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Handy Japanese Phrases

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Fortune Tablets outside a temple, Tokyo, Japan. Visitors buy a wooden tablet on which they can write their wish.

Although Japanese is considered one of the more difficult languages to learn, simple phrases are easy to read and pronounce. Japanese does not have the complex tonal variations of many Asian languages, such as Chinese, and the words are arranged in easy syllables. Japanese people are often scared to speak English with a foreigner, but will warm up after hearing a few Japanese phrases.

Pronunciation

Japanese has five vowel sounds:

  • a as the 'a' in 'father'
  • i as the 'ee' in 'knee'
  • u as the 'oo' in 'look'
  • e as the 'e' in 'pet'
  • o as the 'o' in 'horse'

The vowel sounds do not change, but can be combined or lengthened, eg:

  • ai as the 'y' in 'my'
  • uu as the 'oo' in 'food'

The consonants are:

k, g, s, t, ch, n, h, b, p, m, r1, y

These consonants are always attached to a vowel and cannot stand alone, with two exceptions:

  1. 'n' can be used on its own, eg sumimasen
  2. The syllable 'su' is often shortened to 's' in common speech. desu is therefore pronounced dess and desu ka becomes desska

Japanese words are not stressed, as English words are. In order to keep the phrases understandable, try to pronounce them according to the syllables, eg sa-yo-na-ra, kon-ni-chi-wa.

Everyday Phrases

EnglishJapanese
HelloKonnichiwa
Good morningOhayo
Good eveningKonbanwa
How are you?Genki desu ka?
I'm fineGenki desu
Nice to meet youHajimemashite("shtay")
GoodbyeSayonara
See you laterMata ne
GoodnightOyasuminasai
PleaseKudasai
ThanksArigato
Excuse meSumimasen
SorryGomenasai
YesHai
NoIee
Forbidden/Impossible Dame

Introduction

EnglishJapanese
My name is ... Watashi wa ... desu
What is your name? Namae wa nan desu ka?
I come from ...the USA  Amerika kara kimashita
...England  Igirisu kara kimashita
...Canada  Kanada kara kimashita
...Australia  Osturaria kara kimashita
...New Zealand  Nuu Jiirando kara kimashita
...South Africa  Minami Afurika kara kimashita
...Germany  Doitsu kara kimashita
Do you speak English? Eigo wakarimasu ka?
I don't understand Wakarimasen

Questions

EnglishJapanese
Who? Dare?
What? Nan?
When? Itsu?
Where? Doko?
Why? Naze?
How much? Ikura?
Where is/are the ... hotel?  Hoteru wa doko2 desu ka?
...station?  Eki wa doko desu ka?
...tourist info?  Annaijo wa doko desu ka?
...toilet?  Toire wa doko desu ka?

Emergency

EnglishJapanese
Excuse me!Sumimasen!
Help me, please Tasukete kudasai
I'm lostMichi mayotta
Stop!Yamete kudasai!
Pervert!!!Chikan!!!
Police (Police!!!) Keikan (Omawarisan!!!)
AmbulanceKyukyusha
FireKaji

Numbers

EnglishJapanese
1Ichi
2Ni
3San
4Shi
5Go
6Roku
7Nana
8Hachi
9Ku
10Ju
11Ju-ichi
20Ni-ju
100Hyaku
1000Sen
10000Man
32564San-man Ni-sen Go-hyaku Roku-ju-yon
1With this sound, the tongue is placed halfway between an 'r' sound and an 'l' sound2Use any of the question words

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