Japanese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Clothes and shopping
服を買うFuku o kau
Exchange and return clothes in a Japanese shop: こちら and the こそあど words, ～たいんですが, ～てみる, ～すぎる, and verbs for wearing.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Use the whole こ／そ／あ／ど family, including polite こちら (kochira)
- Say what you'd like to do with ～たいです and ～たいんですが
- Ask to try something on and say it's too big
- Exchange or return something you bought
Listen
Takeda Yumi brings a jacket back to a department store in Nagoya and asks for a smaller size. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Assistant
いらっしゃいませ。
Irasshaimase.
Welcome.
Takeda
すみません。昨日このジャケットを買いましたが、ちょっと大きすぎます。
Sumimasen. Kinō kono jaketto o kaimashita ga, chotto ōkisugimasu.
Excuse me. I bought this jacket yesterday, but it's a little too big.
Assistant
そうですか。レシートはお持ちですか？
Sō desu ka. Reshīto wa omochi desu ka?
I see. Do you have the receipt?
Takeda
はい、これです。Sサイズに交換したいんですが。
Hai, kore desu. Esu saizu ni kōkan shitai n desu ga.
Yes, here it is. I'd like to change it for a small.
Assistant
はい。こちらがSサイズです。
Hai. Kochira ga esu saizu desu.
Certainly. This is the small.
Takeda
着てみてもいいですか？
Kite mite mo ii desu ka?
May I try it on?
Assistant
どうぞ。試着室はこちらです。
Dōzo. Shichakushitsu wa kochira desu.
Of course. The fitting room is this way.
Takeda
サイズはちょうどいいです。でも、別の色もありますか？
Saizu wa chōdo ii desu. Demo, betsu no iro mo arimasu ka?
(After trying it on) The size is just right. But do you have it in another colour too?
Assistant
黒と白がございます。
Kuro to shiro ga gozaimasu.
We have black and white.
Takeda
では、黒にします。それから、このシャツを返品したいんですが。
De wa, kuro ni shimasu. Sorekara, kono shatsu o henpin shitai n desu ga.
Then I'll take the black one. And I'd like to return this shirt.
Assistant
かしこまりました。少々お待ちください。
Kashikomarimashita. Shōshō omachi kudasai.
Certainly. One moment, please.
Understand
こ, そ, あ, ど: the whole family
You know (kore), (kono) and (koko) from A1. The same four beginnings run through a whole family of words: ko- near me, so- near you, a- over there, away from us both, and do- for questions.
(kochira) is the polite word for “this way”, “this one” and “here”, and even for “this person”. Shop staff use it all the time: (kochira ga esu saizu desu), this is the small. The casual version is (kotchi); you met (dotchi) in chapter 4. Staff also say (gozaimasu), a very polite (arimasu), and (omochi desu ka), do you have …?, as in (reshīto wa omochi desu ka), do you have the receipt? You only need to understand these.
| Use | ko- near me | so- near you | a- over there | do- which? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| thing | (kore) | (sore) | (are) | (dore) |
| + noun | (kono) | (sono) | (ano) | (dono) |
| place | (koko) | (soko) | (asoko) | (doko) |
| polite | (kochira) | (sochira) | (achira) | (dochira) |
| casual | (kotchi) | (sotchi) | (atchi) | (dotchi) |
I'd like to: ～たいです and ～たいんですが
For “I want to do”, take the ます form, drop -masu and add -tai: (kōkan shimasu) → (kōkan shitai desu), I want to exchange it. ～たい works like an い-adjective: (mitakunai desu), I don't want to see it. Use it about yourself, or to ask someone: (nani ga tabetai desu ka), what would you like to eat? The thing you want can take (ga) or (o).
In shops and with strangers, a plain ～たいです can sound blunt. Japanese people add (n desu), which explains your situation, and end with (ga), leaving the request open: (kōkan shitai n desu ga), I'd like to exchange this… The staff understand the rest.
- Sサイズに交換したいんですが。Esu saizu ni kōkan shitai n desu ga.I'd like to change it for a small.
- このシャツを返品したいんですが。Kono shatsu o henpin shitai n desu ga.I'd like to return this shirt.
- 別の色も見たいです。Betsu no iro mo mitai desu.I'd like to see other colours too.
Try on, too big, wear: ～てみる, ～すぎる, 着る and はく
Te-form + (miru) means “try doing and see”: (kite mite mo ii desu ka), may I try it on? Words like “it” and “them” are simply left out when it's clear what you mean.
For “too …”, drop -i from an い-adjective and add (sugiru): (ōkii) → (ōkisugiru), too big; (takasugiru), too expensive. After a verb stem it means “too much”: (tabesugiru), to eat too much.
Japanese has different verbs for wearing. (kiru) is for jackets, shirts, coats and dresses; (haku) is for trousers, skirts, shoes and socks.
More in the grammar: Demonstratives: これ, それ, あれ, どれ · The te-form · Wanting: ～たい and ほしい
New words
- ジャケットjakettojacket
- 大きすぎるōkisugiruto be too big · おおきすぎる; (ōkisugimasu)
- レシートreshītoreceipt
- サイズsaizusize · (esu saizu), (emu saizu), (eru saizu)
- 交換kōkanexchange · こうかん; (kōkan suru), to exchange
- こちらkochirathis way, this one, here (polite) · (sochira), (achira), (dochira)
- 着てみるkite miruto try on (a jacket, shirt, coat) · きてみる; from (kiru), a ru-verb
- 試着室shichakushitsufitting room · しちゃくしつ
- ちょうどいいchōdo iijust right
- 別のbetsu noanother, a different · べつの
- 色irocolour · いろ
- 黒kuroblack · くろ; (shiro), white
- シャツshatsushirt
- 返品henpinreturning an item for a refund · へんぴん; (henpin suru)
Practise
1.How do you say “It's too big”?
2.Trousers are (zubon). How do you say “I'll try the trousers on”?
3.Put the words in order: say you'd like to change the jacket for a small.
Tap the words below in the right order.I'd like to change this jacket for a small.
4.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.The assistant shows a customer the way to the fitting room. What does she say?
6.Put the words in order: ask if you may try on the jacket.
Tap the words below in the right order.May I try on this jacket?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
着てみてもいいですか？
Kite mite mo ii desu ka?
May I try it on?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.