Day 10: At the Convenience Store

Script

Smith: Sumimasen, toire wo tsukatte mo ii desu ka?
すみません、トイレを使ってもいいですか。

Staff: Hai, douzo. Achira desu.
はい、どうぞ。あちらです。

Smith: Arigatou gozaimasu!
ありがとうございます！

Smith: Sumimasen, kono furaido chikin wa ikura desu ka?
すみません、このフライドチキンはいくらですか。

Staff: Ni-hyaku en desu.
２００円です。

Smith: Jaa, sore wo kudasai.
じゃあ、それをください。

Smith: Doumo arigatou gozaimashita!
どうもありがとうございました！

Translation

Smith: Excuse me, may I use the bathroom?

Staff: Yes, go ahead. It's over there.

Smith: Thank you!

Smith: Excuse me, how much is this fried chicken?

Staff: It's 200 yen.

Smith: Okay, I'll take it.

Smith: Thank you very much!

Vocabulary

• トイレ (toire) - bathroom
• 使(つか)ってもいい (tsukatte mo ii) - may use
• フライドチキン (furaido chikin) - fried chicken
• いくら (ikura) - how much
• 円(えん) (en) - yen (currency)
• あちら (achira) - over there

Grammar Notes

1. Asking for Permission: 〜てもいいですか (-te mo ii desu ka)

This structure is used when asking for permission to do something. It combines the て-form of a verb with もいいですか to ask if it's okay to perform an action.

Example:

• トイレを使(つか)ってもいいですか？ (Toire wo tsukatte mo ii desu ka?) - May I use the bathroom?
• ここで食(た)べてもいいですか？ (Koko de tabete mo ii desu ka?) - May I eat here?

2. Asking for Prices: いくらですか (ikura desu ka)

This is the standard way to ask how much something costs in Japanese. いくら (ikura) means "how much" and ですか (desu ka) is used to form a polite question.

Example:

• このフライドチキンはいくらですか？ (Kono furaido chikin wa ikura desu ka?) - How much is this fried chicken?
• そのコーヒーはいくらですか？ (Sono kōhī wa ikura desu ka?) - How much is that coffee?

3. Polite Commands: 〜をください (-wo kudasai)

Use 〜をください (wo kudasai) to politely ask for something. This is commonly used when ordering items or requesting objects in stores or restaurants.

Example:

• それをください (Sore wo kudasai) - I'll take that, please.
• 水(みず)をください (Mizu wo kudasai) - Water, please.

4. Expressing Thanks: どうもありがとうございました (doumo arigatou gozaimashita)

This is a very polite way to say "thank you very much," typically used after receiving a service or item. The past tense form (gozaimashita) emphasizes that you're thanking someone for something already done.

Example:

• どうもありがとうございました (Doumo arigatou gozaimashita) - Thank you very much!