How to Say ‘Can I buy stamps?’ in Japanese
切手を買えますか
kitte o kae masu ka
[keet-teh oh kah-eh mahss kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [買えますか] is the potential form of [買います], meaning "can buy." It is a polite way to ask about possibility.
🇯🇵 In Japan: When asking for a service in Japan, a soft question like this sounds natural and polite.
Phrase Breakdown
切手
kitte
[keet-teh]
stamp
A postage stamp sold at service counters.
きってをください。
Please give me stamps.
を
o
[oh]
object marker
Particle marking what you buy, want, or use.
きってをかいます。
I buy stamps.
買え
kae
[kah-eh]
can buy
Potential form stem of 買う, meaning to be able to buy.
ここでかえます。
You can buy it here.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending
Polite ending attached to verbs in everyday formal speech.
かえますはていねいないいかたです。
Kaemasu is a polite way of saying it.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Sentence ending particle that turns a statement into a question.
かをつけるとしつもんです。
If you add ka, it becomes a question.
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