Translation guide
The English word 'shop' can refer to a store, the act of shopping, or a workshop. This guide covers natural Japanese equivalents for each meaning.
A place where goods are sold to customers.
General word for a shop or store. Can be used for most types of retail establishments.
あの店はいつも混んでいる。
That shop is always crowded.
新しい店が駅前にできた。
A new shop opened in front of the station.
Polite prefix form of 店. Often used in customer service or when speaking politely.
お店は何時までですか。
What time is the shop open until?
Formal or written term for a shop, often used in compound words like 商店街 (shopping street).
この商店街にはたくさんの店がある。
There are many shops in this shopping street.
The act of going to stores to buy things.
The most common word for shopping as an activity. Used with する to mean 'to shop'.
週末に買い物に行く。
I go shopping on weekends.
買い物をしてから帰る。
I'll go home after doing some shopping.
Loanword from English, often used for leisure shopping or in commercial contexts.
A place where things are made or repaired.
Refers to a workshop for crafts, art, or manufacturing.
彼は陶芸の工房を持っている。
He has a pottery workshop.
General term for a workplace or workshop, often for manual labor.
English 'to shop' is not directly translated as a single verb. Use 買い物をする or 買い物に行く instead.
買い物に行きませんか。
Shall we go shopping?
I enjoyed shopping at the mall.
大工の作業場を見学した。
I visited a carpenter's workshop.
Specifically a repair shop, like for cars or machinery.
車を修理工場に持っていく。
I take my car to the repair shop.