Asking About Availability of Merchandise or Services

In this lesson you will learn how to find out if a store or shop carries the merchandise you want, find out if a restaurant serves the dish you want, find out if a place you want to go to is nearby, find out if a hotel has any vacant rooms, and find out if there is a person available who can speak English.

Dialogues (会話)

Situation 1 — Do you have aspirin?

While walking in the street, Mrs. Brown suddenly gets a headache, so she goes into a pharmacy nearby.

Romaji	English
Buraun: Sumimasen. Asupirin arimasu ka?	Excuse me. Do you have aspirin?
Nihonjin: Hai, gozaimasu.	Yes, we do.

Situation 2 — Does the restaurant serve spaghetti?

Mr. Brown goes to a snack bar for lunch and asks about the menu.

Romaji	English
Ueetoresu: Irasshaimase.	Welcome.
Buraun: Supagetti arimasu ka?	Do you have spaghetti?
Ueetoresu: Hai, gozaimasu.	Yes, we do.
Buraun: Jaa, onegaishimasu.	Then, I’d like to have some.

Situation 3 — Is there a department store nearby?

Mrs. Taylor is at a shopping area and wants to find a department store. She asks a Japanese person walking in the street.

Romaji	English
Teeraa: Sumimasen. Kono chikaku ni depaato ga arimasu ka?	Excuse me. Is there a department store near here?
Nihonjin: Ee, tsugi no kado no migi ni arimasu.	Yes, it’s on your right at the next corner.
Teeraa: Sumimasen. Nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen. Koko ni kaite kudasai.	I’m sorry. I don’t understand Japanese very well. Could you please draw (a map) here?
Nihonjin: Ee, ii desu yo.	Certainly.

Situation 4 — Is there a room available?

Mr. Evans is in a nearby city and needs to find a hotel. After learning a room is available, the clerk begins to ask a question he can’t understand.

Romaji	English
Ebansu: Sumimasen. Heya ga arimasu ka?	Excuse me. Do you have a room available?
Nihonjin: Hai, gozaimasu. O-hitori-sama desu ka?	Yes, we do. Are you alone?
Ebansu: Sumimasen. Eego ga wakaru hito wa imasen ka?	I’m sorry. Is there anyone who understands English?
Nihonjin: Chotto omachi kudasai.	Wait a moment, please.
Nihonjin: A, puriizu ueeto a moomento.	Oh, please wait a moment.

Key Vocabulary (語彙)

Romaji	Kana	English
arimasu	あります	there is/are, have (for objects)
gozaimasu	ございます	there is/are, have (deferential)
kono chikaku	このちかく	near here, close by
ni	に	at, in, to
depaato	デパート	department store
no	の	of (links nouns)
kado	かど	corner
tsugi no kado	つぎのかど	next corner
migi	みぎ	right (side)
kaite kudasai	かいてください	please write/draw
kudasai	ください	please (after a verb TE-form)
ii	いい	good, OK
heya	へや	room
hitori	ひとり	one person, single
(o-)hitori-sama	(お)ひとりさま	one person, single (polite)
Eego ga wakaru hito	えいごがわかるひと	a person who understands English
Eego	えいご	English (language)
wakaru	わかる	understand (dictionary form)
hito	ひと	person
imasen	いません	there is not (for people/animals)
chotto	ちょっと	a little
omachi kudasai	おまちください	please wait (polite)
irasshaimase	いらっしゃいませ	welcome (polite greeting in shops)
kissaten	きっさてん	tea parlor, coffee shop
michi	みち	street
massugu	まっすぐ	straight
hidari	ひだり	left
resutoran	レストラン	restaurant
supagetti	スパゲッティ	spaghetti
bifuteki	ビフテキ	beefsteak
karee-raisu	カレーライス	curried rice
(o-)sake	(お)さけ	sake
sugu	すぐ	soon, right there
mo	も	also, too

Grammar & Usage Notes

Asking about existence with arimasu

The word arimasu means “to exist” and is used for objects (not people). Use it to ask about availability:

• Asupirin (ga) arimasu ka? — “Do you have aspirin?”
• Heya ga arimasu ka? — “Do you have a room (available)?”

For people and animals, use imasu instead:

• Kono heya ni Amerikajin ga imasu ka? — “Is there an American in this room?”

Asking about nearby locations

Kono chikaku ni means “in this vicinity” or “near here”:

• Kono chikaku ni depaato ga arimasu ka? — “Is there a department store near here?”

Finding someone who speaks English

• Eego ga wakaru hito wa imasen ka? — “Isn’t there a person who understands English?”

Wakaru is the dictionary form of wakarimasu. While wakarimasu is used at the end of a sentence in polite speech, wakaru is used in the middle of a sentence. Imasen is the negative form of imasu.

Onegaishimasu vs. kudasai

Both can mean “please” but are used differently:

• onegaishimasu — used when placing an order or requesting an object (Sukiyaki onegaishimasu — “Sukiyaki, please.”)
• kudasai — used when asking someone to do something (Kaite kudasai — “Please write it.” / Omachi kudasai — “Please wait.”)

Asking someone to draw a map

• Chizu o kaite kudasai. — “Draw me a map, please.”
• Koko ni kaite kudasai. — “Please write/draw it here.”

Practice Exercises (練習)

Substitution drill — Asking about availability

Practice with the pattern ______ (ga) arimasu ka?

Item	Romaji
aspirin	Asupirin (ga) arimasu ka?
curried rice	Karee-raisu (ga) arimasu ka?
film	Fuirumu (ga) arimasu ka?
a sandwich	Sandoitchi (ga) arimasu ka?
beer	Biiru (ga) arimasu ka?
a room	Heya (ga) arimasu ka?
coffee	Koohii (ga) arimasu ka?

Substitution drill — Asking about nearby places

Practice with the pattern Kono chikaku ni ______ ga arimasu ka?

Place	Romaji
department store	Kono chikaku ni depaato ga arimasu ka?
taxi stand	Kono chikaku ni takushii-noriba ga arimasu ka?
restaurant	Kono chikaku ni resutoran ga arimasu ka?
coffee shop	Kono chikaku ni kissaten ga arimasu ka?
bus stop	Kono chikaku ni basu-noriba ga arimasu ka?
hotel	Kono chikaku ni hoteru ga arimasu ka?

Ordering practice

The instructor greets you. Ask about a food or beverage, then order it:

Role	Romaji	English
Instructor:	Irasshaimase.	Welcome.
Student:	Biiru arimasu ka?	Do you have beer?
Instructor:	Hai, gozaimasu.	Yes, we do.
Student:	Jaa, onegaishimasu.	Then, I’ll have some please.

Try with: (o-)sushi, biiru, aisukuriimu, (o-)sake, karee-raisu, bifuteki, koka koora.

Getting directions practice

Ask if a place is nearby. If the answer is yes but you don’t understand the directions, ask them to draw a map:

Role	Romaji	English
Student:	Sumimasen, kono chikaku ni depaato ga arimasu ka?	Excuse me, is there a department store near here?
Instructor:	Ee, kono michi o massugu itte, tsugi no kado o hidari ni magaru to sugu desu.	Yes, go straight on this street, turn left at the next corner, and it’s right there.
Student:	Sumimasen. Nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen. Koko ni chizu o kaite kudasai.	I’m sorry. I don’t understand Japanese well. Please draw a map here.
Instructor:	Ee, ii desu yo.	Certainly.

Cultural Notes

• Gozaimasu is the deferential form of arimasu. Shop clerks and hotel staff use this to be respectful to customers.
• Irasshaimase (“Welcome”) is the standard greeting when you enter any shop, restaurant, or store in Japan. You do not need to respond — just proceed with your business.
• When getting directions becomes too complicated, asking someone to draw a map (chizu o kaite kudasai) is a very practical strategy. Many Japanese people are happy to help this way.
• If your efforts to locate a place are unsuccessful, try finding the nearest kooban (police box) or tabako-ya (tobacco shop). Police officers and tobacco shop clerks are both very knowledgeable about their neighborhoods.