In this workshop you will practice a short, polite exchange about buying souvenirs. You will ask where you can buy them, check whether a shop is inside the station, ask what floor it is on, and understand answers that name a shop and its location. The key words are omiyage (souvenirs), mise (shop), and depaato (department store). You can use the answer keys to check yourself. This is a speaking practice page, not a test with automatic scoring.
Asking the Main Question
Start with the general question «お土産はどこで買えますか。» which means “Where can I buy souvenirs?” Use it at a station information desk, a hotel front desk, or with a staff member. The word omiyage means souvenirs or gifts for people back home. The verb kaemasu is the polite potential form of kau, “to buy,” so the sentence literally asks where you can buy. If you want to ask about the immediate area instead, use «この近くにお土産屋さんはありますか。» meaning “Is there a souvenir shop near here?” Here omiyage-ya means souvenir shop, and -san makes it sound softer and more natural in speech. Both questions are polite and safe to use with staff.
Checking the Location
After you hear that a shop exists, confirm where it is. Ask «駅の中にありますか。» meaning “Is it inside the station?” Eki means station, and naka ni means inside. This is useful because many souvenir shops are inside major stations. If the answer is yes, ask «何階ですか。» meaning “What floor is it on?” Use this in a department store or shopping mall. The answer will often be a number plus kai, such as nikai for second floor. Listen for a floor number and a nearby landmark such as the escalator.
Following the Model Exchange
In the recorded dialogue, speaker A says «すみません、お土産はどこで買えますか。» meaning “Excuse me, where can I buy souvenirs?” Speaker B answers «駅の中にお土産屋さんがありますよ。» meaning “There is a souvenir shop inside the station.” Speaker A then asks «何階ですか。» meaning “What floor is it on?” Speaker B replies «二階です。エスカレーターの近くです。» meaning “It is on the second floor. It is near the escalator.” Notice the order: ask where, hear that a shop exists, confirm the floor, and listen for a landmark. The particle yo at the end of B’s first answer adds a friendly, informative tone. You can replay the audio and take either role.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
お土産はどこで買えますか。
Where can I buy souvenirs?
Omiyage wa doko de kaemasu ka.
この近くにお土産屋さんはありますか。
Is there a souvenir shop near here?
Kono chikaku ni omiyage-ya-san wa arimasu ka.
駅の中にありますか。
Is it inside the station?
Eki no naka ni arimasu ka.
何階ですか。
What floor is it on?
Nankai desu ka.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
すみません、お土産はどこで買えますか。
Excuse me, where can I buy souvenirs?駅の中にお土産屋さんがありますよ。
There is a souvenir shop inside the station.何階ですか。
What floor is it on?二階です。エスカレーターの近くです。
It is on the second floor. It is near the escalator.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Supported First Attempt: Station Information Desk
You are at a station information desk. You want to buy souvenirs for coworkers. A staff member is ready to help. Use the recorded lines to build a short exchange. Read the lines aloud.
Your task: Say the polite question «お土産はどこで買えますか。» Then, in the staff role, answer with «駅の中にお土産屋さんがありますよ。» Return to the customer role and ask «何階ですか。» Finally, in the staff role, answer «二階です。エスカレーターの近くです。» Repeat the whole exchange once more without looking at the lines.
Listen for the shop location
You are at a station information desk. Listen to the staff answers in the model exchange, then choose the location they describe.
Your task: Ask «お土産はどこで買えますか。» and listen to «駅の中にお土産屋さんがありますよ。» Ask «何階ですか。» and listen to «二階です。エスカレーターの近くです。» Which location matches both answers? A: inside the station, on the second floor near the escalator. B: in a nearby department store, on the ground floor. Choose A or B, then take the staff role and repeat the two answers aloud.
Realistic Follow-Up Decision: Choosing Between Two Shops
You are at a station information desk. You ask where to buy souvenirs. The staff member tells you there is a souvenir shop inside the station on the second floor near the escalator. You also see a department store nearby. You need to decide which shop to go to and confirm the location.
Your task: First, ask «お土産はどこで買えますか。» The staff member answers «駅の中にお土産屋さんがありますよ。» Ask «何階ですか。» The staff member answers «二階です。エスカレーターの近くです。» Now decide: will you go to the shop inside the station or the department store nearby? Say your decision aloud in English, then ask one more question in Japanese to confirm the location: «駅の中にありますか。» or «何階ですか。» Repeat the exchange once more, this time as the staff member.
Common questions
What does omiyage mean, and when should I use it?
Omiyage means souvenirs or gifts for people back home. Use it when you ask where to buy gifts, as in «お土産はどこで買えますか。» If you want to ask about a souvenir shop nearby, use «この近くにお土産屋さんはありますか。» The word omiyage-ya means souvenir shop.
How do I understand the answer about the floor?
Listen for a number plus kai, such as nikai for second floor. In the recorded answer, «二階です。エスカレーターの近くです。» means “It is on the second floor. It is near the escalator.”
Sources and further reading
- japanese: ask about souvenirsChecked September 2026
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