Guide • Japanese phrases
Japanese phrases for convenience stores in Japan (with audio)
Convenience stores (konbini) in Japan are where you will buy snacks, drinks, hot coffee, and even pay bills. The good news: you don’t need perfect Japanese to get through the checkout smoothly.
This guide walks through what staff usually say, how to answer simple questions like “Do you need a bag?”, and how to ask for what you want — with romaji, kana, and an example TabiTalk scenario you can practise in the app.
The situation
You’ve grabbed a drink, maybe an onigiri, and you’re standing at the register in a Lawson, FamilyMart, or 7-Eleven. The staff member scans your items and asks you a couple of quick questions in Japanese. Even if you know some words, it all comes out very fast.
In most cases, they are asking about three things: whether you want a bag, how you want to pay (cash or card), and sometimes whether you want your food heated up. Below are the phrases you’re most likely to hear, plus simple ways to answer or ask for what you need.
Key Japanese phrases
Each phrase has romaji, kana, and a simple explanation so you can understand both sides of the konbini checkout.
“Do you need a bag?”
fukuro wa irimasu ka? 袋は要りますか？
Staff often ask this very quickly right after scanning your items. Literally, it means “Do you need a bag?” If you hear fukuro and a question intonation, they’re probably asking this.
“Yes, please (a bag).”
hai, onegai shimasu. はい、お願いします。
A very safe, polite way to say “Yes, please.” You can use this for bags, heating food, chopsticks, and more. If you don’t need a bag, you can say daijōbu desu (大丈夫です), which in this context means “I’m fine / no thanks.”
“I don’t need a bag.”
fukuro wa daijōbu desu. 袋は大丈夫です。
This is a gentle way to decline a bag. Daijōbu desu literally means “It’s okay” but in shops it works like “I’m good, thanks.” You can also just say daijōbu desu with a small head shake and a smile.
“Can I pay by card?”
kaado de ii desu ka? カードでいいですか？
Use this when you’re not sure if they accept cards or a particular payment method. It literally means “Is (paying) by card okay?” You can swap kaado for suica (a transit IC card) or pasmo if you prefer.
“I’ll pay with cash.”
genkin de haraimasu. 現金で払います。
Genkin means “cash”. Saying this while holding out your wallet or coins makes it very clear how you want to pay. Often you don’t even need this phrase — just putting cash into the tray works — but it’s nice to recognise.
“Shall I heat this up?” / “Yes, please.”
atame-masu ka? / hai, onegai shimasu. 温めますか？／はい、お願いします。
If you buy bento or hot snacks, staff might ask atame-masu ka? (“Shall I heat it up?”) in the microwave. A simple hai, onegai shimasu (“Yes, please”) or daijōbu desu (“No, I’m fine”) is all you need.
“Can I have chopsticks, please?”
ohashi onegai shimasu. お箸お願いします。
Use this if they forget to add chopsticks. You can swap ohashi for suponji (スプーン, spoon) or fōku (フォーク, fork) if that’s what you need.
See it in TabiTalk, a Japanese learning app for everyday life in Japan.
In TabiTalk, the “Convenience store checkout” scenario lets you hear these phrases with audio, practise both the customer and staff side, and get quick notes on politeness.
Short TabiTalk walkthrough showing how to handle a typical Japanese convenience store checkout, with audio for each key phrase.
Practise this (and more) in the app
If this is exactly what you need, TabiTalk gives you interactive drills and camera help for this and more.
If you’re also looking for a Japanese learning app focused on real-life residents’ problems in Japan, this hub guide explains how TabiTalk works and how these konbini phrases fit into the bigger picture.
You can:
- Run through short role-plays for convenience store checkouts and other real trip moments.
- Tap phrases to hear audio and see romaji/kana before you’re standing at the register.
- Use the camera to check labels, receipts, and signs while you’re in the store.
Install TabiTalk on iOS or Android so it’s ready before your next trip to Japan.