Visiting the convenience store: Buying services at the counter
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Key Phrases
こちらで切手を買えますか。
kochira de kitte o kae masu ka
Can I buy stamps here?
八十四円の切手を二枚お願いします。
hachijuu yo en no kitte o ni mai o negai shi masu
Two 84-yen stamps, please.
あと、宅急便も出したいです。
ato taku kyuubin mo dashi tai desu
I'd like to send a parcel too.
Skills You'll Learn
How to ask politely whether something is available at a location.
場所で買えるかどうかを丁寧にたずねる言い方。
basho de kaeru ka dou ka o teinei ni tazuneru ii kata
How to request a specific number and type of stamps.
切手の種類と枚数を指定してお願いする言い方。
kitte no shurui to maisuu o shitei shi te o negai suru ii kata
How to say you also want to send a parcel and respond during payment.
宅急便も出したいと伝えたり、会計でやり取りしたりする言い方。
taku kyuubin mo dashi tai to tsutae tari kaikei de yaritori shi tari suru ii kata
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you are at a post office or convenience store in Japan, buying a couple of stamps and arranging to send a parcel while speaking politely with the staff.
すみません、こちらで切手を買えますか。
sumi mase n kochira de kitte o kae masu ka
Excuse me, can I buy stamps here?
はい、買えますよ。何枚いりますか。
hai kae masu yo nan mai iri masu ka
Yes, you can. How many do you need?
八十四円の切手を二枚お願いします。
hachijuu yo en no kitte o ni mai o negai shi masu
Two 84-yen stamps, please.
はい、二枚ですね。ほかにありますか。
hai ni mai desu ne hoka ni ari masu ka
Sure, two stamps. Anything else?
あと、宅急便も出したいです。
ato taku kyuubin mo dashi tai desu
Also, I'd like to send a parcel by courier.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
すみません。
sumi mase n
Excuse me.
💬 [すみません] covers both [excuse me] and [sorry], so context matters. In a store it's the normal way to get staff attention politely.
See breakdown →こちら
kochira
Here
切手
kitte
Stamp
こちらで
kochira de
Here / at this place
💬 [で] marks the place where something happens, so [こちらで] means [here / at this counter]. Compare [こちらに] for a destination, like [こちらに書いてください] = [please write here].
See breakdown →切手を買えますか
kitte o kae masu ka
Can I buy stamps?
💬 [買えますか] means [can I buy it?] or [is it possible to buy it?], not just plain [buy]. You can reuse this with other verbs: [払えますか] = [can I pay?], [使えますか] = [can I use it?].
See breakdown →こちらで切手を買えますか。
kochira de kitte o kae masu ka
Can I buy stamps here?
💬 [で] marks the place where something happens, so [こちらで] means [here / at this counter]. Compare [こちらに] for a destination, like [こちらに書いてください] = [please write here].
See breakdown →はい
hai
Yes
💬 [はい] is often used to show you're listening or that you understand, not only a direct [yes]. So in shops you may hear it even before the person fully answers your question.
See breakdown →買えますよ
kae masu yo
You can buy them
💬 Sentence-ending [よ] adds a gentle feeling of giving information: [Yes, you can]. Without [よ], [買えます] sounds a bit flatter and more matter-of-fact.
See breakdown →はい、買えますよ。
hai kae masu yo
Yes, you can.
💬 Sentence-ending [よ] adds a gentle feeling of giving information: [Yes, you can]. Without [よ], [買えます] sounds a bit flatter and more matter-of-fact.
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