Useful and common Japanese phrases +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Greetings | | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |はじめまして | Nice to meet |Hajimemashite!| | | you! | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おはよう | Good morning | Ohayou. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |こんにちは | Hello | Konnichiwa. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |こんばんは　（今晩は） | Good evening | Konbanwa. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おやすみなさい　(お休みなさい。) | Good night | O yasumi | | | | nasai. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |さようなら | Good bye. | Sayonara. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |バイバイ | Bye! | Baibai | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |じゃまたね！ | See you! | Ja mata ne! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |また会いましょう！ | See you again! |Mata aimashou | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |Politeness/Basics | | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |ごめんなさい | I am (really) | Gomen nasai | | | sorry | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |すみません |Excuse me/Pardon| Sumimasen. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おげんきですか　（お元気ですか） | How are you ? | O genki desu | | | (polite) | ka. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | Very well, | | |おかげさまで | thanks for |o kage-sama de| | | asking. | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |元気です！ | I am fine | Genki desu | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おだいじに　(お大事に) | Take care of | o daiji ni. | | | yourself. | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おひさしぶり　(お久しぶりです。) |It's been a long|o hisashiburi | | | time | desu. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |はい | Yes | Hai | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |いいえ | No | Iie | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |・りがとう | Thank you | Arigatou | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | You're | Dou | |どういたしまして | welcome/Not at |itashimashite!| | | all. | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おねがいします　（お願いします） | Please |Onegai shimasu| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |けっこうです　（結構です） | No thank you! | Kekkou desu! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |どうぞ | Please/Go | Dozo | | |ahead/After you | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |ちょっと待ってください | Wait a moment, | Chotto Matte | | | please | kudasai | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おせわになりました　（お世話になりました）| Thanks for | O sewa ni | | | everything! | narimashita | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | |Excuse me please| Shitsurei | |しつれいします　（失礼します） |(when disturbing| shimasu | | | someone) | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | |Sorry to bother | | |おじゃまします　 | you (said when |O jama shimasu| |（お邪魔します） | entering a | | | | house) | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |かんぱい！　（乾杯） | Cheers! | Kanpai! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | |Bon apetit! (but| | |いただきます |said to oneself | Itadakimasu | | | and not to | | | | others) | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | Thank you for | Gochiso sama | |ごちそうさまでした | this delicious | deshita | | | meal! | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |Special events | | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おめでとう！ |Congratulations!| Omedeto ! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |お誕生日おめでとう |Happy birthday! | o tanjoubi | | | | omedeto. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |明けましておめでとう |Happy New Year! | Akemashite | | | | omedeto | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |よいとしを　(良いお年を) | I wish you a | yoi o-toshi | | | Happy New Year | wo. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |よいいちにちを！　（良い一日を！） |Have a nice day!|Yoi ichinichi | | | | wo! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |元気でね！ | Good luck (for | Genki de ne! | | | the future)! | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |Basic needs | | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |おなかがすいた | I am hungry | Onaka (ga) | | | | suita! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |のどがかわいた | I am thirsty | Nodo (ga) | | | | kawaita | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |つかれた　（疲れた） | I am | Tsukareta | | |tired/exhausted!| | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |ねむいです　（眠いです） | I feel sleepy | Nemui desu | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | Where is the | O tearai wa | |お手洗いはどちらですか | lavatory? | dochira desu | | | | ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |Communication | | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |いくらですか |How much is it? |Ikura desu ka?| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |どちらですか |Which way is it | Dochira desu | | | ? | ka | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | Where are you |Dochira no go | |どちらのご出身ですか | from ? |shusshin desu | | | | ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | What time does | Nanji kara | |何時から始まりますか | it start? | hajimarimasu | | | | ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | |I am looking for| ... o | |。。。を探しています | ... | sagashite | | | | imasu | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | I don't | Nihongo ga | |日本語がわかりません | understand | wakarimasen | | | Japanese | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |わかりますか | Do you |Wakarimasu ka?| | | understand? | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |すこし （少し） | A little (bit) | Sukoshi | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |わかります | I understand | Wakarimasu | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |わかりません | I don't | Wakarimasen | | | understand | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |しっています （知っています） | I know | Shitte imasu | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |しりません （知りません） | I don't know | Shirimasen | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |これはなんですか　（これは何ですか） | What is it? | Kore wa | | | | nandesu ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |どういういみですか　（どういう意味ですか）| What does it |Do iu imi desu| | | mean? | ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | How do we say | Nihongo de | |日本語でなんと言いますか | that in | nanto iimasu | | | Japanese? | ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |英語でなんと言いますか | How do we say |Eigo de nanto | | |that in English?| iimasu ka? | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | | Could you say |Mo ichido itte| |もう一度言って下さい | that again | kudasai | | | please | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| | |Could you speak | Yukkuri | |ゆっくり話して下さい | more slowly! | hanashite | | | | kudasai! | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------+--------------| |愛している | I love you | Ai shiteru | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+