10 phrases you need to know before going to a convenience store

Are you Traveling to Japan? Then you must know these Convenience Store Essential Phrases. From breakfast to a midday snack, to even late-night cravings, the Conbini is a basic need of travelers in Japan.

One thing about Japanese convenience stores is that the cashier will ask you a lot of questions in Japanese, and it’s almost like an interview. But don’t you worry,  we have compiled a set of phrases you will hear at a Conbini so a convenient trip to the Conbini won’t turn into a confusing situation.

Table of Contents:

VIDEO LINK: Click Here

Phrase #1 The Meaning of Irasshaimase

Phrase #1: いらっしゃいませ (Irasshaimase)

Ever wonder what you hear the immediate second you enter any store or restaurant? Or when you arrive at the cashier? いらっしゃいませ is a polite, formal greeting which essentially means “welcome”. The phrase is connected to the verb, いらっしゃる irassharu, which is used to inform the arrival of someone of higher status. It is a way to show respect and welcome customers, in a country where the phrase “customers are gods” exists. 

Despite this being one of the first words you will hear in any establishment, you, as a tourist will never have to say this to anyone. Also know that you don’t need to respond at all – trying to respond to いらっしゃいませ is more awkward for this greeting than not having one!

Phrase #2: Warm bento lunch boxes? Yes please!

Phrase #2: こちら温めますか (Atatamemasu ka):

One thing you can get at a conbini is a bento lunch box or a rice ball. However, nobody wants a cold bento for their lunchtime. Luckily, the conbini has gotten you covered. Even better, they will ask if you need your bento to be warmed.

If we break down the phrase, we get:

こちら (kochira) – a polite way of addressing something that person speaking is holding or is within proximity of the speaker

AND

あたためますか (atatamemasuka?) – this is a question literally asking, “should it be warmed up?”

You may hear the こちら replaced with the name of the item if you have multiple items that could be warmed. In that case, it is best to listen for the key phrase, あたためますか？ Then if you have something you want warmed, you can say はい、お願いします (hai, onegaishimasu) meaning “yes please,” and they will microwave it for you. If you would like to decline politely by saying “I’m okay!” then you can say だいじょうぶです (daijyoubu desu).

For situations you want one thing warmed but not the other you could say:

Xだけおねがいします。(X dake onegaishimasu) – literally meaning “X only please”

You can replace X with the name of the item – OR – point at it and say これ (this one).

Or they may pull out a quick “passport please?” for tourists.

They may ask you to press a button on the screen instead saying: 年齢確認おねがいします。(nenrei kakunin onegaishimasu) meaning “please press the button to confirm you’re over 20.”

Going back to the video, after the cashier explains what she meant by saying あたためますか, Mary says はい、おねがいします. Then the cashier responds かしこまりました after.

This last phrase uttered by the cashier is a response to accept the customer’s demands.

かしこまりました (kashikomarimashita)

Another word that may be used is:

承知しました (shochi shimasita)

They both mean, “I understand” or even “I shall take your demands”.

Getting a warm cup of Noodles or Soup

For instant noodles and soups, the cashier will inform you of where the hot water is. This is self-served – make sure you read the instruction that tells you how long you need to let the hot water sit. Minutes in Japanese is indicated by 分 and most noodle items have a cooking time of 3分.

Phrase #3 and 4: Eating Utensils in Japanese (e.g. Chopsticks)

In the video, after the cashier asks about warming up the food, she asks:

Phrase #3: おはし、おつけしますか？ (ohashi, otsuke shimasu ka?)

Mary once again looks lost. Then she sees the cashier holding a pair of chopsticks. That’s right, おはし (ohashi) is the word for chopsticks! Now, what does the latter part of the phrase おつけしますか (otsuke shimasu ka) mean? 

From context, you might be able to guess that this means, “would you like X?” If so, that’s correct! おつけしますか literally translates to “may I add on?” This is another polite phrasing used by only cashiers and service industry workers, asking whether you would like some additional items. Therefore, there is no real need to know this phrase, especially since the key part of the phrase is the item they are offering to give to you – in this case, chopsticks.

How to respond to this question? Once again, this is a yes/no question.

Therefore, we can use:

For yes: はい、お願いします (hai, onegaishimasu) 

For no: だいじょうぶです (daijyoubu desu).

BLOG BONUS: If you are with another person or in a group, the cashier may ask:

いくつ、おつけしますか？ (ikutsu, otsuke shimasu ka?)

いくつ means “how many” and cashiers may ask this to confirm how many chopsticks (or other utensils) you need.

How to answer this question like a native (read more) 

Add this before ください and you will sound like a native speaker.

A spoon and fork. In Japanese, they are also called “spoon” and “fork” as there are no Japanese-origin words for these items, but the pronunciation is more or less different. So don’t expect to get away with saying “spoon” and “fork” as you would at home. 

Want to learn how to pronounce Japanese words from professionals? Check out Sayaka’s beginners’ Japanese classes which also offer extensive speaking feedback on weekly speaking tasks!

Now, what is the next item the cashier offers to Mary?

The cashier in the video puts Mary in the spotlight again, asking now if she wants an おしぼり (oshibori). You might have learned from the video that Japanese conbinis often offer a wet tissue called oshibori.

This again is offered to the customer using the phrase, おつけしますか？(otsuke shimasu ka?) after the name of the item.

Phrase #4: おしぼり、おつけしますか？(oshibori, otsuke shimasu ka?)

If you hear the name of the item, “oshibori” you just need to respond again with a yes or no. 

Since Japanese Conbinis do not give away napkins or tissues like at food courts and restaurants, you might want an oshibori instead to be able to wipe your hand and mouth.

If the cashier does not offer these items, you may have to ask for them. In this case, use 

「Xください」（X kudasai) to ask if you could receive something.

Afterward, the cashier tells Mary the total.

580円です (gohyaku hachijyu en desu)

Phrase #5: ポイントカードおもちですか (Pointo kaado omochi desu ka?):

Then the cashier immediately asks the question above:

This phrase inquires whether you have a point card. Many stores in Japan offer point cards for customers to accumulate points and receive coupons or trade-ins for benefits.

Don’t worry about this if you are a tourist – if you live here though, you can look into the brands of point cars each Conbini is connected with. Note that おもちですか is a formal phrase asking whether you own or carry something with you. No, the phrase is not exactly asking about mochi rice cakes.

Phrase #6: How to NOT ask for a Plastic Bag (or decline a bag)

In some countries they ask this to all customers in any grocery store.

Phrase #6: ふくろはご利用ですか？(fukuro wa goriyo desuka?)

The phrase means, “Would you like to use a bag?”

Now, there may be other variations of this phrase such as:

ふくろ、おつけしますか？ (fukuro otsuke shimasu ka?)

“Would you like a bag?”

ふくろ、いりますか？ (fukuro irimasu ka?)

“Do you need a bag?”

However, the keyword here is always going to be ふくろ, so make sure you respond yes or no if you hear this word!

Checkpoint Review time! How do you politely decline something in Japanese?

だいじょうぶです (daijyoubu desu).

Other ways to decline a plastic bag or any offered item are:

You know how to say, “Yes please” in Japanese right? Don’t worry, I won’t test you now, but I sure will later.

BONUS: Other Phrases used by Cashiers

You have uncovered most phrases in the video already, phew! Now you hear some phrases I would add to your library for when you go to the Conbini.

Phrase #7: 温かいものと冷たいものをお分けしますか？

(Atatakai mono tsumetai mono owake shimasu ka?)

This question asks if you’d like something hot or cold separated. When you have microwaved items and cool items like ice cream in the same purchase, they will offer to bag them separately to keep their intended temperatures. 

Phrase #8: おしはらい方法、いかがですか 

(Oshiharai houhou ikagadesu ka?)

With cashless methods on the rise, many establishments will ask this question. However, at many conbinis, a screen in front of the cashier will pop up a menu where the customer is asked to select by hand their preferred payment method. So this question may or may not be asked at the conbini nowadays.

I will tell you how you can answer this question, using the TOP 3 payment methods used.

Phrase #9: レシートご入用ですか (Reshiito goiriyou desu ka):

This asks if you would like a receipt. Often, the cashier will ask if you would like to receive a receipt for their purchase. Other times, they may hand it to you regardless and you may see a small box where unwanted receipts can be put. 

Phrase #10: お次の方どうぞ (Otsugi no kata douzo):

This phrase like “Next please” is used to indicate that it’s the next person’s turn to be served.

Mini Quiz

Check: How many did you get correct? Leave your answer in the comment.

Just like that, you have learned 10 phrases that you would hear or use at the conbini! Now you can be even more excited for a trip to the conbini, knowing all these phrases in Japanese. Even if it takes time to master these, be confident! You know the context and keywords in each phrase, and you will surely know more after every visit to the conbini. (And lose a little money in your wallet with every visit, because of how amazing each food and drink item is in the conbini)

Readers, if you are here, tell me: What is your favorite conbini? Vote below!

Ready to learn more?

Today you learned Convenience Store Essential Phrases. Now you are ready to go to the convenience store in confidence. These emotion words and reactions will be very useful and are a great way to lighten up the mood or even start a conversation

Go comment on Sayaka’s flashy Instagram posts with the correct form of any adjective and impress us! Do it!

Have you…

• Ever thought of learning Japanese, but have no access to classes?
• Learned Japanese, but want to speak more?
• Given up on speaking Japanese before?
• Been tired of your unmotivated classmates?
• OR are you UNMOTIVATED to study Japanese?

Then you should check out Sayaka’s Beginners Japanese lessons! With engaging weekly lessons covering task-based conversation practice, kanji, grammar for different situations, and useful phrases, you will for sure fall in love with all the fun and warmth you will experience in Sayaka’s class. Check her 101/102/103 and 104 classes out here!

Follow Sayaka on SNS:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Facebook