Class notes · Lesson 3 · Japanese for beginners

I'll take it · Places and pricesこれをください。

Instructor: NoomenClass of October 4, 2026

Finding your way and going shopping: ここ, そこ, あそこ and どこ, the polite こちら, そちら, あちら and どちら, asking where a product comes from, and reading prices in yen. Point at places in the scene and type any price to hear it read.

At the department store

かいわ

Maria is looking for the wine department. Shop staff speak very politely: でございます is a humble, extra-polite です.

On a department-store food floor, a shop assistant shows Maria a bottle while Maria points at the shelf.

I'll take it

マリア

すみません。ワインうりばはどこですか。Sumimasen. Wain uriba wa doko desu ka?Excuse me. Where is the wine department?

てんいん A

ちかいっかいでございます。Chika ikkai de gozaimasu.It's on the first basement floor.

マリア

どうも。Dōmo.Thanks.

マリア

すみません。そのワインをみせてください。Sumimasen. Sono wain o misete kudasai.Excuse me. Could you show me that wine?

てんいん B

はい、どうぞ。Hai, dōzo.Certainly. Here you are.

マリア

これはフランスのワインですか。Kore wa Furansu no wain desu ka?Is this French wine?

てんいん B

いいえ、イタリアのです。Iie, Itaria no desu.No, it's Italian.

マリア

いくらですか。Ikura desu ka?How much is it?

てんいん B

2500えんです。Nisen gohyaku en desu.2,500 yen.

マリア

じゃ、これをください。Ja, kore o kudasai.Well then, I'll take it.

Here, there, over there

こ・そ・あ・ど

ここ is where the speaker is, そこ where the listener is, あそこ far from both, and どこ asks “where?”. Turn on “polite” to switch to こちら, そちら, あちら, どちら, which also mean “this way, that way”.

Pick a place

Where is it?

Polite: こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら

トイレはどこですか。Toire wa doko desu ka?Where is the toilet?

トイレはここです。Toire wa koko desu.The toilet is here, where I am.

How much is it? · Reading prices

いくらですか

Type a price in yen (up to 99,999,999) or pick one. Watch the sound changes: 300 さんびゃく, 600 ろっぴゃく, 800 はっぴゃく, 3,000 さんぜん, 8,000 はっせん. 10,000 is いちまん: Japanese counts in units of ten thousand (まん).

Price in yen

いくらですか。

ひゃくえんです。

hyakuen desu.

¥100

Hundreds · 〜ひゃく

100ひゃく
200にひゃく
300さんびゃく
400よんひゃく
500ごひゃく
600ろっぴゃく
700ななひゃく
800はっぴゃく
900きゅうひゃく

Shaded readings change their sound: learn those by heart.

Thousands · 〜せん

1,000せん
2,000にせん
3,000さんぜん
4,000よんせん
5,000ごせん
6,000ろくせん
7,000ななせん
8,000はっせん
9,000きゅうせん

Shaded readings change their sound: learn those by heart.

Vocabulary

ことば

Tap a card to hear it and see what it means.

Places and directions

In the building

Shopping

Grammar points

ぶんぽう

ここ／そこ／あそこは N です

これ, それ, あれ point at things; ここ, そこ, あそこ point at places. ここ: where the speaker is. そこ: where the listener is. あそこ: far from both.

ここはしょくどうです。Koko wa shokudō desu.This is the canteen.

ここはしんおおさかですか。……はい、そうです。Koko wa Shin-Ōsaka desu ka? … Hai, sō desu.Is this Shin-Osaka? … Yes, it is.

N はどこですか

“Where is N?” Answer with the place word: あそこです (it's over there). The same pattern says where a person is.

すみません、トイレはどこですか。……あそこです。Sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka? … Asoko desu.Excuse me, where is the toilet? … Over there.

やまださんはどこですか。……じむしょです。Yamada-san wa doko desu ka? … Jimusho desu.Where is Mr. Yamada? … In the office.

こちら／そちら／あちら／どちら

Polite versions of ここ, そこ, あそこ, どこ. They also mean a direction (this way…) and can refer politely to people. おくにはどちらですか is the polite “where are you from?”.

エレベーターはこちらですか。……そちらです。Erebētā wa kochira desu ka? … Sochira desu.Is the lift this way? … That way.

おくにはどちらですか。……チュニジアです。O-kuni wa dochira desu ka? … Chunijia desu.Where are you from? … Tunisia.

どこの N

Ask where a product is from, or which company makes it, with どこの. Answer with the country or maker + の.

それはどこのくつですか。……イタリアのくつです。Sore wa doko no kutsu desu ka? … Itaria no kutsu desu.Where are those shoes from? … They're Italian.

これはどこのくるまですか。……にほんのくるまです。Kore wa doko no kuruma desu ka? … Nihon no kuruma desu.Where was this car made? … It's a Japanese car.

いくらですか／ N をください

いくら asks the price. When you have decided, say これをください: “I'll take this”.

このとけいはいくらですか。……18600えんです。Kono tokei wa ikura desu ka? … Ichiman hassen roppyaku en desu.How much is this watch? … 18,600 yen.

じゃ、これをください。Ja, kore o kudasai.Then I'll take this one.

お〜

お in front of a word adds respect for the listener or for what belongs to them: おくに (your country), おなまえ (your name), おてあらい (restroom), おみず (water).

おてあらいはどこですか。O-tearai wa doko desu ka?Where is the restroom?

Example sentences

れいぶん

Reading · A tour of the school

さくら

ここは教室きょうしつです。Koko wa kyōshitsu desu.This is the classroom.

アンナ

わあ、広ひろい。Wā, hiroi.Wow, it's spacious.

さくら

あそこは図書館としょかん。Asoko wa toshokan.Over there is the library.

アンナ

トイレはどこですか。Toire wa doko desu ka?Where is the toilet?

さくら

すぐそこです。Sugu soko desu.Just over there.

In casual speech です is often dropped: あそこはとしょかん。 Sakura's ここ, あそこ and そこ follow the same distance rule as これ, あれ and それ.

Where is the phone?

でんわはどこですか。Denwa wa doko desu ka?Where is the phone?

でんわはあそこです。Denwa wa asoko desu.The phone is over there.

The restroom

おてあらいはどこですか。O-tearai wa doko desu ka?Where is the restroom?

あそこです。Asoko desu.Over there.

Italian shoes

それはどこのくつですか。Sore wa doko no kutsu desu ka?Where are those shoes from?

イタリアのくつです。Itaria no kutsu desu.They're Italian shoes.

How much is the watch?

このとけいはいくらですか。Kono tokei wa ikura desu ka?How much is this watch?

18600えんです。Ichiman hassen roppyaku en desu.It's 18,600 yen.

Quick quiz

10 もん

Ten questions drawn from everything above. Pick the correct meaning or reading.

Class notes from Noomen's Japanese lesson · words, sentences and grammar as presented on the slides, with readings and translations added.