Excuse me, which floor is the kimono department on? -- Sumimasen, kimono (no) uriba wa nan-gai deshou ka. NOTE: [Item] (no) uriba wa nan-gai (or: nan-kai or:doko) deshou (or: desu) ka. Which floor is the toy department on? It's on the fifth floor (very polite form). -- Omocha (no) uriba wa nan-gai desu ka. Go-kai de gozaimasu. department (in a department store) -- uriba which floor? (counter for floors) -- nan-kai or nan-gai The restaurant is on the 6th floor. -- Resutoran wa rok-kai desu. first floor -- ik-kai second floor -- ni-kai third floor -- san-kai or san-gai fourth floor -- yon-kai fifth floor -- go-kai sixth floor -- rok-kai 7th floor -- nana-kai 8th floor -- hachi-kai 9th floor -- kyuu-kai 10th floor -- juk-kai roof top -- okujou basement 1 -- chika-ik-kai basement 2 -- chika-ni-kai clothes -- fuku woman -- onna no hito man -- otoko no hito girl -- onna no ko boy -- otoko no ko women's clothes -- fujin-fuku men's clothes -- shinshi-fuku children's clothes -- kodomo-fuku china -- touki or shokki toys -- omocha stationary -- bunbougu food -- shokuryouhin furniture -- kagu sports goods -- supoutsu-youhin electric appliances -- denki-seihin underwear -- shitagi Japanese kimono -- kimono bags -- kaban wallets, purses -- saifu eye glasses -- megane get on -- norimasu (takes the marker ni) get off -- orimasu (takes the marker o or kara) escalator -- esukareetaa elevator -- erebeetaa Get on the escalator. -- Esukareetaa ni norimasu. Get off the elevator. -- Erebeetaa o orimasu. Get off the elevator, and you'll see it right in front of you. -- Erebeetaa o orite, shoumen ni arimasu. NOTE: Verb-te (te-form to connect the sentences), [place] ni arimasu (or: desu). Get on the escalator, and go to the third floor. -- Esukareetaa ni notte, san-kai made ikimasu. COMPARE: Esukareetaa ni norimasu. San-kai made ikimasu. facing you/right in front of you -- shoumen dead end/end of the hallway or street -- tsukiatari far end -- oku place where Y is -- Y no tokoro place/counter where Y is sold -- Y no uriba X is further than the Y counter. -- X wa Y no uriba no saki desu. Turn left at (the place where) Y is. -- Y no tokoro o hidari e itte kudasai. Then you'll see X at the far end. -- Sousuruto, X wa oku ni arimasu. It's [noun]. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: [Noun] desu. L3: [Noun] de gozaimasu. It's over there. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Atchi desu. L3: Achira de gozaimasu. (It's) on the 7th floor./(This is) the 7th floor. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Nana-kai desu. L3: Nana-kai de gozaimasu. That's right. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Sou desu. L3: Sayou de gozaimasu. (It's) on/in/at [noun]. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: [Noun] ni arimasu. L3: [Noun] ni gozaimasu. (It's) on the right. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Migi-gawa ni arimasu. L3: Migi-gawa ni gozaimasu. Please go. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Itte kudasai. L3: Irashite/irasshatte kudasai. Or: Oide kudasai. Please get on. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Notte kudasai. L3: Onori ni natte kudasai. Please get off. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Orite kudasai. L3: Oori (Hiragana exception: oo) ni natte kudasai. if you do so... L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: sousuruto L3: soushimasuto information clerk -- annaigakari May I help you? (lit. welcome) -- irasshaimase May I? Excuse me. (when entering s.b. office) -- Shitsurei shimasu. Or: o'jamashimasu (jamashimasu = to interrupt) to meet s.b. L2 / L3 -- L2: person ni aimasu L3: person ni aitai-n desu ga... NOTE: aimasu, drop -masu, add tai-n desu ga / even level 3 is in this case not polite enough for business situations I'd like to see Mr. White of the Planning Department. (very polite, level 4) -- Kikaku-bu no Howaito-san ni ome ni kakari tai-n desu ga... NOTE: [Department or title] no [person]-san ni ome ni kakari tai-n desu ga... I'd like to see...(very polite) -- ome ni kakaritai Do you have an appointment? L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Yakusoku desu ka. L3: O-yakusoku de irasshaimasu ka. appointment (you meet a person/appointment with person) -- yakusoku reservation (for service, e.g. hotel) -- yoyaku to have a reservation (e.g. hotel) -- Yoyaku ga arimasu. (or: "yoyaku o shimasu" as a verb) do you have...(lit. Is it...?) (very polite) -- ...de irasshaimasu ka I have an appointment with Mr./Ms...-- (Watashi wa) [person]-san to yakusoku ga arimasu. for a while, a little (moment) (very polite) -- shoushou Could you wait a moment? or: Hold on please. L2 / L3 politeness -- L2: Chotte matte kudasai. L3: Shoushou omachi kudasai (NOTE: It is used on the telephone all the time). Sorry to have kept you waiting. (very polite) -- Omatase itashimashita. NOTE: with a friend/casual: Omatase. room -- heya planning department -- kikaku-bu marketing/sales department -- eigyou-bu personnel department -- jinji-bu engineering department -- gijutsu-bu general services department -- soumu-bu department -- bu receptionist -- uketsuke