New here? This is lesson 209 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
At the post office and bank in Japanese
Leo has a parcel to send from the post office near Nippori. He wants it to reach home safely, and he has a few questions for the counter staff.
Afterward, he stops at a nearby bank to exchange money and ask about an account. A simple question about identification helps him know what to bring.
Practise the useful requests and questions for both errands. You will also tell the postal staff that the parcel is fragile.
By the end of this lesson
Send a parcel, ask when it will arrive, and ask about money or an account.
- これを海外に送りたいです。I'd like to send this abroad.
- 着くまで何日くらいかかりますか。About how many days will it take to arrive?
- 両替をお願いします。I'd like to exchange some money.
- 口座について聞きたいです。I'd like to ask about an account.
- 身分証明書は必要ですか。Do I need ID?
- 壊れ物なので気をつけてください。It's fragile, so please be careful.
Scene — a parcel near Nippori
Near Nippori, Leo joins the queue at a post office with a carefully wrapped parcel. He wants to send it overseas and checks how long delivery might take.
Then he heads to a bank to exchange money and ask about a bank account.
Later at Kissa Hotaru, Goro's blend coffee is still unfinished, and the old black umbrella remains in its stand.
Learn — send it and ask
These six lines help you send a parcel, ask about its arrival, and make a request about careful handling.
At the bank, use them to ask about exchanging money, an account, and identification.
これを海外に送りたいです。
I'd like to send this abroad.
When to use it: Use this at a post office when you want to send an item overseas.
に marks the destination: 海外 is where you want the parcel to go.
着くまで何日くらいかかりますか。
About how many days will it take to arrive?
When to use it: Ask this when you want an estimate of delivery time.
まで marks the endpoint: here, the time when the parcel arrives.
両替をお願いします。
I'd like to exchange some money.
When to use it: Use this at a bank or exchange counter to request currency exchange.
を marks 両替 as the service you are requesting.
口座について聞きたいです。
I'd like to ask about an account.
When to use it: Use this to begin a question about a bank account.
について means “about” and connects your question to 口座.
身分証明書は必要ですか。
Do I need ID?
When to use it: Ask this when you are unsure whether identification is required.
は makes 身分証明書 the topic you are asking about.
Say it: Hold the long vowel in 証明; the opening しょう has an extended o sound.
壊れ物なので気をつけてください。
It's fragile, so please be careful.
When to use it: Say this when handing over a fragile parcel.
なので connects the reason, “it's fragile,” to your request.
Story — from the post office to the bank
Leo sends a fragile parcel at the post office, then visits a bank to ask about money and an account.
Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.
- At the post office near Nippori, Leo reaches the counter with his parcel.
Leoこんにちは。Hello.- Post office staffいらっしゃいませ。お荷物をお預かりします。Welcome. I'll take your parcel.
- Leoこれを海外に送りたいです。I'd like to send this abroad.
- Post office staffお届け先の国はどちらですか。Which country is the destination?
- Leoカナダです。Canada.
- Leo着くまで何日くらいかかりますか。About how many days will it take to arrive?
- Post office staffカナダまでなら、航空便で一週間から二週間ほどです。For Canada, air mail takes about one to two weeks.
- Leo壊れ物なので気をつけてください。It's fragile, so please be careful.
- Post office staff承知いたしました。Understood.
- Leoありがとうございます。Thank you.
- At the nearby bank, Leo joins another short queue.
- Leo両替をお願いします。I'd like to exchange some money.
- Leo身分証明書は必要ですか。Do I need ID?
- Bank clerkはい、両替には身分証明書が必要でございます。Yes, you need identification for currency exchange.
- Leo口座について聞きたいです。I'd like to ask about an account.
- Bank clerk口座のご相談ですね。こちらへどうぞ。You have a question about an account. This way, please.
- Back at Kissa Hotaru, Goro sits in the corner booth with his untouched blend coffee.
Goro郵便局は混んでいましたか。Was the post office crowded?- Leo少し並びました。I had to wait in line a little.
Practice — handle two errands
Ten short tasks let you listen, choose a response, build a line, and repair a mistake.
Read each situation closely: the same counter conversation can move from parcels to banking.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What do you say?
What do you say?
At the post office, you hand over a parcel and want it sent overseas.
Build the line
Build the line
I'd like to send this abroad.
。
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
About how many days will it take to arrive?
着く____何日くらいかかりますか。
Pick the reply
Bank clerk says:
Pick the reply
銀行へようこそ。今日はどのようなご用件でしょうか。
Welcome to the bank. How can we help you today?
And you reply with:
Swap the word
Swap the word
You are sending this parcel abroad, not to an address in Japan. Fix the destination.
これを____に送りたいです。
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
壊れ物なので気をつけてください。
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are exchanging money at the bank and want to check whether identification is required.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You arrive at the post office counter in the afternoon and greet the staff.
True or false?
True or false?
You say this line to thank the clerk after they have finished helping you.
Say it — your turn at the counter
Imagine you are Leo at the post office, then at the bank. When the cue is yours, say the useful line for that moment.
Listen to each prompt first if you want, and keep your requests polite and clear.
- Post office staffこちらのお荷物を海外へお送りしますか。Would you like us to send this parcel overseas?
- Leo (you)Tell the staff you would like to send it abroad.
Tell the staff you would like to send it abroad.
これを海外に送りたいです。
I'd like to send this abroad.
0 of 4 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| これを海外に送りたいです。 | I'd like to send this abroad. | |
| 着くまで何日くらいかかりますか。 | About how many days will it take to arrive? | |
| 両替をお願いします。 | I'd like to exchange some money. | |
| 口座について聞きたいです。 | I'd like to ask about an account. | |
| 身分証明書は必要ですか。 | Do I need ID? | |
| 壊れ物なので気をつけてください。 | It's fragile, so please be careful. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these counter requests handy. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them between errands.
A quick review helps you ask about delivery, currency exchange, and ID when you need to.
Open Yak Cards