Trying on shoes and finding the right size | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a shoe shop, a customer tries on shoes and asks for a larger pair when they feel small..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Trying on shoes and finding the right size to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

この靴は履き心地がよさそうです。

KOH-no KOO-tsu wa ha-kee-GOH-chee ga yoh-sa-SOH dess. These shoes look comfortable.
B

長く歩くために作られています。

NA-ga-koo ah-ROO-koo ta-MEH-nee tsu-koo-RAH-reh-teh-ee-MAHS. They are made for long walks.
A

ここで履いてみてもいいですか。

KOH-koh deh hah-EE-teh mee-teh-moh EE dess ka? Can I try them on here?
B

このベンチを使って履いてください。

KOH-no BEN-chee o tsu-KAHT-teh hah-EE-teh koo-DAH-sigh. Use this bench while you put them on.
A

少し小さく感じます。

soo-KOH-shee CHEE-sa-koo kan-JEE-mahs. They feel a little small.
B

こちらの大きい靴を試してください。

KOH-chee-rah no oh-KII KOO-tsu o ta-MEH-shi-teh koo-DAH-sigh. Try this larger pair.
A

こちらの靴のほうがよく感じます。

KOH-chee-rah no KOO-tsu no hoh-OH-ga yoh-KOO kan-JEE-mahs. This pair feels better.
B

そのサイズが合っています。

SOH-no SAI-zoo ga ahT-teh-ee-MAHS. That size looks right on you.

Word by Word

この この in この靴 points to the shoes near the speaker or currently being discussed. It is used directly before a noun in the pattern この + noun, as in このベンチ.
靴 靴 means shoes in this dialogue, referring to the footwear being tried on. It can be used with を for the shoes affected by an action, as in 靴を履く.
は は marks この靴 as the topic of the sentence. In この靴は履き心地がよさそうです, the sentence gives an impression about these shoes.
履き心地 履き心地 means how comfortable shoes feel when worn. In 履き心地がよさそうです, it is the thing described as good-looking or promising. The reusable pattern is footwear + の履き心地.
が が marks the thing being described or the thing that fits. In 履き心地がよさそうです, it marks 履き心地; in そのサイズが合っています, it marks the size that fits.
よさそう よさそう means seems good or appears comfortable in 履き心地がよさそうです. It expresses an impression based on how something looks or seems. A useful pattern is noun + が + よさそうです.
です です makes the statement polite in よさそうです. It presents the impression in a polite, complete sentence. The same polite ending appears in いいですか when asking for permission.
長く 長く means for a long time or over a long distance in 長く歩くために. It modifies 歩く and describes the extent of the walking. The pattern 長く + verb is used when an action continues for a long time.
歩く 歩く means to walk in 長く歩くために. Here it describes the activity the shoes are designed to support. The plain form 歩く comes before ために in the purpose pattern verb + ために.
ため ため in 長く歩くために introduces the purpose of making the shoes. The whole expression means for the purpose of walking a long time, while に completes the purpose expression. A reusable pattern is verb + ために.
に に completes the purpose expression 長く歩くために, meaning for walking a long time. It follows ため when stating a purpose. The pattern verb + ために is used before the action or design intended for that purpose.
作られ 作られ in 作られています contributes the meaning are made, referring to how the shoes were designed or produced. It is the form used before ています in this sentence. A useful pattern is noun + のために作られています.
て て links one verb form to what follows. In 作られて, it connects 作られ with います to describe a continuing made-for-purpose state; in 履いて, it connects 履い with the following expression. The pattern verb-て + another expression is shown in 履いてみてもいいですか.
い い in 作られています is the part of いる that follows て and helps express the state continuing in the sentence. Together, 作られている describes the shoes as being made for long walks. It is used before the polite ending ます here.
ます ます makes います polite in 作られています. It is used at the end of the polite statement about how the shoes are made. The same polite ending appears in 感じます and 合っています.
ここ ここ means this place or here in ここで履いてみてもいいですか. It identifies the place where the speaker wants to try on the shoes. The pattern ここで + action states where an action takes place.
で で marks the place where an action happens in ここで履いてみてもいいですか. The speaker is asking whether trying on the shoes may happen here. A reusable pattern is place + で + action.
履い 履い in 履いてみてもいいですか is the form of 履く used for putting on the shoes before the following expression. It refers specifically to putting on footwear. The pattern 履いてみる means try putting them on.
み み in 履いてみてもいいですか comes from the expression 履いてみる and adds the idea of trying the action. It shows that the speaker wants to try putting on the shoes. The reusable pattern is verb-てみる.
も も in 履いてみてもいいですか is part of the permission expression てもいいですか. Together with いい, it asks whether the action is allowed. The pattern verb-てもいいですか is used to ask for permission.
いい いい in 履いてみてもいいですか contributes the meaning acceptable or all right. With ても, it forms a polite question about permission rather than simply describing something as good. The exact pattern is verb-てもいいですか.
か か marks 履いてみてもいいですか as a question. It turns the polite permission expression into a request for an answer. It is placed at the end of this sentence.
ベンチ ベンチ means bench, the seat used while putting on the shoes. In このベンチを使ってください, it is the object of the request. A useful pattern is noun + を使う for using an object.
を を marks the object affected by the action. In このベンチを使ってください, it marks the bench being used; in 靴を履く, it marks the shoes being put on. It commonly follows the object before the verb.
使っ 使っ in 使ってください means use, referring here to using the bench. It is the form of 使う that comes before てください. The reusable request pattern is noun + を使ってください.
ください ください makes 使ってください a polite request or instruction to use the bench. The exact form follows a verb-て form. The pattern verb-てください is used when politely asking someone to do something.
少し 少し means a little in 少し小さく感じます and softens the statement about the shoes' size. It indicates a small degree rather than an extreme problem. The pattern 少し + description is useful for giving a mild evaluation.
小さく 小さく means in a small way or as small in 少し小さく感じます. It describes how the shoes feel to the speaker. This form is used before 感じます to describe the perceived condition.
感じ 感じ in 感じます means feel or perceive through sensation. Here the speaker feels that the shoes are a little small. A useful pattern is noun + と感じます when stating what something feels like.
こちら こちら points to the shoes being indicated or selected by the speaker, as in こちらの大きい靴 and こちらの靴のほうが. It is a polite way to refer to this one or this side. The pattern こちらの + noun identifies the item.
の の links こちら with the noun that follows in こちらの大きい靴 and こちらの靴のほうが. It shows that the shoes are the ones being indicated by こちら. The pattern こちらの + noun is used to identify a particular item.
大きい 大きい means larger in 大きい靴, referring to a pair with more size than the first pair. It directly describes 靴. The pattern 大きい + noun is used for an object that has a larger size.
試し 試し in 試してください contributes the meaning try, here asking the customer to try the larger shoes. It is the verb form used before てください. The reusable pattern is noun + を試してください.
ほう ほう in こちらの靴のほうが marks one side of a comparison. In こちらの靴のほうがよく感じます, it helps say that this pair feels better than the other pair. The pattern AのほうがB is used to compare two options.
よく よく in こちらの靴のほうがよく感じます means better or more favorably in this comparison. It describes the speaker's feeling about this pair, together with ほうが. The pattern よく感じます can be used when something feels good or favorable.
その その points to the size associated with the listener or already under discussion in そのサイズが合っています. It means that particular size. The pattern その + noun identifies an item connected with the other person or the current topic.
サイズ サイズ means size, referring to the numerical or general fit of the shoes. In そのサイズが合っています, it is the size that fits the customer. It can be used before or after a description of fit, such as サイズが合う.
合っ 合っ in 合っています contributes the meaning fits or is suitable, referring to the size being right for the customer. It is the form of 合う used before ています. The reusable pattern is size + が合っています.

Grammar Points

〜てみてもいいですか

履いてみてもいいですか

hah-EE-teh mee-teh-moh EE dess ka

May I try them on?

Use this polite pattern to ask permission to try an action. てみる means “try doing,” and てもいいですか asks “is it okay?”

い-adjective + く感じます

少し小さく感じます

soo-KOH-shee CHEE-sa-koo kan-JEE-mahs

They feel a little small.

Change a い-adjective to its く form before 感じます to describe how something feels: 小さい → 小さく.

Japanese Vocabulary

ここ pron
KOH-koh here

ここで履いてみてもいいですか。

ベンチ noun
BEN-chee bench

このベンチを使って履いてください。

よい adj
yoh-EE good; comfortable よさそう

この靴は履き心地がよさそうです。

靴 noun
KOO-tsu shoes

この靴は履き心地がよさそうです。

作る verb
tsu-koo-roo to make 作られています

長く歩くために作られています。

使う verb
tsu-KAH-oo to use 使って

このベンチを使って履いてください。

少し adv
soo-KOH-shee a little

少し小さく感じます。

長く歩く phrase
NA-ga-koo ah-ROO-koo walk for a long time

長く歩くために作られています。

歩く verb
ah-ROO-koo to walk

長く歩くために作られています。

履いてみてもいいですか phrase
hah-EE-teh mee-teh-moh EE dess ka May I try them on?

ここで履いてみてもいいですか。

履き心地 noun
ha-kee-GOH-chee comfort when wearing

この靴は履き心地がよさそうです。

履く verb
ha-KOO to put on; to wear on the feet 履いて

ここで履いてみてもいいですか。

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to make

Show Answer作られています

comfort when wearing

Show Answer履き心地

walk for a long time

Show Answer長く歩く

good; comfortable

Show Answerよさそう