語彙

Vocabulary Daily words & phrases

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日常 · Common

ママ mama パパ papa はい hai ワンワン wan-wan ニャーニャー nyā-nyā おいしい oishii いたい itai すき suki だめ dame あぶない abunai こんにちは konnichiwa ありがとう arigatou ごめんなさい gomen nasai さようなら sayounara おはよう ohayou

あいさつ · Greetings & Farewells

こんにちは

konnichiwa hello / good afternoon All-purpose daytime greeting, safe any time between late morning and evening.

おはようございます

ohayou gozaimasu good morning (polite) Polite morning greeting — use at work, school, or with strangers before midday.

ohayou good morning (casual) Casual version of おはようございます — fine with friends and family.

こんばんは

konbanwa good evening Evening greeting once the sun goes down or after around 6 pm.

おやすみなさい

oyasumi nasai good night (polite) Said when parting at night or heading to bed. Drop なさい for casual speech.

さようなら

sayounara goodbye (formal) A final, somewhat formal farewell — implies you may not see each other soon.

mata ne see you later Casual "see you" between friends — implies you will meet again soon.

jā ne bye then / later Very casual parting word, equivalent to "later" or "catch ya."

よろしくおねがいします

yoroshiku onegaishimasu pleased to meet you / I'm in your care Said when meeting someone new, starting a project together, or asking a favour.

はじめまして

hajimemashite nice to meet you Said the very first time you meet someone — comes before よろしくおねがいします.

礼儀 · Politeness Staples

ありがとうございます

arigatou gozaimasu thank you very much Polite thank-you for any situation. Drop ございます for a casual ありがとう.

どういたしまして

dou itashimashite you're welcome Standard reply to a thank-you. Also いえいえ ("not at all") works for casual settings.

すみません

sumimasen excuse me / I'm sorry The most useful word in Japan: gets attention, apologises for small inconveniences, says "pardon me."

ごめんなさい

gomen nasai I'm sorry (sincere) A genuine apology for a mistake or wrongdoing — more heartfelt than すみません.

おねがいします

onegaishimasu please (I humbly request) Said when making a request or placing an order — politer than ください alone.

douzo please go ahead / here you are Offering something, inviting someone through a door, or urging someone to proceed.

いただきます

itadakimasu let's eat / I humbly receive Said before eating — expresses gratitude for the food. Never skip it in Japan.

ごちそうさまでした

gochisousama deshita thank you for the meal Said after finishing a meal to express gratitude to the cook or host.

移動 · Getting Around

どこですか

doko desu ka where is it? Ask this after naming a place — e.g. "駅はどこですか" (where is the station?).

eki station (train/subway) Key word for getting around — combine with どこ or the line name.

toire toilet / restroom Ask "トイレはどこですか" and you will never be lost in Japan.

migi right (direction) Used in directions — みぎにまがってください means "please turn right."

hidari left (direction) Used in directions — ひだりにまがってください means "please turn left."

massugu straight ahead A direction word you will hear constantly — まっすぐいってください means "go straight."

ちょっとまってください

chotto matte kudasai please wait a moment Buy yourself time in a conversation or ask someone to hold on while you think.

kippu ticket Transit or event ticket — you will see this on vending machines at stations.

なんじですか

nanji desu ka what time is it? Ask a passerby or check — useful when your phone is out of battery.

チェックイン

chekku in check-in Used at hotels and airports — same concept as English, borrowed as katakana.

食事 · Eating & Ordering

これをください

kore wo kudasai I'll have this, please Point at the menu photo or dish and say this — works even without knowing the name.

おすすめはなんですか

osusume wa nan desu ka what do you recommend? Great icebreaker at restaurants — staff love being asked and often give a great pick.

oishii delicious Say this while eating and watch the chef smile. Simple, powerful, universally appreciated.

おかいけい

okaikei the bill / check please Ask for the bill at a restaurant. You can also mime writing on your hand.

みずをください

mizu wo kudasai water, please Water is usually free at Japanese restaurants but you sometimes need to ask.

アレルギーがあります

arerugī ga arimasu I have an allergy Vital if you have food allergies — follow up with the specific allergen name.

karai spicy Useful for ordering — からいものがすきです means "I like spicy food."

買い物 · Shopping

いくらですか

ikura desu ka how much does it cost? Essential shopping phrase — point at an item and ask this.

takai expensive Comment on the price or ask for something cheaper — たかいですね means "that's pricey."

yasui cheap / inexpensive Compliment a good deal — やすい！ expresses pleasant surprise at a low price.

ちょっとみているだけです

chotto mite iru dake desu just browsing, thank you Say this when a shop assistant approaches and you are not ready to buy.

これにします

kore ni shimasu I'll take this one Signals your final choice to the shop assistant when you have decided.

ふくろはいりません

fukuro wa irimasen no bag needed Cashiers always offer a bag — decline politely and save plastic.

カードでもいいですか

kādo demo ii desu ka can I pay by card? Japan is still largely cash-based, so always worth asking before you pull out your card.

数 · Numbers in Context

〜en 〜 yen The currency suffix — ¥500 is ごひゃくえん. Recognise it on price tags and receipts.

hitotsu one (piece) Native Japanese counter for one item — use when ordering or picking a single thing.

futatsu two (pieces) Native counter for two items — hold up two fingers alongside for clarity.

mittsu three (pieces) Native counter for three items — part of the ひとつ/ふたつ/みっつ set every traveller needs.

hitori one person Tell a restaurant host your party size — ひとりです means "just me."

futari two people For a party of two — ふたりです is the most common table request in Japan.

緊急 · Emergency & Confusion

わかりません

wakarimasen I don't understand Honest and polite way to signal you did not follow — gives the other person a chance to rephrase.

もういちどおねがいします

mou ichido onegaishimasu please say that again Ask someone to repeat themselves slowly — much better than smiling and nodding.

えいごがはなせますか

eigo ga hanasemasu ka do you speak English? A lifeline when a conversation goes beyond your Japanese — staff in tourist areas often do.

たすけてください

tasukete kudasai please help me Emergency phrase — shout it loudly if you are in danger or need urgent assistance.

きゅうきゅうしゃをよんでください

kyūkyūsha wo yonde kudasai please call an ambulance For medical emergencies — or just dial 119 (the Japanese emergency number for ambulance and fire).

にほんごがわかりません

nihongo ga wakarimasen I don't understand Japanese Sets expectations from the start when someone speaks to you in Japanese.

ゆっくりはなしてください

yukkuri hanashite kudasai please speak slowly Ask this if someone is speaking too fast — native speakers often slow down dramatically.

社交 · Social Phrases

そうですね

sou desu ne I see / that's right / hmm The classic conversation filler — shows you are listening and processing. Use it constantly.

naruhodo I see / I understand now Shows you just understood something — a natural response when something clicks.

ほんとうですか

hontou desu ka really? / is that true? Express surprise or interest in what someone just said. ほんとう alone works too.

がんばってください

ganbatte kudasai good luck / do your best Cheer someone on before a challenge — one of the most encouraging phrases in Japanese.

だいじょうぶですか

daijoubu desu ka are you okay? Check on someone's wellbeing, or respond with だいじょうぶです ("I'm fine") when asked.

たのしかったです

tanoshikatta desu that was fun After an activity or meal — a warm way to end an outing and express genuine enjoyment.

また会いましょう

mata aimashou let's meet again A warm closing after spending time with someone — shows you want to see them again.

動詞 · Essential Verbs

tabemasu eat (polite present) Polite form of 食べる. Use in sentences like なにをたべますか ("what will you eat?").

nomimasu drink (polite present) Polite form of 飲む. なにをのみますか means "what will you drink?"

ikimasu go (polite present) Polite form of 行く. どこにいきますか means "where are you going?"

kimasu come (polite present) Polite form of 来る. にほんにきました means "I came to Japan."

mimasu see / look / watch (polite present) Polite form of 見る. えいがをみます means "I will watch a movie."

kaimasu buy (polite present) Polite form of 買う. おみやげをかいます means "I will buy souvenirs."

わかります

wakarimasu understand (polite present) Polite form of 分かる. わかりますか means "do you understand?" or "do you know?"

arimasu there is / I have (inanimate) Existence verb for objects and places — ~~はどこにありますか means "where is ~~?"

imasu there is / I am (animate) Existence verb for living things — ひとがいます means "there is a person here."

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