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Japanese Market Phrases
Buy, negotiate, ask prices. 12+ essential phrases with phonetic pronunciation and 4 full conversation flows for market situations in Japan.
Start learning freeEssential Market Phrases in Japanese
Sorted by usefulness. Phonetic pronunciation included.
いくらですか
ee-koo-rah-des-kah
How much?
これ
koh-reh
This one
これをください
koh-reh-oh-koo-dah-sai
This one, please
はい
hai
Yes
円
en
Yen (currency)
それ
soh-reh
That one
お願いします
oh-neh-gai-shee-mah-sue
Please
一つ
hee-tot-sue
One (item)
高い
tah-kai
Expensive
すみません
sue-mee-mah-sen
Excuse me / Sorry
こんにちは
kohn-nee-chee-wah
Hello / Good afternoon
ありがとうございます
ah-ree-gah-toh-goh-zai-mah-sue
Thank you very much (polite)
...and 75 more market phrases in the app.
Sample: Shopping at the depachika (department store food basement)
A real market conversation in Japanese -- both sides of the interaction.
You
すみません、試食できますか？
sue-mee-mah-sen shee-shoh-koo-deh-kee-mah-sue-kah deh-kee-mahs-kah
Depachika (department store food halls) often offer free tastings. Don't hesitate to ask.
Excuse me, can I try a sample?
Them
oh-ah-jee-mee doh-zoh
They hand you a toothpick or small plate
お味見どうぞ
oh-ah-jee-mee doh-zoh
Please have a taste
You
おいしい！これは何ですか？
oy-shee koh-reh wah nahn-des-kah
Delicious! What is this?
Them
kyoh-oo-toh noh wah-gah-shee des
They explain the product — often wagashi (Japanese confections) or regional specialties
京都の和菓子です
kyoh-oo-toh noh wah-gah-shee des
These are Kyoto sweets
You
一つください
hee-tot-sue koo-dah-sai
One, please
You
プレゼント用に包んでもらえますか？
poo-reh-zen-toh-yoh nee tsoot-soon-deh-koo-dah-sai shah-shin-oh-tot-teh-moh-rah-eh-mah-sue-kah
Gift wrapping (tsutsumi) is an art in Japan. Presentation matters as much as the product.
Can you wrap it as a gift?
4 market conversations available in the app.
FAQ
What happens when they answer back at the market in Japan?
That's the hard part -- and exactly what TalkThere prepares you for. Each of the 4 market conversations shows you the full back-and-forth: what you say, what they'll likely respond, and how to keep going. You won't freeze when they answer in Japanese.
Is this enough to get by at a market in Japan?
Yes. These are the 12+ phrases that actually come up in real market interactions -- not textbook phrases. Sorted by how often you'll need them, with pronunciation you can read at a glance.
Do I need to learn Japanese script to use this?
No. Every Japanese phrase has phonetic pronunciation written in plain English. You read it like English and say it out loud. The script is there for reference, but you don't need it.
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