Start learning the most common Japanese phrases
Japanese is a fascinating and melodic language that is thought to be the most fastly spoken language in the world. So, why not learn a few basic Japanese phrases and expressions to enhance your general knowledge and become happier in the process?
There’s an infinite number of sentences in the Japanese language that makes learning Japanese feel overwhelming. Let's stay optimistic. We have some good news: you only need to know a fraction of the total number of Japanese sentences to be able to speak Japanese fluently. For example, by knowing as little as 100 words, you will understand 50% of any text in Japanese. That's right! You don't have to know the ins and outs of Japanese to have a real conversation with someone from Japan.
The secret is to learn Japanese the smart way. Start with the most common Japanese phrases and expressions and build from there. Learning sentence after sentence, you’ll feel one step closer to fluency. Then, to lock the knowledge in, use the Japanese sentences you learned in real conversations. So, why not make the first step towards learning Japanese today? Let’s go over some common Japanese sentences you can learn right now. These are just a fraction of the phrases spoken by native Japanese speakers you can listen to on Mondly, our high rated language learning app loved by millions of people around the world.
Top 10 Japanese phrases and sentences you need to know
We have prepared a list of common Japanese expressions that will help you have a basic conversation in Japanese in no time. Let's dig in!
1. おはようございます。 = Good morning.
If you find yourself in Tokyo it is always polite to say “Hi” every morning because Japanese speakers are really sociable. “Good morning” in Japanese is "おはようございます。".
Now enjoy being greeted by a native speaker:
2. こんにちは。 = Good afternoon.
But what if it's later in the day and you want to greet someone from Japan? Well, “Good afternoon” in Japanese is "こんにちは".
Now listen to how a Japanese speaker would pronounce it:
3. 私の名前はモンドリです。 = My name is Mondly.
Let's say your name is Mondly, you are traveling to Tokyo and meet someone on the street. To introduce yourself you can say "私の名前はモンドリです。" which means "My name is Mondly" in Japanese.
Listen to how a person from Tokyo would pronounce this phrase:
4. あなたに会えて光栄です。 = I'm pleased to meet you.
Now that you have introduced yourself, a Japanese speaker would respond "あなたに会えて光栄です。" which means "I'm pleased to meet you" in Japanese.
Listen to a native Japanese speaker saying that exact sentence to you right now:
5. 元気? = How are you?
At this point, it might be polite to ask the person you are having a conversation with "How are you?" in Japanese.
It’s really easy to pronounce. Here's how to say it:
6. あなたはどこにいますか。 = Where are you?
Japanese speakers are known to be really friendly, so it wouldn't be unusual to make a Japanese friend during your travels. But friends are sometimes late to meetings in which case you might have to call them and ask "Where are you?" in Japanese.
Here's a native speaker showing you how to say it:
7. ビールをください。 = I'd like a beer.
And because you might find yourself in a bar when visiting Japan you might have to learn how to order a beer in Japanese.
Let a native Japanese speaker show you how it's done:
8. ごめんなさい。 = I'm sorry.
There are times when what you ordered is out of stock, so a bartender might say "ごめんなさい。" which means "I'm sorry" in Japanese.
Listen to how it's pronounced:
9. またね！ = See you soon!
This is a good way of saying "See you soon" in Japanese to a co-worker from Osaka that you are probably going to see the next day.
Delight your senses with a Japanese speaker saying the phrase:
10. さようなら。 = Goodbye.
Let's end with the best way to end a pleasant conversation politely. This is another way of saying "Goodbye" in Japanese.
Here's how a person from Japan would pronounce it:
Did you know?
Native Japanese people don't really call their country "Japan" but にっぽん (Nippon) or にほん (Nihon) and it is actually translated as "Land of the Rising Sun", although most countries around the globe use the name "Japan", which was adapted from Chinese by Portuguese traders hundreds of years ago.
The first ever novel it said to be written by a Japanese female writer and poet called Murasaki Shikibu and the name of the book is "Genji Monogatari" (源氏物語) which roughly translated means "The Tale of Genji". The novel has over 1000 pages and about 400 different characters which tell the story of a Japanese emperor son as well as showing a glimpse into ancient Japanese aristocratic society with its drama included.
Japan has the most significant industry of graphic novels and comic books in the word. Japan is also the largest consumer or this sort of material, with manga (the Japanese equivalent of comics) having strong roots into Japanese art and history although the manga is considered to be a global phenomenon with millions of fans of all ages.
The benefits of learning the most common Japanese phrases first
Get smarter day by day
Learning a new language is a perfect way to boost your IQ. In no time, your brain will make new connections and associations and you’ll feel that learning Japanese was one of the best choices you ever made.
Have real conversations in Japanese today
Once you start learning a few basic sentences in Japanese, you will have the knowledge to start your first Japanese conversation. That’s why, at Mondly, we’ve created experiences that simulate real-life conversations to get you speaking Japanese in no time.
Become fluent in Japanese quicker
Starting with the basics, we quickly lay a foundation for you to learn more complex Japanese phrases and sentences. We gradually build your Japanese knowledge so you get fluent faster than you could imagine.
Feel how easy to learn the Japanese language can be
Every language experience should start gradually, from the easiest to the more complex concepts. Starting with the easiest and most common Japanese phrases, you will feel confident in your ability to learn a new language. That’s one of the core principles Mondly is built on.
"The drag-and-drop and visuals make it a lot more fun and easy than just reading flashcards."
"Mondly uses games and gestures to help you learn new languages."
"On Mondly, users can interact using both text input or speech."
"Mondly encourages its users to practice in everyday scenarios, such as ordering food and drinks in a restaurant."