How to Ask Where a Supermarket Is in Japanese: スーパーは どこですか
Learn to ask if there is a supermarket near here in Japanese, say where it is, and handle basic grocery-shopping location questions politely.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you need groceries in Japan, the most useful question is not a long sentence but a short, clear one: スーパーは どこですか (sūpā wa doko desu ka), meaning 'Where is the supermarket?' In this lesson you will learn that question, the nearby version この ちかくに スーパーは ありますか (kono chikaku ni sūpā wa arimasu ka), 'Is there a supermarket near here?', and simple answers such as あります (arimasu), 'there is', and ありません (arimasen), 'there isn't'. You will also learn words for directions and distances so you can actually find the store. The focus is grocery shopping, so the vocabulary is chosen for everyday food shopping rather than general sightseeing.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether there is a supermarket near here in Japanese.
- understand and give a simple answer about where a supermarket is.
- use basic location words such as near, right, left, and straight.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
スーパーは どこですか。
Where is the supermarket?
sūpā wa doko desu ka
The most direct and useful question. Use it when you already know a supermarket exists but do not know its location.
この ちかくに スーパーは ありますか。
Is there a supermarket near here?
kono chikaku ni sūpā wa arimasu ka
Use this when you are standing somewhere and want to know if a supermarket exists nearby. この ちかくに means 'near here'.
はい、あります。
Yes, there is.
hai, arimasu
A simple positive answer to the ありますか question. It confirms existence, not exact location.
いいえ、ありません。
No, there isn't.
iie, arimasen
The negative answer. ありません is the polite negative form of あります.
まっすぐ いって、みぎです。
Go straight, and it's on the right.
massugu itte, migi desu
A common direction pattern. まっすぐ means 'straight', いって is the -te form of いく ('go'), used to link to the next instruction, and みぎ means 'right'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [place] は どこですか, meaning 'Where is [place]?' For example, スーパーは どこですか (sūpā wa doko desu ka) means 'Where is the supermarket?' and トイレは どこですか (toire wa doko desu ka) means 'Where is the toilet?' If you want to ask about existence near you, use [place] は この ちかくに ありますか, as in スーパーは この ちかくに ありますか (sūpā wa kono chikaku ni arimasu ka), 'Is there a supermarket near here?' The particle は marks the topic, に marks location for existence, and あります is the polite verb for 'there is' for non-living things such as stores.
When to use it
Use スーパーは どこですか when you expect a specific supermarket and want its location. Use この ちかくに スーパーは ありますか when you are not sure whether one exists nearby. If someone answers あります (arimasu), you can follow up with どこですか (doko desu ka) to get the exact place. If they answer ありません (arimasen), you can ask ちかくに コンビニは ありますか (chikaku ni konbini wa arimasu ka), 'Is there a convenience store nearby?' This keeps the conversation practical for grocery shopping.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この ちかくに スーパーは ありますか。
Excuse me, is there a supermarket near here?sumimasen, kono chikaku ni sūpā wa arimasu kaはい、あります。あの しんごうを みぎに まがってください。
Yes, there is. Please turn right at that traffic light.hai, arimasu. ano shingō o migi ni magatte kudasaiみぎですね。あるいて どのくらいですか。
Right, got it. About how long does it take on foot?migi desu ne. aruite dono kurai desu kaあるいて ごふんぐらいです。スーパーは えきの ちかくに あります。
About five minutes on foot. The supermarket is near the station.aruite gofun gurai desu. sūpā wa eki no chikaku ni arimasuA little context goes a long way
In Japan, すみません (sumimasen) is the usual polite way to get a stranger's attention before asking a question. When asking staff in a small shop, すみません、スーパーは どこですか (sumimasen, sūpā wa doko desu ka) is natural and polite. Avoid starting with ねえ (nē), which can sound too casual or rude with strangers. If you are in a large station, staff may point to a map rather than give spoken directions.
One thing to watch for
Using います (imasu) for a supermarket, as in スーパーは この ちかくに いますか (sūpā wa kono chikaku ni imasu ka).
Try this instead: Use あります (arimasu) for places and non-living things: スーパーは この ちかくに ありますか (sūpā wa kono chikaku ni arimasu ka). います (imasu) is for living beings such as people and animals, for example ねこが います (neko ga imasu), 'there is a cat'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Is there a supermarket near here?' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
この ちかくに スーパーは ありますか。 (kono chikaku ni sūpā wa arimasu ka)
This uses この ちかくに for 'near here' and ありますか for 'is there'. スーパーは どこですか is also correct if you are asking where a known supermarket is, but it does not ask about existence nearby.
2Someone says いいえ、ありません。 What does this mean?
Show a sample answer
No, there isn't.
ありません is the polite negative of あります, so it means there is not one. A valid alternative answer could be ちかくには ありません (chikaku ni wa arimasen), meaning 'there isn't one nearby'.
3How would you say 'Go straight, and it's on the left'?
Show a sample answer
まっすぐ いって、ひだりです。 (massugu itte, hidari desu)
まっすぐ means 'straight', いって is the -te form of いく ('go'), used to link to the next instruction, and ひだり means 'left'. You could also say まっすぐ いって、ひだりに あります (massugu itte, hidari ni arimasu), 'go straight and it is on the left'.
For grocery shopping in Japan, remember the two key questions: スーパーは どこですか for 'Where is the supermarket?' and この ちかくに スーパーは ありますか for 'Is there a supermarket near here?' Use あります for stores, not います.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Japanese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr