How to Say "Store" in Japanese

店

[mʲise̞]

The Japanese word for "store" is 店.

店 refers to a shop or store. You may also encounter the loanword デパート specifically for a department store.

Meaning: shop (noun)

Which one should you use?

While 店 is the standard term, 商店 is a more formal or technical version used in business contexts or to describe specific types of small shops.

Adding the honorific prefix o to mise creates the polite form お店.

The word 店 is derived from misedana, which literally means 'show-shelf'. This reflects the traditional way goods were displayed on open shelves for customers to see.
Certain traditional 店 in Japan still use a noren, a fabric divider hanging in the doorway, to signal whether the store is open or closed.
The suffix 屋 (ya) can be attached to many other words to turn them into a type of shop, such as how 'book' becomes a bookstore, which is a common way to name smaller specialized stores.

彼は店に行った。
He went to the store.
This sentence uses 店 to show someone going to a store.
Tatoeba #101917 by bunbuku, translation #485111 by Scott
いつ開店したの？
When did you open your new store?
This sentence uses 店 to ask about the opening of a store.
Tatoeba #228678 by small_snow, translation #66036 by CK
誰が店に行くの？
Who is going to the store?
This sentence uses 店 to ask who is going to the store.
Tatoeba #5067234 by 999yudai, translation #5289477 by SnowyDoll
私は本屋の前を通ります。
I am passing by the bookstore.
この地域にはたくさんの店があります。
There are many stores in this area.
駅の近くに大きなデパートがあります。
There is a large department store near the station.
213 more sentences on Tatoeba

Ren and Misaki are walking down a street looking for a place to eat.

蓮 Ren

あそこにいい店があるよ。
Asoko ni ii mise ga aru yo.
There is a good store over there.
美咲 Misaki

あのお店は何を売っているの？
Ano omise wa nani o utte iru no?
What does that store sell?
蓮 Ren

おしゃれなパン屋さんみたいだ。
Oshare na panyasan mitai da.
It looks like a stylish bakery.
美咲 Misaki

じゃあ、その店に入ってみよう。
Jaa, sono mise ni haitte miyou.
Then, let's try going into that store.

Sources

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