When traveling or living in Japan, shopping is one of the most common situations where you’ll need Japanese. Whether you’re buying souvenirs, groceries, or clothes, knowing a few essential phrases and numbers can make your experience smoother and more enjoyable.
I remember the time I went Japan, I just point into the object 🥲
The First Thing You’ll Hear: 「いらっしゃいませ！」
As soon as you walk into a shop in Japan, the staff will greet you with a cheerful:
➤ いらっしゃいませ！
Romaji: Irasshaimase
Meaning: Welcome (to our store)!
Vietnamese: Chào mừng quý khách!
This phrase is not a conversation starter — you don’t need to reply. It’s simply a polite and traditional way for staff to welcome customers. Just smile and continue shopping!
Useful Numbers for Shopping
Prices in Japan are written in yen (円 – en), and you’ll often hear large numbers. Here are some key numbers you’ll encounter when shopping:
| Japanese | Romaji | Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ひゃく | hyaku | 100 | 100 |
| さんびゃく | sanbyaku | 300 | 300 |
| ろっぴゃく | roppyaku | 600 | 600 |
| はっぴゃく | happyaku | 800 | 800 |
| せん | sen | 1.000 | 1,000 |
| さんぜん | sanzen | 3.000 | 3,000 |
| はっせん | hassen | 8.000 | 8,000 |
| いちまん | ichiman | 10.000 | 10,000 |
| ごまん | goman | 50.000 | 50,000 |
| ひゃくまん | hyakuman | 1.000.000 | 1 million |
| いちおく | ichioku | 100.000.000 | 100 million |
| じゅうおく | juuoku | 1.000.000.000 | 1 billion |
Tip: In Japan, numbers above 10,000 use “man” (10,000) and “oku” (100 million), not thousands and millions like in English. Just need to remember this trick, you will fast learning count number.
Essential Shopping Phrases
Here are some common phrases you can use while shopping:
| Japanese | Romaji | Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| これはいくらですか？ | Kore wa ikura desu ka? | Cái này bao nhiêu vậy ạ? | How much is this? |
| いくらですか？ | Ikura desu ka? | Bao nhiêu vậy ạ? | How much? |
| これは…えんです。 | Kore wa … en desu. | Cái này … yên ạ. | This is … yen. |
| もういちどおねがいします。 | Mou ichido onegai shimasu. | Xin hãy nói lại một lần nữa. | Please say it again. |
| はい。いいです。 | Hai. Ii desu. | Vâng. Được thôi. | Yes. It’s okay. |
Example Conversation:
👤: これはいくらですか？
🧍♂️: これは ごせんえん です。（This is 5,000 yen）
👤: もういちどおねがいします。
🧍♂️: ごせんえんです。
Now, let’s learning with video.
