At the counter: what the ward office staff will say to you. Tap any row to hear it. Listen, then repeat out loud 2–3 times.
Tip: ご用件 (go-yōken) means "your business / why you came". When you hear it, the staff is asking what you need. You'll learn how to answer in Lesson 03.
Tip: Listen for 番の方 (ban no kata) = "the person with number…". Your number comes right before it, and the counter number comes before 番窓口.
Tip: お持ちですか means "Do you have…?" When you hear it, get the thing ready. You can answer はい、あります。 (Yes, I have it.)
Tip: A 住民票 usually costs a small fee (手数料), often around 300円. Keep coins ready.
Staff speak very politely. Almost every request they make uses this shape:
The verb stem is the verb in its ます-form without ます (待ちます → 待ち).
| Verb | ます-form | Polite request | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 待つ | 待ちます | お待ちください | please wait |
| 取る | 取ります | お取りください | please take |
| 書く | 書きます | お書きください | please write |
For kanji nouns + する verbs, use ご instead of お: 記入する → ご記入ください (please fill in).
The YouTube video for this lesson is coming soon.
Prefer to practise speaking? Open the interactive video with "Your turn" pauses.
Press the red ▶ button and listen. Don't look at the text above. Then answer in the chat. Use a hint only if you're stuck.
The staff says this to you. What should you do?
Answer: wait a moment. 少々お待ちください (しょうしょう おまちください).
| 少々 | a little, a moment |
| お待ち | wait (polite) |
| ください | please |
Note: 少々 means a short wait, usually right there at the counter. If you must wait until your number is called, staff say 番号でお呼びします (ばんごうで およびします · bangō de o-yobi shimasu), "We'll call you by your number."
Your ticket says 15. You hear this announcement. Is it your turn? If yes, which counter do you go to?
Answer: yes, it's your turn. Go to counter 2.
| 15番の方 | じゅうごばんの かた, the person with number 15 |
| 2番窓口へ | にばん まどぐちへ, to counter 2 |
| どうぞ | please (go ahead) |
The staff asks you this. What do they want?
Answer: they're asking if you have your residence card. 在留カードをお持ちですか (ざいりゅうカードを おもちですか).
Reply: はい、あります。 (Yes, I have it.) and hand it over.
| 在留カード | residence card (ざいりゅうカード) |
| を | marks the thing |
| お持ち | have (polite form of 持つ もつ) |
| ですか | …? (question) |
Tip: A sentence ending in 〜ですか or 〜ますか is a question. Translate the question first, then choose your answer: はい、あります (yes, I have it) or いいえ、ありません (no, I don't).
Challenge: The verb 入る (はいる) means "to enter". Its ます-form is 入ります. Use the big pattern to say "Please come in" politely.
Answer: お入りください (おはいりください).
入ります → stem 入り → お + 入り + ください.
You caught both numbers in the announcement by ear (Q2), and you built お入りください from the pattern without having seen it before (Q4).
Translate the staff's question before answering (〜ですか = question). Notice the difference between 少々お待ちください (wait a moment) and 番号でお呼びします (we'll call your number).
住むにほんごすむにほんご · Sumu Nihongo