Japanese phrasebook

Japanese has only five basic vowels, but the distinction between short and long vowels is important. For example, 少女 (shōjo, with a long first vowel) means "teenage girl", while 処女 (shojo, with a short first vowel) means "virgin woman". The sounds below are first given in romanized Japanese, then hiragana and finally katakana.

The short vowels are:

a, あ, ア

like 'a' in "palm"

i, い, イ

like 'i' in "marine"

u, う, ウ

like 'oo' in "hoop", but short (said without rounded lips)

e, え, エ

like 'e' in "set"

o, お, オ

like 'o' in "rope", but less round

Note that "u" is often weak at the end of syllables. In particular, the common endings desu and masu are usually pronounced as des and mas respectively. Also, the kana "do" and "to" are sometimes pronounced with a weak "o".

The long vowels are generally the same sound as the short vowels, only held approximately 60% longer. The long vowels, marked with a macron (¯) or by two adjacent vowels, are:

ā, ああ, アー

like 'a' in "father"

ii or ī, いい, イー

like 'ee' in "cheese"

ū, うう, ウー

like 'oo' in "hoop"

ei or ē, えい, エー

like the 'ay' in "pay"

ō, おお, おう, オー

stretch out the 'o' in "soap"

All descriptions above are approximations, it's best to practice with a native speaker.

With the solitary exception of "n" (ん・ン), consonants in Japanese are always followed by a vowel to form a syllable. Consonants and vowels are not freely combinable as in English, see table on the right for all possible syllables and note irregularities like し shi or ふ fu. Certain syllables can be marked with diacritics, which alters the pronunciation of the consonant part. The list below first gives the consonant part of the syllable in romanized Japanese, then the Japanese syllables that the sound occurs in first in Hiragana, then Katakana.

k in かきくけこ・カキクケコ (ka ki ku ke ko)

like 'k' in "king"

g in がぎぐげご・ガギグゲゴ (ga gi gu ge go)

like 'g' in "go"

s in さすせそ・サスセソ (sa su se so)

like 's' in "sit"

z in ざずぜぞ・ザズゼゾ・づ・ヅ (za zu ze zo) (dzu) (zu)

like 'z' in "haze"

t in たてと・タテト (ta te to)

like 't' in "top"

d in だでど・ダデド (da de do)

like 'd' in "dog"

n in なにぬねの・ナニヌネノ (na ni nu ne no)

like 'n' in "nice"

ng

like 'ng' in "ching"

h in はひへほ・ハヒヘホ (ha/wa hi fu/hu he/e ho)

like 'h' in "help"

p in ぱぴぷぺぽ・パピプペポ (pa pi pu pe po)

like 'p' in "pig"

b in ばびぶべぼ・バビブベボ (ba bi bu be bo)

like 'b' in "bed"

m in まみむめも・マミムメモ (ma mi mu me mo)

like 'm' in "mother"

y in やゆよ・ヤユヨ (ya yu yo)

like 'y' in "yard"

r in らりるれろ・ラリルレロ (ra ri ru re ro)

no equivalent in English, a sound between 'l', 'r' and 'd', but close to a very soft 'r'

w in わを・ワヲ (wa wo/o)

like 'w' in "wall"

sh in し・シ (shi)

like 'sh' in "sheep"

j in じ・ジ・ぢ・ヂ (ji)

like 'j' in "jar"

ch in ち・チ (chi)

like 'ch' in "touch"

ts in つ・ツ (tsu)

like 'ts' in "hot soup"

f in ふ・フ (fu/hu)

no equivalent in English, somewhere between 'h' and 'f', but you will be understood if you pronounce it either way

n, ん, ン (-n)

short 'n', slides towards 'm' in some cases

The symbols つ・ツ and やゆよ・ヤユヨ, as well as あいうえお・アイウエオ can be written in a smaller size. In the latter group, this is almost always seen only in katakana, as it is only used for loan words. The small つ・ツ indicates a glottal stop, as listed below, while for the rest of the symbols, indicates that they are to be pronounced as part of the same syllable of the preceding symbol. For instance, in the loan word フォーク (fōku), from English "fork", note the smaller size of the オ, which is why it is not pronounced fuōku. To highlight the importance of this distinction, びょういん (byōin, with the small よ) means hospital, and びよういん (biyōin, with the big よ pronounced as a separate syllable from the び) means beauty salon.

っ・ッ (small tsu)

glottal stop; the following consonant is prepared, held and stopped for the duration of one syllable. For example, にっぽん nippon is pronounced "nip-(pause)-pon". (Note that the double consonants nn, mm, which are not written with っ, do not have this pause.)

• kon'nichiwa → kon-nee-chee-wa (not kounneeCHEEua)
• sumimasen → soo-mee-mah-sen (not sue my maysen)
• onegai shimasu → oh-neh-gigh shee-mahss (not ouneeGAY SHYmessu)

Katakana are used to write foreign and loanwords (except for those from Chinese, which are written in kanji) and are hence a good choice for travellers to learn. The katakana set of characters encompasses exactly the same sounds as hiragana; they only look different. The table on the left only reproduces the basic character set and diacritics (カ → ガ). Combinations (キャ) apply just as for hiragana. One additional sound though is ヴ vu and combinations like ヴェ ve based on it, accommodating additional foreign sounds. Every once in a while you may spot additional ingenious combinations or use of diacritics.

Since Japanese doesn't very well accommodate rapid successions of consonants, the katakana transcription can often only approximate the actual pronunciation of a foreign word. While some words like café (カフェ kafe) can be represented quite gracefully, other words like beer (ビール bīru) or rent-a-car (レンタカー rentakā) seem slightly strange to the native English speaker. Nonetheless, many English expressions and concepts are used in everyday life, as are a number of German, French, Dutch and Portuguese loanwords. In many cases, the original words are often abbreviated when used in Japanese, such as supermarket (スーパー sūpā), department store (デパート depāto), remote control (リモコン rimokon) or television (テレビ terebi). Oftentimes the exact meaning of a word has changed in Japanese (German: Arbeit → アルバイト arubaito is used only for part-time work, and Russian: икра ikra → イクラ ikura is used only for salmon roe) or a completely new meaning was invented (ワンマンカー wanmankā → "one-man car", trains and buses without an inspector, only one driver), but you can usually at least guess at the meaning. Due to post World War II American influences, by far the largest number of non-Chinese loan words in the Japanese language come from American English.

To identify a katakana word, it's usually helpful to repeat it out loud a few times and to leave out superfluous vowels, especially the 'u' in ス su and 'o' in ト to. That way ライス raisu quickly becomes "rice" and チケット chiketto becomes "ticket". Don't try too hard though, as sometimes original Japanese words are written in katakana as well, similar to the use of uppercase or italic letters in English. In addition, some words were not derived from English but from other languages such as German, French or Dutch.

Japanese grammar generally employs a subject-object-verb order, but is very modular and flexible since the grammatical meaning of a word is expressed by the morphemes glued to its end and special marker particles. The two most important particles are the topic marker は wa and the object marker を o.

I saw the movie.

私は映画を見ました。

Watashi-wa eiga-o mimashita.

I-[topic] movie-[object] seen.

It becomes a little more complicated if both objects and subjects are mixed within a sentence and the subject marker が ga is thrown in.

I discovered that she likes tea.

私は彼女がお茶を好きな事が分かった。
Watashi-wa kanojo-ga ocha-o sukinakoto-ga wakatta.

I-[topic] she-[subj.] tea-[obj.] like-[subj.] understood.

Students of the language can spend years wrapping their heads around the difference between the topic of a sentence (marked by は wa) and the subject of a sentence (marked by が ga). However, as a beginner, you can fairly safely always use は wa to mark the person doing the action and get your message across.

Some other useful particles are:

の no

possessive marker

The mother's child

母の子

haha no ko

で de, に ni

indicating places and times

in Tokyo

東京で

Tōkyō-de

at 2 o'clock

２時に

niji-ni

から kara, へ e, まで made

from, towards, to

From here...

ここから...

koko kara...

towards Osaka

大阪へ

Ōsaka-e

to Nara.

奈良まで

Nara-made.

と to, か ka

and, or

This and that.

これとそれ

kore to sore

This or that.

これかそれ

kore ka sore

か？ ka?

question forming particle

Are you going to Tokyo?

東京に行きますか？

Tōkyō ni ikimasu ka?

Japanese does not have an exact equivalent to the English verb "to be". Instead, the easiest way to form "A equals B" type expressions like "I am ..." or "This is ..." is the pattern A wa, B desu.

私は、山田です。 Watashi wa, Yamada desu ("I [am] Yamada.")

これは、りんごです。 Kore wa, ringo desu ("This [is] apple.")

それは、赤いです。 Sore wa, akai desu ("That [is] red.").

The word です　desu here is not a verb, it's a polite copula (linking word), which can be omitted in colloquial speech or replaced with other copulas including でした deshita (polite past), でしょう deshō (polite suggestion) or だ da (plain). The topic indicated by は wa is also optional and is often implied by context:

あなたはだれですか？ Anata wa dare desu ka? ("Who [are] you?")

山田です。 Yamada desu. ("[I am] Yamada.")

これは何ですか？ Kore wa nan desu ka? ("What [is] this?")

りんごです。 Ringo desu. ("[This is] an apple.")

それは何色ですか？ Sore wa nani-iro desu ka? ("What color [is] that?")

赤いです。 Akai desu. ("[That is] red.")

The two verbs いる iru > imasu and ある aru > arimasu express the physical presence of a person or animal in the former case, or an object in the latter case. To say "A is located in B", use the pattern A ga B ni imasu/arimasu :

山田さんがここにいます。 Yamada-san ga koko ni imasu. ("Mr. Yamada is [physically located] here.")

本が棚にありますか？　Hon ga tana ni arimasu ka? ("Is there a book on the shelf?")

はい、あります。 Hai, arimasu. ("Yes, [the book] is [on the shelf].")

More a cultural than a grammatical problem is the problem of addressing somebody. Even though there exist a multitude of words with the meaning "you", it is generally avoided to address somebody directly. The closest equivalent to "you" is あなた anata, but it's only used among close friends, or people of lower status than you. It is usually preferred to address somebody by family name, title or status, applying appropriate honorifics.

Note that in Japan, it is generally rude to address people by first name, and last names are almost always used instead. The exception to this rule are children of elementary school age or younger, and friends you are very close to. When names are written in Japanese, they always follow the Eastern name order (like Chinese and Korean names), with the last name always written before the first name, which is contrary to common practice in English-speaking countries. This means that someone known as Taro Yamada in English will have his name written as 山田太郎 (yamada tarō) in Japanese.

さん -san

The most basic honorific, about equivalent to Mr. or Ms. (no distinction between the two in Japanese). 山田さん Yamada-san: Mister Yamada

様 -sama

Politer than -san, used to address people ranking higher on the social ladder, such as your supervisor or boss, or even deities. It is also used by shop assistants to address customers.

ちゃん -chan

Usually used to address young children. Also used to address (usually female) close friends.

君 -kun

Used to address young boys and male close friends.

お客様 okyaku-sama

"Honored Mr/Ms customer", used by hotel or shop employees to address you.

店長さん tenchō-san

The way to address the manager of a shop, though not the other employees.

お兄さん onīsan, お姉さん onēsan

Literally "big brother" and "big sister" respectively, is used to address young people who you're having a hard time finding a better honorific for.

お爺さん ojīsan, お婆さん obāsan

"Grandpa" and "grandma", very popular to address old people. Cuter when used with -chan.

そちら sochira

Means something like "on your side" and is used when absolutely no better honorific can be found.

There are also several different words for "I", with 私 watashi being the most commonly used. Grammatically it's often unnecessary to use the words "you" or "I" as the intended meaning is obvious from context, so they should generally be avoided. Sometimes people will also call themselves by their own name. When doing so they must not add any additional honorifics though; one only does this when addressing others.

There's no specific form for "we" or the plural "you". To address groups of people you add the plural particle たち -tachi to somebody within the group or the group designator.

私たち watashi-tachi

lit. "the group around myself", meaning "we"

我々 ware-ware

a less formal way of saying "we"

あなたたち anata-tachi

"the group around you", plural "you"

子供たち kodomo-tachi

"a group of children", meaning "the children"

山田さんたち Yamada-san-tachi

"the group around Yamada-san", everybody you'd associate with Mr. Yamada, based on context

Good afternoon.

こんにちは。 Konnichiwa. (kon-nee-chee-wah)

How are you?

お元気ですか？ O-genki desu ka? (Oh-GEN-kee dess-ka?)

Fine, thank you.

はい、元気です。 Hai, genki desu. (Ha-ee, gen-kee dess)

How about you?

~さんは？ -san wa? (-san wa) (insert the person's last name before "san")

What's your name? (lit. "Your name is...")

お名前は？ O-namae wa? (Oh-nah-mah-eh wah?)

My name is ... .

... です。 ... desu. (... dess.)

Nice to meet you. (formal)

始めまして。どうぞ宜しくお願いします。 Hajimemashite. Dōzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. (Hah-jee-meh-mash-teh dohh-zoh yoh-roh-sh-ku oh-neh-gah-ee shee-mah-ss)

Please. (request)

お願いします。 Onegai shimasu. (oh-neh-gah-ee shee-mahs)

Please. (offer)

どうぞ。 Dōzo. (Dohh-zoh)

This person is ... . (when introducing somebody)

こちらは ... Kochira wa ... (ko-chi-rah wah...)

Thank you very much. (formal)

どうもありがとうございました。 Dōmo arigatō gozaimashita. (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh go-ZAh-ee-mah-shi-tah)

Thank you. (less formal)

ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. (ah-ree-GAH-toh go-ZAh-ee-mahs)

Thank you. (normal)

ありがとう。 Arigatō. (ah-ree-GAH-toh)

Thanks. (informal)

どうも。 Dōmo. (doh-moh)

Thanks. (informal, Kansai)

おおきに。 Ōkini (ohh-KEE-nee)

You're welcome.

どういたしまして。 Dō itashimashite. (doh EE-tah-shee mah-shteh)

yes

はい。 hai (High)

no

いいえ。 iie (EE-eh)

Excuse me.

すみません。 Sumimasen. (soo-mee-mah-sen)

I'm sorry.

ごめんなさい。 Gomen nasai. (goh-men-nah-sah-ee)

I'm sorry. (informal)

ごめん Gomen. (goh-men)

Goodbye. (long-term)

さようなら。 Sayōnara. (sa-YOHH-nah-rah)

Goodbye. (informal)

じゃね。 Ja ne. (Jah-neh)

I can't speak Japanese (very well).

日本語が（よく）話せません。 Nihongo ga (yoku) hanasemasen. (nee-hohn-goh gah (yo-koo) hah-nah-seh-mah-sen)

Do you speak Japanese?

日本語が話せますか？ Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka? (ni-HON-go gah hah-nah-se-mahs-KAH?)

Yes, a little.

はい、少し。 Hai, sukoshi. (HIGH sko-shee)

Do you speak English?

英語が話せますか？ Eigo ga hanasemasu ka? (EHH-goh gah hah-nah-seh-mahs-KAH?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

誰か英語が話せますか？ Dareka eigo ga hanasemasu ka? (dah-reh-kah EHH-goh gah hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?)

Please speak slowly.

ゆっくり話してください。 Yukkuri hanashite kudasai. (YOO-kuree hanash-teh koo-dah-sah-ee)

Please say it again.

もう一度言ってください。 Mō ichido itte kudasai. (mo EE-chee-doh ee-te koo-dah-sah-ee)

Please help!

助けて！ Tasukete! (tahs-keh-teh!)

Look out!

危ない！ Abunai! (ah-boo-NIGH!)

Good morning.

お早うございます。 Ohayō gozaimasu. (oh-hah-YOH go-zah-ee-mahs)

Good morning. (informal)

おはよう。 Ohayō.

Good evening.

こんばんは。 Kombanwa. (kohn-bahn-wah)

Good night (to sleep)

お休みなさい。 Oyasuminasai. (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh)

Good night (to sleep) (informal)

お休み。 Oyasumi.

I don't understand.

分かりません。 Wakarimasen. (wah-kah-ree-mah-sen)

I am not Japanese.

日本人ではありません。 Nihonjin dewa arimasen. (nee-hon-jin deh-wah a-ree-ma-sehn)

Where is the toilet?

お手洗い・トイレはどこですか？ Otearai/toire wa doko desu ka? (Oh-teh-ah-rah-ee/toh-ee-reh wah DOH-koh dess kah?)

What?

何？Nani? (nah-nee)

Where?

どこ？ Doko? (doh-koh)

Who?

誰？ Dare? (dah-reh)

When?

いつ？ Itsu? (it-soo)

Which?

どれ？ Dore? (doh-reh)

Why?

どうして Dōshite (doh-sh'teh)

How?

どうやって？ Dōyatte (dohh-yah-teh)

How much?

いくら？ Ikura? (ee-koo-rah)

What type of?

どんな？ Donna? (dohn-nah)

Leave me alone.

ほっといてくれ。 Hottoitekure.

Don't touch me!

さわらないで！ Sawaranaide!

I'll call the police.

警察をよぶよ！ Keisatsu o yobu yo!

Police!

警察！ Keisatsu!

Stop! Thief!

動くな！泥棒！ Ugokuna! Dorobō!

I need your help.

手伝ってください。 Tetsudatte kudasai.

It's an emergency.

緊急です。 Kinkyū desu.

I'm lost.

道に迷っています。 Michi ni mayotte imasu.

I lost my bag.

鞄をなくしました。 Kaban o nakushimashita.

I dropped my wallet.

財布をおとしました。 Saifu o otoshimashita.

I'm sick.

病気です。 Byōki desu.

I don't feel well.

具合がわるいです。 Guai ga warui desu.

I've been injured.

怪我をしました。 Kega o shimashita.

Please call a doctor.

医者を呼んでください。 Isha o yonde kudasai.

Can I use your phone?

電話を使わせていただけますか？ Denwa o tsukawasete itadakemasu ka?

I need a doctor.

医者に見てもらいたいです。 Isha ni mite moraitai desu.

Is there a doctor who can speak English?

英語の出来る医者はいますか？ Eigo no dekiru isha wa imasu ka?

Please take me to a doctor.

医者に連れていって下さい。 Isha ni tsurete itte kudasai.

My wife/husband/child is sick.

妻・旦那・子供が病気です。 Tsuma/danna/kodomo ga byōki desu.

Please call an ambulance.

救急車を呼んで下さい。 Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai.

I need first aid.

応急手当をして下さい。 Ōkyū teate o shite kudasai.

I need to go to the emergency room.

救急室に行かなければなりません。 Kyūkyūshitsu ni ikanakereba narimasen.
shorter: 救急室に行かないと。 Kyūkyūshitsu ni ikanai to.

How long will it take to get better?

治るのにどの位かかりますか？ Naoru no ni dono kurai kakarimasu ka?

Where is a pharmacy?

薬局はどこですか？ Yakkyoku wa doko desu ka?

I'm allergic to ... .

私は ... アレルギーです。 Watashi wa ... arerugii desu.

antibiotics

抗生物質 kōsei busshitsu

aspirin

アスピリン asupirin

codeine

コデイン kodein

dairy products

乳製品 nyūseihin

food coloring

人工着色料 jinkō chakushokuryō

fungus

菌類 kinrui

MSG

味の素 ajinomoto

mushrooms

キノコ kinoko

peanuts

ピーナッツ pīnattsu

penicillin

ペニシリン penishirin

pollen

花粉 kafun

seafood

魚介類 gyokairui

sesame

ゴマ goma

shellfish

貝類 kairui

tree nuts, fruits or berries

木の実 kinomi

wheat

小麦 komugi

... hurts.

... が痛い。... ga itai.

Feeling unwell.

気分が悪い。 Kibun ga warui.

Having a fever.

熱があります。Netsu ga arimasu.

Coughing a lot.

咳がでます。Seki ga demasu.

Feeling listless.

体がだるい。Karada ga darui.

Feeling nauseated.

吐き気がします。Hakike ga shimasu.

Feeling dizzy.

めまいがします。 Memai ga shimasu.

Having the chills.

寒気がします。Samuke ga shimasu.

Swallowed something.

何かを呑んでしまいました。 Nanika o nonde shimaimashita.

Bleeding.

出血です。 Shukketsu desu.

Broken bone.

骨折です。Kossetsu desu.

He/she is unconscious.

意識不明です。Ishiki fumei desu.

Burned.

火傷です。 Yakedo desu.

Trouble breathing.

呼吸困難です。Kokyū konnan desu.

Heart attack.

心臓発作です。Shinzō hossa desu.

Vision worsened.

視力が落ちました。Shiryoku ga ochimashita.

Cannot hear well.

耳がよく聞こえません。Mimi ga yoku kikoemasen.

Nose bleeds a lot.

鼻血がよくでます。Hanaji ga yoku demasu.

Japan has more than its fair share of natural disasters.

Blizzard

吹雪 (fubuki)

Earthquake

地震 (jishin)

Flood

洪水 (kōzui)

Landslide

地滑り (jisuberi)

Tsunami

津波 (tsunami)

Typhoon

台風 (taifū)

Volcano eruption

噴火 (funka)

While Arabic (Western) numerals are employed for most uses in Japan, you will occasionally still spot Japanese numerals at eg. markets and the menus of fancy restaurants. The characters used are nearly identical to Chinese numerals, and like Chinese, Japanese uses groups of 4 digits, not 3. "One million" is thus 百万 (hyaku-man), literally "hundred ten-thousands".

There are both native Japanese and Sino-Japanese readings for most numbers, but presented below are the more commonly used Sino-Japanese readings. Note that, due to superstition (shi also means "death"), the native Japanese readings yon and nana or 4 and 7 are used instead in most situations, though the Sino-Japanese readings shi and shichi respectively are more commonly used when counting.

Where they exist, the character(s) after the slash are used in financial contexts, such as when writing cheques and printing banknotes.

0

ゼロ (zero) or 〇 (maru) / 零 (rei) in finance

1

一 / 壱 (ichi)

2

二 / 弐 (ni)

3

三 / 参 (san)

4

四 (yon or shi)

5

五 (go)

6

六 (roku)

7

七 (nana or shichi)

8

八 (hachi)

9

九 (kyū)

10

十 / 拾 (jū)

11

十一 / 拾壱 (jū-ichi)

12

十二 / 拾弐 (jū-ni)

13

十三 / 拾参 (jū-san)

14

十四 / 拾四 (jū-yon)

15

十五 / 拾五 (jū-go)

16

十六 / 拾六 (jū-roku)

17

十七 / 拾七 ( jū-nana)

18

十八 / 拾八 (jū-hachi)

19

十九 / 拾九 (jū-kyū/jū-ku)

20

二十 / 弐拾 (ni-jū)

21

二十一 / 弐拾壱 (ni-jū-ichi)

22

二十二 / 弐拾弐 (ni-jū-ni)

23

二十三 / 弐拾参 (ni-jū-san)

30

三十 / 参拾 (san-jū)

40

四十 / 四拾 (yon-jū)

50

五十 / 五拾 (go-jū)

60

六十 / 六拾 (roku-jū)

70

七十 / 七拾 (nana-jū)

80

八十 / 八拾 (hachi-jū)

90

九十 / 九拾 (kyū-jū)

100

百 (hyaku)

200

二百 / 弐百 (nihyaku)

300

三百 / 参百 (sambyaku)

600

六百 (roppyaku)

800

八百 (happyaku)

1000

千 (sen)

2000

二千 / 弐千 (ni-sen)

3000

三千 / 参千 (san-zen)

10,000

一万 / 壱万 (ichi-man)

1,000,000

百万 (hyaku-man)

100,000,000

一億 / 壱億 (ichi-oku)

1,000,000,000

十億 / 拾億 (jū-oku)

1,000,000,000,000

一兆 / 壱兆 (itchō)

0.5

〇・五 (rei ten go)

0.56

〇・五六 (rei ten go-roku)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

_____番 (____ ban)

half

半分 (hambun)

less (few)

少ない (sukunai)

more (many)

多い (ōi)

now

今 (ima)

later

後で (atode)

before

前に (mae ni)

before ___

___ の前に ( ___ no mae ni)

morning

朝 (asa) (colloquial) / 午前 (gozen) (formal)

noon

昼 (hiru or o-hiru) / 正午 (shōgo)

afternoon

昼 (hiru or hiruma) (colloquial) / 午後 (gogo) (formal)

evening before sunset

夕方 (yūgata)

night or after sunset

夜 (yoru)

midnight or past 12AM

真夜中 (mayonaka)

Clock times are formed as Chinese numeral plus 時 ji, for example, goji 5時/五時 for five o'clock. The exception is four o'clock which is pronounced yoji (四時) instead of shiji. You will be understood if you simply substitute gozen 午前 for "AM" and gogo 午後 for PM, although other time qualifiers like 朝 asa for morning, 昼 hiru for afternoon and 夜 yoru for night sound more natural. The 24-hour clock is also commonly used in official contexts such as train schedules. TV schedules occasionally use a modified 24-hour clock, with late night showtimes counted from the previous day, e.g. Monday at 26:00 indicates Tuesday at 2:00 AM.

six o'clock in the morning

朝6時 (asa rokuji)

nine o'clock AM

午前9時 (gozen kuji)

noon

正午 (shōgo)

one o'clock PM

午後1時 (gogo ichiji.)

two o'clock PM

午後2時 (gogo niji)

midnight

夜12時 (yoru jūniji), 零時 / 0時 (rēji), 24時(nijū yo ji)

Confusingly, the Japanese words for "N days" (long) and "Nth day" are the same, so eg. 二日 futsuka means both "two days" and "the second day of the month". (See #Days of the month for the full list.) You can tag on -間 kan at the end, eg. futsukakan 二日間, to clarify that you mean "two days long". The exception is 一日, which is read ichinichi to mean "one day/all day", but tsuitachi to mean "first day". Also note that 一日間 ichinichikan is not used, and the term for a duration of one day is simply 一日 ichinichi.

_____ minute(s)

_____ 分 (fun or pun)

_____ hour(s)

_____ 時間 (jikan)

_____ day(s)

_____ 日間 (nichikan or (k)kakan, see note above, except for 一日 (one day))

_____ week(s)

_____ 週間 (shūkan)

_____ month(s)

_____ ヶ月 (kagetsu)

_____ year(s)

_____ 年間 (nenkan)

today

今日 (kyō)

yesterday

昨日 (kinō)

the day before yesterday

おととい (ototoi)

tomorrow

明日 (ashita) (colloquial) / 明日 (asu) (formal)

the day after tomorrow

あさって (asatte)

_____ days after tomorrow

_____ 日後 (nichigo or (k)kago, see note above)

this week

今週 (konshū)

last week

先週 (senshū)

next week

来週 (raishū)

The days of the week are named after the sun, the moon and the five elements of Chinese philosophy.

Sunday

日曜日 (nichiyōbi), abbreviated 日 (nichi)

Monday

月曜日 (getsuyōbi), abbreviated 月 (getsu)

Tuesday

火曜日 (kayōbi), abbreviated 火 (ka)

Wednesday

水曜日 (suiyōbi), abbreviated 水 (sui)

Thursday

木曜日 (mokuyōbi), abbreviated 木 (moku)

Friday

金曜日 (kin'yōbi), abbreviated 金 (kin)

Saturday

土曜日 (doyōbi), abbreviated 土 (do)

The 1st through the 10th of the month have special names:

First day of the month

1日 (tsu'itachi)

Second day of the month

2日 (futsuka)

Third day of the month

3日 (mikka)

Fourth day of the month

4日 (yokka)

Fifth day of the month

5日 (itsuka)

Sixth day of the month

6日 (mu'ika)

Seventh day of the month

7日 (nanoka)

Eighth day of the month

8日 (yōka)

Ninth day of the month

9日 (kokonoka)

Tenth day of the month

10日 (tōka)

The other days of the month are more orderly, just add the suffix -nichi to the ordinal number. Note that 14, 20, and 24 deviate from this pattern.

Eleventh day of the month

11日 (jū'ichinichi)

Fourteenth day of the month

14日 (jū'yokka)

Twentieth day of the month

20日 (hatsuka)

Twenty-fourth day of the month

24日 (nijū'yokka)

Months are very orderly in Japanese, just add the suffix -gatsu to the Sino-Japanese ordinal number.

January

1月 (ichigatsu)

February

2月 (nigatsu)

March

3月 (sangatsu)

April

4月 (shigatsu)

May

5月 (gogatsu)

June

6月 (rokugatsu)

July

7月 (shichigatsu)

August

8月 (hachigatsu)

September

9月 (kugatsu)

October

10月 (jūgatsu)

November

11月 (jūichigatsu)

December

12月 (jūnigatsu)

Spring

春 (haru)

Summer

夏 (natsu)

Rainy season

梅雨 (tsuyu, bai'u)

Autumn

秋 (aki)

Winter

冬 (fuyu)

Dates are written in year/month/day (day of week) format, with markers:

2007年3月21日(火)

In Japanese, the year is read as an ordinary number with exception of "9 as the last digit". 1999 was "one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine", sen kyū-hyaku kyū-jū ku nen). It can sometimes be abbreviated to the last two digits (i.e. "ninety-nine", kyū-jū ku nen), while pronouncing it kyū-jū kyū nen refers to "for the duration of 99 years", rather the year.)

Note that Imperial era years, based on the name and duration of the current Emperor's reign, are also frequently used. 2020 in the Gregorian calendar corresponds to Reiwa 2 令和2年, which may be abbreviated as "R2" or 令2. Dates like "02/03/24" (Reiwa 2, March 24) are also occasionally seen. Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, and Heisei are used by elderly people or popular on signboards at historical sights. To convert the year into Gregorian calendar:

Reiwa 令和 (1 May 2019 –)

add 2018 to the year in Reiwa, i.e. Reiwa 3 nen 令和3年 is 2021 in the Gregorian calendar.

Heisei 平成 (8 January 1989 – 30 April 2019)

minus 12 from the year in Heisei and add 2000, i.e. Heisei 12 nen 平成12年 is 2000 in Gregorian calendar.

Shōwa 昭和 (25 December 1926 – 7 January 1989)

plus 1925 to the year in Shōwa, i.e. Shōwa 45 nen 昭和45年 is 1970 in Gregorian calendar.

Taishō 大正 (30 July 1912 – 25 December 1926)

plus 1911 to the year in Taishō, i.e. Taishō 9 nen 大正9年 is 1920 in Gregorian calendar.

Meiji 明治 (28 October 1868 – 30 July 1912)

minus 33 from the year in Meiji and add 1900, i.e. Meiji 33 nen 明治33年 is 1900 in Gregorian calendar.

Many of the English words for colors are widely used and understood by almost all Japanese. These are indicated after the slash.

Note that some Japanese colors are normally suffixed with -iro (色) to distinguish between the color and the object. For example, 茶 cha means "tea", but 茶色 chairo means "tea-color" → "brown".

black

黒 / ブラック (kuro / burakku)

white

白 / ホワイト (shiro / howaito)

gray

灰(色) / グレー (hai(iro) / gurē)

red

赤 / レッド (aka / reddo)

blue

青 / ブルー (ao / burū)

yellow

黄(色) / イエロー (ki(iro) / ierō)

green

緑 / グリーン (midori / guriin)

orange

橙 / オレンジ (daidai / orenji)

purple

紫 / パープル (murasaki / pāpuru)

pink

桃(色) / ピンク (momo(iro) / pinku)

brown

茶(色) / ブラウン (cha(iro) / buraun)

silver

銀(色) / シルバー (gin(iro) / sirubā)

gold

金(色) / ゴールド (kin(iro) / gōrudo)

bus

バス (basu)

train

電車 (densha)

metro / subway

地下鉄 (chikatetsu)

tram / streetcar

路面電車 (romendensha)

light rail

ライトレール (raito rēru)

bullet train

新幹線 (shinkansen)

How much is a ticket to _____?

_____ までいくらですか? (_____ made ikura desu ka?)

One ticket to _____, please.

_____ まで一枚お願いします。(_____ made ichimai onegaishimasu.)

Where does this train/bus go?

この電車・バスはどこ行きですか? (Kono densha/basu wa doko yuki desu ka?)

Where is the train/bus to _____?

_____ 行きの電車・バスはどこですか? (_____ yuki no densha/basu wa doko desu ka?)

Does this train/bus stop in _____?

この電車・バスは _____ に止まりますか? (Kono densha/basu wa _____ ni tomarimasu ka?)

When does the train/bus for _____ leave?

_____ 行きの電車・バスは何時に出発しますか? (_____ yuki no densha/basu wa nanji ni shuppatsu shimasu ka?)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____?

この電車・バスは何時に _____ に着きますか? (Kono densha/basu wa nanji ni _____ ni tsukimasu ka?)

How do I get to _____?

_____ はどちらですか? (_____ wa dochira desu ka?)

...the train station?

駅...? (eki...)

...the bus station?

バス停...? (basu tei...)

...the airport?

空港...? (kūkō...)

...downtown?

街の中心...? (machi no chūshin...)

...the youth hostel?

ユースホステル...? (yūsu hosuteru...)

...the _____ hotel?

_____ ホテル...? (hoteru...)

...the _____ embassy/consulate?

_____大使館/領事館...? (_____ taishikan/ryōjikan...)

Where are there a lot of _____

_____が多い所はどこですか? (_____ga ooi tokoro wa doko desu ka?)

...lodgings?

宿...? (yado...)

...restaurants?

レストラン...? (resutoran...)

...bars?

バー...? (baa...)

...sites to see?

見物...? (mimono...)

Where is _____?

_____はどこですか? (_____ wa doko desu ka?)

Is it far from here?

ここから遠いですか? (Koko kara tooi desu ka?)

Please show me on the map.

地図で指して下さい。 (Chizu de sashite kudasai.)

street

道 (michi)

Turn left.

左へ曲がってください。 (Hidari e magatte kudasai.)

Turn right.

右へ曲がってください。(Migi e magatte kudasai.)

left

左 (hidari)

right

右 (migi)

in front of the _____

_____の前 (_____ no mae)

behind the _____

_____の後ろ (_____ no ushiro)

straight ahead

まっすぐ (massugu)

towards the _____

_____ へ向かって (e mukatte)

past the _____

_____ の先 (no saki)

before the _____

_____ の前 (no mae)

Watch for the _____.

_____が目印です。 (ga mejirushi desu.)

intersection

交差点 (kōsaten)

traffic light

信号　(shingou)

inside

中 (naka)

outside

外 (soto)

north

北 (kita)

south

南 (minami)

east

東 (higashi)

west

西 (nishi)

uphill

上り (nobori), also used for trains heading towards Tokyo

downhill

下り (kudari), also used for trains coming from Tokyo

Taxi!

タクシー! (takushī!)

Take me to _____, please.

_____までお願いします。 (_____ made onegaishimasu.)

How much does it cost to get to _____?

_____ までいくらですか? (_____ made ikura desu ka)

Take me there, please.

そこまでお願いします。 (soko made onegaishimasu.)

Do you have any rooms available?

空いてる部屋ありますか? (Aiteru heya arimasu ka?)

How much is a room for one person/two people?

一人・二人用の部屋はいくらですか? (Hitori/futari-yō no heya wa ikura desu ka?)

Is the room Japanese/Western style?

和室/洋室ですか？ (Washitsu/yōshitsu desu ka?)

Does the room come with...

部屋は ... 付きですか? (Heya wa ___ tsuki desu ka?)

...bedsheets?

シーツ...? (shītsu...)

...a bathroom?

風呂場...? (furoba...)

...a telephone?

電話...? (denwa...)

...a TV?

テレビ? (terebi...)

May I see the room first?

部屋を見てもいいですか? (Heya o mite mo ii desu ka?)

Do you have anything quieter?

もっと[静かな]部屋ありますか? (Motto [shizuka na] heya arimasu ka?)

...bigger?

広い...? (hiroi...)

...cleaner?

きれいな...? (kirei na...)

...cheaper?

安い...? (yasui...)

OK, I'll take it.

はい、これで良いです。(Hai, kore de ii desu.)

I will stay for _____ night(s).

_____ 晩泊まります。(____ ban tomarimasu.)

Do you know another place to stay?

他の宿はご存知ですか? (Hoka no yado wa gozonji desu ka?)

Do you have [a safe?]

[金庫]ありますか? ([Kinko] arimasu ka?)

...lockers?

戸棚...? (todana...?)

Is breakfast/supper included?

朝食・夕食は付きますか? (Chōshoku/yūshoku wa tsukimasu ka?)

What time is breakfast/supper?

朝食・夕食は何時ですか? (Chōshoku/yūshoku wa nanji desu ka?)

Please clean my room.

部屋を掃除してください。 (Heya o sōji shite kudasai.)

Please wake me at _____.

_____ に起こしてください。 (____ ni okoshite kudasai.)

I want to check out.

チェックアウトです。(Chekku auto (check out) desu.)

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?

アメリカ/オーストラリア/カナダドルは使えますか? (Amerika/ōsutoraria/kanada doru wa tsukaemasu ka?)

Do you accept British pounds?

イギリスポンドは使えますか？ (Igirisu pondo wa tsukaemasu ka?)

Do you accept credit cards?

クレジットカードは使えますか？ (Kurejitto kaado (credit card) wa tsukaemasu ka?)

Can you change money for me?

お金両替できますか？ (Okane ryōgae dekimasu ka?)

Where can I get money changed?

お金はどこで両替できますか？ (Okane wa doko de ryōgae dekimasu ka?)

Can you change a traveler's check for me?

トラベラーズチェックを両替できますか？ (Torabarāsu chekku (traveler's check) wo ryōgae dekimasu ka?)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed?

トラベラーズチェックはどこで両替できますか？ (Torabarāzu chekku (traveler's check) wa doko de ryōgae dekimasu ka?)

What is the exchange rate?

為替レートはいくらですか？(Kawase rēto wa ikura desu ka?)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?

ATM はどこにありますか？ (ATM wa doko ni arimasuka?)

I'm hungry.

お腹がすきました。 (Onaka ga sukimashita.)

A table for one person/two people, please.

一人・二人です。 (Hitori/futari desu.)

Please bring a menu.

メニューを下さい。 (Menu wo kudasai.)

Can I look in the kitchen?

調理場を見てもいいですか？ (Chōriba wo mite mo ii desu ka?)

Is there a house specialty?

お勧めはありますか？ (O-susume wa arimasu ka?)

Is there a local specialty?

この辺の名物はありますか？ (Kono hen no mēbutsu wa arimasu ka?)

Please choose for me.

お任せします。 (O-makase shimasu.)

I'm a vegetarian.

ベジタリアンです。 (Bejitarian desu.)

I don't eat pork.

豚肉はだめです。 (Butaniku wa dame desu.)

I don't eat beef.

牛肉はだめです。(Gyūniku wa dame desu.)

I don't eat raw fish.

生の魚はだめです。(Nama no sakana wa dame desu.)

Please do not use too much oil.

油を控えて下さい。(Abura wo hikaete kudasai.)

fixed-price meal

定食 (teishoku)

à la carte

一品料理 (ippinryōri)

breakfast

朝食 (chōshoku) / 朝ご飯 (asagohan)

lunch

昼食 (chūshoku) / 昼ご飯　(hirugohan)

light meal/snack

軽食 (keishoku) / おやつ (oyatsu)

supper

夕食 (yūshoku) / 晩ご飯 (bangohan)

Please bring _____.

_____ を下さい。(_____ wo kudasai.)

I want a dish containing _____.

_____が入ってるものを下さい。 (____ ga haitteru mono wo kudasai.)

chicken

鶏肉 (toriniku) / チキン (chikin)

beef

牛肉 (gyūniku) / ビーフ (bīfu)

pork

豚肉 (butaniku) / ポーク (pōku)

mutton

マトン (maton) / 羊 (hitsuji)

lamb

ラム(肉) (ramu(-niku)) / 子羊 (kohitsuji)

fish

魚 (sakana)

ham

ハム (hamu)

sausage

ソーセージ (sōsēji)

cheese

チーズ (chīzu)

eggs

卵 / 玉子 (tamago)

salad

サラダ (sarada)

(fresh) vegetables

(新鮮な)野菜 ( (shinsen-na) yasai)

(fresh) fruit

(新鮮な)果物 ( (shinsen-na) kudamono)

bread

パン (pan)

toast

トースト (tōsuto)

noodles

麺類 (menrui)

pasta

パスタ (pasuta)

cooked rice

ご飯 (gohan)

raw rice

米 (kome)

soup

スープ : (sūpu)

beans

豆 (mame)

May I have a glass/cup of _____?

_____ を一杯下さい。 (____ wo ippai kudasai.)

May I have a bottle of _____?

_____ を一本下さい。 (_____ wo ippon kudasai.)

coffee

コーヒー (kōhī)

green tea

緑茶(ryokucha) / お茶 (ocha)

black tea

紅茶 (kōcha)

juice

ジュース(jūsu) / 果汁 (kajū)

milk

ミルク (miruku) / 牛乳 (gyūnyū) (The latter specifically refers to cow's milk.)

water

水 (mizu)

beer

ビール (bīru)

red/white wine

赤/白ワイン (aka/shiro wain)

Do you have _____?

_____ はありますか? (_____ wa arimasu ka?)

chopsticks

お箸 (o-hashi)

fork

フォーク (fōku)

spoon

スプーン (supūn)

sugar

砂糖 (satō)

salt

塩 (shio)

black pepper

胡椒 (koshō)

soy sauce

醤油 (shōyu)

ashtray

灰皿 (haizara)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)

すみません。 (sumimasen)

(when starting a meal)

いただきます。(itadakimasu)

It was delicious. (when finishing a meal)

ご馳走さまでした。 (Gochisōsama deshita.)

Please clear the plates.

お皿を下げてください。 (Osara o sagete kudasai.)

The check, please.

お勘定お願いします。 (O-kanjo onegaishimasu.) / 会計お願いします。 (Kaikei onegaishimasu)

Telephone

電話 denwa

Mobile phone

携帯(電話)　kētai(denwa)

Telephone number

電話番号 denwa bangō

Phone book

電話帳 denwa chō

Answering machine

留守番電話 rusuban denwa

Hello (only on the phone)

もしもし moshi moshi

May I speak to ... .

... をお願いします。... wo onegaishimasu.

Is ... there?

... はいらっしゃいますか？ ... wa irasshaimasu ka?

Who is calling?

どなたですか？ Donata desu ka?

One moment, please.

ちょっとお待ちください。 Chotto omachi kudasai.

... is not here right now.

... は今いません。 ... wa ima imasen.

I will call you again later.

後でまた電話します。 Ato de mata denwa shimasu.

I got the wrong number.

間違えました。 Machigaemashita.

The line is busy.

話し中です。 Hanashichū desu.

What is your phone number?

電話番号は何番ですか？ Denwa bangō wa nanban desu ka?

Do you serve alcohol?

お酒ありますか? (O-sake arimasu ka?)

Is there table service?

テーブルサービスありますか? (Tēburu sābisu arimasu ka?)

A beer/two beers, please.

ビール一杯・二杯下さい。(Biiru ippai/nihai kudasai.)

A glass of red/white wine, please.

赤・白ワイン一杯下さい。(Aka/shiro wain ippai kudasai.)

A mug (of beer), please.

(ビールの)ジョッキ下さい。((Bīru no) jokki kudasai.)

A bottle, please.

ビン下さい。 (Bin kudasai.)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

_____ と _____ 下さい。(_____ to _____ kudasai.)

sake

日本酒 (nihonshu)

Japanese liquor

焼酎 (shōchū)

whiskey

ウイスキー (uisukii)

vodka

ウォッカ (wokka)

rum

ラム (ramu)

water

水 (mizu)

club soda

ソーダ (sōda)

tonic water

トニックウォーター (tonikku wōtā)

orange juice

オレンジジュース (orenji jūsu)

cola (soda)

コーラ (kōra)

with ice

オンザロック (onzarokku (on the rocks))

Do you have any bar snacks?

おつまみありますか? (O-tsumami arimasu ka?)

One more, please.

もう一つください。 (Mō hitotsu kudasai.)

Another round, please.

みんなに同じものを一杯ずつください。 (Minna ni onaji mono o ippai zutsu kudasai.)

When is closing time?

閉店は何時ですか? (Heiten wa nanji desuka?)

Do you have this in my size?

私のサイズでありますか？ (Watashi no saizu de arimasu ka?)

How much is this?

いくらですか？ (Ikura desu ka?)

That's too expensive.

高過ぎます。 (Takasugimasu.)

Would you take _____?

_____円(で)はどうですか？ (_____ yen (de) wa dō desu ka?)

expensive

高い (takai)

cheap

安い (yasui)

I can't afford it.

そんなにお金がありません。 (Sonna ni okane ga arimasen.)

I don't want it.

要りません。 (Irimasen.)

You're cheating me, aren't you?

騙してるでしょう？ (Damashiteru deshō?) Use with caution!

I'm not interested.

興味ありません。 (Kyōmi arimasen.)

OK, I'll take it.

はい、それにします。 (Hai, sore ni shimasu.)

Can I have a bag?

袋を貰えますか？ (Fukuro o moraemasu ka?) or 袋をください (Fukuro o kudasai)

Do you ship (overseas)?

海外へ発送出来ますか？ (Kaigai e hassō dekimasu ka?)

I need...

___が欲しいです。 (____ ga hoshii desu.)

...spectacles.

眼鏡 (megane)

...toothpaste.

歯磨き粉 (hamigakiko)

...a toothbrush.

歯ブラシ (ha-burashi)

...tampons.

タンポン (tampon)

...soap.

洗剤(senzai, liquid or powder ), 石鹸 (sekken, bar soap)

...shampoo.

シャンプー (shampū)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

鎮痛剤 (chintsūzai)

...cold medicine.

風邪薬 (kazegusuri)

...stomach medicine.

胃腸薬 (ichōyaku)

...a razor.

剃刀 (kamisori)

...an umbrella.

傘 (kasa)

...sunblock lotion.

日焼け止め (hiyakedome)

...a postcard.

葉書 (hagaki)

...postage stamps.

切手 (kitte)

...batteries.

電池 (denchi)

...writing paper.

紙 (kami)

...a pen.

ペン (pen)

...a pencil.

鉛筆 (empitsu)

...English-language books.

英語の本 (eigo no hon)

...English-language magazines.

英語の雑誌 (eigo no zasshi)

...an English-language newspaper.

英字新聞 (ēji shinbun)

...a Japanese-English dictionary.

和英辞典 (waē jiten)

...an English-Japanese dictionary.

英和辞典 (ēwa jiten)

Are you married?

結婚していますか? (Kekkon shiteimasu ka?)

I am married.

結婚しています。 (Kekkon shiteimasu.)

I am single.

独身です。 (Dokushin desu)

Do you have brothers and sisters?

兄弟はいますか? (Kyōdai wa imasu ka?)

Do you have children?

子供はいますか? (Kodomo wa imasu ka?)

Father

父 (chichi)

Mother

母 (haha)

Older Brother

兄 (ani)

Older Sister

姉 (ane)

Younger Brother

弟 (otōto)

Younger Sister

妹 (imōto)

Grandfather

祖父 (sofu)

Grandmother

祖母 (sobo)

Uncle

叔父/伯父 (oji)

Aunt

叔母/伯母 (oba)

Husband

夫 (otto) / 主人 (shujin)

Wife

妻 (tsuma) / 家内 (kanai)

Son

息子 (musuko)

Daughter

娘 (musume)

Grandchild

孫　(mago)

Father

お父さん (otōsan)

Mother

お母さん (okāsan)

Older Brother

お兄さん (onīsan)

Older Sister

お姉さん (onēsan)

Younger Brother

弟さん (otōtosan)

Younger Sister

妹さん (imōtosan)

Grandfather

おじいさん (ojīsan)

Grandmother

おばあさん (obāsan)

Uncle

おじさん (ojisan)

Aunt

おばさん (obasan)

Husband

ご主人 (goshujin)

Wife

奥さん (okusan)

Son

息子さん (musukosan)

Daughter

お嬢さん (ojōsan)

Grandchild

お孫さん　(omagosan)

I want to rent a car.

レンタカーお願いします。 (Rentakā (rent-a-car) onegaishimasu.) 0:01

Can I get insurance?

保険入れますか? (Hoken hairemasu ka?) 0:12

Do you have a driver's license?

免許証を持っていますか? (Menkyoshō wo motteimasu ka?) 0:38

stop (on a street sign)

止まれ／とまれ (tomare) 0:40

one way

一方通行 (ippō tsūkō) 0:51

caution

徐行 (jokō) 1:05

road blocked

通行止め (tsūkōdome) 1:16

no parking

駐車禁止 (chūsha kinshi) 1:20

speed limit

制限速度 (seigen sokudo) 1:23

gas (petrol) station

ガソリンスタンド (gasorin sutando) 1:40

petrol

ガソリン (gasorin) 52:33

diesel

軽油/ディーゼル (keiyu / diizeru) 1:02:31

In Japan, you can legally be incarcerated for twenty-three (23) days before you are charged, but you do have the right to see a lawyer after the first 48 hours of detention. Note that if you sign a confession, you will be convicted.

I haven't done anything (wrong).

何も(悪いことを)していません。(Nani mo (warui koto wo) shiteimasen.)

It was a misunderstanding.

誤解でした。 (Gokai deshita.)

Where are you taking me?

どこへ連れて行くのですか？ (Doko e tsurete yukuno desu ka?)

Am I under arrest?

私は逮捕されてるのですか？ (Watashi wa taiho sareteruno desu ka?)

I am a citizen of ____.

____　の国民です。 (____ no kokumin desu.)

I want to meet with the ____ embassy.

____ 大使館と会わせて下さい。 (____ taishikan to awasete kudasai.)

I want to meet with a lawyer.

弁護士と会わせて下さい。(Bengoshi to awasete kudasai.)

Can it be settled with a fine?

罰金で済みますか？ (Bakkin de sumimasu ka?)
Note: You can say this to a traffic cop, but bribery is highly unlikely to work in Japan.

そうですね。 Sō desu ne.

"That's how it is, isn't it?"
General agreement. Especially old people can be heard going sō desu ne back and forth quite a few times.

（大変）お待たせしました。 (Taihen) omataseshimashita.

"I have made you wait (terribly) long."
Used as an excuse after any amount of downtime, even just seconds. Often also used as a starter to get things going again.

お疲れさまでした。 Otsukaresama deshita.

"It's been honorably tiresome."
To colleagues in the sense of "you gave it all, good work", but more generally at the end of almost any activity.

頑張って！ Ganbatte!

"Give it your best!"
Meant to be encouraging and motivating. 頑張れ！ Ganbare! in stronger cheering.

いただきます。 Itadakimasu.

"I will receive."
To yourself before starting to eat or when accepting something offered to you.

失礼します。 Shitsurei shimasu.

"I will trouble you." or "I will be impolite."
When entering your superiors room or an unfamiliar house, when trying to get someone's attention or generally when interrupting someone.

失礼しました。 Shitsurei shimashita.

"I have troubled you." or "Excuse my impoliteness."
When leaving your superiors room or an unfamiliar house or generally as "Sorry to have bothered you, carry on."

大丈夫。 Daijōbu.

"It is alright."
For general reassurance. Used with desu ka? to inquire if something or somebody is alright.

凄い！ Sugoi!

"Great!", "Incredible!"
Very popular amongst girls and greatly overused.

可愛い！ Kawaii!

"How cute!"
See sugoi.

ええぇ〜 Eee~

"Reallyyyyyyy~?"
Almost a standard reaction to any kind of news. Can be lengthened indefinitely and is hence useful to stall for time when thinking about a real answer.

ウソ！ Uso!

"Lie!"
Doesn't necessarily accuse one of lying, usually used in the sense of "Seriously?!"

Japanese makes extensive use of honorific language (敬語 keigo) when talking to people of higher status. Keigo is famously difficult to master and even Japanese salespeople often need to take special courses to learn to speak correctly. As a foreigner, you will generally not be expected to use keigo, but it is very commonly used in situations like salespeople talking to customers and public announcements, so having at least passive familiarity with the most common keigo verbs and constructs will come in very useful.

When talking to someone of higher status than yourself, it is important to use a respectful form (尊敬語 sonkeigo) when talking about the other person. Generally, this follows the pattern お～になる(o ~ ni naru), where ～ represents the stem of the basic polite form: eg. to read, 読む(yomu), basic polite form 読みます(yomimasu) becomes お読みになる(o-yomi-ni-naru). The naru at the end follows the normal conjugation patterns for naru, most commonly becoming narimasu (present) or narimashita (past). The main exceptions are listed below:

• To see: 見る becomes ご覧になる (goran-ni-naru).
• To eat/drink: 食べる/飲む becomes 召し上がる (meshi-agaru).
• To come/go/be at a place: 来る/行く/いる becomes いらっしゃる (irassharu). (basic polite form いらっしゃいます irasshaimasu and not いらっしゃります)
• To know: 知る becomes ご存知だ (gozonji-da).
• To give (to yourself): くれる becomes 下さる (kudasaru). (basic polite form 下さいます kudasaimasu and not 下さります)
• To do: する becomes なさる (nasaru). (basic polite form なさいます nasaimasu and not なさります)
• To say: 言う becomes おっしゃる (ossharu) (basic polite form おっしゃいます osshaimasu and not おっしゃります)

When talking about yourself to someone of higher status than you, it is important to put yourself down by using a humble form (謙遜語 kensongo). Generally this follows the pattern お～する (o ~ suru), where ～ reprents the stem of the basic polite form: eg. to borrow, 借りる(kariru), basic polite form 借ります (karimasu) becomes お借りする (o-kari-suru). The suru at the end follows the usual conjugation pattern of suru, most commonly becoming shimasu (present) or shimashita (past); for an extra helping of humility, the verb 致す itasu > 致します itashimasu can be substituted. The main exceptions are listed below:

• To see: 見る becomes 拝見する (haiken-suru).
• To come/go: 来る/行く becomes 参る (mairu).
• To eat/drink/receive: 食べる/飲む/もらう becomes いただく (itadaku)
• To give: あげる becomes さし上げる (sashi-ageru).
• To do: する becomes 致す (itasu)
• To know: 知る becomes 存じる (zonjiru)
• To say: 言う becomes 申し上げる (mōshi-ageru)
• My name is: いう becomes 申す (mōsu)

The third type of keigo is called simply "polite language", or teineigo (丁寧語). Whereas respectful and humble language refer to the subject (you and I), teineigo is used to simply imply respect to the listener. An example:

りんごをご覧になりますか？ Ringo wo goran ni narimasuka?

Can you see the apple? (respectful)

りんごを拝見します。 Ringo wo haiken shimasu.

I see the apple. (humble)

彼もりんごを見ます。 Kare mo ringo wo mimasu.

He also sees the apple. (polite)

In fact, the desu copula and the -masu form taught to beginning students of Japanese are both examples of teineigo. A few verbs and adjectives have special teineigo forms:

to be

aru (ある) → gozaimasu (ございます)

to die

shinu (死ぬ) → nakunaru (亡くなる)

good

ii/yoi (いい/良い) → yoroshii (よろしい)

Country and territory names in Japanese are generally borrowed from their English names and written in katakana. The names of languages are generally formed by adding 語 (go) to the end of the country name. Only exceptions are mentioned below. Also one-kanji abbreviation for the country name is shown in 「　」:

アジア Ajia

Asia　「亜」

日本 Nihon/Nippon , 日本国 Nihon-koku

Japan　「日」

中国 Chūgoku

China (or, confusingly, Western Honshu)　「中」

台湾 Taiwan

Taiwan　「台」

香港 Honkon

Hong Kong　「港」(rare)

韓国 Kankoku

South Korea　「韓」

北朝鮮 Kitachōsen

North Korea　「朝」

インド Indo

India (not an abbreviation of Indonesia)　「印」

インドネシア Indonesha

Indonesia

タイ Tai

Thailand　「泰」(rare)

トルコ Toruko

Turkey　「土」

アラブ首長国連邦 Arabu-shuchōkoku-rempō

United Arab Emirates

ヨーロッパ Yōroppa

Europe　「欧」

ドイツ Doitsu (derived from 'Deutsche')

Germany　「独」

イギリス Igirisu (derived from 'English'), 英国 Eikoku (written)

United Kingdom　「英」

フランス Furansu

France　「仏」

イタリア Itaria

Italy　「伊」

スペイン Supein

Spain　「西」

オランダ Oranda (derived from 'Holland')

The Netherlands　「蘭」

ベルギー　Berugī

Belgium　「白」(rare)

ハンガリー Hangarī

Hungary　「洪」(rare)

ロシア Roshia

Russia　「露」

イスラエル Isuraeru

Israel

アメリカ Amerika, 米国 Beikoku (written)

United States of America (not the whole American continent)　「米」

アフリカ Afurika

Africa

南アフリカ Minami-afurika

South Africa

エチオピア Echiopia

Ethiopia

オーストラリア Ōsutoraria , 豪州 Gōshū

Australia　「豪」