Dispute with taxi driver (Advanced): Payment methods
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Key Phrases
カードで払えますか。
kaado de harae masu ka
Can I pay by card?
現金だけです。
genkin dake desu
Cash only.
そこでおろしてもらえますか。
soko de oroshi te morae masu ka
Could you drop me off there?
Skills You'll Learn
Ask about payment methods politely.
支払い方法について丁寧に聞く。
shiharai houhou ni tsui te teinei ni kiku
Explain that card payment is unavailable and understand simple reasons.
カード払いができないことや、その簡単な理由を理解する。
kaado harai ga deki nai koto ya sono kantan na riyuu o rikai suru
Ask for nearby places and request to be dropped off there.
近くの場所をたずねて、そこで降ろしてもらうようお願いする。
chikaku no basho o tazune te soko de oroshi te morau you o negai suru
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're in a taxi in Japan and, after asking to pay by card, you find out the card machine is broken, so you politely ask to stop near a convenience store to get cash.
すみません、カードで払えますか。
sumi mase n kaado de harae masu ka
Excuse me, can I pay by card?
ごめんなさい、この車は現金だけなんです。
gomen nasai kono kuruma wa genkin dake na n desu
Sorry, this car only accepts cash.
えっ、そうですか。アプリにはカード可とありました。
etsu sou desu ka apuri ni wa kaado ka to ari mashi ta
Oh, really? The app said cards were accepted.
ああ、前はできたんですが、今は端末がこわれていて。
aa mae wa deki ta n desu ga ima wa tanmatsu ga koware te i te
Oh, we used to accept them, but the terminal is broken right now.
そうだったんですね。先に聞けばよかったです。
sou datsu ta n desu ne saki ni kike ba yokatsu ta desu
I see. I should have asked first.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
カード
kaado
Card
で
de
By; with
💬 [で] marks the method you use to do something: [カードで払う] = pay by card, [現金で払う] = pay in cash. The same pattern works with transport too, like [電車で行く] "go by train."
See breakdown →払えますか
harae masu ka
Can I pay?
💬 [払えますか] is the "can do it?" form of [払う] "to pay," so you can reuse this pattern with other verbs: [使えますか] "can I use it?", [座れますか] "can I sit?"
See breakdown →カードで払えますか。
kaado de harae masu ka
Excuse me, can I pay by card?
現金
genkin
Cash
だけ
dake
Only
💬 [だけ] means "only" and comes after the thing it limits: [現金だけ] "cash only," [今日だけ] "today only."
See breakdown →現金だけ
genkin dake
Cash only
この車は
kono kuruma wa
This car is
💬 [は] is written [は] but here it is said (wa). In phrases like [この車は], it marks the topic: "as for this car..."
See breakdown →なんです
nan desu
It is (explaining something)
💬 [なんです] often adds an explaining or softening tone, not just plain "is." Compare [現金だけです] "it's cash only" with [現金だけなんです] "it's that it's cash only / the thing is, it's cash only."
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