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watasi ha rezi de oturi wo moraimasu.

私わたし　は　レジ　で　お釣つり　を　もらいます。watasi ha rezi de oturi wo moraimasu.
I receive change at the register.
FromLesson 25inHardcore Japanese
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha rezi de oturi wo moraimasu.

What does レジ mean here?

It means the checkout register or checkout counter area in a store. In Japanese, レジ can refer to:

  • the machine itself,
  • the cashier,
  • or the general checkout area. So レジで means “at the checkout.”
Why is the particle で used after レジ?

で marks the place where an action happens. Here it’s “receive (change) at the register.”

  • Place of action: レジで払います (I pay at the register).
  • Contrast with に: レジに並びます (I line up at the register). に often marks a destination/goal or a point of arrival, not the location of an action.
  • To mark the giver, you’d use に or から with a person: 店員に/店員からお釣りをもらいます.
Where is the giver in this sentence? Shouldn’t there be に or から?

The sentence focuses on the location, not the giver. If you want to specify who gives the change, add them:

  • 店員にお釣りをもらいます.
  • 店員からお釣りをもらいます. Both are fine; から emphasizes “from,” while に is a common colloquial alternative for the source.
Is 私 necessary here?
Not usually. Japanese drops obvious subjects. レジでお釣りをもらいます is more natural unless you need to emphasize “I” or contrast with someone else. 私は marks the topic “as for me.”
What does the お in お釣り do? Can I say 釣り?
The お- is an honorific prefix that makes the word polite and is the standard form for “change (money returned).” You’ll hear and see お釣り/おつり most of the time. Plain 釣り/つり can sound blunt; use it only in very casual contexts. Shops often use the Sino-Japanese term 釣り銭（つりせん） on signs.
Is 釣り the same word as “fishing”?
Yes, it’s the same kanji 釣り and the same pronunciation つり. Context tells you which meaning is intended. For “change,” it’s typically written as おつり (kana) or お釣り (mixed), while “fishing” is usually 釣り.
Why is を used before もらいます?

Because もらう takes the received item as its direct object:

  • Pattern: X は (giver に/から) thing を もらう. Example: 私は店員からお釣りをもらいます.
Is もらいます the best choice? How about ください or いただきます?
  • もらいます = “receive” (polite). Good for statements or narration.
  • To request change, say:
    • お釣りをください。 (Direct but polite)
    • お釣りをお願いします。 (Softer request)
    • お釣りをもらえますか。 / お釣りをいただけますか。 (Could I get the change?; the latter is humbler)
  • いただきます is the humble form of もらいます. As a simple statement, お釣りをいただきます can sound stilted; it’s more natural in requests like お釣りをいただけますか.
Is the sentence natural to say at the store?

As a live utterance, it sounds like a narration (“I receive change at the register”). To ask for or confirm change, use:

  • お釣りをお願いします。
  • お釣りをください。
  • お釣りをいただけますか。 Clerks might say things like お釣りです or お釣り〇〇円になります when handing it to you.
Why is it もらいます (present) and not もらいました (past)?
Japanese non-past 〜ます can describe habitual actions or near-future plans. So もらいます can mean “(I) get (habitually)” or “(I) will get.” For a specific completed event, use もらいました.
Can I drop を in casual speech?

Yes, in casual conversation particles like を are often omitted when the meaning is clear:

  • レジでお釣りもらいます。 Keep them in formal writing/speech.
How flexible is the word order?

Fairly flexible as long as particles stay with their words:

  • 私はレジでお釣りをもらいます.
  • レジで私はお釣りをもらいます.
  • お釣りをレジでもらいます. The topic (私は) commonly comes first.
Could I use 受け取る instead of もらう?

Yes. 受け取る emphasizes the physical act of taking receipt:

  • レジでお釣りを受け取ります. Nuance:
  • もらう = to receive (general; includes favors/gifts).
  • 受け取る = to accept/take delivery (focus on the act).
How do I read the whole sentence?

Romanization: Watashi wa reji de otsuri o moraimasu. Readings:

  • 私（わたし）
  • レジ
  • お釣り（おつり）
  • もらいます

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