Buying Movie Tickets at a Cinema in Tokyo — JLPT N5 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) steps up to the ticket counter (チケット売り場) at a Tokyo cinema and talks to the staff member (受付さん).
すみません、次の映画は何時からですか。
すみません、つぎの えいがは なんじからですか。
Excuse me, what time does the next movie start?
2時からです。大人ですか。
にじからです。おとなですか。
It starts at 2:00. Is this for adults?
はい。2時の回を大人二枚お願いします。
はい。にじの かいを おとな にまい おねがいします。
Yes. Two adult tickets for the 2 o'clock showing, please.
席は前と後ろ、どちらがいいですか。
せきは まえと うしろ、どちらが いいですか。
For seats, would you prefer the front or the back?
後ろの席をお願いします。
うしろの せきを おねがいします。
The back seats, please.
かしこまりました。1800円です。
かしこまりました。せんはっぴゃくえんです。
Certainly. That'll be 1,800 yen.
はい。この字幕の映画ですよね。
はい。この じまくの えいがですよね。
Here you go. This is the subtitled version, right?
はい、字幕版です。少々お待ちください。
はい、じまくばんです。しょうしょう おまちください。
Yes, it's the subtitled version. One moment, please.
Key expressions
- 何時の〜 — "the ~ of what time?" Attaching 何時 + の to a noun asks which time-slot you mean: 何時の映画 ("what time's movie"), 何時の電車 ("what time's train"). Answer the same way: 2時の回 ("the 2 o'clock showing").
- 大人二枚 — "two adults." Ticket categories (大人 adult, 子供 child) are counted with the flat-object counter 〜枚 (まい): 一枚, 二枚, 三枚. You can drop the word for "ticket" entirely — 大人二枚 already means "two adult tickets."
- 〜をお願いします — "~ , please." A softer, very polite way to place an order or request an item, interchangeable here with ください. It builds on the same request idea as 〜てください and requests.
- 前 / 後ろ — "front / back." Basic position words you'll reuse everywhere; join them to 席 with の for 前の席 ("a front seat") and 後ろの席 ("a back seat").
About Japanese movie theaters
At almost every Japanese cinema seats are assigned (座席指定), so you pick your exact seat on a screen at the counter or a kiosk rather than sitting anywhere you like. Many chains run discount service days (サービスデー) — often the 1st of the month or a set weekday — when tickets drop from around 1,900 yen to about 1,200. For foreign films, always check whether you're getting the subtitled version (字幕版) or the dubbed version (吹き替え版); posters and listings mark them separately. Your one survival phrase: 「字幕はありますか」 ("Is there a subtitled version?").
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask for two tickets in Japanese?
Name the category, then the count with 〜枚 (まい): 大人二枚 (otona nimai, 'two adults') or 子供一枚 (kodomo ichimai, 'one child'). Add お願いします or ください to make it a polite request.
What's the difference between 字幕 and 吹き替え?
字幕 (jimaku) means subtitles — you hear the original audio and read Japanese text. 吹き替え (fukikae) means the film is dubbed into Japanese. Foreign movies often screen in both versions, so check which one you're buying.
Do Japanese cinemas have assigned seats?
Yes — most use 座席指定 (assigned seating). You choose your exact seat when you buy, so it helps to know 前 (front), 後ろ (back), and 真ん中 (middle) to say where you'd like to sit.