ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): Thank you
どういたしまして (douitashimashite): You’re welcome
すみません (sumimasen): I’m sorry/excuse me
ごめんなさい (gomen nasai): I’m sorry
おいしいです (oishīdesu): It is delicious
分かりません (shirimasen): I don’t know
忘れていました (wasurete imashita): I forgot
気を付けて (ki o tsukete): Be careful
良いニュースです (Ii nyūsu desu): That's great news
おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai ): Good night
おねがいします (onegai shimasu): Please
気をつけてください (ki o tsukete kudasai): Take care of yourself
それはいい考えですね (sore wa ī kangaedesu ne): That's a good idea
大丈夫です (daijōbudesu): All right
もちろん (mochiron): Of course
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!
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
If, on the other hand, a Japanese speaker asks you first how are you doing, this is how you can answer politely. Apply the unspoken rule of politeness everywhere you go and many doors shall joyously open in your path.
Here's a native speaker showing you how to say it:
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:
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:
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:
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:
メニューを下さい?: (Menyū o kudasai): May I see the menu?
これは何ですか?: (Kore wa nan desu ka?): What is this?
.... をください : (....wo kudasai): I would like ...
Japanese phrases related to Hotels
これは何の代金ですか?: (Kore wa nan no ryokin desu ka?): What is this charge for?
チェックアウトを今お願いします. : (Chekkuauto o ima onegaishimasu): I would like to check out now.
Japanese phrases related to Stations
どこで乗車券を買えますか?: (Doko de jōsha-ken o kaemasu ka?): Where can I buy a ticket?
東京行きの切符が必要です : (Tōkyōyuki no kippu ga hitsuyōdesu): I need a ticket to Tokyo.
どの電車が_____へ行きますか?: (Dono densha ga _____ e ikimasu ka?): Which train goes to ~?
Japanese phrases related to Shopping
試着していいですか?: (Shichaku shite īdesu ka?): Can I try it on?
この店に_____はありますか?: (Kono mise ni _____ wa arimasu ka?): Do you have ~?
これはいくらですか?: (Kore wa ikuradesu ka?): How much is this?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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