Getting Started

Getting Started These are some general guidelines for starting to study Japanese. First, learn the basic pronunciation of Japanese sounds. If you don't learn proper pronunciation first, you will have to unlearn many words you learned incorrectly later. Next, learn the hiragana and katakana. The sooner you learn how to read the basic scripts of Japanese the better. Relying on romaji will make it more difficult later on. Also, learning these will open a wide range of possibilities for language study resources. Katakana is especially useful for people who are moving to Japan. The reason for this is that many of the katakana words you will encounter in Japan are based on English. (Exp. miruku = milk) It therefore usually requires very little effort to read it. Since it is sharper looking than any of the other scripts it is easy to pick out katakana words on packages. This is incredibly helpful for shopping and reading menus. What words should I learn?The best thing to do is to learn words that you will use often or that you will hear often. For instance, if you have a cat then most likely it will come up in conversation at some point, so it would be wise to learn the word cat. However, if you don't talk about the North Pole all that often, don't memorize that word just to increase the size of your vocabulary. Those kinds of words will come later. Time is much better spent memorizing useful everyday vocabulary.

Welcome to the Expressions section of Nihongo o Narau. This section contains common expressions that are useful to know. The expressions presented are not explained in terms of grammatical points as they are best memorized as set phrases. The Greetings and Common Sayings sections are recommended as good starting phrases for beginners.Greetings

Greetings are very important in Japanese. Both greeting and parting phrases are called aisatsu. Someone who makes no aisatsu may be seen as cold and dysfunctional. These aren't all the aisatsu out there, but they'll give you a good start.

Good morning. (Hi.)

Ohayou gozaimasu.

Good afternoon. (Hi.)

Konnichi wa.

Good evening. (Hi.)

Konban wa.

Good night. (Said before bedtime.)

Oyasuminasai. (Lit. Have a good rest.)

It's been a long time.

Ohisashiburi desu.

How do you do? (Said when meeting someone for the first time.)

Hajimemashite.

It's nice to meet you.

Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Are you well?

Ogenki desu ka.

Yes, I'm fine.

Hai, genki desu.

Goodbye.

Sayounara./Sayonara. (Sayonara is not normally used when leaving one's own home unless one is leaving for a very long time.)

See you.

Dewa mata./Ja mata./Mata ne.

See you tomorrow.

Mata ashita.

I'm going but I'll be back. (Said when leaving home.)

Ittekimasu.

Have a good time. See you later. (Response to Ittekimasu.)

Itterasshai.

Take care. (Be careful)

Ki o tsukete.

I'm home.

Tadaima.

Welcome home. (Said in response to 'tadaima.')

Okaerinasai.

I'm sorry for leaving before you. (Said as one leaves the office if leaving before other people.)

Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.

Thanks for working so hard. (Said to someone who's finished a task or in response to Osaki ni.. )

Otsukare sama deshita.

Welcome.

Youkoso.

Sorry to bother you. (Said when entering someone's home.)

Ojamashimasu.

Please come in. (Lit. Please come up. Said to someone entering your home.)

Oagari kudasi.

Common SayingsPlease note that greeting and closing remarks are covered on their own page.EnglishJapanese

I receive. (Said before eating a meal.)Itadakimasu.

Thank you for the meal. (Said after eating a meal.)Gochisou sama deshita.

Do your best.Ganbatte kudasai.

Are you all right?Daijoubu desu ka?

I'm all right.Daijoubu desu.

Here you are. (Offering a favor.)Douzo.

Please do it. (lit. 'I beg you.') (Requesting a favor.)Onegai shimasu.

Thank you (very much).(Doumo) arigatou gozaimasu.

Thanks.Arigatou./Doumo.

You're welcome.Douitashimashite.

I don't understand.Wakarimasen./Wakaranai.

Excuse me. (Getting attention)Sumimasen.

I'm sorry.Gomen nasai.

Is that so?Aa sou desu ka?

That's tough isn't it?Taihen desu ne.

How unfortunateZannen desu ne.

Excuse me. (I am rude. )Shitsurei shimasu.

I am being rude by leaving before you. (Said when leaving the room before someone, particularly when leaving work before others.)Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.

(You've worked hard so) you must be tired. (Said to someone leaving work for home.)Otsukare sama deshita.

Excuse me. (Said when entering someone's home.)Ojama shimasu.

Cheers! Kanpai.

No, that's OK. (Said when refusing something.)Iie, kekkou desu.

It can't be helped. Shou ga nai.

Note: Someone once asked me whether Taihen desu ne. and Zannen desu ne. were sarcastic phrases. They aren't sarcastic; rather, they are used to express sympathy.

Sorry

Just as saying a simple 'I'm sorry' will not work in every situation in English, there are many different ways to apologize in Japanese. There are more forms than are listed on this page; this is only an introduction.

sumimasen

I'm sorry. (Excuse me.) - Can be used to get someone's attention.

gomen nasai gomen

Forgive me. (The nasai form is polite.) - Use for apologies or when declining something.

shitsurei shimasu

Please excuse me. (Lit. I'm going to break form.) - Use when entering a room during a meeting (for serving tea etc.) or when looking for something on someone's desk. (If you are intruding on someone's time/space it's good to say this.) - Used by school children as they enter the teachers' room.

shitsurei shimashita

Please excuse me, I was rude. (Lit. I broke form.)- Use when exiting a room.- Used by school children as they exit the teachers' room.

moushiwake arimasenmoushiwake gozaimasen

I have no excuse. (The gozaimasen form is more polite.)

ikenai koto o shimashita

I've done something I shouldn't have.

watakushi ga warukatta

I was wrong. (Lit. I was bad.)

Telephone Phrases It is always difficult to talk on the phone in a language you don't understand well. Don't give up though. Practice will help a lot. Listen very carefully to what the other person says. Talking on the phone in Japanese has an added complication, since there are some formal phrases customarily used in phone conversations. (The Japanese normally talk very politely on the phone unless talking with a friend.) Telephone Numbers A telephone number (denwa bango) consists of the three parts, for example, (XX) XXXX-XXXX. The first part is the area code. The second and last part are the person's number. Each number is usually read separately, linking the parts with the particle "no". In telephone numbers 0 is often pronounced as zero, 4 as yon, 7 as nana, and 9 as kyuu (as 0, 4, 7 and 9 each have two different pronunciations). If you do not know the Japanese numbers, click here to learn them. If my phone number were 1234-5678 it would be read "ichi ni san yon no go roku nana hachi." (Remember 'no' takes the place of the dash in the number.) To ask someone's number you can say Denwa bango wa nan ban desu ka. PhrasesIn Japanese, a lot of set phrases are used when speaking on the phone, especially in business situations. One important phrase is "moshi moshi." It is used by the caller when the person at the other end picks up. Some people say "moshi moshi" to answer the phone, but "hai" is used more often especially in business. (Do not say 'mushi mushi' that means 'bugs, bugs' and sounds rather silly.) Moshi moshi can also be said when you think that the caller cannot hear you or to make sure the caller is still on the line. Before hanging up the phone it is common to say shitsurei shimasu or shitsurei itashimasu. This indicates that you are about to hang up.

At the Office

Watanabe to moushimasu. This is Mr./Ms. Watanabe.

Ogura-san wa irasshaimasu ka. Is Mr./Ms. Ogura there?

Tanaka-san o onegaishimasu.Could I speak to Mr./Ms. Tanaka?

Hai, orimasu. Yes, he/she's in.

Moushiwake arimasen ga, tadaima gaishutsu shite orimasu. I'm sorry, he's/she's not here at the moment.

Naisen no XX-ban o onegaishimasu.I'd like extension XX please.

Shou shou omachi kudasai. Just a moment, please.

Shitsurei desu ga, dochira sama desu ka. Excuse me, but who's calling, please?

Nanji goro omodori desu ka. Do you know about when he/she will be back?

Chotto wakarimasen. I'm not sure.

Mousugu modoru to omoimasu. He/she should be back soon.

Yuugata made modorimasen. He/she won't be back till this evening.

Nanika otsutae shimashou ka. Can I take a message?

Onegaishimasu. Please do.

Iie, kekkou desu. No, that's OK, thank you.

O-denwa kudasai to otsutae negaemasu ka. Could you please ask him/her to call me?

Mata denwa shimasu to otsutae kudasai.Could you please tell him/her I'll call back later?

Konban mata kakenaoshite kudasai. Please call back this evening.

Someone's Home

Yamada-san no otaku desu ka. Is this Mr./Ms. Yamada's residence?

Hai, sou desu.Yes, it is.

Watakushi wa Ichiro desu ga.This is Ichiro.

Haruko-san wa irasshaimasu ka. Is Haruko there?

Yabun osoku ni sumimasen.I'm sorry to phone you so late at night.

Dengon o onegaishimasu. Can I leave a message?

Mata ato de denwa shimasu.I'll call back later.

Phone Troubles

Sumimasen. I'm sorry.

Motto yukkuri hanashite kudasai.Please speak more slowly.

Mou ichido itte kudasai.Please say it again.

Mou ichido onegaishimasu.Could you repeat that please?

Wakarimasu ka.Do you understand?

Wakarimasen.I don't understand.

Iie, chigaimasu. No, you're mistaken. (Use this when people have dialed the wrong number.)

Machigaemashita.I made a mistake. (I dialed the wrong number.)

Help!EnglishJapanese

Help!Tasukete!

Fire!Kaji da!

Call the police!Keisatsu o yonde!

Get a doctor!Isha o yonde!

Call an ambulance!Kyuukyuusha o yonde!

Call the fire department!Shoubousho o yonde!

Come quickly!Isoide kite!

Go away!Atchi e ike!

Give it back!Kaeshite-kure!

Theif!Dorobou!

Don't touch me!Sawaranaide!

I'm lost.Michi ni mayoimashita.

I'm ill.Kibun ga suguremasen.

I'm hurt.Kega shite shimaimashita.

Please help me.Tasukete kudasai.

Meeting a Friend Dialogue: Ishida: Hazuki:Ishida:

Tanaka:

Hazuki:Tanaka:Hazuki:Tanaka:Hazuki:Tanaka:Hazuki:

Konnichiwa. Konnichiwa. Hazuki-san, kochira wa watashi no tomodachi desu. Tanaka Keiko-san desu. Hajimemashite. Tanaka Keiko desu. Douzo yoroshiku.

Hazuki Ken desu. Douzo yoroshiku. Gakusei desu ka. Hai, gakusei desu. Go-senmon wa. Ongaku desu. Anata mo gakusei desu ka. Iie, kangoshi desu. Sou desu ka.

Translations: Ishida:

Hazuki:

Ishida:

Tanaka:

Hazuki:

Tanaka:

Hazuki:

Tanaka:

Hazuki:

Tanaka:

Hazuki:

Hello.

Hello.

Mr. Hazuki, this is my friend. This is Keiko Tanaka.

How do you do? I'm Keiko Tanaka. Nice to meet you.

I'm Ken Hazuki. Nice to meet you.

Are you a student?

Yes, I am.

What is your major?

Music. Are you a student, too?

No, I'm a nurse.

I see.

Vocabulary:

Konnichiwa.

kochira watashi anata tomodachi

Hajimemashite.

Douzo yoroshiku.

gakusei

haiiie

go-senmon kangoshi

Sou desu ka.

wa mo no

Hello./Good afternoon.

this person (used when introducing someone) I you friend

How do you do? (used when meeting for the first time) Nice to meet you.

student

yes no

field of study (go is for politeness) nurse

I see./Is that so?

subject marker particle (follows the subject)particle meaning alsopossesive particle

Romaji Version :Kore wa watashi no neko desu. Namae wa Cha-ri- desu. Juunisai no osu desu. Kawaii deshou? Ke wa totemo yawarakakute kimochi-ii desu. Suki na koto wa haha no niwa no ki no shita de neru koto desu. Tokugi wa mae ashi no roppon no yubi de mono wo tsukamu koto desu.

Translation:This is my cat. His name is Charlie. He's a twelve year old male. Isn't he cute? His fur is very soft so it feels really nice. His favorite thing is to sleep underneath the trees in my mother's garden. His specialty is grabbing things with the six toes on his front feet.

Vocabulary:

kore

thiswatashi no mynekocatnamaenamejuunisai12 years old osumale (animal) kawaiicutekehair/furtotemoveryyawarakaisoftkimochi-ii feels nice suki na liked, favorite kotothing (abstract) haha(one's own) mother niwagarden / yard kitreeshitaunder, beneath, below neruto sleep tokugispecialtymaefrontashilegs/feetroppon6 (pon comes from hon, the counter for long thin things) yubifingers/toesmonothing (concrete) tsukamugrab

Do You Understand Japanese?Dialogue: Jean Paul:

Hajimemashite.Boku no namae wa Jon Po-ru desu.Onamae wa nan desu ka.

Anna:Hajimemashite.Watashi no namae wa Anna desu.

Jean Paul:Nihongo ga wakarimasu ka.

Anna:Hai, chotto wakarimasu.Jon Po-ru-san, eigo ga wakarimasu ka.

Jean Paul:Iie, wakarimasen.

Anna:Nanigo ga wakarimasu ka.

Jean Paul:Furansugo ga wakarimasu.

Translation: Jean Paul:

How do you do?My name is Jean Paul. What's your name?

Anna:Nice to meet you.My name is Anna.

Jean Paul:Do you understand Japanese?

Anna:Yes, I understand a little.Jean Paul, do you understand English?

Jean Paul:No, I don't.

Anna:What language do you understand.

Jean Paul:I understand French.

Vocabulary:

wakarimasu

understand

wakarimasendon't understand

FuransugoFrench

eigoEnglish

hajimemashiteHow do you do?/Nice to meet you. (Said when meeting someone for the first time)

namaename

iieno

haiyes

chotto a little bit

Mini Conversations 1 Erika: Sore wa nan desu ka?Anne: Kore desu ka?Erika: Hai.Anne: Watashi no kaban desu.What's that?This? Yes.It's my bag.

Sam: Kono hon wa dare no desu ka?Shawn: Boku no desu.

Who's book is this?It's mine.

Lisa: Watashi no enpitsu wa doko desu ka?Chad: Asoko desu.Lisa: Aa, sou desu ka? Arigatou.

Where is my pencil?It's over there.Is that so? Thank you.

Alice: Kono inu wa dare no desu ka?Miki: Sono inu wa watashi no desu.Alice: Aa sou desu ka? Inu no namae wa nan desu ka?Miki: Supaiku desu.Who's dog is this?That dog is mine.Is that so? What's the dog's name?It's Spike.

Kenichi: Konnichi wa.Mike: Konnichi wa. Ogenki desu ka?Kenichi: Hai, genki desu. Maiku-san wa?Mike: Genki desu.Hello.Hello. Are you doing well?Yes, I'm fine. And how about you, Mike?I'm fine.

Meru: Sore wa neko desu ka?Hana: Kore desu ka?Meru: Hai.Hana: Iie, neko janai desu. Inu desu.Meru: Sou desu ka?Hana: Hai. Ben-san no inu desu.Meru: Namae wa nan desu ka?Hana: Pooki desu.Is that a cat?This?Yes.No, it's not a cat. It's a dog.Is that so?Yes. It's Ben's dog.What's its name?It's Porky.

VowelsJapanese has five basic vowels. They are romanized as a i u e and o. They are pronounced something like the 'a' in 'awful', the 'ee' in 'feet', the 'oo' in 'mood', the 'e' in 'met', and the 'o' in 'cold'. Listen to the example sound files at the bottom of the page for more help.If vowels are written in combination, each vowel should be pronounced separately. For instance ai sounds like 'eye' to the English speaker and oo is pronounced by stretching out the o sound.The combination ei is not pronounced ay. Instead, it is usually pronounced as an enlongated version of the e (as in met).The vowel u is usually pronounced faintly or dropped entirely when found in the syllable su. This is especially true at the end of words such as desu or -masu which tend to sound like des and mas. Another example is suki which tends to be pronounced as ski.

ConsonantsMost Japanese consonants are pronounced the same way they are in English. There are some important differences, however.1. The letter g is always pronounced as in 'gone' and never as in 'gin.'2. The ch combination is always pronounced as in 'chocolate' and never as in 'charade.'3. The fu syllable is pronounced more like 'who' is in English, except that it is more clipped and is made by bringing the lips close together rather than by bringing the upper teeth close to the lower lip like in English.4. The Japanese r is nothing like the English 'r.' Rather, it is more like a clipped L sound. It is pronounced something like the 'dd' in the name Eddy. It is made by flicking the tip of the tongue off of the gums behind the top front teeth. This sound is used as a substitute for the 'L' and 'R' sounds in foreign words.5. The tsu sound has no good examples of use in English. Instead, listen to these examples. The voice sample has the syllable tsu followed by tsunami (tidal wave), tsuki (moon), tsubasa (wings), and tsuri (fishing).6. The y that is found in some words is never a vowel as it can be in English. Thus, Toyota is not pronounced 'toy-o-ta' as it is in English, but to-yo-ta. The y can also act as a glide. Thus, Tokyo which is often pronounced 'to-ky-o' in English, is actually pronounced to-kyo in Japanese.7. The n in Japanese has two pronunciations. The first is at the beginning of na, ni, nu, ne, and no, where it is pronounced the same as it is in English. The other is where n stands by itself. (With no vowel following it within the same word.) Here, it is pronounced as a nasal 'n.'

Double Consonants When a word contains double consonants, the double k's in bakkin (a penalty or fine) for example, they are pronounced separately, with a slight space separating the two. In this case, the double k's are pronounced something like the 'kc' in bookcase.Particles Wo, Ha, and HeWhen you see the character wo in a sentence, it is actually pronounced more like o. When ha is used as a particle to mark the subject of a sentence, it is pronounced like wa. Ha is also pronounced as wa when used in the words konnichiha and konbanha. When he is used as a particle in a sentence it is pronounced as e.Sound File ExamplesClick on the syllables to see how they're pronounced. aiueo

kakikukeko

sashisuseso

tachitsuteto

naninuneno

hahifuheho

mamimumemo

yayuyo

rarirurero

wawo

n

Voice samples courtesy of R. Fujinuma. Note that all the pronunciations on this page are based on American English. If you speak with a different accent please listen to the sound files.