Japanese for English speakers Supermarket · Lesson 1

Buying and selling

Use 売ります (urimasu, to sell) and its negative 売りません. Plus 〜たい (want to ...) — 読みたい (want to read) — and 雑誌 (magazine).

Conversation

  1. Bolin Bolin

    スポーツの雑誌を読みたいですが

    supōtsu no zasshi o yomitai desu ga

    I would like to read a sports magazine

    Tip: <zasshi> = magazine <yomimasu> = to read <[verb] + tai> = I want to. To use this structure, take away "masu" ending and replace it with "tai". <Yasumimasu> = to rest, to have a break. <Yasumitai> = I want to have a break.

  2. Kyle Kyle

    申し訳ございません、お客様

    mōshi wake gozaimasen, okyaku sama

    We are very sorry

  3. Kyle Kyle

    うちの店は...

    uchi no mise wa...

    Our store...

  4. Kyle Kyle

    スポーツの雑誌を売りません

    supōtsu no zasshi o urimasen

    doesn't sell magazines

    Tip: <urimasu> = to sell <[verb] + masen> = do not do something. To use this structure take away the "masu" ending and replace it with "masen". <Yasumimasu> = to rest, to have a break. <Yasumimasen> = not rest, not to have a break.

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you negate a polite verb?

Replace ます with ません: 売ります → 売りません ('don't sell').

What's the difference between 売る and 売れる?

売る = to sell (transitive — you sell something). 売れる = to sell well / to be sold (intransitive — the thing sells).

What does 雑誌 mean?

'Magazine' — printed periodical, commonly sold at convenience stores and book stores.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Japanese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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