Convenience Store

1. お弁当、温めますか？

   Obentō, atatamemasu ka?

   Would you like the boxed meal heated up?

   Usage

   Said by staff. You will almost always be asked this when you bring a bento, onigiri or pasta to the till. Answer "onegai shimasu" (yes please) or "sono mama de daijōbu desu" (no, as it is)

   Grammar Note

   Service speech asks about your wishes with the polite verb form "-masu ka". The textbook-correct form is "oatatame shimashō ka", but the shorter "atatamemasu ka" is what you will actually hear

2. これ、温めてください

   Kore, atatamete kudasai

   Could you heat this up, please?

   Usage

   Use this to ask before staff offer. In Japanese convenience stores the microwave sits behind the counter and staff operate it — customers never heat food themselves

   Grammar Note

   "Te-form + kudasai" is the core request pattern. For extra politeness say "atatamete itadakemasu ka"

3. お箸はお付けしますか？

   Ohashi wa otsuke shimasu ka?

   Would you like chopsticks with that?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Since the 2022 plastic resource circulation law, cutlery is no longer added automatically — you will be asked. Say "onegai shimasu" for yes or "irimasen" for no

   Grammar Note

   "O + verb stem + shimasu" is the humble pattern staff use for their own actions. As a customer you do not need it — just say "ohashi kudasai"

4. スプーンをもう一つください

   Supūn wo mō hitotsu kudasai

   Could I have one more spoon, please?

   Usage

   Useful when sharing food between two people. Instant noodles come with chopsticks, curry and soup with a spoon, pasta with a fork. Saying the number ("futatsu kudasai" = two, please) is the clearest way to ask for extras

   Grammar Note

   "Noun + wo + kudasai" asks for an object. Chopsticks are counted with the special counter "zen" (ichizen, nizen); spoons and forks use the general "hitotsu, futatsu"

5. レジ袋はご入用ですか？

   Rejibukuro wa goiriyō desu ka?

   Do you need a carrier bag?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Plastic carrier bags have been charged for nationwide since July 2020, typically 3-5 yen each. Say "onegai shimasu" for yes, "sono mama de daijōbu desu" for no. Many staff use the casual "fukuro irimasu ka?" instead

   Grammar Note

   "Goiriyō" is an honorific word for "needed" used only in service speech. As a customer just say "fukuro kudasai" (bag please) or "fukuro wa daijōbu desu" — here "daijōbu desu" politely means "no thanks"

6. 温かいものと冷たいもの、袋を分けてください

   Atatakai mono to tsumetai mono, fukuro wo wakete kudasai

   Could you bag the hot and cold items separately?

   Usage

   Use it when buying ice cream alongside a heated meal. Most staff separate them anyway, but at busy times it is safer to ask. Note that each extra bag is charged

   Grammar Note

   "Adjective + mono" forms a noun phrase meaning "the [adjective] ones". To split the payment instead, say "okaikei, betsubetsu de onegai shimasu"

7. レシートはご利用になりますか？

   Reshīto wa goriyō ni narimasu ka?

   Would you like your receipt?

   Usage

   Said by staff. If you decline it is disposed of on the spot. Take it if you need it for tax-free processing or expenses. For a formal receipt made out to a name, ask separately with "ryōshūsho wo onegai shimasu"

   Grammar Note

   "Go + noun + ni narimasu" is the honorific pattern used for the customer's actions. Staff use the humble "o- ... shimasu" for their own actions — keeping the two apart is the backbone of Japanese keigo

8. ポイントカードはお持ちですか？

   Pointo kādo wa omochi desu ka?

   Do you have a points card?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Each chain partners with a different scheme (V Point, Ponta, Rakuten, d Point). If you do not have one, "nai desu" or "daijōbu desu" is fine — travellers can buy normally without signing up

   Grammar Note

   "O + verb stem + desu" is an honorific describing a state. Service staff use it constantly: omochi desu ka (do you have), okimari desu ka (have you decided), osumi desu ka (are you done)

9. スマホ決済は使えますか？

   Sumaho kessai wa tsukaemasu ka?

   Can I pay with a smartphone payment app?

   Usage

   Major chains accept PayPay, Rakuten Pay, d Barai and au PAY almost everywhere. Most of these apps require a Japanese phone number and bank account, so short-term visitors often cannot use them — contactless payment with a foreign credit card is more reliable

   Grammar Note

   The potential form of "tsukau" (to use) is "tsukaeru", politely "tsukaemasu". "X wa tsukaemasu ka" is the set phrase for asking whether a payment method is accepted, as in "kurejitto kādo wa tsukaemasu ka"

10. 店内でお召し上がりですか？

    Tennai de omeshiagari desu ka?

    Will you be eating in the store?

    Usage

    Said by staff — and it is a tax question, not just politeness. Takeaway food is taxed at the reduced 8% rate, but eating in raises it to 10%, so your answer changes the price. Say "mochikaeri desu" if you are taking it away

    Grammar Note

    "Meshiagaru" is the honorific verb for eating and drinking, ranking above the plain polite "tabemasu". Its humble counterpart is "itadaku", which you use about your own eating

11. イートインで食べてもいいですか？

    Ītoin de tabete mo ii desu ka?

    Is it all right to eat at the eat-in counter?

    Usage

    Some Japanese convenience stores have a counter by the window and some have none. Where seating exists you can eat your heated meal there, but you must declare it at the till because the tax rate rises to 10%. Bins are provided in-store

    Grammar Note

    "Te-form + mo ii desu ka" is the standard way to ask permission, and it generalises freely: "shashin wo totte mo ii desu ka" (may I take a photo), "suwatte mo ii desu ka" (may I sit)

12. ホットドリンクの棚はどこですか？

    Hotto dorinku no tana wa doko desu ka?

    Where is the hot drinks shelf?

    Usage

    In winter, hot bottled and canned drinks sit in a dedicated heated cabinet, which many stores remove in summer. For freshly brewed coffee, order at the till ("hotto kōhī no S saizu kudasai"), take the cup and work the machine yourself

    Grammar Note

    "A no B" links two nouns, so "hotto dorinku no tana" means the shelf for hot drinks. "Doko desu ka" is the most basic way to ask where something is

13. 交通系ICカードにチャージできますか？

    Kōtsūkei aishī kādo ni chāji dekimasu ka?

    Can I top up a transport IC card here?

    Usage

    Suica, PASMO and other transport IC cards can be topped up with cash at any convenience-store till — handy for travellers who want to skip the queue at station machines. Ask in units of 1,000 yen; topping up with a credit card is generally not possible

    Grammar Note

    The particle "ni" marks what you are topping up. The potential form of "suru" is "dekiru", so "noun + dekimasu ka" asks whether something is possible

14. 公共料金の支払いはできますか？

    Kōkyō ryōkin no shiharai wa dekimasu ka?

    Can I pay utility bills here?

    Usage

    Japanese convenience stores accept payment slips for electricity, gas, water, residence tax and national health insurance. Just hand over the barcoded slip at the till; there is no service fee, but payment must be in cash — cards are not accepted. One of the most-used features for long-stay residents

    Grammar Note

    The noun "shiharai" is the verb stem of "shiharau" (to pay) used as a noun — the same derivation as "yomu → yomi" (reading) or "ugoku → ugoki" (movement), a very productive pattern in Japanese

15. このお弁当の消費期限は今日までですか？

    Kono obentō no shōhi kigen wa kyō made desu ka?

    Does this boxed meal have to be eaten by today?

    Usage

    Labels on bento and onigiri show the date down to the hour. "Shōhi kigen" is a hard safety deadline that must be respected, while "shōmi kigen" is a best-before guideline that can be slightly exceeded. Items near their deadline get a discount sticker

    Grammar Note

    The particle "made" marks a limit or end point, so "kyō made" means "today is the last day". It pairs with "kara" (from): "ashita kara raishū made" = from tomorrow until next week

16. 海外のカードが使えるATMはありますか？

    Kaigai no kādo ga tsukaeru ētīemu wa arimasu ka?

    Is there an ATM here that accepts foreign cards?

    Usage

    Japan still runs heavily on cash, and convenience-store ATMs are the most reliable way for visitors to get yen. Seven Bank and Japan Post Bank machines accept most foreign cards and let you switch the screen to English or Chinese. Most are available 24 hours

    Grammar Note

    "Kaigai no kādo ga tsukaeru ATM" is a relative clause. Japanese places modifying clauses before the noun, the reverse of English word order, and the subject of a potential clause is marked with "ga"

17. 画面の年齢確認にタッチをお願いします

    Gamen no nenrei kakunin ni tatchi wo onegai shimasu

    Please touch the age confirmation button on the screen

    Usage

    Said by staff. When you buy alcohol or tobacco, a confirmation screen asking whether you are over 20 appears on the customer-facing touch panel — just press yes. Japan has no legal time restriction on off-licence alcohol sales, so you can buy 24 hours a day, but the legal age is 20 and younger-looking customers may be asked for ID

    Grammar Note

    "Noun + wo onegai shimasu" is a softer, more polite request than "-te kudasai" and is a staple of service situations: "okaikei wo onegai shimasu" (the bill please), "fukuro wo onegai shimasu" (a bag please)

18. 宅配便を送りたいのですが

    Takuhaibin wo okuritai no desu ga

    I would like to send a parcel

    Usage

    Japanese convenience stores double as parcel-service counters: fill in the waybill, hand over the package and it is done. Travellers often use it to forward a suitcase from a hotel to the airport or the next lodging so they can sightsee hands-free. Each chain works with a different courier, so check the signage

    Grammar Note

    Ending with "no desu ga" prefaces a request without completing the thought, leaving space for the other person to respond. Trailing off this way is considered natural and polite when raising a need in Japanese

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