Introduction
Hello and welcome back. In our last lesson, you did an excellent job learning how to construct and say Japanese numbers all the way up to 100,000. You can now look at a price tag like 3,500円 and know that it's read as sanzen gohyaku en.
Today, we'll learn the other side of that transaction: how to ask for the price in the first place. Our goal is to master the essential phrase "How much is it?" using the pattern kore wa ikura desu ka?. This is a perfect example of the practical, "plug-and-play" phrases we're focusing on for your trip. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to confidently ask the price of any item you see in a shop.
The Core Phrase: "How much is this?"
The single most useful question for shopping is これは いくら ですか？ (Kore wa ikura desu ka?). Let's break it down into its components, much like analyzing a line of code to understand its function.
- これ (kore): This means "this". It refers to an object that is physically close to you, the speaker. When you use this phrase, you will typically be pointing at or holding the item.
- は (wa): This is the topic marker particle. It indicates that "this" (kore) is the topic of your question.
- いくら (ikura): This is the question word for "how much (money)?".
- です か (desu ka): This combination turns a statement into a polite question. You've already seen
desufor making polite statements (e.g.,[Name] desu). The particlekaat the end is the standard way to form a question in polite Japanese.
To see this explained clearly, please read the following short text.
Common Phrases for Daily Situations - Introduction to Japanese ...
The following resource, 'Common Phrases for Daily Situations', provides a concise breakdown of this essential shopping phrase.
Please read the section under the 'Shopping Smart' heading. Focus on the breakdown of 'これはいくらですか？' (Kore wa ikura desu ka?).
As the text emphasizes, this phrase is most effective when you gesture towards the specific item you're asking about. The simple act of pointing makes your question unambiguous.
Here is a helpful visual to reinforce the phrase:
A Shorter Alternative: Ikura desu ka?
In situations where it's already perfectly clear what item you're talking about—for example, if you're holding it up at the checkout counter—you can use a shorter, more direct version of the question:
いくら ですか？ (Ikura desu ka?) — How much is it?
This simply removes the "this is..." part of the sentence, leaving the core question. It's efficient and very common in casual shopping interactions.
The following resource shows both the long and short versions. On the webpage, you can also click the small speaker icon next to each phrase to hear its pronunciation.
Shopping (1)/Japanese Phrases for Travelers
This resource provides a quick look at both the full phrase and its shorter alternative.
Find the headings 'How much money?' and 'How much is this?'. Note the two phrases presented: 'Ikura desu ka?' and 'Kore wa ikura desu ka?'.
Expanding the Pattern: This, That, and That Over There
One of the most powerful aspects of Japanese is how patterns can be adapted. The phrase you've learned is not limited to just kore (this). You can easily swap it out to ask about items that aren't right next to you. This is the "plug-and-play" approach in action.
There are three key words to know:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| これ (kore) | ko-reh | This | An item near you (the speaker). |
| それ (sore) | so-reh | That | An item near the person you're talking to. |
| あれ (are) | ah-reh | That (over there) | An item far from both of you. |
By substituting these into your phrase, you can ask about anything in the store:
- Pointing to a book in your hand:
これは いくら ですか？(Kore wa ikura desu ka?) - Pointing to a shirt behind the counter:
それは いくら ですか？(Sore wa ikura desu ka?) - Pointing to a bag on a high shelf:
あれは いくら ですか？(Are wa ikura desu ka?)
This simple system makes your communication much more flexible.
Practice Scenario
Let's tie this lesson together with the previous one.
Imagine you are in an electronics store in Akihabara. You see a pair of headphones on a shelf a few feet away from you and the clerk.
-
How do you ask the price?
- Since it's a bit far from both of you, you would point and ask:
あれは いくら ですか？(Are wa ikura desu ka?)
- Since it's a bit far from both of you, you would point and ask:
-
The price tag says 12,000円. What do you expect the clerk to say?
- Based on our last lesson, they will likely respond:
いちまん にせん えん です。(Ichi-man ni-sen en desu.)
- Based on our last lesson, they will likely respond:
This combination of asking the question and understanding the numbered response is the foundation of shopping in Japan.
To finish, let's quickly review the main points.
Common Phrases for Daily Situations - Introduction to Japanese ...
The following 'Review' section summarizes the key points and highlights a common mistake to avoid, ensuring your question is always understood.
Please read the 'Review' section, paying special attention to the 'Practical context' and 'Common mistake' for the phrase 'Kore wa ikura desu ka'.
Conclusion
Great work today. You have now learned one of the most practical and frequently used phrases for any traveler in Japan.
Key Takeaways:
- The primary way to ask "How much is this?" is
これは いくら ですか？(Kore wa ikura desu ka?). - This phrase is built from
kore(this), the topic markerwa,ikura(how much), and the polite question endingdesu ka. - In context, a shorter
Ikura desu ka?is also common and perfectly polite. - You can easily adapt the phrase by swapping
korewithsore(that) orare(that over there) to ask about items at different distances.
Preview of the next lesson:
In our previous lesson, we covered how to say prices and looked at the yen symbol 円. The next brief lesson will officially check off the goal of reading prices written with Arabic numerals and the yen symbol, ensuring you are completely comfortable connecting the written price tag to the spoken numbers before we move on to a new scenario: asking for a table at a restaurant.