"How much is it?" in Japanese is いくらですか (ikura desu ka). Point at the item and say これはいくらですか (kore wa ikura desu ka), "how much is this?". Prices come back in yen, 円 (en): 五百円 (gohyaku en) is ¥500. Large amounts are counted in units of 10,000, 万 (man), so ¥50,000 is 五万円 (goman en).
- How much?
- いくらですか (ikura desu ka)
- How much is this?
- これはいくらですか
- Altogether?
- 全部でいくらですか (zenbu de ikura desu ka)
- Yen
- 円 (en)
- Level
- A1
How do you ask about prices in Japanese?
いくら is the question word for amounts of money. Pair it with これ, それ or あれ, depending on where the item is, and with です か to keep it polite.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いくらですか。 | Ikura desu ka. | How much is it? |
| これはいくらですか。 | Kore wa ikura desu ka. | How much is this (near me)? |
| それはいくらですか。 | Sore wa ikura desu ka. | How much is that (near you)? |
| あれはいくらですか。 | Are wa ikura desu ka. | How much is that (over there)? |
| 全部でいくらですか。 | Zenbu de ikura desu ka. | How much is it altogether? |
| 一人いくらですか。 | Hitori ikura desu ka. | How much is it per person? |
| 税込みですか。 | Zeikomi desu ka. | Does that include tax? |
Price labels often show 税込 (zeikomi, tax included) next to 税抜 (zeinuki, before tax), so check which one you are reading. With friends, plain いくら？ is enough.
How do you read a price in yen?
English groups digits in thousands; Japanese groups them in ten-thousands. After 9,999 comes 一万 (ichiman, 10,000), and 100,000 is 十万 (jūman), "ten ten-thousands".
お金 が 前 より 五万 円 多い です。Okane ga mae yori goman en ōi desu.
Some hundreds and thousands change their sound, and you will hear them on every price:
- 百hyaku100
- 三百sanbyaku300
- 六百roppyaku600
- 八百happyaku800
- 千sen1,000
- 三千sanzen3,000
- 八千hassen8,000
- 一万ichiman10,000
Note that 1,000 is just 千 (sen), with no 一 in front, but 10,000 is always 一万 (ichiman).
What will the cashier say?
Shop staff use a fixed set of polite phrases. Once you recognise them, paying becomes much easier.
千二百円になります。
Sen nihyaku en ni narimasu.
That comes to ¥1,200.
袋はご利用ですか。
Fukuro wa goriyō desu ka.
Would you like a bag?
二千円お預かりします。
Nisen en oazukari shimasu.
Out of ¥2,000.
Literally "I'm taking ¥2,000 into my care".
八百円のお返しです。
Happyaku en no okaeshi desu.
Here's ¥800 change.
What else might you say when buying something?
これをください。
Kore o kudasai.
I'll take this.
カードで払えますか。
Kādo de haraemasu ka.
Can I pay by card?
ちょっと高いですね。
Chotto takai desu ne.
It's a bit expensive.
もう少し安くなりませんか。
Mō sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka.
Could it be a little cheaper?
Fine at a flea market; shops with price labels don't usually haggle.
At a restaurant, the question changes; see how to ask for the bill in Japanese.
Read free Japanese stories at A1 and tap any number or price for its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce ikura desu ka?
"Ee-koo-rah dess kah". The u in desu is almost silent. イクラ, written in katakana, is also the word for salmon roe, so context matters at a sushi bar.
Is it yen or en in Japanese?
Japanese say en: 百円 is hyaku en. "Yen" is the spelling English adopted, so use it in English and en in Japanese.
How are prices written in Japan?
Either ¥1,000 or 1,000円. Menus and labels in traditional shops sometimes use kanji numbers, such as 千円.
Can you haggle in Japan?
Not in ordinary shops, department stores or restaurants, where the labelled price is the price. Flea markets are more flexible, and asking politely does no harm there.