Translation guide
The activity of buying things, from daily errands to leisure browsing.
I'm going shopping.
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.
I'm going shopping today.
Loanword from English, often used for leisure shopping, fashion, or in commercial contexts like 'shopping mall'.
Implies going out specifically to stock up on supplies, often for a household or event.
Buying food and daily necessities, often at a supermarket.
Looking at items in stores without necessarily buying anything.
Purchasing items over the internet.
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.
I go shopping at the supermarket.
I went shopping yesterday.
I'll do some shopping and then go home.
I enjoy shopping on weekends.
パーティーのために買い出しに行く。
I'm going shopping for the party supplies.
I'll go grocery shopping.
Used when going out to buy ingredients, often in bulk or for a specific purpose.
I went shopping for ingredients for tonight's dinner.
Direct loanword for window shopping, widely understood.
Today is just window shopping.
Means 'to look around' shops, often without a specific purchase in mind.
I like browsing department stores.
Common term for online shopping.
I bought clothes through online shopping.
Also used, slightly more formal or technical.
The use of online shopping is increasing.
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.
She loves shopping.
We need to do some shopping.