Numbers are the language's load-bearing wall. The moment you can hear '480円' and hand over the right coins, you stop being treated as a tourist. Everything from paying rent to splitting lunch runs through this skill.
01
Today's goals
✓0〜10の数字と、音便(300/600/800/3000/8000)を正しく聞き分けられる
✓『これはいくらですか』で値段を聞ける
✓『カードで／現金でおねがいします』で支払い方法を言える
✓レジで聞かれる『ポイントカード／ふくろ』に即答できる
02
How it works
0–10 is the whole game. Japanese numbers from 11 up are built by stacking.
·0 ゼロ / れい
·1 いち 2 に 3 さん 4 よん (しも可) 5 ご
·6 ろく 7 なな (しちも可) 8 はち 9 きゅう 10 じゅう
11 is literally "10 + 1" = じゅういち. 25 is "2 × 10 + 5" = にじゅうご.
These sound changes trip up beginners every time. Learn 300 / 600 / 800 / 3,000 / 8,000 as four special cases, not as rules.
Core pattern for prices:
·これ は いくら です か。 — How much is this?
·480 円 です。 — It's 480 yen.
·カード で おねがいします。 — Card, please.
·現金 で おねがいします。 — Cash, please.
At the Seicomart / convenience store register, listen for:
·〜ポイントカード は お持ち です か。 — Do you have a point card? (Just say いいえ, けっこうです — No, I'm fine.)
·ふくろ は ご入り用 です か。 — Do you need a bag? (はい, おねがいします / いいえ, けっこうです)
03
Words & patterns
vocabいくらikura
how much (price)
vocab円えんen
yen (currency)
vocabこれkore
this (near me)
vocabそれsore
that (near you)
vocabあれare
that over there
vocabふくろfukuro
bag
vocabげんきんgenkin
cash
vocabカードkādo
card (credit/IC)
vocabレシートreshīto
receipt
grammar〜はいくらですか~haikuradesuka
How much is 〜? Core question for all shopping.
これはいくらですか。
korehaikuradesuka.
— How much is this?
リフト券はいくらですか。
rifutokenhaikuradesuka.
— How much is a lift ticket?
grammar〜でおねがいします~deonegaishimasu
With / by 〜, please. (payment method, container, etc.)
カードでおねがいします。
kādodeonegaishimasu.
— By card, please.
現金でおねがいします。
genkindeonegaishimasu.
— By cash, please.
dialogueセイコーマートのレジでsēkoomātonorejide
At the Seicomart register
A(店員)480円です。ポイントカードはお持ちですか。
yonhyakuhachijūendesu.pointokādohaomochidesuka.
— 480 yen. Do you have a point card?
B(客)いいえ、けっこうです。カードでおねがいします。
īe,kekkōdesu.kādodeonegaishimasu.
— No, I'm fine. By card, please.
Aふくろはご入り用ですか。
fukurohagonyūyōdesuka.
— Do you need a bag?
Bはい、おねがいします。
hai,onegaishimasu.
— Yes, please.
04
Drills
Q01translate_x2ja
Translate: 'How much is this?'
Q02pick
You hear 『さんびゃくえん』. How much?
Q03pick
You hear 『はっぴゃくえん』. How much?
Q04listen_fill
Fill in the blank: 『____ でおねがいします』 (= Card, please)
Q05reorder
Order the words: いくら / か / は / これ / です
Q06output_free
You're at a Seicomart holding a riceball and a water bottle. Imagine the full exchange with the clerk (3–5 lines, both sides). Include asking the price, choosing payment, and the bag question.
05
Common pitfalls
Freezing when the clerk says a number too fast
CAUSE Trying to translate digit by digit instead of hearing chunks
FIX Practice listening to full prices as single units: よんひゃくはちじゅう (480) is one shape, not three. Shadow prices while watching convenience store videos on YouTube.
Confusing 1,000 (せん) with 100 (ひゃく)
CAUSE Both are short
FIX Prices in Niseko stores are almost always 3-digit (snacks/drinks) or 4-digit (lunch sets, lift tickets are 5-digit). Context narrows it down fast.
Saying カードください instead of カードでおねがいします
CAUSE Mapping to 'card, please' word by word
FIX ください asks for the card itself. The payment-method pattern needs で (by). Memorize the whole phrase as one unit.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow: asking directions. Where is the toilet, where is the lift, where is the staff room — all one pattern.
