Japanese for ALTs: At the Bank

Beating the Bank

Opening a bank account is one of the first “adult tasks” you’ll handle in Japan.

Since many businesses don’t accept credit cards or electronic payments (especially outside major cities), you may find yourself using cash far more than you did at home. That means interacting with banks more often than you expect.

Bank staff will default to very polite keigo Japanese. This is very different from daily conversation Japanese, which can ratchet up the tension.

Don’t let it throw you. Focus on the key nouns. Focus on patterns. Let the staff be polite. You just need to be clear.

The good news is that the staff will not expect you to use keigo. As the customer in the interactions, the polite desu・~masu verb forms are perfectly appropriate.

Core Bank Vocabulary

These are the words you cannot do without.

Vocabulary

銀行（ぎんこう, ginkō）– bank

口座（こうざ, kōza）– account

銀行口座（ぎんこうこうざ, ginkō kōza）– bank account

通帳（つうちょう, tsūchō）– bankbook
(Note: Most Japanese banks issue a physical bankbook. Even if you don’t personally use it to track spending, don’t lose it. Certain transactions require it.)

キャッシュカード（kyasshu kādo）– ATM card
(Note: Usually not usable like a debit card. It’s for ATM use only.)

暗証番号（あんしょうばんごう, anshō bangō）– PIN number

印鑑（いんかん, inkan）– personal seal
(Note: Also called “hanko.” You will most likely need it for in-person bank procedures.)

署名（しょめい, shomei）– signature

身分証明書（みぶんしょうめいしょ, mibun shōmeisho）– ID

在留カード（ざいりゅうカード, zairyū kādo）– residence card

手数料（てすうりょう, tesūryō）– fee

現金（げんきん, genkin）– cash

おつり（otsuri）– change (money returned after payment)

残高（ざんだか, zandaka）– balance (of an account)

You may notice that few of these words are katakana, and most are all kanji (at least when compared to some of our other articles).

That’s your signal that you’re dealing with something official and serious.

This is why the staff will use the extra-polite keigo. The more formal the situation, the more keigo you’ll hear.

Opening a Bank Account

There are two skills you need here:

• Expressing what you want
• Understanding their follow-up questions

Expressing What You Want (~たい form)

In this section, we’ll use the 〜たい verb form to say what you want to do.

To use this verb form, combine the verb stem with たい. For example:

For example:

This pattern will get the ball rolling on the interaction. Once the bank staff knows why you’re there, they’ll have a much easier time supporting you.

Common Follow-Ups

Once the bank staff understands what you want, they’re most likely going to ask some follow up questions or ask you to fill out some forms. Here are some of the most common.

You can respond simply:

Deposits, Withdrawals, and Transfers

Once you have an account, it’s time to use it. Here are a few of the other things you may need to accomplish in person at the bank.

Vocabulary

預ける（あずける, azukeru）– to deposit

引き出す（ひきだす, hikidasu）– to withdraw

振り込む（ふりこむ, furikomu）– to transfer

To use these in sentences, you might say:

Common Follow Ups

Here are some common follow up questions and requests you may hear in response.

Swappable Polite Patterns

While you don’t need to use these more formal patterns yourself, it can be helpful to understand how they’re built.

The difference between pattern 2 (Go ~ kudasai) and 3 (~ shite kudasai) is somewhat arbitrary, but both are used to make polite requests.

Go ~ kudasai is most likely to be used with suru verbs (such as 確認する/kakunin suru or 記入する/kinyū suru), and ~ te kudasai is more likely to be used with regular verbs.

However, there are plenty of exceptions. For example, in 暗証番号を入力してください (Anshō bangō o nyūryoku shite kudasai), we use pattern 3, despite the fact that 入力する (nyūryoku suru) is a suru verb.

Why the exceptions? Unfortunately, it’s not based on any grammatical rule, it’s just based on custom. The best way to learn is to imitate how you hear other people using the language.

Fortunately, when you’re the customer, you don’t need to know! Just listen for the key terms and you’ll follow just fine.

When Something Goes Wrong

There’s an almost infinite number of ways things can go wrong, and something will, eventually.

While we can’t prepare you for every eventuality, here’s how to express some of the common problems you may encounter.

Useful Phrases

Common Responses

Swappable Patterns

Common ALT Situations

Opening an Account

ALT: 「口座を開きたいです。」
Bank Staff: 「身分証明書はお持ちですか。」
ALT: 「はい、在留カードを持っています。」

ALT: Kōza o hirakitai desu.
Bank Staff: Mibun shōmeisho wa omochi desu ka?
ALT: Hai, zairyū kādo o motte imasu.

You Forgot Your Seal

Bank Staff: 「印鑑はありますか。」
ALT: 「すみません、今日は持っていません。」

Bank Staff: Inkan wa arimasu ka?
ALT: Sumimasen, kyō wa motte imasen.

ATM Card Not Working

ALT:　「すみませんが、カードが使えません。」
Bank Staff:「申し訳ございません。少々お待ちください。確認します。」

ALT: Sumimasen ga, kādo ga tsukaemasen.
Bank Staff: Mōshiwake gozaimasen. Shōshō omachi kudasai. Kakunin shimasu.

Cultural Notes

1. Banks close early. Often 3pm. Bank ATMs usually stay open later, but rarely 24/7. Convenience store ATMs stay open longest, but often charge 手数料 (tesūryō, fees).
2. Paperwork must be exact. If you make a mistake, you may need to stamp corrections with your 印鑑 (inkan) to approve changes.
3. Smaller regional banks often operate more traditionally. That means more inkan use, more handing over your tsūchō, less online functionality. Larger banks are more likely to offer robust online banking.

What to Read Next

Japanese for ALTs: At the Bar

Common terms and phrases for a night out.

Japanese for ALTs: At the Supermarket

Products, sections, and labels.

Thinking about becoming an ALT? Get the full guide on everything from applying to arriving in So You Want to Be an ALT.