HOME > WordMaster® > GROCERIES/GROCERY STORE | 食料品/食料品店

For Life
2005.11.21(Review of 2002.03.15 edition)

Hello! We've got a short week ahead, but we'll be making good use of the time we have. We thought you might enjoy taking a little walk around town with us so that we can introduce you to some of the shops there.

Ready to go?

Today's LessonCATEGORY: 間違えやすいボキャブラリー
GROCERIES / GROCERY STORE   食料品/食料品店

Explanation

  • The word groceries is most commonly used to talk about food supplies for the kitchen, but may also include other household items we buy regularly, such as cleaning supplies, garbage bags, and shaving cream.

    A grocery store is a store that sells groceries. The word can be used to talk about either supermarkets or smaller stores.

    Be Careful[1]! When used on its own to talk about food, groceries is always plural. We do NOT call one item of food a “grocery”.

    Be Careful[2]! If you want to say you're going to the store to buy food, your meaning will be clearer if you say “I'm going to get/buy groceries” or “I'm going grocery shopping,” NOT just “I'm going shopping.” This last sentence is more general and can mean shopping for almost anything.
  • groceries は通常、台所で使われる食料品をさしますが、定期的に購入する掃除用品、ごみ袋、シェービングクリームなど日用雑貨のことも含める場合もあります。

    grocery store は、食料品を売る店のことです。スーパーマーケットや小さな食料品店のことをさします。

    注意[1]:grocery は、食料品の意味で単独で使われるとき、いつも複数形にして groceries と言います。ひとつの食品をさす場合には、a “grocery” とは言いません。

    注意[2]:店に食料品を買いに行くと言いたい場合は、I'm going to get/buy groceries. とか、I'm going grocery shopping. と言えば意味がはっきりします。I'm going shopping. と言っただけでは、何を買うか特定しない、より一般的な買い物の意味になってしまいます。

examples

  1. a: We're out of milk.
    b: You're kidding! I just bought groceries.
  2. We spend about 15,000 yen a week on groceries. How about you?
  3. Some of the grocery stores these days are so big that, by the time I get to the check-out line, I'm exhausted.
  4. a: Where's the nearest grocery store?
    b: There's a little place called “Al's Groceries” just down the block. It doesn't have a very big selection, but it's convenient.
  5. a: Where's Mom?
    b: She went grocery shopping.

英会話レッスンGoodbye for now!