Translation and Meaning of: 店 - ten

If you are studying Japanese or have an interest in the language, you may have come across the word 店[てん]. It is common in everyday life and appears in various contexts, from shop signs to dialogues in animes. In this article, we will explore its meaning, origin, and how it is used in Japanese culture. Furthermore, we will see practical tips to memorize it and understand its role in compound expressions.

Meaning and usage of 店[てん]

The word 店[てん] means "store" or "commercial establishment" in Japanese. It is a term widely used to refer to any type of business, from small neighborhood shops to large retail chains. Its kanji, 店, is composed of the radical 广 (which indicates building) and 占 (related to occupying space), reinforcing the idea of a place where commercial activities take place.

In daily life, you will find 店 in words like 本屋[ほんや] (bookstore) or 喫茶店[きっさてん] (café). It also appears in combinations like 店長[てんちょう] (store manager) and 閉店[へいてん] (store closing). Being a neutral term, it can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

Origin and writing of the kanji 店

The kanji 店 has Chinese origins and was incorporated into Japanese during the period of cultural influence from China. Its structure combines the radical 广, which represents roofs or buildings, with the component 占, associated with occupation or ownership. Together, they convey the notion of a space dedicated to commerce.

It is worth noting that 店 is one of the most frequent kanjis at the N4 level of the JLPT, making it essential for students. A tip for memorizing it is to associate its radical 广 with other kanjis of places, such as 庭[にわ] (garden) or 庁[ちょう] (government agency).

Curiosities and Cultural Context

In Japan, the word 店 is not limited to just physical establishments. It is also used in digital contexts, such as ネット店[ねっとてん] (online store). Additionally, it is common to see advertisements with phrases like 当店[とうてん] (our store) or 全店[ぜんてん] (all stores), showcasing its versatility.

An interesting fact is that, in some regional dialects, such as the one from Osaka, the pronunciation can vary slightly, but the meaning remains the same. Another relevant point is that 店 often appears in the names of traditional restaurants, such as 寿司店[すしてん] (sushi shop), reinforcing its connection with Japanese culinary culture.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 商店 (shōten) - Store, commercial establishment
• 店舗 (tenpo) - Place of sale, store, branch
• 店舗施設 (tenpo shisetsu) - Commercial installations, store space
• 店鋪 (tenpō) - Commercial establishment, store
• 店家 (tenka) - Shop house, commercial establishment
• 店鋪房 (tenpōbō) - Store space, commercial area
• 店鋪屋 (tenpōya) - Store building, physical store
• 店鋪房屋 (tenpōbōya) - House for shop, commercial building
• 店鋪内部 (tenpōnaibu) - Store interior, internal decoration
• 店鋪外観 (tenpōgaikan) - Store exterior, front appearance
• 店鋪看板 (tenpōkanban) - Store panel, directional sign
• 店鋪経営 (tenpōkeiei) - Store management, commercial administration
• 店鋪営業 (tenpōeigyō) - Store operation, business dealings
• 店鋪販売 (tenpōhanbai) - Store sales, trade of products
• 店鋪売り場 (tenpōuriba) - Store sales area, commercial section
• 店鋪商品 (tenpōshōhin) - Store products, available merchandise
• 店鋪品揃え (tenpōhinsoroe) - Selection of store products, variety of items
• 店鋪品質 (tenpōhinshitsu) - Product quality from the store, quality standards
• 店鋪サービス (tenpōsābisu) - Store services, customer support

店

Romaji: ten
Kana: てん
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: store; establishment

Meaning in English: store;shop;establishment

Definition: Place where products are sold or services are provided.

Example Sentences - (店) ten

See below some example sentences:

私は洋品店で新しいドレスを買いました。

Watashi wa youhinten de atarashii doresu wo kaimashita

I bought a new dress at the western clothing store.

I bought a new dress at a clothing store.

• 私 - personal pronoun "I"
• は - topic particle, indicates that the subject of the sentence is "me"
• 洋品店 - noun "western clothing store"
• で - location particle, indicates that the action of buying took place "in the western clothing store"
• 新しい - adjective "new"
• ドレス - noun "dress"
• を - direct object particle, indicates that "new dress" is the direct object of the action of buying
• 買いました - verb "bought" in the past tense

売店でお土産を買いました。

Baiten de omiyage wo kaimashita

I bought souvenirs at the souvenir shop.

I bought a souvenir at the stall.

• 売店 - Souvenir shop
• で - in
• お土産 - souvenir
• を - object particle
• 買いました - I bought

代理店で商品を買いました。

Dairiten de shouhin wo kaimashita

I bought a product in the representation store.

I bought a product at an agency.

• 代理店 (dairiten) - means "agency" or "representative", it is a company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the end consumer.
• で (de) - is a particle that indicates the place where something happened, in this case, the purchase of the product at the agency.
• 商品 (shouhin) - means "product" or "merchandise".
• を (wo) - is a particle that indicates the direct object of the action, in this case, the product that was purchased.
• 買いました (kaimashita) - is the past form of the verb "buy".

この圏内にはたくさんのお店があります。

Kono ken nai ni wa takusan no omise ga arimasu

There are many stores in this area.

There are many stores in this area.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 圏内 - noun that means "restricted area" or "delimited zone"
• に - particle that indicates the location of something
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• たくさん - adverb meaning "very" or "many"
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• お店 - noun that means "store" or "commercial establishment"
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• あります - verb meaning "to exist" or "to have"

この店の陳列はとても美しいです。

Kono mise no chinretsu wa totemo utsukushii desu

The display of this store is very beautiful.

The display of this store is very beautiful.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 店 - noun that means "store" or "commercial establishment"
• の - particle that indicates possession, in this case "of the store"
• 陳列 - noun that means "exhibition" or "disposition of products in a store"
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "the exhibition"
• とても - adverb meaning "very" or "extremely"
• 美しい - adjective meaning "beautiful" or "beautiful"
• です - verb that indicates the polite and courteous way of affirming something, in this case "is"

この店屋は美味しいラーメンを提供しています。

Kono ten'ya wa oishii ramen o teikyō shite imasu

This shop offers delicious ramen.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 店屋 - noun that means "store" or "commercial establishment"
• は - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case "this store"
• 美味しい - adjective that means "delicious" or "tasty"
• ラーメン - noun that means "ramen," a Japanese noodle dish
• を - direct object particle that indicates the object of the sentence, in this case "ramen"
• 提供しています - verb meaning "to provide" or "to offer", conjugated in the present continuous to indicate an action in progress, in this case "is providing"

この商店はとても人気があります。

Kono shouten wa totemo ninki ga arimasu

This store is very popular.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 商店 - noun meaning "store"
• は - topic particle that indicates that the subject of the sentence is "this store"
• とても - adverb meaning "very"
• 人気 - noun meaning "popularity"
• が - subject particle indicating that "popularity" is the subject of the sentence
• あります - verb meaning "to exist" or "to have"

この店はとてもきれいです。

Kono mise wa totemo kirei desu

This store is very beautiful.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 店 - noun meaning "store"
• は - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "this store"
• とても - adverb meaning "very"
• きれい - adjective meaning "beautiful, clean"
• です - auxiliary verb that indicates the present tense and formality of the sentence

この店は繁盛しています。

Kono mise wa hanshō shite imasu

This establishment is thriving.

This store is thriving.

• この店 - this store
• は - Topic particle
• 繁盛 - prosperity, success
• しています - is happening (polite form of the verb suru)

この店の商品は高いです。

Kono mise no shouhin wa takai desu

The products in this store are expensive.

The products in this store are expensive.

• この店の - indicates, in this case, "of this establishment"
• 商品 - means "product"
• は - particle that indicates the theme of the sentence, in this case, "product"
• 高い - adjective meaning "expensive"
• です - verb "to be" in the present, indicating an affirmation