店主
tenshu[tẽ̞ɰ̃ɕɨ]
The English phrase 'shopkeeper' can be translated into Japanese as 店主 (tenshu) or 商人.
Meaning: trader who sells goods in a shop (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 店主 | tenshu | [tẽ̞ɰ̃ɕɨ] (narrow) |
| 商人 | shōnin | [ɕo̞ːɲ̟ĩɴ] (narrow) [a̠kʲĩndo̞] (narrow) |
店主 is used to refer to the proprietor or the person in charge of a small business or establishment. It is often used in written contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
店主 is composed of 店, meaning 'shop' and 主, meaning 'master' or 'owner'.
Which one should you use?
店主 specifically refers to the owner or the person in charge of a shop. In contrast, 商人 refers more broadly to a merchant or trader, regardless of whether they own a physical shop.
How do you pronounce it?
tenshu
Did you know?
- In modern Japan, a shopkeeper in a small cafe or bar is often called マスター (masutā), which is a loanword from the English 'master'.
- During the Edo period, 商人 (merchants) were legally placed at the bottom of the four-tier social hierarchy, ranking below farmers and artisans.
- The term 商人 was originally pronounced and written as あきびと (akibito) in Old Japanese.
Examples in context
- あの店主はとても親切です。Ano tenshu wa totemo shinsetsu desu.That shopkeeper is very kind.
- 店主と話をしました。Tenshu to hanashi o shimashita.I talked with the shopkeeper.
- 彼は小さなパン屋の店主です。Kare wa chiisana panya no tenshu desu.He is the shopkeeper of a small bakery.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are visiting a small traditional store.
- 結衣 Yuiこのお店の店主は誰ですか。Kono omise no tenshu wa dare desu ka.Who is the shopkeeper of this store?
- 健太 Kentaあそこにいる男性ですよ。Asoko ni iru dansei desu yo.It's the man over there.
- 結衣 Yui店主に挨拶しましょう。Tenshu ni aisatsu shimashou.Let's greet the shopkeeper.
- 健太 Kentaいいですね。行きましょう。Ii desu ne. Ikimashou.That's a good idea. Let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shopkeeper” translations and entries 店主, 商人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 商人, CC BY-SA 4.0.
