixed; bargaining is not done.
Literally "is it good even if I ...?": 座ってもいいですか (su-WAT-teh mo EE des-ka), may I sit?