I need help speaking to a Japanese vendor!!

[bri_hime7]

Hello. =)

A few days ago, I saw something that I really want to buy (the vendor's in Japan, but I have a friend who lives in Japan and she agreed to translate messages, and order the item for me in case the vendor doesn't ship overseas).

The only problem is, my friend just left town due to an emergency. ( ><; ) And I want to ask the vendor a question about shipping.

So, I was hoping someone could translate the following for me? (I'd really like help from someone with intermediate/advanced knowledge of Japanese, please; I just want to be safe and avoid using the "wrong" words/tone of voice...I'd hate to offend the vendor. x_x)

Thanks in advance!!:


MY MESSAGE
Hello,

Can you tell me how much shipping is for this item? I live in 佐賀県 (Saga-ken).

[Ertai87]

Hm, I'll give it a shot (note I'm a white Canadian learning Japanese, so if someone more Japanese-ey replies, take their advice over mine, but if you need it urgently, this should probably work):

こんいちは、

私にシッピングの金はいくらかと言ってくれませんか？　佐賀県に住んでいます。

Romaji:

Konnichiwa,

Watashi ni shippingu no kane wa ikuraka to itte kuremasen ka? Saga-ken ni sunde imasu.

I'm pretty sure "ikuraka" is wrong, but I can't think of a better way to say it.

[tetekmakhang]

こんいちは、

私にシッピングの金はいくらかと言ってくれませんか？　佐賀県に住んでいます。



im not a japanese native speaker myself so i can't say for sure that ertai87's version is incorrect, but i've just never heard a Japanese say a sentence like that. it sounds like it has been translated directly from english to japanese

anyway my version is:

こんにちは。佐賀県に住んでいる者ですが、配送料はいくらでしょうか。

[Ertai87]

im not a japanese native speaker myself so i can't say for sure that ertai87's version is incorrect, but i've just never heard a Japanese say a sentence like that. it sounds like it has been translated directly from english to japanese

Probably because it was XD


anyway my version is:

こんにちは。佐賀県に住んでいる者ですが、配送料はいくらでしょうか。

I don't know that third Kanji word, but I think でしょう is used more as an idiomatic "I wonder" than a literal "I wonder". My understanding is that it's used mostly rhetorically to suggest a state of being than to ask a question. But, of course, I could be wrong on that too XD

[tetekmakhang]

Probably because it was XD



I don't know that third Kanji word, but I think でしょう is used more as an idiomatic "I wonder" than a literal "I wonder". My understanding is that it's used mostly rhetorically to suggest a state of being than to ask a question. But, of course, I could be wrong on that too XD


i was using 敬語　（けいご）. thats basically polite language. it's only good manners to speak politely to somebody you don't know:p

the 3rd kanji 者　（もの） is the humble form of 人. basically it means person and it used to refer to yourself. this is the HUMBLE form, so you can ONLY use it to refer to yourself.

でしょうか　is just the polite form of ですか and is used to ask a question.

[Datenshi]

I'm a native speaker and I'm definitely going with tetekmakhang-san's suggestion. Mind you, Ertai87-san's suggestion is nothing you couldn't get away with a foreigner's license, but it's a little off if you're aiming to be perfect.

FYI,
>私にシッピングの金はいくらかと言ってくれませんか？
いくらかと言って -> いくらか言って
If you include the と here, you'll change the meaning and get "Please say (the phrase) 'how much'", instead of "please say how much (it costs)".