The counter script
Almost every transaction follows the same sequence: greet, scan, ask the standard questions, take payment, give change, thank. It varies so little that once it is automatic you can run a queue while thinking about something else.
That is the goal. A learner who has to compose these sentences holds up the line, which is uncomfortable for everyone and is the main source of stress in the job.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ。 | Irasshaimase. | Welcome. (said to everyone entering) |
| お会計、七百二十円になります。 | Okaikei, nanahyaku nijū-en ni narimasu. | The total is 720 yen. |
| 千円お預かりします。 | Sen-en oazukari shimasu. | Taking 1,000 yen. |
| 二百八十円のお返しです。 | Nihyaku hachijū-en no okaeshi desu. | 280 yen is your change. |
| レシートはご利用ですか。 | Reshīto wa goriyō desu ka. | Do you need the receipt? |
| ありがとうございました。 | Arigatō gozaimashita. | Thank you very much. |
The four questions
Four questions come up on almost every transaction, and they are the ones to make automatic before anything else. Customers usually answer with a single word or a gesture, so the listening load is low.
Asking them in a fixed order helps you and helps the customer, who is used to the sequence.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ポイントカードはお持ちですか。 | Pointo kādo wa omochi desu ka. | Do you have a point card? |
| 袋はご利用ですか。 | Fukuro wa goriyō desu ka. | Do you need a bag? |
| お弁当、温めますか。 | Obentō, atatamemasu ka. | Shall I heat the bento? |
| お箸はおつけしますか。 | Ohashi wa otsuke shimasu ka. | Would you like chopsticks? |
| スプーンはお付けしますか。 | Supūn wa otsuke shimasu ka. | Would you like a spoon? |
| 袋は何枚ご利用ですか。 | Fukuro wa nanmai goriyō desu ka. | How many bags would you like? |
Bags are charged for, so the question is not optional politeness; it affects the total. Ask before finishing the transaction.
Payment and age verification
Payment methods multiply constantly: cash, card, transport cards, code payments and store apps. The useful habit is to ask how they will pay before starting, rather than discovering it at the end.
For alcohol and tobacco a confirmation appears on the customer-facing screen. You ask them to tap it; you are not assessing their age yourself, which removes what would otherwise be an awkward judgement.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お支払い方法はいかがなさいますか。 | Oshiharai hōhō wa ikaga nasaimasu ka. | How would you like to pay? |
| カードはこちらにお願いします。 | Kādo wa kochira ni onegai shimasu. | Please put your card here. |
| 画面のご確認をお願いします。 | Gamen no gokakunin o onegai shimasu. | Please confirm on the screen. |
| 年齢確認のボタンを押してください。 | Nenrei kakunin no botan o oshite kudasai. | Please press the age confirmation button. |
| こちらにタッチしてください。 | Kochira ni tatchi shite kudasai. | Please touch here. |
| 少々お待ちください。 | Shōshō omachi kudasai. | Please wait a moment. |
Away from the register
A shift is not only the till. Restocking, deliveries, the fried food case, cleaning and rubbish sorting all have their own small vocabulary, and most of it is learned by being shown rather than told.
The instructions are usually demonstrated, so asking for a demonstration is faster than asking for a repetition.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 品出しをします。 | Shinadashi o shimasu. | I will restock the shelves. |
| 納品が来ました。 | Nōhin ga kimashita. | The delivery has arrived. |
| フライヤーの補充をします。 | Furaiyā no hojū o shimasu. | I will restock the fryer case. |
| 賞味期限を確認します。 | Shōmi kigen o kakunin shimasu. | I will check the expiry dates. |
| ゴミの分別はどうしますか。 | Gomi no bunbetsu wa dō shimasu ka. | How should the rubbish be separated? |
| やって見せていただけますか。 | Yatte misete itadakemasu ka. | Could you show me? |
When it goes off script
Occasionally a customer asks something outside the sequence: where a product is, whether you have something in stock, a refund, a complaint, or a request to use the photocopier or send a parcel.
The correct move is usually to fetch someone rather than to improvise, and saying so is a normal, expected answer rather than an admission of failure.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 申し訳ございません、確認いたします。 | Mōshiwake gozaimasen, kakunin itashimasu. | I am sorry, I will check. |
| 店長を呼んでまいります。 | Tenchō o yonde mairimasu. | I will fetch the manager. |
| ただいま在庫を見てまいります。 | Tadaima zaiko o mite mairimasu. | I will go and check the stock. |
| こちらの棚にございます。 | Kochira no tana ni gozaimasu. | It is on this shelf. |
| 申し訳ございません、切らしております。 | Mōshiwake gozaimasen, kirashite orimasu. | I am sorry, we are out of stock. |
| もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。 | Mō ichido osshatte itadakemasu ka. | Could you say that once more? |
Fetching the manager is the right answer for anything involving money, refunds or a complaint. It is what a Japanese colleague at your level would also do.
Getting the script up to speed
The whole job rests on one thing: the counter script arriving without thought. Knowing the sentences and being able to produce them in half a second while scanning items are different achievements, and only the second one makes the shift comfortable.
That gap closes with spoken repetition rather than study. Running the register exchange with an AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom, aloud and at speed, is the direct way to build it, and the pronunciation lab is worth using on the numbers, since prices are said constantly and a misheard amount is a real problem.
Expect the first two weeks to be hard and the job to become easy after that. The script is short, and once it is automatic the work is physical rather than linguistic.
Learn the four questions first, then the payment phrases, then everything else. That order matches how often you will need them.