食料品店
shokuryōhinten[ɕo̞kɯ̟ɾʲo̞ːçĩntẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase 'grocery store' is translated into Japanese as 食料品店 (shokuryōhinten). Wiktionary also lists 乾物屋 (kanbutsuya) and グロサリー (gurosarī).
Meaning: a store where groceries can be purchased, especially a supermarket (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 食料品店 | shokuryōhinten | [ɕo̞kɯ̟ɾʲo̞ːçĩntẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 乾物屋 | kanbutsuya | [kã̠mbɯ̟t͡sɨja̠] (narrow) |
| グロサリー | gurosarī | [ɡɯ̟ɾo̞sa̠ɾʲiː] (narrow) |
| グローサリー | gurōsarī |
A grocery store is a store where groceries can be purchased, especially a supermarket.
Which one should you use?
While 食料品店 is the literal term for a grocery store, in daily conversation, Japanese speakers almost always use the abbreviation スーパー (sūpā) to refer to a supermarket. In contrast, 乾物屋 refers specifically to a shop specializing in dried goods (like dried seaweed or fish) rather than a general grocery store. The katakana forms グロサリー or グローサリー are loanwords from English and are primarily used in specific business contexts, such as 'grocery section' or in branding, rather than in casual daily speech.
How do you pronounce it?
shokuryōhinten
Did you know?
- In Japan, many 食料品店 are located inside larger department stores, creating a high-end grocery experience known as a 'depachika' or 'department store basement'.
- In many Japanese grocery stores, you will see specific sections for 'bentō' (lunch boxes) which are often more prominent than the actual raw ingredients. This reflects a cultural preference for ready-to-eat meals.
- The term スーパー (sūpā) is a 'wasei-eigo' or Japanese-made English. Even though it sounds like the start of 'supermarket', it functions as a complete, independent word for a grocery store in Japan.
Examples in context
- この食料品店は自然食品のみを売っている。This grocery store only sells organic food.This sentence is useful for describing a store that specializes in organic food using 食料品店.Tatoeba #4587160 by omi31415, translation #4190431 by Hybrid
- ボブは土曜日には食料品店で店員として働いた。Bob worked as a clerk in the grocery store on Saturday.This sentence is useful for describing someone's job at a 食料品店.Tatoeba #195991 by arnab, translation #33166 by CN
- 近くに大きな食料品店があります。chikaku ni ookina shokuryouhinten ga arimasu.There is a large grocery store nearby.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are planning their shopping trip.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵、一緒に食料品店に行かない？Himari, issho ni shokuryōhinden ni ikanai?Himari, do you want to go to the grocery store together?
- 陽葵 Himariいいよ。何を買うつもり？Ii yo. Nani o kau tsumori?Sure. What are you planning to buy?
- 蓮 Ren新鮮な野菜と果物が欲しいんだ。Shinsen na yasai to kudamono ga hoshii n da.I want some fresh vegetables and fruit.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、あそこの食料品店に行きましょう。Jā, asoko no shokuryōhinden ni ikimashō.Then, let's go to that grocery store over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grocery store” translations and entries 食料品店, 乾物屋, グロサリー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
