お釣りは取っておいてください
otsuri wa totte oite kudasai
In Japanese, "keep the change" is said as お釣りは取っておいてください (otsuri wa totte oite kudasai).
This phrase is used to instruct someone to keep the remaining money after a transaction. In certain situations, you may find that simply saying お願いします (please) is sufficient to indicate that the change can be kept.
Meaning: instruction to keep the change (phrase)
Which one should you use?
While お釣りは取っておいてください is a direct instruction to keep the change, you can also use the formal phrase お釣りはいりません to say "I don't need change." For a more colloquial option, often used in taxis or small shops, you can say お釣りはいいですよ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more casual setting, such as in a taxi or a small shop, you might use the colloquial お釣りはいいですよ. If you wish to be formal when stating you do not need the change, use お釣りはいりません.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle は in お釣りは取っておいてください marks the "change" (otsuri) as the topic, which implies the sentence as "as for the change, please keep it."
How do you pronounce it?
otsuri wa totte oite kudasai
Did you know?
- In Japan, leaving change behind is not common practice in many shops. Because Japanese culture places high value on precision and avoiding mistakes, a clerk might even chase you down to return the 'missing' money.
- Unlike in Western countries, tipping is not part of Japanese culture. Telling a driver to 'keep the change' can actually cause confusion or make the person feel they have undercharged you.
- In a taxi, instead of using a long phrase, many people simply push the coins back toward the driver with a small nod. This non-verbal cue is often more common than the full sentence お釣りは取っておいてください.
Examples in context
- お釣りはいりません。I don't need change.
- お願いします。Please keep the change.
- お釣りは取っておいてください。ありがとうございます。otsuri wa totte oite kudasai. arigatou gozaimasu.Please keep the change. Thank you.
- お釣りは取っておいてください。これはチップです。otsuri wa totte oite kudasai. kore wa chippu desu.Please keep the change. This is a tip.
Example conversation
Misaki is paying a taxi driver named Daigaku.
- 美咲 Misaki1,000円でいいですよ。お釣りは取っておいてください。sen-en de ii desu yo. otsuri wa totte oite kudasai.1,000 yen is fine. Please keep the change.
- 大翔 Hirotoえっ、いいんですか？ありがとうございます！e, ii n desu ka? arigatou gozaimasu!Oh, are you sure? Thank you!
- 美咲 Misakiはい、いいですよ。hai, ii desu yo.Yes, it's fine.
- 大翔 Hirotoお気をつけてお帰りください。o-ki o tsukete okaeri kudasai.Please get home safely.
