Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 買い物 | kaimono | [ka̠imo̞no̞] (narrow) |
| ショッピング | shoppingu | [ɕo̞p̚ʲpʲĩŋɡɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term refers to the activity of buying things. In a casual setting, you can use the verb phrase 買い物する to mean "to shop".
Which one should you use?
買い物 is the standard, native Japanese term used in most daily contexts. In contrast, ショッピング is a loanword from English that often implies a more leisure-oriented or high-end activity, such as visiting a fashion district or a shopping mall.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "to go shopping," you can add the particle に and the verb 行く to the noun to form 買い物に行く.
How do you pronounce it?
kaimono
When do people say it?
When shopping, you might use こんにちは to say hello to store staff. If you need assistance, you can use 試着してもいいですか to ask "May I try this on?", 値段は交渉できますか to ask "Can I negotiate the price?" or 合計はいくらですか to ask "How much is the total?"
Did you know?
- When doing 買い物 at a traditional market, you might encounter 値切り, the social art of bargaining to lower the price.
- Japanese culture has a concept called まとめ買い, which refers to 'bulk shopping' to save money or reduce trips to the store.
- Shopping for groceries is specifically called 買い出し, which implies 'going out' to procure supplies for a group or a household.
Examples in context
- 買い物大好き！I love shopping!This sentence shows how to express a strong liking for 買い物.Tatoeba #9039645 by small_snow, translation #2184075 by Hybrid
- 買い物一緒に行く？Would you like to go shopping with me?This sentence demonstrates how to invite someone to go with you for 買い物.Tatoeba #121495 by bunbuku, translation #282511 by CK
- 少し買い物があるの。I have some shopping to do.This sentence is useful for stating that you have tasks related to 買い物 to complete.Tatoeba #146784 by bunbuku, translation #267777 by CK
- 銀行へ行く前に買い物をしてください。Please go shopping before heading to the bank.
- お買い物をお楽しみください。Please enjoy your shopping.
- 今度の週末に一緒に買物に行きましょう。Let's go shopping together next weekend.
- 今日はショッピングに行く予定です。I am planning to go shopping today.
- 明日、一緒に買い物しましょう！Let's go shopping together tomorrow!
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about their weekend plans at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misaki健太君、明日は何をしますか？Kenta-kun, ashita wa nani o shimasu ka?Kenta, what are you doing tomorrow?
- 健太 Kenta午後は一人で買い物に行く予定だよ。Gogo wa hitori de kaimono ni iku yotei da yo.I plan to go shopping alone in the afternoon.
- 美咲 Misaki私も買い物に行きたいです！Watashi mo kaimono ni ikitai desu!I want to go shopping too!
- 健太 Kentaじゃあ、一緒に買い物に行こうか。Jaa, issho ni kaimono ni ikou ka.Then, shall we go shopping together?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shopping” translations and entries 買い物, ショッピング, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
