From Wikitravel

Japanese (日本語 nihongo) is spoken in Japan, and essentially nowhere else. The language is distinct from Chinese and Korean, although the written form uses Chinese (kanji) characters, and is not known to be related to any other language.

Contents 1 Grammar 2 Reading and writing 3 Pronunciation guide 3.1 Vowels 3.2 Consonants 3.3 Particles 3.4 Accent and intonation 4 Phrase list 4.1 Basics 4.2 Problems 4.3 Numbers 4.4 Time 4.4.1 Clock time 4.4.2 Duration 4.4.3 Days 4.4.4 Days of the Month 4.4.5 Months 4.4.6 Writing time and date 4.5 Colors 4.6 Transportation 4.6.1 Bus and train 4.6.2 Directions 4.6.3 Taxi 4.7 Lodging 4.8 Money 4.9 Eating 4.10 Bars 4.11 Shopping 4.12 Driving 4.13 Authority 4.14 Offensive Language 5 Learning more

Grammar

Japanese generally employs a subject-object-verb order, using particles to mark the grammatical functions of the words: 私がハンバーガーを食べる watashi-ga hamburger-o taberu, "I-subject hamburger-object eat". It is common to omit subjects and even objects if these are clear from previous context.

Verbs and adjectives conjugate by tense and politeness level, but not by person or number. There is no verb "to be" as such, but the polite copula desu can be used in most cases: John desu ("I am John"), Ringo desu ("This is an apple"), Akai desu ("It is red"), etc. Note that the exact meaning will depend on the implied subject!

The good news is that Japanese has none of the following: gender, declensions or plurals. Nouns never conjugate and almost all verbs are regular.

Reading and writing

Reading and writing Japanese are advanced skills which take years of work to gain much real proficiency. Japanese themselves use three different writing systems of various complexity, two of which (hiragana and katakana) are syllabic and relatively easy to learn with 50 characters each, but the clincher is the set of over 2000 Chinese characters known as kanji. The set of hiragana characters is illustrated below.

There are also several competing systems for rendering Japanese in the Latin alphabet, although the Hepburn romanization system is the most common and is used on Wikitravel as well. Do not be surprised if you see these words romanized differently elsewhere.

Pronunciation guide

Japanese is not a tonal language like Chinese or Thai, and is comparatively easy to pronounce.

Vowels

Japanese has both short and long vowels and the distinction is often important. In romanized Japanese, long vowels are marked with a macron, so that ō represents "long O".

Hiragana characters (ひらがな)

	a	i	u	e	o
	あ a	い i	う u	え e	お o
k	か ka	き ki	く ku	け ke	こ ko
s	さ sa	し shi	す su	せ se	そ so
t	た ta	ち chi	つ tsu	て te	と to
n	な na	に ni	ぬ nu	ね ne	の no
h	は ha	ひ hi	ふ fu	へ he	ほ ho
m	ま ma	み mi	む mu	め me	も mo
y	や ya		ゆ yu		よ yo
r	ら ra	り ri	る ru	れ re	ろ ro
w	わ wa				を (w)o
ん n
g	が ga	ぎ gi	ぐ gu	げ ge	ご go
z	ざ za	じ ji	ず zu	ぜ ze	ぞ zo
d	だ da	ぢ ji	づ zu	で de	ど do
b	ば ba	び bi	ぶ bu	べ be	ぼ bo
p	ぱ pa	ぴ pi	ぷ pu	ぺ pe	ぽ po
ky	きゃ kya		きゅ kyu		きょ kyo
sh	しゃ sha		しゅ shu		しょ sho
ch	ちゃ cha		ちゅ chu		ちょ cho
hy	ひゃ hya		ひゅ hyu		ひょ hyo
gy	ぎゃ gya		ぎゅ gyu		ぎょ gyo
j	じゃ ja		じゅ ju		じょ jo
by	びゃ bya		びゅ byu		びょ byo

a あ/ア 

like 'a' in "father"

i い/イ 

like 'i' in "machine"

u う/ウ 

like 'oo' in "hoop"

e え/エ 

like 'e' in "set"

o お/オ 

like 'o' in "rope"

n ん/ン 

short 'n' at the end of a syllable, pronounced as 'm' before 'b', 'p' or 'm'.

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.

Consonants

k かきくけこ / カキクケコ 

like 'k' in "king"

g がぎぐげご / ガギグゲゴ 

like 'g' in "go"

s さ　すせそ / サ　スセソ 

like 's' in "sit"

z ざ　ずぜぞ / ザ　ズゼゾ 

like 'z' in "haze"

t た　　てと / タ　　テト 

like 't' in "top"

d だ　　でど / ダ　　デド 

like 'd' in "dog"

n なにぬねの / ナニヌネノ 

like 'n' in "nice"

h はひ　へほ / ハヒフヘホ 

like 'h' in "help"

p ぱぴぷぺぽ / パピプペポ 

like 'p' in "pig"

b ばびぶべぼ / バビブベボ 

like 'b' in "bed"

m まみむめも / マミムメモ 

like 'm' in "mother"

y や　ゆ　よ / ヤ　ユ　ヨ 

like 'y' in "yard"

r らりるれろ / ラリルレロ 

like 'r' in "row" (actually a sound between 'l' and 'r', but closer to 'r')

w わ　　　　 / ワ　　　　 

like 'w' in "wall"

sh し / シ

(s before i) like 'sh' in "sheep"

j じ / ジ

(d before i) like 'j' in "jar"

ch ち / チ

(t before i) like 'ch' in "touch"

ts つ / ツ 

(t before u) like 'ts' in "hot soup"

f ふ / フ

(h before u) like 'wh' in "who"

Particles

Japanese uses certain hiragana characters as particles which mark the grammatical function of a word or phrase in a sentence. Some hiragana are pronounced differently when used as a particle:

• は (topic marker) is pronounced wa, also in こんにちは (kon'nichiwa)
• へ (direction marker) is pronounced e
• の (possessive marker) is pronounced no

Accent and intonation

Avoid placing too much emphasis on particular words or syllables. Japanese does have stress and intonation, but it is significantly flatter than English. Mastering word stress is a more advanced topic and neglecting it at this point should not interfere with meaning. Just trying to keep your intonation relatively flat will make your attempts to speak Japanese more comprehensible to local listeners. When asking questions, you can raise the tone at the end, as in English.

Phrase list

Common signs 営業中  Open 準備中  Closed 入口  Entrance 出口  Exit 押  Push 引  Pull お手洗い  Toilet 男  Men 女  Women 禁止  Forbidden

Basics

Hello. 

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-KAH?)

Fine, thank you. 

元気です。　Genki desu. (GEN-kee dess)

What is your name? 

お名前は何ですか。 O-namae wa nan desu ka?　(oh-NAH-mah-eh wah NAHN dess-KAH?)

My name is ____ . 

私の名前は ____ です。 Watashi no namae wa ____ desu. (wah-TAH-shee no nah-mah-eh wa ____ dess)

Nice to meet you. 

始めまして。　Hajimemashite. (hah-jee-meh-MASH-teh)

Please. (request) 

お願いします。　Onegai shimasu. (oh-neh-gigh shee-moss)

Please. (offer) 

どうぞ。 Dōzo. (DOH-zo)

Thank you. 

どうもありがとう。 Dōmo arigatō. (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh)

You're welcome. 

どういたしまして。 Dō itashi mashite. (doh EE-tah-shee mosh-teh)

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. 

御免なさい。 Gomen-nasai. (goh-men-nah-sigh)

Goodbye. (long-term) 

さようなら。 Sayōnara. (sa-YOH-nah-rah)

Goodbye. (informal) 

それでは。 Sore dewa. (SOH-reh deh-wah)

I can't speak Japanese [well]. 

日本語を「よく」話せません。 Nihongo o [yoku] hanasemasen. (nee-hohn-goh oh [yo-koo] hah-nah-seh-mah-sen)

Do you speak English? 

英語を話せますか。 Eigo o hanasemasuka? (AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

だれか英語を話せますか。 Dareka eigo o hanasemasuka? (dah-reh-kah AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?)

Help! 

たすけて! Tasukete! (tahs-keh-teh!)

Look out! 

あぶない! Abunai! (ah-boo-NIGH!)

Good morning. 

おはようございます。 Ohayō gozaimasu. (oh-hah-YOH go-zigh-moss)

Good evening. 

こんばんは。 Konbanwa. (kohm-bahn-wah)

Good night (to sleep) 

おやすみなさい。 Oyasuminasai. (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh)

I don't understand. 

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

Where is the toilet? 

トイレはどこですか。 Toire wa doko desu ka? (toy-reh wah DOH-koh dess kah?)

Problems

What part of "no" don't you understand? The Japanese are famously reluctant to say the word "no", and in fact the language's closest equivalent, いいえ iie, is largely limited to denying compliments you have received. ("Your Japanese is excellent! "Iie, it is very bad!"). But there are numerous other ways of expressing "no", so here are a few to watch out for. いいです。 結構です。 Ii desu. Kekkō desu.  "It's good/excellent." Used when you don't want more beer, don't want your bentō lunch microwaved, and generally are happy to keep things as they are. Accompany with teeth-sucking and handwaving to be sure to get your point across. ちょっと難しいです･･･ Chotto muzukashii desu...  Literally "it's a little difficult", but in practice "it's completely impossible." Often just abbreviated to sucking in air through teeth, saying "chotto" and looking pained. Take the hint. 申し訳ないですけど･･･ Mōshiwakenai desukedo...  "This is inexcusable but..." But no. Used by sales clerks and such to tell you that you cannot do or have something. 駄目です。 Dame desu.  "It's no good." Used by equals and superiors to tell you that you cannot do or have something. 違います。 Chigaimasu.  "It is different." What they really mean is "you're wrong". The casual form chigau and the Kansai contraction chau are also much used.

Leave me alone. 

ほっといて。 (hottoite.)

Don't touch me! 

さわらないで! (sawaranaide!)

I'll call the police. 

警察をよびます。 (keisatsu o yobimasu)

Police! 

警察! (keisatsu)

Stop! Thief! 

待て! どろぼう! (mate! dorobō!)

I need your help. 

たすけてください。 (tasukete kudasai)

It's an emergency. 

緊急です。 (kinkyū desu)

I'm lost. 

迷子です。 (maigo desu)

I lost my bag. 

かばんをなくしました。 (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've been injured. 

けがしました。 (kega shimashita)

Please call a doctor. 

医者を呼んでください。 (isha o yonde kudasai)

Can I use your phone? 

電話を使っていいですか? (denwa o tsukatte iidesuka)

Numbers

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 Japanese and Chinese readings for most numbers, but presented below are the more commonly used Chinese readings. Note that, due to superstition (shi also means "death"), 4 and 7 typically use the Japanese readings yon and nana instead.

Down for the count When counting objects, Japanese uses special counter words. For example, "two beers" is biiru nihon (ビール２本), where ni is "two" and -hon means "bottles". Alas, the list of possible counters is vast, but some useful ones include: generic object  個 -ko people  人 -nin, 名様 -meisama (polite) flat objects (papers, tickets)  枚 -mai long objects (bottles, pens) 本 -hon, -bon, -pon cups, glasses 杯 -hai, -bai, -pai nights of a stay  泊 -haku, -paku Note how many counters change form depending on the previous number: one, two, three glasses are ippai, nihai, sanbai respectively. You'll still be understood if you get these wrong though.

0 

〇, 零 (zero or rei)

1 

一 (ichi)

2 

二 (ni)

3 

三 (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 (jū)

11 

十一 (jū-ichi)

12 

十二 (jū-ni)

13 

十三 (jū-san)

14 

十四 (jū-yon)

15 

十五 (jū-go)

16 

十六 (jū-roku)

17 

十七 (jū-nana)

18 

十八 (jū-hachi)

19 

十九 (jū-kyuu)

20 

二十 (ni-jū)

21 

二十一 (ni-jū-ichi)

22 

二十二 (ni-jū-ni)

23 

二十三 (ni-jū-san)

30 

三十 (san-jū)

40 

四十(yon-jū)

50 

五十 (go-jū)

60 

六十 (ro-ku-jū)

70 

七十(nana-jū)

80 

八十 (hachi-jū)

90 

九十 (kyū-jū)

100 

百 (hyaku)

200 

二百 (ni-hyaku)

300 

三百 (san-byaku)

1000 

千 (sen)

2000 

二千 (ni-sen)

10,000 

一万 (ichi-man)

1,000,000 

百万 (hyaku-man)

100,000,000 

一億 (ichi-oku)

1,000,000,000,000 

一兆 (itchō)

0.5 

〇・五 (rei ten go)

0.56 

〇・五六 (rei ten gō-roku)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.) 

_____番 (____ ban)

half 

半分 (hanbun)

less (few) 

少ない (sukunai)

more (many) 

多い (ooi)

Time

now 

今 (ima)

later 

後で (atode)

before 

前に (mae ni)

before ___ 

___ の前に ( ___ no mae ni)

morning 

朝 (asa)

afternoon 

午後 (gogo)

evening 

夕方 (yūgata)

night 

夜 (yoru)

Clock time

For clock times, 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 and 夜 yoru for night may be more natural. The 24-hour clock is also commonly used in official contexts such as train schedules.

six o'clock AM 

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)

Duration

_____ minute(s) 

_____ 分 (fun or pun)

_____ hour(s) 

_____ 時間 (jikan)

_____ day(s) 

_____ 日 (nichi)

_____ week(s) 

_____ 週間 (shūkan)

_____ month(s) 

_____ ヶ月 (kagetsu)

_____ year(s) 

_____ 年 (nen)

Days

today 

今日(kyō)

yesterday 

昨日(kinō)

tomorrow 

明日(ashita)

this week 

今週(konshū)

last week 

先週(senshū)

next week 

来週(raishū)

Sunday 

日曜日 (nichiyōbi)

Monday 

月曜日 (getsuyōbi)

Tuesday 

火曜日 (kayōbi)

Wednesday 

水曜日 (suiyōbi)

Thursday 

木曜日 (mokuyōbi)

Friday 

金曜日 (kin'yōbi)

Saturday 

土曜日 (doyōbi)

Days of the Month

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

First day of the month 

1日 (tsuitachi)

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 (muika)

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 (jūichinichi)

Fourteenth day of the month 

14日 (jūyokka)

Twentieth day of the month 

20日 (hatsuka)

Twenty-fourth day of the month 

24日 (nijūyokka)

Months

Months are very orderly in Japanese, just add the suffix -gatsu to the 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)

Writing time and date

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

2006年3月21日(火)

Note that Imperial era years, based on the name and duration of the current Emperor's reign, are also frequently used. 2006 in the Gregorian calendar corresponds to Heisei 18 (平成18年), which may be abbreviated as "H18". Dates like "18/03/24" (March 24, Heisei 18) are also occasionally seen.

Colors

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)

brown 

茶(色) / ブラウン (cha(iro) / buraun)

Transportation

Bus and train

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 desuka?)

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 desuka?)

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 tomarimasuka?)

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 shimasuka?)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____? 

この[電車/バス]は何時に _____ に着きます? (kono densha/basu wa nanji ni _____ ni tsukimasuka?)

Directions

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 desuka?)

...lodgings? 

宿... (yado...)

...restaurants? 

レストラン... (resutoran...)

...bars? 

バー... (baa)

...sites to see? 

見物... (mimono...)

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)

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)

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

Taxi! 

タクシー! (Taxi!)

Take me to _____, please. 

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

How much does it cost to get to _____? 

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

Take me there, please. 

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

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available? 

空いてる部屋ありますか? (Aiteru heya arimasuka?)

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 desuka?)

Is the room Japanese/Western style? 

和室/洋室ですか？ (Washitsu/yōshitsu desuka?)

Does the room come with... 

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

...bedsheets? 

ベッドのシーツ... (beddo no shiitsu...)

...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 mitemo ii desuka?)

Do you have anything quieter? 

もっと[静かな]部屋ありますか? (motto [shizukana] heya arimasuka?)

...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 desuka?)

Do you have [a safe?] 

[金庫]ありますか? ([kinko] arimasuka?)

...lockers? 

...ロッカー? (rokkaa (locker))

Is breakfast/supper included? 

朝食/夕食は付きますか? (chōshoku/yūshoku wa tsukimasuka?)

What time is breakfast/supper? 

朝食/夕食は何時ですか? (chōshoku/yūshoku wa nanji desuka?)

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.)

Money

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 tsukae masuka?)

Do you accept British pounds? 

イギリスポンドは使えますか？ (igirisu pondo wa tsukaemasuka?)

Do you accept credit cards? 

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

Can you change money for me? 

お金両替できますか？ (okane ryōgae dekimasuka?)

Where can I get money changed? 

お金はどこで両替できますか？ (okane wa doko de ryōgae dekimasuka?)

Can you change a traveler's check for me? 

トラベラーズ・チェック両替できますか？ ((traveler's check) ryōgae dekimasuka?)

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？ ((traveler's check) wa doko de ryōgae dekimasuka?)

What is the exchange rate? 

為替レートはいくらですか？(kawase reeto 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?)

Eating

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 o kudasai.)

Can I look in the kitchen? 

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

Is there a house specialty? 

お勧めはありますか？ (O-susume wa arimasuka?)

Is there a local specialty? 

この辺の名物はありますか？ (Kono hen no meibutsu wa arimasuka?)

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 o hikaete kudasai.)

fixed-price meal 

定食 (teishoku)

à la carte 

一品料理 (ippinryōri)

breakfast 

朝食 (chōshoku)

lunch 

昼食 (chūshoku)

light meal/snack 

軽食 (keishoku)

supper 

夕食 (yūshoku)

Please bring _____. 

_____ を下さい。(_____ o kudasai.)

I want a dish containing _____. 

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

chicken 

鶏肉 (toriniku)

beef 

牛肉 (gyūniku)

fish 

魚 (sakana)

ham 

ハム (hamu)

sausage 

ソーセージ (sōseeji)

cheese 

チーズ (chiizu)

eggs 

卵 (tamago)

salad 

サラダ (sarada)

(fresh) vegetables 

(生)野菜 ( (nama) yasai)

(fresh) fruit 

(生)果物 ( (nama) kudamono)

bread 

パン (pan)

toast 

トースト (tōsuto)

noodles 

麺類 (menrui)

pasta 

パスタ (pasta)

rice 

ご飯 (gohan)

beans 

豆 (mame)

May I have a glass/cup of _____? 

_____ を一杯下さい。 (____ o ippai kudasai.)

May I have a bottle of _____? 

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

coffee 

コーヒー (kōhii)

green tea 

お茶 (o-cha)

black tea 

紅茶 (kōcha)

juice 

果汁 (kajū)

water 

水 (mizu)

beer 

ビール (biiru)

red/white wine 

赤/白ワイン (aka/shiro wain)

Do you have _____? 

_____ はありますか? (_____ wa arimasuka?)

chopsticks 

お箸 (o-hashi)

fork 

フォーク (fōku)

spoon 

スプーン (supūn)

salt 

塩 (shio)

black pepper 

胡椒 (koshō)

soy sauce 

醤油 (shōyu)

ashtray 

灰皿 (haizara)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server) 

済みません (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。 (Go-chisō-sama 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 onegai shimasu.)

Bars

Sake talk Sake, known in Japanese as 日本酒 nihonshu, has a vocabulary all its own. Here is a brief introduction. atsukan  熱燗 Heated sake. Recommended only in winter with cheap sake. hiyashi, reishu  冷やし, 冷酒 Chilled sake. The way to drink better sake. isshōbin  一升瓶 The standard sake bottle, containing 10 gō, ie. 1.8 liters. ichigō  一合 The standard measure for servings of sake, around 180 milliliters. tokkuri  徳利 A small ceramic jug used to pour sake, contains around one gō masu  升 A square wooden box traditionally used to drink chilled sake, also contains one gō. Drink from the corner. choko  ちょこ A tiny gulp-sized ceramic cup for sake.

Do you serve alcohol? 

お酒ありますか? (O-sake arimasuka?)

Is there table service? 

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

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。(Biiru 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 uōtā)

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)

Do you have any bar snacks? 

おつまみありますか? (o-tsumami arimasuka?)

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?)

Shopping

O, honorable prefix! Nearly any Japanese word can be prefixed with the respectful tags o- (お) or go- (ご or 御), often translated with the unwieldy four-syllable word "honorable". A few you might expect — o-tōsan (お父さん) is "honorable father", o-kami (お上) is "honorable God" — and a few you might not — o-shiri (お尻) is "honorable buttocks". Most of the time, they're used to emphasize that the speaker is referring to the listener, so if someone enquires if after your honorable health (お元気 o-genki) it's proper to strip off the honorific and reply that you are merely genki. However, for some words like gohan (ご飯) "rice" and ocha (お茶) "tea", the prefix is inseparable and should always be used.

Do you have this in my size? 

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

How much is this? 

いくらですか？ (Ikura desuka?)

That's too expensive. 

高過ぎます。 (Takasugimasu.)

Would you take _____? 

_____円はどうですか？ (_____ wa dō desuka?)

expensive 

高い (takai)

cheap 

安い (yasui)

I can't afford it. 

そんなにお金は持っていません。 (Sonna-ni o-kane wa motte imasen.)

I don't want it. 

要らないです。 (Iranai desu.)

You're cheating me. 

騙してるんだ。 (Damashiteru n da.) Use with caution!

I'm not interested. 

興味ないです。 (Kyōmi nai desu.)

OK, I'll take it. 

はい、それにします。 (Hai, sore ni shimasu.)

Can I have a bag? 

袋もらってもいいですか？ (Fukuro moratte mo ii desuka?)

Do you ship (overseas)? 

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

I need... 

___が欲しいです。 (____ ga hoshii desu.)

...toothpaste. 

歯磨き (hamigaki)

...a toothbrush. 

歯ブラシ (ha-burashi)

...tampons. 

タンポン (tanpon)

...soap. 

石鹸 (sekken)

...shampoo. 

シャンプー (shanpū)

...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)

...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. 

英語の新聞 (eigo no shinbun)

...a Japanese-English dictionary. 

和英辞典 (waei jiten)

...an English-Japanese dictionary. 

英和辞典 (eiwa jiten)

Driving

I want to rent a car. 

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

Can I get insurance? 

保険入れますか? (hoken hairemasuka?)

stop (on a street sign) 

止まれ (tomare)

one way 

一方通行 (ippō tsukō)

caution 

徐行 (jokō)

no parking 

駐車禁止 (chūsha kinshi)

speed limit 

制限速度 (seigen sokudo)

gas (petrol) station 

ガソリンスタンド (gasorin sutando)

petrol 

ガソリン (gasorin)

diesel 

軽油/ディーゼル (keiyu / diizeru)

Authority

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)してません。(Nani mo (warui koto) shitemasen.)

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 desuka?)

Am I under arrest? 

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

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 sumimasuka?)
Note: You can say this to a traffic cop, but bribery is highly unlikely to work in Japan.

Offensive Language

It might happen that there is a need to express negative emotions towards others. Or it might happen that others do this to you. In those cases it is useful to understand some Japanese offensive words. Please use these with care.

Fool or idiot 

バカ (baka)

Fool or idiot, used in Kansai 

アホ (aho) - writing unsure

Doing something untimely 

まぬけ (manuke)

A slow person 

のろま (noroma)

Being bad at something 

下手 (heta)

Being very bad at something 

下手糞 (hetakuso)

A stingy person 

ケチ (kechi)

An old man 

ジジイ (jijii)

An old woman 

ババア (babaa)

Not being cool 

ダサイ (dasai)*

Fussy or depressing 

ウザイ (uzai)*

Creepy 

キモイ (kimoi)*

Drop dead! 

くたばれ (kutabare)

Get out of the way! 

どけ (doke)

Noisy! 

うるさい (urusai)

• These words are mostly used by young people

Learning more

• WWWJDIC — an excellent free English-Japanese-English dictionary including sentence translation, kanji lookup and place/personal name dictionary
• Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials — online study aids and quizzes
• Learn Japanese by listening — an excellent resource for learning Japanese over mp3.. plus they have the guides in .pdf too.