Essential N5 Japanese Shopping Vocabulary: Buy What You Need

Key takeaways

Shopping is one of the most common and practical activities you will do in Japan.

Mastering these basic N5 words will help you navigate stores, compare prices, and make purchases smoothly.

How this bundle was curated

Core meaning

Why learn this shopping vocabulary?

These words form the foundation of any shopping experience in Japanese, from checking prices to completing a purchase.

All items at a glance

Core N5 Shopping Vocabulary
Word	Reading	Meaning
買う	かう	to buy
お金	おかね	money
店	みせ	shop, store
高い	たかい	expensive, high
安い	やすい	cheap

Item by item

買う

Reading: かう

to buy

Used when purchasing goods. It generally takes the particle を (wo) to mark the item being bought.

Example 1

本を買います。

Translation

I will buy a book.

お金

Reading: おかね

money

The polite prefix お (o) is almost always used with 金 (kane) in everyday conversation.

Example 1

お金がありません。

Translation

I don't have money.

店

Reading: みせ

shop, store

Refers to physical shops or stores. You will often hear it with the polite prefix as お店 (omise).

Example 1

あの店に行きましょう。

Translation

Let's go to that store.

高い

Reading: たかい

expensive, high

Can mean either 'expensive' (price) or 'high/tall' (height). Context usually makes the meaning clear.

Example 1

この時計は高いです。

Translation

This watch is expensive.

安い

Reading: やすい

cheap

Means 'cheap' or 'inexpensive'. It is an i-adjective, so it conjugates directly without needing extra particles.

Example 1

安い靴を買いました。

Translation

I bought cheap shoes.

Practice with examples

Example 1

あの店は安いです。

Translation

That store is cheap.

A simple sentence combining 'store' and 'cheap'.

Example 2

高いですから、買いません。

Translation

Because it is expensive, I won't buy it.

Using から (kara) to express a reason.

Example 3

新しい店でカバンを買いました。

Translation

I bought a bag at the new store.

The particle で (de) indicates the location where the action (buying) takes place.

How to decide when unsure

When you're unsure

Use the particle を (wo) to mark the item you are buying with 買う (e.g., りんごを買う).
Remember that 高い (takai) can mean both 'expensive' and 'tall/high'. When talking about shopping, it generally means 'expensive'.
Add the polite prefix お (o) to 店 (mise) to make お店 (omise) when you want to sound more natural and polite in daily conversation.

Common mistakes

Confusing 高い (expensive) and 安い (cheap)

Because they are opposites often learned together, beginners frequently mix them up.

Wrong example: (When looking for a bargain) 高いものが好きです。/Correct example: (When looking for a bargain) 安いものが好きです。

Associate 安 (cheap) with 'peace/safety' (its kanji meaning) to remember it's safe for your wallet!

Mini quiz

Which word means 'to buy'?

One-line summary

In a nutshell

By mastering these five basic shopping words, you will be well-prepared to navigate stores, compare prices, and buy what you need in Japan.

FAQ

Can I use 買う for buying services?

買う is generally used for physical goods. For services, other verbs or expressions are often more appropriate depending on the context.

Is it rude to say 安い (cheap)?

Not necessarily. While it can imply low quality in some contexts, it is most commonly used simply to mean 'inexpensive' or 'a good deal'.