Numbers, Time, and Dates
Lesson 2: Money and Prices
おかねとねだん — Talking About Prices
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 💴 Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
Shopping in Japan requires knowing how to ask prices, say amounts in yen, and handle payment. In this lesson, you’ll learn the essential expressions for every store, restaurant, and cafe.
What you’ll learn:
- Ask “How much?” — いくらですか / これはいくらですか
- Say a price — 〇〇円です
- Ask for the bill — お会計をお願いします
- Say how you’ll pay — 現金 / カードでお願いします
- Ask for a receipt — レシートをください
- Understand common price expressions in daily life
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
2. Common Prices in Yen ／ よくあるねだん
Pattern: number + 円です = “It is 〇〇 yen.”
| Price | Japanese Reading | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 100円 | ひゃくえん | hyaku en |
| 300円 | さんびゃくえん | sanbyaku en ★ |
| 500円 | ごひゃくえん | gohyaku en |
| 800円 | はっぴゃくえん | happyaku en ★ |
| 1,000円 | せんえん | sen en |
| 1,500円 | せんごひゃくえん | sengohyaku en |
| 2,000円 | にせんえん | nisen en |
| 3,000円 | さんぜんえん | sanzen en ★ |
300 = さんびゃくえん · 600 = ろっぴゃくえん · 800 = はっぴゃくえん · 3,000 = さんぜんえん
For beginners, just focus on recognizing the price — exact reading will come with practice.
3. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
All three work with はいくらですか: これは～ / それは～ / あれは～
現金で / カードで / PayPayで + お願いします
レシート = normal receipt.
領収書 = official receipt for work expenses.
Don’t confuse 300円です (It is 300 yen) and 300人です (300 people). Both use numbers but 円 = yen / 人 = people.
4. Payment Expressions ／ おしはらいのことば
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 現金 | genkin | cash |
| カード | kaado | card (credit/debit) |
| 電子マネー | denshi manee | e-money (Suica, PayPay, etc.) |
| レシート | reshiito | receipt |
| 領収書 | ryooshuusho | official receipt (for expenses) |
| お釣り | otsuri | change (money back) |
💡 お支払いは？ (How would you like to pay?) — staff will often ask this. Reply with: 現金でお願いします or カードでお願いします.
5. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — Asking the Price
💬 Conversation 2 — At a Convenience Store
💬 Conversation 3 — Paying by Card
💬 Conversation 4 — At a Restaurant
6. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| お金 | okane | money |
| 円 | en | yen (Japanese currency) |
| いくら | ikura | how much (price) |
| 値段 | nedan | price |
| これ | kore | this |
| それ / あれ | sore / are | that / that over there |
| お会計 | okaikee | bill / payment |
| 現金 | genkin | cash |
| カード | kaado | card (credit/debit) |
| レシート | reshiito | receipt |
7. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. The answer and explanation are shown below each one.
Q1. What does 「いくらですか」 mean?
いくら = how much (price). The question word for prices. Not time (何時), not place (どこ).
Q2. What does 「カードでお願いします」 mean?
カード = card. で = by/with (method). 現金で = by cash / カードで = by card.
Q3. What does 「お会計をお願いします」 mean?
お会計 = bill/payment. Use this at a restaurant or cafe when you want to pay. At a convenience store, just go to the register.
8. Match the Phrase ／ れんしゅう
Match each Japanese phrase with its correct English meaning. Check your answers below.
9. Choose the Best Response ／ れんしゅう
Choose the best response for each situation.
Q1. You want to ask the price.
Point at the item and say これはいくらですか — the most natural and common way to ask a price.
Q2. Staff asks, 「お支払いは？」 — You want to pay by card.
When asked how you’d like to pay, reply: カードでお願いします (card) or 現金でお願いします (cash).
Q3. You want the bill at a restaurant.
お会計をお願いします = “The bill, please.” Say this to a restaurant or cafe staff member.
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Ask and answer a price in Japanese.
Practice these with your teacher:
現金でお願いします。
レシートをください。
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson, you learned how to talk about money and prices in Japanese. The most important phrases:
〇〇円です。(It is 〇〇 yen.)
現金 / カードでお願いします。(By cash / card.)
レシートをください。(Receipt, please.)
💡 Use いくらですか to ask “How much?” Use 〇〇円です to say the price. Use でお願いします for payment method — just put the method before で.
FAQ
Want to Practice Shopping Japanese?
Role-playing a real shopping situation with a teacher is the fastest way to get confident with prices and payment. Start with a free trial lesson today.
Online or in-person — both available on request.