Japanese for Beginners: Asking for a Bag or Box for Groceries
Learn to ask for a bag or box at checkout in Japanese using kudasai, with polite requests, counters, and register tips for everyday shopping.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a Japanese checkout, staff often ask whether you need a bag, and you may need to ask for one yourself, or for a box to protect fragile items. This lesson teaches the core request 'Fukuro o kudasai' (Can I have a bag?) and shows how to swap in other packaging words such as hako (box) or kami-bukuro (paper bag). You will practise the object + o + kudasai pattern, learn the difference between asking for packaging and asking for a utensil like a spoon, and see how polite requests work in a real convenience-store or supermarket exchange.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a bag or box at a Japanese checkout using kudasai.
- swap the item word in the pattern to request a paper bag, plastic bag, or box.
- respond appropriately when a cashier asks whether I need a bag.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
袋をください。
Please give me a bag.
fukuro o kudasai
The standard, polite way to ask for a shopping bag at a checkout. Works in supermarkets, convenience stores, and most shops.
箱をください。
Please give me a box.
hako o kudasai
Use when you want a box, for example to protect a cake or a fragile item. Same pattern as fukuro o kudasai.
紙袋をください。
Please give me a paper bag.
kamibukuro o kudasai
Specifically a paper bag. Useful in bakeries or when you want something more sturdy than a thin plastic bag.
袋は要りません。
I don't need a bag.
fukuro wa irimasen
Say this when the cashier asks if you need a bag and you have your own. Polite and common at checkout.
袋をお願いします。
A bag, please.
fukuro o onegaishimasu
A slightly softer alternative to kudasai. Very common in shops and restaurants when making a simple request.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is noun + o + kudasai. The particle o marks the thing you want, and kudasai means 'please give me'. So fukuro o kudasai is literally 'please give me a bag'. You can replace fukuro with other packaging words: hako o kudasai (a box, please), kamibukuro o kudasai (a paper bag, please), or biniru-bukuro o kudasai (a plastic bag, please). Japanese nouns do not change for singular or plural, so fukuro o kudasai can mean 'a bag' or 'bags' depending on context. At a checkout, one bag is the normal reading.
When to use it
Use fukuro o kudasai when you are at the register and need a bag for your groceries. If the cashier asks 'Fukuro wa irimasu ka' (Do you need a bag?), you can answer 'Hai, onegaishimasu' (Yes, please) or 'Iie, daijōbu desu' (No, it's fine). Use hako o kudasai for a box, for example at a bakery when you buy a cake: 'Kēki wa hako ni irete kudasai' (Please put the cake in a box). Note that asking for a bag is about packaging, not about a utensil. If you want a spoon, you say 'Supūn o kudasai', but that is a different request. Keep the packaging words separate from tableware words so you are understood quickly.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
いらっしゃいませ。袋は要りますか。
Welcome. Do you need a bag?irasshaimase. fukuro wa irimasu kaはい、袋をください。
Yes, please give me a bag.hai, fukuro o kudasaiかしこまりました。大きい袋と小さい袋がありますが、どちらにしますか。
Certainly. We have a large bag and a small bag; which would you like?kashikomarimashita. ōkii fukuro to chiisai fukuro ga arimasu ga, dochira ni shimasu ka小さい袋をお願いします。それと、卵は箱に入れてもらえますか。
A small bag, please. And could you put the eggs in a box?chiisai fukuro o onegaishimasu. sore to, tamago wa hako ni irete moraemasu kaA little context goes a long way
In Japan, many shops charge a small fee for plastic bags, so cashiers often ask whether you need one. Answering 'Fukuro wa irimasen' when you have your own bag is normal and appreciated. The word fukuro covers bags in general, while kamibukuro is specifically paper. At convenience stores, staff may also ask 'Ohashi wa irimasu ka' (Do you need chopsticks?), which is a utensil question, not a packaging one. Keeping the two requests separate helps you respond quickly and politely.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Fukuro ga kudasai' by using ga instead of o.
Try this instead: Use o with kudasai: 'Fukuro o kudasai.' The particle ga marks the subject, not the object of a request. For example, 'Hako o kudasai' is correct for 'Please give me a box', while 'Hako ga kudasai' sounds unnatural.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for a box at a bakery in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
箱をください。 (hako o kudasai)
This uses the same noun + o + kudasai pattern as fukuro o kudasai. It is polite and clear. You could also say 'Hako o onegaishimasu' for a slightly softer request.
2The cashier asks 'Fukuro wa irimasu ka.' You have your own bag. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
いいえ、大丈夫です。 (iie, daijōbu desu)
This politely declines the bag. 'Fukuro wa irimasen' is also correct and very common. Both answers are acceptable; daijōbu desu is softer and widely used.
3What is the difference between asking for a bag and asking for a spoon in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
袋をください asks for packaging; スプーンをください asks for a utensil.
The grammar is the same, but the item word changes. Fukuro means bag, while supūn means spoon. The request pattern kudasai stays the same, so you only need to swap the noun.
At a Japanese checkout, remember the pattern noun + o + kudasai. Say 'Fukuro o kudasai' for a bag, 'Hako o kudasai' for a box, and 'Fukuro wa irimasen' if you have your own bag.
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