12. Basic vocabulary: Clothing and shopping

Chapter 12: Basic Vocabulary - Clothing and Shopping

An essential part of any language course is learning the basic vocabulary. In this chapter, we're going to focus on two topics that are very useful for everyday life: clothing and shopping. The Japanese vocabulary for clothing is vast and varied, reflecting Japan's rich culture and history. On the other hand, shopping is a common activity in Japan, whether in department stores, local markets or online stores.

Clothing

To start, let's learn some basic words related to clothing. In Japanese, the general word for "clothing" is "fuku" (ふく). Here are some common garments:

• Shirt: シャツ (shatsu)
• Pants: ズボン (zubon)
• Dress: ドレス (doresu)
• Shoes: 靴 (kutsu)
• Socks: 靴下 (kutsushita)
• Hat: 帽子 (boushi)

In addition, Japan has a variety of traditional clothing. The best known is the "kimono" (着物), a garment worn on formal occasions. Other traditional clothing includes the "yukata" (浴衣), a type of summer kimono, and the "hakama" (袴), a type of pants worn by practitioners of martial arts.

Shopping

Now, let's move on to shopping vocabulary. If you visit Japan, you'll likely spend some time shopping, whether it's for souvenirs, clothing, or food. Here are some useful words and phrases:

• Shop: 店 (mise)
• Buy: 買う (kau)
• Sell: 売る (uru)
• Price: 価格 (kakaku)
• Caro: 高い (takai)
• Cheap: 安い (yasui)

When you're shopping for something, it can be helpful to know how to ask for the price. In Japanese you can say "Kore wa ikura desu ka?" (これはいくらですか？), which means "How much does this cost?". If you think something is too expensive, you can say "Takai!" (高い！), which means "That's expensive!".

Also, it is important to remember that Japan has a consumption tax system. This means that the price you see on the shelf may not be the final price you pay at the register. To ask if tax is included, you can say "Zeikomi desu ka?" (税込みですか？), which means "Is tax included?".

We hope this chapter has given you a good introduction to basic Japanese clothing and shopping vocabulary. Remember, practice is key to mastering a new language, so try to use these new words and phrases whenever you can!

Exercises

To consolidate what we've learned in this chapter, here are some exercises. Try translating the following sentences into Japanese:

1. I want to buy a new shirt.
2. This hat is very expensive.
3. How much does this dress cost?
4. I like these pants.
5. Is tax included in the price?

Answers to these exercises will be provided in the next chapter. Good luck with your studies!

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54Basic vocabulary: Travel and directions

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