How to Ask "Do You Have This?" in Japanese: これはありますか for Shops and Restaurants
Learn the core Japanese pattern これはありますか to ask if a shop or restaurant has a specific item, with polite variants, a natural dialogue, and practice.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you point at something in a shop or on a menu and want to know whether it is available, the most direct Japanese question is これはありますか (Kore wa arimasu ka). This lesson teaches that pattern as your default, then shows how to make it more polite, how to name a specific item with 〜はありますか, and how to respond when staff answer you. You will also learn a few closely related questions that keep the same grammar, so you can ask about a size, a color, or a dish without learning a new structure each time.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a specific item is available using これはありますか and 〜はありますか.
- understand and respond appropriately when a staff member says はい、あります or いいえ、ありません.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
これはありますか。
Do you have this?
Kore wa arimasu ka.
Point at the item or hold it up. This is the neutral, direct way to ask about something near you. これ refers to something close to the speaker; for something close to the listener use それ, and for something far from both use あれ.
これはありますか。
Do you have this? (polite)
Kore wa arimasu ka.
The same sentence is already polite because of ます. For extra politeness with strangers, you can say これはありますでしょうか (Kore wa arimasu deshō ka), but it is not required in everyday shops.
メニューはありますか。
Do you have a menu?
Menyū wa arimasu ka.
Use a noun + はありますか to ask about a specific item. メニュー is a common loanword.
英語のメニューはありますか。
Do you have an English menu?
Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka.
Add の to connect a descriptor to a noun. This asks about a specific kind of menu.
はい、あります。
Yes, we have it.
Hai, arimasu.
A standard affirmative answer. It can mean "we have it" or "there is one," depending on context.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is [thing] はありますか。 The particle は marks the thing you are asking about, and ありますか asks whether it exists or is available. For something you can point to, これ (this, near the speaker) works: これはありますか。 For a named item, replace これ with the noun: メニューはありますか (Do you have a menu?), 日本語の本はありますか (Do you have Japanese books?). If you want to be more specific, add の: 英語のメニューはありますか (Do you have an English menu?). Note that あります is used for inanimate things and plants; for people and animals, Japanese uses います, so これはありますか is not used to ask if a person is present.
When to use it
Use これはありますか when you are holding or pointing at a specific object in a shop, or when the item is clear from context. Use [noun] はありますか when you know the name of the item, such as メニュー or 日本語の本. In a restaurant, you can ask これはありますか while pointing at a menu item, or おすすめはありますか (Are there any recommendations?). In a shop, サイズはありますか (Do you have a size?) or 大きいサイズはありますか (Do you have a larger size?) are natural. If staff answer はい、あります, you can then ask いくらですか (How much is it?) or これをください (I'll take this). If they answer いいえ、ありません, you can say そうですか (I see) and move on. These questions do not guarantee stock; they simply ask whether the item is available at that moment.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、これはありますか。
Excuse me, do you have this?Sumimasen, kore wa arimasu ka.はい、あります。
Yes, we have it.Hai, arimasu.いくらですか。
How much is it?Ikura desu ka.千円です。
It is 1,000 yen.Sen en desu.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese shops and restaurants, staff usually respond with はい、あります or いいえ、ありません. The question これはありますか is polite enough for everyday use because of the ます ending. If you want to sound especially considerate, you can begin with すみません (Excuse me) before asking. Avoid using これはありますか for people; for staff or friends, use います instead, as in 田中さんはいますか (Is Tanaka-san here?).
One thing to watch for
Using あります for people, as in 友達はありますか (Do you have a friend?).
Try this instead: あります is for inanimate things and plants. For people and animals, use います: 友達はいますか (Do you have a friend? / Are there friends?). For objects, これはありますか is correct.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are in a shop and want to ask if they have the item you are holding. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
これはありますか。
This is the standard pattern for asking about a specific item you can point to. これはありますでしょうか is also acceptable if you want to be more formal, but これはありますか is already polite.
2Ask whether the shop has an English menu.
Show a sample answer
英語のメニューはありますか。
This uses [noun] はありますか with 英語のメニュー. You could also ask 英語のメニューはありますでしょうか for extra politeness, but the ます form is fine.
3A staff member says いいえ、ありません。 What does this mean?
Show a sample answer
No, we do not have it.
ありません is the negative polite form of あります. It means the item is not available. A common follow-up is そうですか (I see).
For everyday availability questions, use これはありますか for a pointed-at item and [noun] はありますか for a named item. Keep あります for objects and います for people.
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