#10

Asking how much something costs

このドライヤーはいくらですか How much is this hair dryer?

Skit
Video

Subtitles

English
Japanese
None

Tam has come to an electronics store with her friend Ayaka. Tam wants to buy a hair dryer.

Listen #10 (10 min.)

Downloads (audio/text)

Skit

Tam

たくさんありますね！

Takusan arimasu ne!

So many hair dryers!

Ayaka

すごいでしょう？

Sugoi deshoo?

Amazing, don't you think?

これはサラサラヘア。

Kore wa sarasara hea.

This one makes your hair silky smooth.

これはツヤが出るタイプ。

Kore wa tsuya ga deru taipu.

And this one makes your hair shine.

Tam

へえ、いくらですか。

Hee, ikura desu ka.

Hmm. How much is it?

Ayaka

セールって書いてある。きいてみよう。

Seeru tte kaite aru. Kiite miyoo.

The sign says it's on sale. Let's ask the clerk.

Tam

すみません。

Sumimasen.

Excuse me.

このドライヤーはいくらですか。

Kono doraiyaa wa ikura desu ka.

How much is this hair dryer?

Clerk

9,900円です。

Kyuu-sen-kyuu-hyaku-en desu.

9,900 yen.

Tam

え！高すぎます。

E! Takasugimasu.

Oh my! That's too expensive for me.

Vocabulary

たくさん

takusan

many

ある

aru

be

すごい

sugoi

amazing

これ

kore

this

サラサラ

sarasara

silky smooth

ヘア

hea

hair

ツヤ

tsuya

shine

出る

deru

appear

タイプ

taipu

type

へえ

hee

hmm

いくら

ikura

how much

セール

seeru

sale

書く

kaku

write

きく

kiku

ask

すみません

sumimasen

excuse me

この

kono

this

ドライヤー

doraiyaa

hair dryer

9,900円

kyuusen-kyuuhyaku-en

9,900 yen

高すぎる

takasugiru

too expensive

Key Phrase

Asking how much something costs

このドライヤーはいくらですか。

Kono doraiyaa wa ikura desu ka.

How much is this hair dryer?

When asking how much something costs, say "ikura desu ka" or "how much is it?" When you mention the name of the thing, ask "Kono/Sono/Ano [thing] wa ikura desu ka." "Ikura" is an interrogative meaning "how much?"

"Kono/Sono/Ano":
"Kono/sono/ano" are the forms used when the demonstratives "kore/sore/are," which you learned in Lesson 9, modify nouns. They're placed before the nouns they modify.

Learn more!

#9 Key Phrase

Use It!

Listen

すみません。この炊飯器はいくらですか。

Sumimasen. Kono suihan-ki wa ikura desu ka.

Excuse me. How much is this rice cooker?

8,700円です。

Hassen-nanahyaku-en desu.

8,700 yen.

Try It Out!

Try asking how much something costs

1Which of these three choices is the correct way to say this sentence in Japanese?

Excuse me. How much are those earphones over there?

earphones

イヤホン

iyahon

1

Sumimasen. Ano iyahon wa ikura desu.

Sorry, wrong Answer.
2

Sumimasen. Ano iyahon wa doko desu ka.

Sorry, wrong Answer.
3

すみません。あのイヤホンはいくらですか。

Sumimasen. Ano iyahon wa ikura desu ka.

2Say the sentence in Japanese, using the following word(s).

Excuse me. How much is this XXX/that XXX/that XXX over there?

すみません。この／その／あの　～はいくらですか。

Sumimasen. Kono/Sono/Ano ～wa ikura desu ka.

rice bowl

茶碗

chawan

Answer

すみません。この茶碗はいくらですか。

Sumimasen. Kono chawan wa ikura desu ka.

3Say the sentence in Japanese, using the following word(s).

Excuse me. How much is this XXX/that XXX/that XXX over there?

すみません。この／その／あの　～はいくらですか。

Sumimasen. Kono/Sono/Ano ～wa ikura desu ka.

drawing

絵

e

Answer

すみません。その絵はいくらですか。

Sumimasen. Sono e wa ikura desu ka.

Step-up

Larger Numbers

[10]

10: juu

20: nijuu

30: sanjuu

40: yonjuu

50: gojuu

60: rokujuu

70: nanajuu

80: hachijuu

90: kyuujuu

[100]

100: hyaku

200: nihyaku

300: sanbyaku

400: yonhyaku

500: gohyaku

600: roppyaku

700: nanahyaku

800: happyaku

900: kyuuhyaku

[1000]

1000: sen

2000: nisen

3000: sanzen

4000: yonsen

5000: gosen

6000: rokusen

7000: nanasen

8000: hassen

9000: kyuusen

Learn more!

#6 Step-up

Kanji

En (yen (Japanese Currency))

Culture

Haru-san’s Bagful of Advice

Japanese Bills and Coins

Japan has four kinds of paper money: 1,000-, 2,000-, 5,000-, and 10,000-yen bills. But you rarely see 2,000-yen bills around.

Japanese bills

As for coins, there are 6 types: one yen, five, ten, 50, 100, and 500. People have plenty of opportunity to use them, with vending machines on almost every corner. But the machines don’t take one-yen or five-yen coins. So, they stay in your pocket until you shop at a store.

Japanese coins

The proper etiquette when giving cash gifts for marriages and other celebrations is to insert new bills in envelopes specifically used for that occasion.

Trip tip