1.
shop; store; restaurant; establishment
The polite form of 店. Refers to any retail shop, restaurant, or similar establishment. Very commonly used in everyday conversation.
いいお店を知っていますか。
Do you know a good restaurant?
駅前に新しいお店ができた。
A new shop opened in front of the station.
このお店は値段も手頃で、料理も美味しいのでよく来ます。
This restaurant has reasonable prices and good food, so I come here often.
The polite prefix お attached to 店 (shop/store). In everyday Japanese, お店 is far more common than plain 店, especially when speaking. It can refer to any type of commercial establishment — retail shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, etc.
USAGE:
While 店 on its own can sound blunt, お店 is the standard conversational form. Using 店 without お is more common in compound words (店員, 店長) or when used as a suffix (花屋の店).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- お店を出す: to open a shop
- お店を探す: to look for a restaurant/shop
- お店の人: shop staff; restaurant staff
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 店舗: store; shop premises — more formal/commercial
- ショップ: shop — borrowed from English, often for specialty or trendy stores
- 商店: shop; store — more traditional, often in 商店街 (shopping street)