コンビニ konbini means convenience store, and in Japan it is not “just a shop.” It is breakfast, lunch, emergency stationery, a mini pharmacy-ish lifeline, and sometimes the place where your dignity goes to buy socks at 7 a.m. The humble convenience store does a lot of heavy lifting.
If you want to shop in Japan without awkward pointing and hopeful smiling, this chart will help. You will learn the most useful convenience store words, common phrases, and simple example sentences with Kanji, Rōmaji, and English. Tiny words. Big survival energy.
For a broader overview of Japanese learning, you can also visit the Learn Japanese hub. And if you want a quick refresher lesson, this related guide can help: convenient Japanese study article.
Everyday Convenience Store Words
| Kanji | Rōmaji | English Meaning | Example (Kanji) | Example (Rōmaji) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| コンビニ | konbini | convenience store | コンビニで朝ごはんを買います。 | Konbini de asagohan o kaimasu. | I buy breakfast at the convenience store. |
| 弁当 | bentō | boxed meal | 弁当を一つください。 | Bentō o hitotsu kudasai. | One boxed meal, please. |
| おにぎり | onigiri | rice ball | おにぎりが三つあります。 | Onigiri ga mittsu arimasu. | There are three rice balls. |
| パン | pan | bread / pastry | パンとコーヒーを買いました。 | Pan to kōhī o kaimashita. | I bought bread and coffee. |
| 飲み物 | nomimono | drink | 飲み物はどれですか。 | Nomimono wa dore desu ka. | Which one is the drink? |
| 水 | mizu | water | 水をください。 | Mizu o kudasai. | Water, please. |
| お茶 | ocha | tea | お茶は冷たいです。 | Ocha wa tsumetai desu. | The tea is cold. |
| コーヒー | kōhī | coffee | コーヒーを一杯飲みます。 | Kōhī o ippai nomimasu. | I drink one cup of coffee. |
| お菓子 | okashi | snacks / sweets | お菓子を買いました。 | Okashi o kaimashita. | I bought snacks. |
| アイス | aisu | ice cream | アイスが食べたいです。 | Aisu ga tabetai desu. | I want to eat ice cream. |
More Useful Store Items
| Kanji | Rōmaji | English Meaning | Example (Kanji) | Example (Rōmaji) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| サラダ | sarada | salad | サラダもありますか。 | Sarada mo arimasu ka. | Do you also have salad? |
| 麺 | men | noodles | 麺の料理を選びます。 | Men no ryōri o erabimasu. | I choose a noodle dish. |
| パスタ | pasuta | pasta | パスタは温かいです。 | Pasuta wa atatakai desu. | The pasta is warm. |
| スープ | sūpu | soup | スープを温めてください。 | Sūpu o atatamete kudasai. | Please heat the soup. |
| 卵 | tamago | egg | 卵は入っていますか。 | Tamago wa haitte imasu ka. | Does it contain egg? |
| チキン | chikin | chicken | チキンが人気です。 | Chikin ga ninki desu. | Chicken is popular. |
| タバコ | tabako | cigarettes | タバコはどこですか。 | Tabako wa doko desu ka. | Where are the cigarettes? |
| 新聞 | shinbun | newspaper | 新聞を一部ください。 | Shinbun o ichibu kudasai. | One newspaper, please. |
| 雑誌 | zasshi | magazine | 雑誌はあの棚にあります。 | Zasshi wa ano tana ni arimasu. | The magazines are on that shelf. |
| 電池 | denchi | battery | 電池を探しています。 | Denchi o sagashite imasu. | I am looking for batteries. |
| 傘 | kasa | umbrella | 傘を一本買います。 | Kasa o ippon kaimasu. | I will buy one umbrella. |
| 袋 | fukuro | bag | 袋は必要です。 | Fukuro wa hitsuyō desu. | I need a bag. |
Useful Phrases At The Counter
| Kanji | Rōmaji | English Meaning | Example (Kanji) | Example (Rōmaji) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| これをください | kore o kudasai | This one, please. | これをください。 | Kore o kudasai. | This one, please. |
| お願いします | onegaishimasu | Please / I’ll take it | お願いします、これで。 | Onegaishimasu, kore de. | Please, I’ll take this one. |
| 温めてください | atatamete kudasai | Please heat it up. | 弁当を温めてください。 | Bentō o atatamete kudasai. | Please heat up the boxed meal. |
| 一つください | hitotsu kudasai | One, please. | おにぎりを一つください。 | Onigiri o hitotsu kudasai. | One rice ball, please. |
| 二つください | futatsu kudasai | Two, please. | 水を二つください。 | Mizu o futatsu kudasai. | Two waters, please. |
| レジ | reji | cash register / checkout | レジはどこですか。 | Reji wa doko desu ka. | Where is the checkout? |
| 袋は要りますか | fukuro wa irimasu ka | Do you need a bag? | 袋は要りますかと聞かれました。 | Fukuro wa irimasu ka to kikaremashita. | I was asked, “Do you need a bag?” |
| 現金 | genkin | cash | 現金で払います。 | Genkin de haraimasu. | I will pay in cash. |
| カード | kādo | card | カードは使えますか。 | Kādo wa tsukaemasu ka. | Can I use a card? |
| 電子マネー | denshi manē | electronic money / e-money | 電子マネーで払えます。 | Denshi manē de haraemasu. | You can pay with e-money. |
Quick Phrase Patterns
Japanese convenience store phrases are often short and polite. That is good news. Less grammar drama, more snack acquisition.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example (Kanji) | Rōmaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Item] をください | Please give me [item]. | コーヒーをください。 | Kōhī o kudasai. | Coffee, please. |
| [Number] つください | Please give me [number] items. | パンを二つください。 | Pan o futatsu kudasai. | Two breads, please. |
| [Item] はありますか | Do you have [item]? | 水はありますか。 | Mizu wa arimasu ka. | Do you have water? |
| [Item] を温めてください | Please heat up [item]. | 弁当を温めてください。 | Bentō o atatamete kudasai. | Please heat up the boxed meal. |
| [Payment] で払います | I will pay by [method]. | 現金で払います。 | Genkin de haraimasu. | I will pay in cash. |
Common Confusion: 日本語 Words That Feel Similar
| Word | Rōmaji | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| お茶 | ocha | tea | Usually means green tea in a store. |
| 水 | mizu | water | Simple and direct. Very useful. No drama. |
| パン | pan | bread / pastry | Can mean sweet baked items too. |
| お菓子 | okashi | snacks / sweets | Broad word for treats and snacks. |
| レジ | reji | checkout | Borrowed from “register.” Easy to spot in real stores. |
Japanese convenience stores also use a lot of borrowed words from English. That sounds helpful, and it is, but Japanese pronunciation likes to put everything in a slightly different outfit. So coffee becomes コーヒー kōhī, and card becomes カード kādo. Same idea. New costume.
コンビニ konbini is one of those magic words that opens a whole everyday world: meals, drinks, payments, and “oops, I forgot to buy an umbrella.”
Mini Practice
| Task | Japanese | Rōmaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | おにぎりを一つください | Onigiri o hitotsu kudasai. | One rice ball, please. |
| 2 | 弁当を温めてください | Bentō o atatamete kudasai. | Please heat up the boxed meal. |
| 3 | カードは使えますか | Kādo wa tsukaemasu ka. | Can I use a card? |
| 4 | 袋は要りますか | Fukuro wa irimasu ka. | Do you need a bag? |
| 5 | 水をください | Mizu o kudasai. | Water, please. |
Try swapping the item in each sentence. For example, change 水 mizu to コーヒー kōhī, or おにぎり onigiri to パン pan. That small habit makes the phrase stick faster than staring at a vocabulary list like it owes you money.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
- Using English-only pronunciation: say konbini, not “con-ve-nience.” Japanese rhythm is lighter and cleaner.
- Forgetting politeness: ください kudasai makes requests soft and polite.
- Mixing up drink words: 水 mizu is water, お茶 ocha is tea, コーヒー kōhī is coffee.
- Trying to make every sentence long: convenience store Japanese is often short. Short is fine. Japan is not demanding a full speech to sell you a rice ball.
Quick Reference Summary
| Type | Useful Words |
|---|---|
| Food | 弁当 bentō, おにぎり onigiri, パン pan, サラダ sarada, スープ sūpu, お菓子 okashi |
| Drinks | 水 mizu, お茶 ocha, コーヒー kōhī |
| Store Items | 傘 kasa, 電池 denchi, 新聞 shinbun, 雑誌 zasshi, 袋 fukuro |
| Useful Actions | ください kudasai, 温めてください atatamete kudasai, 払います haraimasu |
| Payment | 現金 genkin, カード kādo, 電子マネー denshi manē |
Once you know these convenience store words, real life in Japan gets a lot easier. You can ask for what you want, understand the cashier, and move through the store with the calm confidence of someone who knows where the レジ reji is. That is practical Japanese you will actually use, which is rare and beautiful.
