Translation guide
The activity of buying things, from daily errands to leisure browsing.
The act of purchasing goods, typically at stores or markets.
The most common and neutral word for shopping, covering both daily necessities and leisure shopping.
今日は買い物に行きます。
I'm going shopping today.
買い物をしてから帰ります。
I'll do some shopping and then go home.
Loanword from English, often used for leisure shopping, fashion, or in commercial contexts like 'shopping mall'.
週末はショッピングを楽しみます。
I enjoy shopping on weekends.
Implies going out specifically to stock up on supplies, often for a household or event.
パーティーのために買い出しに行く。
I'm going shopping for the party supplies.
Buying food and daily necessities, often at a supermarket.
Specifically refers to grocery shopping. Can be shortened to just 買い物 when context is clear.
食料品の買い物をしてきます。
I'll go grocery shopping.
Used when going out to buy ingredients, often in bulk or for a specific purpose.
今夜の料理のために食材の買い出しをした。
I went shopping for ingredients for tonight's dinner.
Looking at items in stores without necessarily buying anything.
Direct loanword for window shopping, widely understood.
今日はウィンドウショッピングだけ。
Today is just window shopping.
Means 'to look around' shops, often without a specific purchase in mind.
デパートを見て回るのが好きです。
I like browsing department stores.
Purchasing items over the internet.
Common term for online shopping.
ネットショッピングで服を買った。
I bought clothes through online shopping.
買い物 is the general term for shopping, including daily errands. ショッピング implies a more leisurely, enjoyable activity, often associated with fashion or browsing. Using ショッピング for buying groceries can sound odd.
スーパーに買い物に行く。
I go shopping at the supermarket.
休日にショッピングを楽しむ。
I enjoy shopping on my day off.
English often uses 'shopping' as a gerund (I like shopping). In Japanese, use the noun 買い物 with verbs like する (do) or 行く (go). Avoid directly converting 'shopping' into a single verb form.
昨日買い物に行きました。
I went shopping yesterday.
彼女は買い物が大好きです。
She loves shopping.
買い物をしないといけません。
We need to do some shopping.
Also used, slightly more formal or technical.
オンラインショッピングの利用が増えている。
The use of online shopping is increasing.