BASIC WORDS & PHRASES
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kon-nichiwa = Hello arigatoo = Thank you sayoonara = Goodby |
In any language, the first you ought to learn should be expressions for appreciation. A well-chosen phrase will make your relationship with the local people friendly, and will enable you to make unforgettable friends.
"A-ri-ga-to-o ありがとう(Thank you)" is the most common form for expressing appreciation. "Arigato" consists of five syllables, and should be pronounced with a pitch stress in the second syllable, that is, "ri" in standard Japanese, while people in Kansai district will put it on the forth syllable. The stress may be shifted from place to place, and often influenced by differences in sex and age.
If you want to look more polite, "Doomo-arigatoo-gozaimasu どうもありがとうございます" is recommended. Just uttering "Doomo" is popular among young people, but it sounds somewhat less respectful.
| Situations | Phrases & Pronunciation |
| when you get up in the morning | おはよう・おはようございます |
| ohayoo-gozaimasu | |
| both in the morning and afternoon | こんにちは |
| konnichi-wa | |
| to the people you do business with | いつもおせわになっております |
| itsumo-osewa ni natte-orimasu | |
| in the evening | こんばんは |
| konbanwa | |
| when you go to bed | おやすみ、おやすみなさい |
| oyasumi / oyasumi - nasai | |
| when you leave the place first | しつれいします |
| shitsurei-shi-masu | |
| when you meet someone for the first time | はじめまして |
| hajime-mashite | |
| when you ask someone how they are | お元気ですか |
| o-genki-desuka? | |
| when you apologize to someone | ごめんなさい・すみません |
| gomen-nasai / sumimasen | |
| excuse me! ( when you step on someone's foot by mistake, for example) | しつれい・すみません |
| shitsurei / sumimasen | |
| from the person just going out to the other staying | いってきます |
| itte-ki-masu | |
| from the person staying to the other just going out | いってらっしゃい |
| itte-rasshai | |
| from the person just got home to other having stayed home | ただいま |
| tadaima | |
| from the person having stayed hom to the person just got home | おかえりなさい |
| okaeri-nasai | |
| when you say goodby | さようなら |
| sayoonara |
Some of the Phrases Used in the Classroom
When you are enrolled in the Japanese language class, you had best learn by heart some of the phrases your teacher speaks to you. They are almost always fixed expressions.
| English | Japanese |
| Let's begin. | 始めましょう
hajime ma-shoo |
| Open your text book. | テキストを開けてください
tekisuto wo akete-kudasai |
| Close your text book. | テキストを閉じてください
tekisuto wo tojite-kudasai |
| Repeat after me. | 繰り返してください
kurikaeshite-kudasai |
| It's over.
That's all for today. |
これで終わります
korede owari-masu |
| See you (next week) | （来週）会いましょう
(raishuu) aimashoo |
You will need some of the expressions when you want to make yourself understood.
| English | Japanese |
| Please explain it to me once again.
Plese tell me once again. |
もう一度お願いします
mooichido onegai-shimasu |
| I can't understand it. | わかりません
wakari-masen |
| What does ... mean ? | ・・・って何ですか
...tte nan-desuka |
| I want to go to the rest room. | トイレに行きたいです
toire ni iki-tai-desu |
| I'll be absent from class (next week). | （来週）授業を休みます
raishuu jugyoo wo yasumi-masu |
Interrogatives
Even if you cannot speak Japanese, you are sure to be compelled to ask something. If you only know these interrogatives, you can manage.
| Questions | Japanese | Pronunciation |
| Who? | だれ | dare |
| What? | なに | nani |
| Which one? | どちら | dochira |
| When? | いつ | itsu |
| Where? | どこ | doko |
| Why? | なぜ | naze |
| How come? | どのようにして | dono-yooni-shite |
| How much? | いくら | ikura |
| How far?/How long?/How soon? | どのくらい | donokurai |
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