店
mise[mʲise̞]
The English phrase "shops" is translated into Japanese as 店 (mise).
商店 is used to indicate general stores, shops or businesses in formal situations. 店舗 is used in technical or business contexts to refer to storefronts, outlets or branches. And the English loanword ショップ is commonly used throughout Japan, especially in urban areas or for trendy stores.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, the Japanese word 店 does not change its form to indicate plurality. The same word is used for both 'shop' and 'shops'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the honorific prefix お (o) to 店 makes the word more polite and is very common when referring to shops in general or a specific shop.
Did you know?
- The word 店 originally comes from a combination of the words for 'to show' and 'shelf'. This reflects an ancient way of displaying goods for sale on a ledge.
- When entering a 店, you will often hear the staff shout いらっしゃいませ ('irasshaimase'). This is a welcoming call that customers are not expected to answer or acknowledge.
- In Japan, the phrase 店 is often used to refer to a restaurant as well as a retail store. An English speaker might say 'restaurant' but a Japanese speaker would likely say 店.
Examples in context
- 彼は店に行った。He's gone to the shops.This sentence is useful for describing someone's movement toward the shops using 店.Tatoeba #101917 by bunbuku, translation #485023 by blay_paul
- お店はいつ開くの？When do the shops open?This sentence is useful for asking about the opening time of the shops using 店.Tatoeba #8953645 by bunbuku, translation #3738228 by CK
- 閉店時間は何時ですか？What time do the shops shut?This sentence is useful for asking about the closing time of the shops using 店.Tatoeba #11640663 by small_snow, translation #10652753 by sundown
- 今日は多くの商店を回りました。Today I visited many shops.
- 新しい店舗がオープンしました。A new shop has opened.
- あのお店、面白いものを売ってるんだよ。That shop sells interesting things, you know.
- このお店屋さん、いつも美味しいお菓子を作ってくれるんです。This shop always makes delicious sweets for me.
- あそこの雑貨屋、可愛いグッズがたくさん売ってるんやで！That zakka-ya over there sells lots of cute goods, you know!
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are walking through a shopping district.
- 健太 Kentaこの辺りにたくさん店があるね。Kono atari ni takusan mise ga aru ne.There are many shops around here, aren't there?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、おしゃれな店が多いです。Hai, oshare na mise ga ooi desu.Yes, there are many stylish shops.
- 健太 Kentaどこかいい店を知ってる？Doko ka ii mise o shitteru?Do you know any good shops?
- 陽葵 Himariあそこに可愛い服の店がありますよ。Asoko ni kawaii fuku no mise ga arimasu yo.There is a cute clothing shop over there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 店, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 店, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
