a very noob question so confused

hi,

i just started actually using demo accounts to practice, but i am now so confused. i thought i had this down, but the software seems to be telling me different things.

if i "BUY" on USDJPY quoted at say 90.00 am i buying USD or JPY? USD right? similarly, if i "SELL" USDJPY quoted at 90.00 i am selling USD and getting JPY right?

From what I have come to understand is that EUR/USD or USD/JPY are just trading instruments.
That means you aren't really buying anything physical like the underlying currency itself.
What you ARE doing is, say if you BUY USD/JPY you believe that the US dollar will increase invalue compared to the Japanese Yen. Selling USD/JPY means you think that the USD will decrease in value compared to the Yen.

Just to simplify things :

1 US Dollar = 90.00 Japanese Yen ( USDJPY )

The base currency ( first one quoted think of as what One unit will Buy).

So if the dollar rises in value or Yen falls, you get more Yen ie. 91.00

YES. if you "buy" usdjpy you are essentially buying USD by selling JPY. if you "sell" usdJpy you are selling USD to buy JPY. but its easier to think of it as zombi puts it.

maybe u are confused by "bid" and "ask/offer". the "Bid" price is the price your broker is willing to buy from you at...so you SELL at the Bid. the "ask/offer" price is the price your broker is asking or offering to sell you...so you BUY at the Ask/Offer price.

We have answers already