Japanese Language Tutorial

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Katakana -

As mentioned in Lesson 1 , Katakana (as seen in the chart below) is mainly used for foreign words suchas foreign names and words that have been borrowed from other languages such as (kompyu-ta- = computer). Katakana is the least frequently used of the three character sets in Japanese.

The Japanese language does not have as many sounds as the English language so, when creating aname in Katakana, for instance, the name must be sound out to the closest Japanese equivalent.Katakana, Hiragana, and Furigana (when Hiragana is written small next to a Kanji character to show howthat character is read) are collectively known as Kana. Don't worry too much about Katakana (beyondmaybe learning your name) for now.

There are some special Katakana characters that exist only for foreign names (such as (she) or (ti)). These special characters are not in the chart below (which contains only the standard set ofKatakana characters) but can be seen in our Names in Japanese lesson. There are also the characters

(wi) and (we) which were deemed obsolete in 1946.

a

i

u

e

o

ka

ki

ku

ke

ko

ga

gi

gu

ge

go

sa

shi

su

se

so

za

ji

zu

ze

zo

ta chi tsu te to

da

ji

zu

de

do

na

ni

nu

ne

no

ha

hi

fu

he

ho

ba

bi

bu

be

bo

pa

pi

pu

pe

po

ma

mi

mu

me

mo

ya

yu

yo

Combinations

kya

kyu

kyo

gya

gyu

gyo

sha

shu

sho

ja

ju

jo

cha

chu

cho

nya

nyu

nyo

hya

hyu

hyo

bya

byu

byo

pya

pyu

pyo

mya

myu

myo

rya

ryu

ryo

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ra

ri

ru

re

ro

wa

wo

n/m

Vocabulary -

Now that you've at least started learning the Japanese alphabets, let's learn some basic vocabularywords and simple Japanese phrases. I will list the Kanji, Hiragana, Romaji (the word sounded out usingEnglish letters), and the English meaning for each Japanese word or phrase. Most Japanese words haveKanji for them but I will only include the Kanji if that word is typically written that way.

Keep in mind that the Japanese language has different levels of politeness that change based on whoyou are talking to. I will refer to these as "ultra-formal", "formal" (or "polite form"), "normal" (or "plainform"), "informal", and "rude" (we won't be covering too much of the rude form, however).

- Kanji -Hiragana Romaji

(English Letters) English Meaning

watashi I

(formal for males, normalfor females)

boku I(normal for males) kare he kanojo she

anata you(singular/normal)

kore this (noun) koko here

kono this(descriptive - ex. this pen) sore that (noun) soko there

sono that(descriptive - ex. that pen) hito person

inu dog neko cat ie house

arigatou Thank you. (normal)

arigatou gozaimasu Thank you. (formal)

douitashimashite You're welcome. (normal)

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ohayou(sounds like "Ohio") Good morning. (informal)

ohayou gozaimasu Good morning.(normal and formal) konnichiwa Hello. (normal)

konbanwa Good evening. (normal) sayonara Goodbye. (normal)

gambatte kudasai

(can also be written "ganbattekudasai")

Hang in there

ki o tsukete kudasai

(can also be written "ki wotsukete kudasai")

Be careful, Take care

Basic Japanese Grammar -

Japanese grammar is quite simple and straight forward but very different from English grammar so mostEnglish speakers find it rather confusing. For instance, in Japanese the verb always comes at the end.The best thing you can do when learning Japanese is to learn it from the bottom up and not compare it toEnglish grammar.

The Japanese language uses what we will refer to as particles to mark the various parts of the sentence.The main particles are: (These particles will be described in more detail below)

wa

(as mentioned in Lesson 1 , the Hiragana "ha" ispronounced "wa" when it immediately follows the

topic) topic marker

ga subject marker

wo(pronounced "o") direct object marker

ni direction marker, timemarker, indirect object

marker

e

(as mentioned in Lesson 1 , the Hiragana "he" ispronounced "e" when it immediately follows a place

or direction)

direction marker

The particles "wa" ( ) and "ga" ( ): The particle "wa" marks the topic of the sentence and the particle"ga" marks the subject of the sentence. In the example, "I know where you live"(watashi wa anata ga doko ni sunde iru ka shitte iru), "I" would be the topic while "you" would be thesubject.

Not all Japanese sentences have both a topic and subject and, in many cases, the topic is implied inJapanese (for example, the "I" (watashi wa) would be left out of this sentence because it is implied that

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since I am talking I am the one that knows where you live). Many Japanese books and teachers teachthat "wa" and "ga" are the same thing and it doesn't matter which you use when. This is not the case but Iwouldn't worry too much about keeping them straight at first - it will come with time.

The particle "wo" ( ): The particle "wo" (or "o") marks the direct object of a Japanese sentence. In theexample, "I'm going to take her home" (watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru), "her" would be the direct

object.

The particle "ni" ( ): The particle "ni" can be used to mark the direction, time, or the indirect object of aJapanese sentence.

An example of a direction marker can be seen in the previous example "I'm going to take her home"(watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru). In this case, the "ni" acts like a "to" - "I'm going to take her 'to' home".The particle "e" ( ) can be used in this way as well but usually implies more of a general direction asopposed to a specific place.

The particle "ni" is also used to mark time in a Japanese sentence. For example, "I'm leaving at 3 o'clock"(watashi wa sanji ni hanareru).

The final use for the particle "ni" in Japanese grammar is that of indirect object marker. In the example, "Iwas taken home by him" (watashi wa kare ni ie made okurareta), "him" is the indirect object.

Note: The "watashi wa" in all of the example sentences used above would normally be left out as it isimplied.

Numbers, Time, and Days of the WeekBefore we get too much further into Japanese grammar and verb conjugation, I thought it would be agood idea to teach Japanese numbers, time, days of the week, etc.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

ichi one ni two san three shi (yon after 10) four

go five roku six shichi (nana after 10) seven hachi eight kyuu nine juu ten hyaku hundred

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Numbers after 10 are a piece of cake once you know 1 through 10. 11 is simply ten with a one after it, ( , juuichi), 12 - juuni, 13 - juusan, 14 - juuyon, etc. 20 is simply ( , nijuu), 21

- nijuuichi, and so forth.

Put these numbers in front of the character for time and you've got the time of the day.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

ichiji one o'clock niji two o'clock nijihan two thirty ( means half)

nijiyonjuugofun 2:45 ( means minute) ...etc.

Now just put the character for moon after a number and you've got a month.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

ichigatsu January nigatsu February sangatsu March shigatsu April

...etc.

Japanese days of the week don't follow such an easy pattern but here they are anyway along with someother time-related words.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

nichiyoubi Sunday ( - sun/day) getsuyoubi Monday ( - moon) kayoubi Tuesday ( - fire) suiyoubi Wednesday ( - water) mokuyoubi Thursday ( - tree/wood) kinyoubi Friday ( - gold) doyoubi Saturday ( - dirt)

kyou Today ashita Tomorrow kinou Yesterday ototoi the day before yesterday

asatte the day after tomorrow (asmall "tsu" ( ) makes a

double consonant)

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kesa this morning konban this evening

ima now

Godan Verbs -

Now, before you can start making up sentences of your own, you need to learn how to conjugateJapanese verbs. Verbs are the most important part of the Japanese sentence. Often times Japanesepeople will leave out everything but the verb.

They are very big on leaving out the obvious and sometimes not so obvious which can get confusing attimes. There are only 3 types of verbs in the Japanese language and they each follow a pattern that isvery simple and very rarely has any exceptions. Most Japanese verbs fall into the first group, the Godan

( ) verbs. These verbs always conjugate the same way with only one exception. These verbs havefive changes that follow the order of the Japanese vowels (i.e. the characters for that section of thehiragana chart), hence the name Godan (meaning 5 levels or steps), and then the "te" and "ta" forms thatare common to all verbs. The chart below shows how to conjugate Japanese Godan verbs:

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) Verb Base

hanasu (to speak) hanasa Base 1 hanashi Base 2 hanasu Base 3

hanase Base 4 hanasou Base 5 hanashite Base "te" hanashita Base "ta"

Base 1: Base 1 can not be used by itself but becomes the plain form negative simply by adding -nai. (ex.hanasanai - I won't say anything.) If the verb ends in (u) then the end for Base 1 becomes (wa). (ex.au (Base 1) -> awa)(Plain form is what people use when talking to a friend. It would not be proper to use in a businessenvironment. We will go over the polite form in lesson 8.)

Base 2: Base 2 is, in most cases, a noun when used by itself but is primarily used with the polite form ofthe verb.

Base 3: Base 3 is the main form (the one that would be found in the dictionary) and is also the plain formpresent/future tense.

Base 4: Base 4 is most often used as "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. hanaseba - If he'd just say something.)It can also be used by itself as a command form but it is extremely rude and I recommend not using it atall.

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Base 5: Base 5 is used by itself as the "let's" form. (ex. hanasou - Let's talk.) We will get into other waysit's used in later lessons.

Base "te": Base "te" can be used by itself as a plain form command. It is not rude but should only beused with close friends and children. By adding kudasai it becomes the polite form command. Base "te"can also be used in other ways that we will get into in later lessons.

Base "ta": Base "ta" is merely Base "te" with an "a" sound on the end instead of an "e" sound. It is mainlyused by itself as the plain form past tense. (ex. hanashita - I talked.) We will get into other ways it's usedin later lessons.

Notice: There is one thing that you'll need to learn in order to conjugate the "te" and "ta" forms correctly.Basically, for all Godan verbs ending in (u), (tsu), or (ru); the (u), (tsu), or (ru) becomes

(tte) in the "te" form and (tta) in the "ta" form. (ex. katsu (to win) -> katte (Win!), katta (Wewon!))

For all Godan verbs ending in (bu), (mu), or (nu); the (bu), (mu), or (nu) becomes (nde) in the "te" form and (nda) in the "ta" form. (ex. yomu (to read -> yonde (Read it.), yonda (I readit.))

For all Godan verbs ending in (ku), the (ku) becomes (ite) in the "te" form and (ita) in the"ta" form. (ex. aruku (to walk) -> aruite (Walk!), aruita (I walked here.)) The only exception to this rule isfor the verb iku (to go) which becomes , (itte/itta).

For all Godan verbs ending in (gu), the (gu) becomes (ide) in the "te" form and (ida) in the"ta" form. (ex. oyogu (to swim) -> oyoide (Swim!), oyoida (I swam.))

For all Godan verbs ending in (su), the (su) becomes (shite) in the "te" form and (shita) inthe "ta" form. (ex. hanasu (to talk) -> hanashite (Say something!), hanashita (I talked (to him).))

Here are some Godan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.Click here for the answers.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

au to meet katsu to win uru to sell asobu to play nomu to drink shinu to die

aruku to walk oyogu to swim kesu to erase, turn off

iku to go

(Remember the exception forBases "te"and "ta")

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Ichidan Verbs -

The second group of Japanese verbs are called Ichidan ( ) verbs. It is usually an Ichidan verb if itends with the sound "iru" or "eru". Some well used Japanese verbs which appear to be Ichidan but arereally Godan are listed here . Ichidan verbs also follow a simple conjugation pattern that is somewhatsimilar to that of the Godan verbs. Below is a verb conjugation chart for Japanese Ichidan verbs:

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) Verb Base

taberu (to eat) tabe Base 1 tabe Base 2 taberu Base 3

tabere Base 4 tabeyou Base 5

tabete Base "te" tabeta Base "ta"

Base 1 and Base 2: As you can see, Base 1 and 2 are the same. Just like with the Godan verbs, anegative can be made by adding -nai (ex. tabenai - I will not eat.) and this base, or root form, is also usedfor the formal form of the verb.

Base 3: Base 3 is the same as with Godan verbs.

Base 4: Base 4, however, can not be used by itself like with Godan verbs. It is only used for "if verb" byadding -ba. (ex. tabereba - If I eat it...) It is not the low command form for Ichidan verbs. The lowcommand form for Ichidan verbs is Base 1 + (ro).

Base 5: Base 5 is the same as with Godan verbs.

Base "te" and Base "ta": The Base "te" and "ta" forms for Ichidan verbs are a lot easier than with Godanverbs. Simply take off the "ru" and add a "te" for Base "te" and a "ta" for Base "ta". These have the samefunctions as with Godan verbs.

Here are some Ichidan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.Click here for the answers.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

iru to exist (animate), to besomewhere miru to see neru to sleep kiru to wear, put on

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dekiru can do oboeru to remember

Irregular VerbsThe last type of verbs are the Irregular verbs but there are only 2 of them in the entire language so justmemorize their charts below. The first one is suru (to do something). Many nouns can be used as a verbsimply by putting "suru" right after them. It is probably the most used of all Japanese verbs. The secondIrregular verb is kuru (to come).

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) Verb Base

suru (to do) shi Base 1 shi Base 2 suru Base 3 sure Base 4 shiyou Base 5

shite Base "te" shita Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be usedas the "if verb".The rude command form is "Shiro".

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) Verb Base

kuru (to come) ko Base 1 ki Base 2 kuru Base 3 kure Base 4 koyou Base 5

kite Base "te" kita Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be usedas the "if verb".The rude command form is "Koi" and really should only be used on animals.

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Using Verb BasesNow that you know about 30 Japanese verbs and can conjugate them, I'll show you what you can do withthose verb bases. You may want to regularly refer to Lesson 6 an dLesson 7 while learning these. Thefollowing chart applies to all Japanese verbs unless otherwise noted.

- Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

Base 1 + Base 1 + nai plain form negative (will not verb) Base 1 + Base 1 + nakatta plain form past negative (did not verb)

Base 2 + Base 2 + masu polite form present/future tense Base 2 + Base 2 + mashita polite form past tense Base 2 + Base 2 + masen polite form negative (will not verb)

Base 2 + Base 2 + masendeshita polite form past negative (did not verb)

Base 2 + Base 2 + tai want to verb (add (desu) to make it polite) Base 3 Base 3 plain form present/future tense

Base 4 + Base 4 + ba if verb

Base 4 + Base 4 + ru plain form can verb (Godan verbs only)(verb now becomes an Ichidan verb) Base 4 + Base 4 + masu polite form can verb (can be changed like above)

Base 5 + Base 5 + to suru try to verb

(this suru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to dosomething))

Base "te" + Base "te" + hoshii want someone else to verb

(hoshii is an adjective which will be covered in the nextlesson)

Base "te" Base "te" plain form command Base "te" + Base "te" + kudasai polite form command

Base "te" + Base "te" + iru plain form presently verbing

(this iru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to exist(animate))

Base "te" + Base "te" + imasu polite form presently verbing (can be changed like above) Base "ta" Base "ta" plain form past tense

Base "ta" + Base "ta" + ra if and when I verb (similar to Base 4 + ba)

Base "ta" + Base "ta" + ri suru do such things as...

(this suru is also the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to dosomething))

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Adjectives and AdverbsThere are two different types of Japanese words that can be used to modify nouns (adjectives) and verbs(adverbs). One group is much like what we would call an adjective but they can also be conjugated tomodify verbs as well. We will refer to these as "dv" (for "descriptive verb"). These are often referred to as"true adjectives" or "i-adjectives". The other group can, in most cases, stand alone like a noun but canalso be used to modify nouns and verbs. We will refer to these as "dn" (for "descriptive noun"). These areoften referred to as "quasi adjectives" or "na-adjectives".

All adjectives in the "dv" group always end with (i). No exceptions. These are placed in front of a nounin order to modify it. For example:

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

akai kuruma red car

These adjectives can be conjugated to form different tenses, turned into adverbs (modify verbs), etc. The

conjugation rules for "true" Japanese adjectives are as follows:

- Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

drop the and add

drop the "i"and add "ku"

modifies a verb (adverb form)(akaku natta -> became red)

(naru is the verb "to become")

drop the and add

drop the "i"and add "kunai"

present tense negative(akakunai -> is not red)(becomes a new "dv")

drop the and add

drop the "i"and add "katta"

past tense(akakatta -> was red)

drop the and add

drop the "i"and add "kunakatta"

past tense negative(akakunakatta -> was not red)

(This one might take a little practice saying.)

It's not as easy to recognize "dn" adjectives but I will point them out in the vocabulary lists. Sometimesyou'll even find a "dn" that ends in (i) (ex. kirei - pretty). As mentioned before, these words can, in mostcases, be used by themselves like a noun (ex. shizen - nature). By adding a (na) to the end of thesewords they can be used to modify a noun (ex. shizen na kankyou -> a natural environment). And byadding a (ni) to the end of these words they can be used to modify a verb as an adverb (ex. shizen niaruku -> to walk naturally).

Here's a list of some commonly used "dv" and "dn" adjectives:

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

akai (dv) red kiiroi (dv) yellow

aoi (dv) blue kuroi (dv) black

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shiroi (dv) white omoshiroi (dv) interesting, funny

atsui (dv) hot samui (dv) cold

ookii (dv)

big

chiisai (dv) small shizen (dn) nature kirei (dn) pretty, clean shitsurei (dn) rude shizuka (dn) quiet tokubetsu (dn) special genki (dn) in good spirits

hen (dn) weird, strange jouzu (dn) skillful shinsetsu (dn) kind, nice suteki (dn) "cool", good looking

Meeting Someone NewWe are often asked by our students learning Japanese how to introduce yourself to a Japanese person.This interaction is normally very formal and filled with a few bows. Below is a typical Japanese

conversation/introduction between two people meeting for the first time:

Japanese (In Kanji, Hiragana, and Romaji) English Meaning

Person 1:

Konnichi wa. Hajimemashite.

Hello. Nice to meet you.

Person 2:

Hajimemashite. O-genki desu ka?

Nice to meet you.How are you?

Person 1:

Hai, genki desu. I am fine.

Person 1: ______

______ Watashi wa ______ to moushimasu. Anata no o-namae wa?

My name is ______.What is your name?

Person 2: ______

______ Watashi wa ______ to iimasu. Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.

My name is ______.Pleased to make youracquaintance.

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Person 1:

Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.

Pleased to make youracquaintance.

Explanation: "Hajimemashite" literally means "it is a beginning" but would be the equivalent of "Nice tomeet you" in English. It would only be used the first time meeting someone. As learned in Lesson 9 , "genki" means "in good spirits". "O-genki desu ka" is literally asking "Are you in good spirits?". This is themost common way of asking "How are you?" in Japanese. The other person responds "Yes, I am in goodspirits". "Mousu" is the ultra polite form of the verb "iu" (to say). Both people are literally saying "I amsaid/called _____". "Namae" is the word for "name". An "o" is added in front of it (and other wordsthroughout this exchange) to show respect. This is not done when talking about yourself. "Yoroshii"means "good/fine" and "negai" is a wish or request. "Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu" literally means "Irequest/wish kindly of you". It is basically like saying "Please treat me well". It can be used in othersituations as well - such as when asking for a favor.

Other Common Japanese PhrasesWe are often asked how to say "I love you" in Japanese. This would be "Anata o ai shite imasu" BUT beadvised that the Japanese typically don't use the word for love ( - - ai) when talking about theirfeelings for someone else (not even a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, child, parent, etc.). They wouldtypically say "Anata no koto ga suki desu" or "Anata ga daisuki desu". "Suki" is Japanese for "like" and"daisuki" means "favorite". This may seem strange but this is just what they say for "I love you".

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji

(EnglishLetters)

EnglishMeaning

tanjoubi

omedetougozaimasu

Happy Birthday!

akemashiteomedetougozaimasu

Happy NewYear!

omedetougozaimasu Congratulations!

oyasuminasai Good night.(used whensomeone is

going to bed) gomennasai I'm sorry. sumimasen Excuse me.

toire wa doko

desu ka

Where is the

bathroom?

onaka ga suiteimasu I am hungry.

("My stomach isempty.")

See Lesson 3 for other common Japanese phrases.

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English Phrases Japanese Phrases

English Greetings Japanese Greetings:

Hi! Yaa. *1

Good morning! Ohayou gozaimasu.

Good evening! Konbanw

Welcome! (to greet someone) Youkoso irasshai mashita.

How are you? Ogenki desuka?

I'm fine, thanks! Watashi wa genki desu. Arigato!

And you? Anatawa?

Good/ So-So. Genki desu. / maa-maa desu. /

Thank you (very much)! Arigatou! *2

You're welcome! (for "thank you") Dou itashi mashite.

I missed you so much! Samishi katta desu. *3

What's new? Saikin dou desuka?

Nothing much Kawari nai desu.

Good night! Oyasumi nasai.

See you later! Mata atode aimashou!

Good bye! Sayonara!

sking for Help and Directions

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English Phrases Japanese Phrases

I'm lost Mayotte shimai mashita.

Can I help you? Otetsudai shimashouka?

Can you help me? Tetsudatte kuremasuka? *4

Where is the (bathroom/ pharmacy)? (Toire/yakkyoku) wa doko desuka? ( / )

Go straight! then turn left/ right!Massugu itte kudasai. Soshite, hidari / migi ni magatte k

I'm looking for john. John wo sagashite imasu. John

One moment please! Chotto matte kudasai.

Hold on please! (phone) Chotto matte kudasai.

How much is this? Kore wa ikura desuka?

Excuse me ...! (to ask for something) Sumimasen!

Excuse me! ( to pass by) Sumimasen!

Come with me! Watashi to issho ni kite kudasai.

To Save this Page Press ( CTRL D ) or E-mail this Page! Free Translation

How to Introduce Yourself

Do you speak (English/ Japanese)? Anata wa eigo/nihongo wo hanashimasu ka?

Just a little. Sukoshi dake.

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How to Introduce Yourself

What's your name? Namae wa nandesu ka?

My name is ... Watashi no namae wa ..

Mr.../ Mrs./ Miss *5 san is adequate for all.

Nice to meet you!Hajimemashite! or Oai dekite ureshii desu. *6

You're very kind! Anata wa totemo shinsetsu desu.

Where are you from? Doko no shusshin desu ka?

I'm from (the U.S/ Japan) Amerika/Nihon kara desu.

I'm (American) Watashi wa Amerika jin desu.

Where do you live? Doko ni sun de imasu ka?

I live in (the U.S/ Japan)Watashi wa amerika / nihon ni sundeimasu.

Did you like it here? Kokowa suki ni narimashita ka?

Japan is a wonderful country Nihon ha subarashii kuni desu.

What do you do for a living? Osigoto wa nandesu ka?

I work as a (translator/ businessman) Osigoto wa nandesu ka?

I like Japanese Watashi wa nihongo ga suki desu.

I've been learning Japanese for 1 month Watashi wa nihongo wo ichikagetu narrate imasu.

Oh! That's good! Sorewa iidesu ne.

How old are you? Toshi wa ikutsu desu ka?

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How to Introduce Yourself

I'm (twenty, thirty...) years old. Watshi wa (20, 30) sai desu.

I have to go Ikanakutewa narimasen.

I will be right back! Sugu modori masu.

Wish Someone Something

Good luck! Ganbatte ne! *7

Happy birthday! Tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu!

Happy new year! Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.

Merry Christmas! Merii Kurisumasu! *8

Congratulations! Omedetou!

Enjoy! (for meals...) (noun, etc) wo tanoshinde kudasai. ( )

I'd like to visit Japan one day Ituka nihon wo otozure tai.

Say hi to John for me John ni yoroshiku to tsutaete kudasai. John

Bless you (when sneezing) Odaiji ni.

Good night and sweet dreams! Oyasumi nasai.

Solving a Misunderstanding

I'm Sorry! (if you don't hear something) Sumimasen.

Sorry (for a mistake) Gomenasai.

No Problem! Daijyoubu desu.

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How to Introduce Yourself

Can You Say It Again? Mouichido itte kuremasuka?

Can You Speak Slowly? Yukkuri shabette kuremasuka?

Write It Down Please! Kaite kudasai.

I Don't Understand! Wakarimasen.

I Don't Know! Shirimasen.

I Have No Idea. Wakarimasen.

What's That Called In Japanese? Arewa nihongo de nanto iimasu ka?

What Does "gato" Mean In English?Omedeto wa eigo de douiu imi desu ka? Omedeto

How Do You Say "Please" In Japanese?Please wa nihongo de nanto iimasu ka? Please

What Is This? Korewa nandesu ka?

My Japanese is bad. Watashi no nihongo wa heta desu.

I need to practice my JapaneseNihonn go wo renshu suru hitsuyou ga arimasu.

Don't worry! Goshinpai naku.

Japanese Expressions and Words

Good/ Bad/ So-So. Yoi / Warui / maa-maa

Big/ Small Ookii/Chiisai

Today/ Now Kyou / Ima

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How to Introduce Yourself

Tomorrow/ Yesterday Ashita / Kinou

Yes/ No Hai / iie

Here you go! (when giving something) Hai, douzo!

Do you like it? Suki desu ka?

I really like it! Honto ni suki desu.

I'm hungry/ thirsty.Onaka ga suki masita. / Nodo ga kawaki mashita.

In The Morning/ Evening/ At Night. Asa ni, yuugata ni, yoru ni

This/ That. Here/There Kore / Are Koko / Asoko

Me/ You. Him/ Her. Watashi / anata Kare / Kanojyo

Really! Honto!

Look! Mite

Hurry up! Isoide!

What? Where? Nani? Doko?

What time is it? Nanji desu ka?

It's 10 o'clock. 07:30pm. Jyuji desu. Gogo hichi ji sanjyu pun desu.

Give me this! Kore wo kudasai!

I love you!Daisuki desu./ Anata wo aishite imasu. *9

/

I feel sick. Choshi ga warui desu.

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How to Introduce Yourself

I need a doctor Byouin ni ikitai.

One,Two,Three

Ichi, ni, san

Four, Five, Six Yon, go, roku

Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten Nana (shichi) hachi, kyuu, jyuu

*1 This may be a kind of literary/writing expression and its seldom used inconversation. But never is unnatural.*2 Arigato and Arigato gozaimasu. Theres no big difference between them, Arigatgozaimasu is more polite. *3 (Anata ga inakute) Samishi katta desu : Abbreviated Anata ga inakute.*4 Usually we just say Excuse me/ Sumimasen, and Can you help me is includein this Sumimasen. *5 ...san is a very normal way. Add after both first and family name like Koizumi sanor Jyunichiro san.*6 This sentence can directly be Oai dekite ureshii desu. If you meet person for the

first time, you can say Hajimemashite.*7 Direct translation is Kouun wo inorimasu.*8 Christmas is not really celebrated by the Japanese and therefore Merry Christmasis not a common greeting you would hear.*9 This is one of the Japanese language mysteries, I love you is expressed in progressive aspect like I am loving you. But basically its seldom used. Instead,Daisuki desu is used casually.I hope the content of this page was useful to you, and that you learned some Japanesephrases , expressions and words. Make sure to memorize them to be able to use themin your daily conversation. If you want to practice what you have learnt here, go

to Language Test.

Read more: http://www.linguanaut.com/english_japanese.htm#ixzz2hbglkYrZ

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English (Japanese)

Welcome (ykoso)

Hello (konnichiwa) (ossu) - used between close male friends

(moshi moshi) - on phone

How are you?

I'm fine, thanks. And you?

(o genki desu ka)

(hai, genki desu. anata wa?) (o kagesama de genki desu)

Long time no see (hisashiburi)

(o hisashiburi desu ne)

What's your name?

My name is ...

? (o-namae wa nan desu ka)

... (... da) (inf)

... (... desu) (frm)

Where are you from?

I'm from ...

(Shusshin wa doko desu ka?) (Dochira kara desu ka?) - frm

((watashi wa) ... shusshin desu)

Pleased to meet you

(hajimemashite)

(hajimemashite. dzo yoroshiku) reply (oaidekite ureshii desu)

Good morning / (ohay gozaimasu)

/ (ohay)

Good afternoon / (konnichiwa)

Good evening / (konbanwa)

Good night (oyasumi nasai)

(oyasumi)

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Goodbye

(saynara) (ittekimasu)

- 'I'll be back' - you are leaving (itterasshai)

- 'come back soon' - you are staying (j mata ne) - see you later

Good luck ! (gokon o inorimasu) - frm

(gambatte ne) - inf

Have a nice day (Yoi ichinichi o)

Bon voyage (Have a good journey)

(yoi ryok o) (gokigen y - Goodbye / Good luck)

(itte irasshai - Go and come back) (ichiroheian o inoru)

- I wish you a smooth road (old fashioned)

Excuse me ! (sumimasen)

How much is this? (ikura desu ka?)

Sorry ! (gomen nasai)

Thank you

Response

(dmo) (arigat)

(arigat gozaimasu) (dmo arigat)

(dmo arigat gozaimasu)

(d itashimashite)

Where's the toilet?

(benjo wa doko desu ka?)

(toire wa doko desu ka?) (tearai wa doko desu ka?)

This gentleman/ladywill pay for everything

(konohito ga zembu haraimasu)

Would you like to

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dance with me? (isshoni odorimasenka?)

I love you

(suki desu) (suki da)

(suki dayo) (suki yo) f (daisuki desu) (aishiteru yo) (aishiteru wa) >f

Get well soon (odaiji ni)

Language difficultiesDo you understand? (wakarimasu ka?) - frm

I understand (wakarimasu)

(wakaru) inf

I don't understand (wakarimasen) - frm

(wakaranai) - inf

I understood (wakarimashta) - frm

Please speak more slowly

(yukkuri hanashite kudasai) (yukkuri itte kudasai)

Please write it down (kaite kudasai)

(kaite itadakemasu ka)

Please say that again (m ichido, itte kudasai)

Do you speak Japanese?

Yes, a little

(Nihongo o hanashimasu ka?) (Nihongo wa hanasemasu ka?) (Nihongo wa dekimasu ka?)

(Hai, hanashimasu) (Hai, hanasemasu) (Hai, dekimasu)

How do you say ... ...

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in Japanese? (... wa nihongo de nanto masu ka?)

I don't speak Japanese (Nihongo o hanasemasen)

Do you speak English? (Eigo wa dekimasu ka?)

Does anyonespeak English?

(Eigo no hanaseru hito waimasen ka)

(dare ka, eigo ga hanasemasu ka?)

Sorry, I didn'tunderstand that

(sumimasen. wakarimasen deshita)

What did you say? (nan te iimashita ka?)

Can you translateit for me?

(yakushite kudasai)

What does this mean?

(kore wa diu imi desu ka)

How do you pronounce that?

(kore wa donna f ni hatsuon shimasu ka)

In the hotelThere's a problemin the room

(heya no setsubi ga kowarete ite komatteimasu)

There's no hot water

(oyu ga arimasen)

The tap/faucet is leaking

(jaguchi ga moreteimasu)

The drain is blocked

(haisuik ga tsumatte imasu)

The air conditioner

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is too noisy (eakon ga urusasugimasu)

Can I have another room?

(hoka no heya e utsuremasu ka?)

When should Ivacate the room?

(itsu, heya o denakute wa narimasen ka?)

I'd like to check out

(chekkuauto shitai no desu ga)

I'd check out onthis date

(kono hi ni chekkuauto shitai no desu ga)

Could you calla taxi please?

(takus o yonde kudasi?)

May I see the bill please?

(seikysho o misete itadakemasu ka?)

How much is thetotal bill?

(seikysho no gkei wa ikura desu ka?)

Can I have an itemised bill?

(meisaisho o misete itadakemasu ka?)

I think there's amistake on this bill

(kono seikysho ni machigai ga aruy ni om no desu ka?)

Eating outIs there a restaurantnear here?

(chikaku ni resutoran wa arimasu ka?)

I'd like to reserve a table

(tburu no yoyaku o toritai no desu ga)

We have a reservation

(sudeni yoyaku o totte imasu)

Do you have

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an English menu? (eigo no menyu wa arimasu ka?)

Can I see the wine list?

(wain no risuto o misete itadakemasen ka?)

I am a vegetarian

(watashi wa saishokushugisha desu)

Bon appetit (Have a good meal)

(douzo meshiagare)= 'enjoy your meal' - said by the cook/chef

(itadakimasu)- said before a meal by those eating it

(gochissama deshita) - said after a meal by those who have eaten it

Cheers/Good health! (kanpai) lit. "dry glass"

EmergenciesLeave me alone! ! (hottoite!)

Help!Fire!

! (tasukete!)! (kaji da!)

Call the police!!

(keisatsu o yonde kudasai!)

Special occasionsMerry Christmas (mer kurisumasu)

Happy New Year

New Year greeting - 'Western' style (shinnen omedet gozaimasu)

New Year greetings (used before New Year)

(yoi otoshi o) - inf (yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai) - frm

New Year greetings (used at New Year, not before)

(akemashite omedet gozaimasu)

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(kynenj taihen osewa ni narimashita)

(kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu)

Happy Easter (fukkatsu- sai omedetgozaimasu) (sut omedet gozaimasu

Happy Birthday

(otanjbi omedet gozaimasu)

Other phrases

One languageis never enough

(gengo o hitotsu wa kesshite tarinai)

(gengo hitotsu dake de wa tarinai)

My hovercraftis full of eels

(Watashi no hobkurafuto wa unagi de ippai desu.)

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Now, how do you introduce yourself using your name? Many places teach "watashi wa ______ desu."but this has a problem:

"watashi wa ______ desu." means both "I am ______." and "I am a ______." Unless the Japanese personyou are introducing yourself to is familiar with your name (which isn't always too likely) they won't knowthat you are telling them your name. This is particularly a problem with names that have the samesound as actual words in the Japanese language. For instance, "jimu" (Jim) means "business" and"gym/gymnasium" in Japanese (depending on the context) so "watashi wa jimu desu." could also mean"I am a business." or "I am a gymnasium."

So what is the better way to introduce yourself? "watashi wa ______ to iimasu." means "I am called ______." and makes it very clear that the "______" is your name. It can be either your first name, last

name, or nickname - whatever you want them to call you by.

The first step to learning the Japanese language is to learn the alphabet. Or, at least, to learn the soundsthat exist in the language. There are absolutely no "tones" in Japanese like in many other asianlanguages and there are only 2 exceptions within the alphabet which will be explained later. TheJapanese alphabet does not contain letters but, instead, contains characters and, technically, they are notalphabets but character sets. The characters in the chart below are called Hiragana . Hiragana is themain alphabet or character set for Japanese. Japanese also consists of two other character sets -

Kanji (Chinese characters), which we will get into later, and another alphabet/character set,Katakana , which is mainly used for foreign words. Katakana will be covered in the Katakanalesson . Don't wait to move on until you have all Hiragana characters memorized - learn them as youcontinue to go through the other lessons.

There are 5 vowels in Japanese. (a) , pronounced "ahh", (i) , pronounced like "e" in "eat", (u) ,pronounced like "oo" in "soon", (e) , pronounced like "e" in "elk", and (o) , pronounced "oh". AllHiragana characters end with one of these vowels, with the exception of (n) . The only "consonant"that does not resemble that of English is the Japanese "r". It is slightly "rolled" as if it were a combinationof a "d", "r", and "l".

Click on the image next to each Hiragana character to hear how they are pronounced.

a

i

u

e

o

ka

ki

ku

ke

ko

Combinations

kya

kyu

kyo

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ga

gi

gu

ge

go

sa

shi

su

se

so

za

ji

zu

ze

zo

ta

chi

tsu

te

to

da

ji

zu

de

do

na

ni

nu

ne

no

ha

hi

fu

he

ho

ba

bi

bu

be

bo

pa

pi

pu

pe

po

ma

mi

mu

me

mo

ya

yu

yo

ra

ri

ru

re

ro

wa

wo

n/m

gya gyu gyo

sha

shu

sho

ja

ju

jo

cha

chu

cho

nya

nyu

nyo

hya

hyu

hyo

bya

byu

byo

pya

pyu

pyo

mya

myu

myo

rya

ryu

ryo

Here is a Printable Hiragana Chart (PDF - get Adobe Acrobat Reader ).

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Exceptions: 1. The Hiragana (ha) is pronounced "wa" when it immediately follows the topic of the sentence.

This character is usually only pronounced "ha" when it is part of a word.2. The Hiragana (he) is pronounced "e" when it immediately follows a place or direction. Both ofthese are very simple to detect.

Click here if you'd like to know why these two exceptions exist.

Note: You probably noticed in the chart above that there are 2 characters pronounced "zu" and 2characters pronounced "ji" . The characters (zu) and (ji) are very rarely used. (zu)

only occurs when there is a (tsu) in front of it like in (tsuzuku - to continue) or when a

Kanji (Chinese character) that has a reading which starts with (tsu) is paired at the end with

another character changing the (tsu) to a (zu) . The same applies for the Hiragana (ji) .Since they are used so rarely I wouldn't worry about them too much. I will let you know whenever wecome upon a word in which they are used.

Some people wonder why "yi", "ye", "wi", "wu", and "we" are missing. There aren't characters for "yi", "ye",

or "wu". There is a (wi) and a (we) but these were deemed obsolete in 1946 and were replaced by (i) and (e) respectively.

Basic Japanese Grammar -

Japanese grammar is quite simple and straight forward but very different from English grammar so mostEnglish speakers find it rather confusing. For instance, in Japanese the verb always comes at the end.The best thing you can do when learning Japanese is to learn it from the bottom up and not compare it toEnglish grammar.

The Japanese language uses what we will refer to as particles to mark the various parts of the sentence.The main particles are: (These particles will be described in more detail below)

wa(as mentioned in the Hiragana lesson , the Hiragana"ha" is pronounced "wa" when it immediately follows

the topic)

topic marker

ga subject marker

wo(pronounced "o") direct object marker

ni direction marker, timemarker, indirect object

marker

e

(as mentioned in the Hiragana lesson , the Hiragana"he" is pronounced "e" when it immediately follows a

direction marker

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place or direction)

The particles "wa" ( ) and "ga" ( ): The particle "wa" marks the topic of the sentence and the particle"ga" marks the subject of the sentence. In the example, "I know where you live"(watashi wa anata ga doko ni sunde iru ka shitte iru), "I" would be the topic while "you" would be thesubject.

Not all Japanese sentences have both a topic and subject and, in many cases, the topic is implied inJapanese (for example, the "I" (watashi wa) would be left out of this sentence because it is implied thatsince I am talking I am the one that knows where you live). Many Japanese books and teachers teachthat "wa" and "ga" are the same thing and it doesn't matter which you use when. This is not the case but Iwouldn't worry too much about keeping them straight at first - it will come with time.

The particle "wo" ( ): The particle "wo" (or "o") marks the direct object of a Japanese sentence. In theexample, "I'm going to take her home" (watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru), "her" would be the directobject.

The particle "ni" ( ): The particle "ni" can be used to mark the direction, time, or the indirect object of aJapanese sentence.

An example of a direction marker can be seen in the previous example "I'm going to take her home"(watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru). In this case, the "ni" acts like a "to" - "I'm going to take her 'to' home".The particle "e" ( ) can be used in this way as well but usually implies more of a general direction asopposed to a specific place.

The particle "ni" is also used to mark time in a Japanese sentence. For example, "I'm leaving at 3 o'clock"(watashi wa sanji ni hanareru).

The final use for the particle "ni" in Japanese grammar is that of indirect object marker. In the example, "Iwas taken home by him" (watashi wa kare ni ie made okurareta), "him" is the indirect object.

Note: The "watashi wa" in all of the example sentences used above would normally be left out as it isimplied.

Godan Verbs -

Now, before you can start making up sentences of your own, you need to learn how to conjugateJapanese verbs. Verbs are the most important part of the Japanese sentence. Often times Japanesepeople will leave out everything but the verb.

They are very big on leaving out the obvious and sometimes not so obvious which can get confusing attimes. There are only 3 types of verbs in the Japanese language and they each follow a pattern that isvery simple and very rarely has any exceptions. Most Japanese verbs fall into the first group, the Godan( ) verbs. These verbs always conjugate the same way with only one exception. These verbs havefive changes that follow the order of the Japanese vowels (i.e. the characters for that section of thehiragana chart), hence the name Godan (meaning 5 levels or steps), and then the "te" and "ta" forms thatare common to all verbs. The chart below shows how to conjugate Japanese Godan verbs:

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji Verb Base

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(English Letters)

hanasu (to speak)

hanasa Base 1

hanashi Base 2

hanasu Base 3

hanase Base 4

hanasou Base 5

hanashite Base "te"

hanashita Base "ta"

Base 1: Base 1 can not be used by itself but becomes the plain form negative simply by adding -nai. (ex.hanasanai - I won't say anything.) If the verb ends in (u) then the end for Base 1 becomes (wa). (ex.au (Base 1) -> awa)(Plain form is what people use when talking to a friend. It would not be proper to use in a businessenvironment. We will go over the polite form in Using the Verb Bases - Part 1 .)

Base 2: Base 2 is, in most cases, a noun when used by itself but is primarily used with the polite form ofthe verb.

Base 3: Base 3 is the main form (the one that would be found in the dictionary) and is also the plain formpresent/future tense.

Base 4: Base 4 is most often used as "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. hanaseba - If he'd just say something.)It can also be used by itself as a command form but it is extremely rude and I recommend not using it atall.

Base 5: Base 5 is used by itself as the "let's" form. (ex. hanasou - Let's talk.) We will get into other waysit's used in later lessons.

Base "te": Base "te" can be used by itself as a plain form command. It is not rude but should only beused with close friends and children. By adding kudasai it becomes the polite form command. Base "te"can also be used in other ways that we will get into in later lessons.

Base "ta": Base "ta" is merely Base "te" with an "a" sound on the end instead of an "e" sound. It is mainlyused by itself as the plain form past tense. (ex. hanashita - I talked.) We will get into other ways it's usedin later lessons.

Notice: There is one thing that you'll need to learn in order to conjugate the "te" and "ta" forms correctly.Basically, for all Godan verbs ending in (u), (tsu), or (ru); the (u), (tsu), or (ru) becomes

(tte) in the "te" form and (tta) in the "ta" form. (ex. katsu (to win) -> katte (Win!), katta (Wewon!))

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For all Godan verbs ending in (bu), (mu), or (nu); the (bu), (mu), or (nu) becomes (nde) in the "te" form and (nda) in the "ta" form. (ex. yomu (to read -> yonde (Read it.), yonda (I readit.))

For all Godan verbs ending in (ku), the (ku) becomes (ite) in the "te" form and (ita) in the"ta" form. (ex. aruku (to walk) -> aruite (Walk!), aruita (I walked here.)) The only exception to this rule is

for the verb iku (to go) which becomes , (itte/itta).

For all Godan verbs ending in (gu), the (gu) becomes (ide) in the "te" form and (ida) in the"ta" form. (ex. oyogu (to swim) -> oyoide (Swim!), oyoida (I swam.))

For all Godan verbs ending in (su), the (su) becomes (shite) in the "te" form and (shita) inthe "ta" form. (ex. hanasu (to talk) -> hanashite (Say something!), hanashita (I talked (to him).))

Here are some Godan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.Clickhere for the answers.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji

(English Letters) English Meaning

au to meet

katsu to win

uru to sell

asobu to play

nomu to drink

shinu to die

aruku to walk

oyogu to swim

kesu to erase, turn off

iku to go

(Remember the exception forBases "te"and "ta")

Ichidan Verbs -

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The second group of Japanese verbs are called Ichidan ( ) verbs. It is usually an Ichidan verb if itends with the sound "iru" or "eru". Some well used Japanese verbs which appear to be Ichidan but arereally Godan are listed here . Ichidan verbs also follow a simple conjugation pattern that is somewhatsimilar to that of the Godan verbs. Below is a verb conjugation chart for Japanese Ichidan verbs:

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji

(English Letters) Verb Base

taberu (to eat)

tabe Base 1

tabe Base 2

taberu Base 3

tabere Base 4

tabeyou Base 5

tabete Base "te"

tabeta Base "ta"

Base 1 and Base 2: As you can see, Base 1 and 2 are the same. Just like with the Godan verbs, anegative can be made by adding -nai (ex. tabenai - I will not eat.) and this base, or root form, is also usedfor the formal form of the verb.

Base 3: Base 3 is the same as with Godan verbs.

Base 4: Base 4, however, can not be used by itself like with Godan verbs. It is only used for "if verb" byadding -ba. (ex. tabereba - If I eat it...) It is not the low command form for Ichidan verbs. The lowcommand form for Ichidan verbs is Base 1 + (ro).

Base 5: Base 5 is the same as with Godan verbs.

Base "te" and Base "ta": The Base "te" and "ta" forms for Ichidan verbs are a lot easier than with Godanverbs. Simply take off the "ru" and add a "te" for Base "te" and a "ta" for Base "ta". These have the samefunctions as with Godan verbs.

Here are some Ichidan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.Clickhere for the answers.

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) English Meaning

iru to exist (animate), to be

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somewhere

miru to see

neru to sleep

kiru to wear, put on

dekiru can do

oboeru to remember

Irregular VerbsThe last type of verbs are the Irregular verbs but there are only 2 of them in the entire language so justmemorize their charts below. The first one is suru (to do something). Many nouns can be used as a verbsimply by putting "suru" right after them. It is probably the most used of all Japanese verbs. The secondIrregular verb is kuru (to come).

- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) Verb Base

suru (to do)

shi Base 1

shi Base 2

suru Base 3

sure Base 4

shiyou Base 5

shite Base "te"

shita Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be usedas the "if verb".The rude command form is "Shiro".

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- Kanji - Hiragana Romaji(English Letters) Verb Base

kuru (to come)

ko Base 1

ki Base 2

kuru Base 3

kure Base 4

koyou Base 5

kite Base "te"

kita Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be usedas the "if verb".The rude command form is "Koi" and really should only be used on animals.

Using Verb BasesNow that you know about 30 Japanese verbs and can conjugate them, I'll show you what you can do with

those verb bases. You may want to regularly refer to Verb Conjugation (Godan) and Verb Conjugation(Ichidan and Irregular) while learning these. The following chart applies to all Japanese verbs unlessotherwise noted.

-Hiragana

Romaji(EnglishLetters)

English Meaning

Base 1 + Base 1 + nai plain form negative (will not verb)

Base 1 + Base 1 + nakatta plain form past negative (did not verb)

Base 2 + Base 2 + masu polite form present/future tense

Base 2 + Base 2 + mashita polite form past tense

Base 2 + Base 2 + masen polite form negative (will not verb)

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Base 2 +

Base 2 + masendeshita polite form past negative (did not verb)

Base 2 + Base 2 + tai want to verb (add (desu) to make it polite)

Base 3 Base 3 plain form present/future tense

Base 4 + Base 4 + ba if verb

Base 4 + Base 4 + ru plain form can verb (Godan verbs only)(verb now becomes an Ichidan verb)

Base 4 + Base 4 + masu polite form can verb (can be changed like above)

Base 5 + Base 5 + to suru try to verb

(this suru is the same verb learned in Verb Conjugation (Ichidan

and Irregular) (to do something))

Base "te" + Base "te" +hoshii

want someone else to verb(hoshii is an adjective which will be covered in the Descriptive

Words - Part 1 lesson)

Base "te" Base "te" plain form command

Base "te" + Base "te" +kudasai polite form command

Base "te" + Base "te" + iru plain form presently verbing

(this iru is the same verb learned in Verb Conjugation (Ichidanand Irregular) (to exist (animate))

Base "te" + Base "te" +imasu polite form presently verbing (can be changed like above)

Base "ta" Base "ta" plain form past tense

Base "ta" + Base "ta" + ra if and when I verb (similar to Base 4 + ba)

Base "ta" + Base "ta" + ri

suru

do such things as...

(this suru is also the same verb learned in Verb Conjugation(Ichidan and Irregular) (to do something))

Meeting Someone New

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We are often asked by our students learning Japanese how to introduce yourself to a Japanese person.This interaction is normally very formal and filled with a few bows. Below is a typical Japaneseconversation/introduction between two people meeting for the first time:

Japanese (In Kanji, Hiragana, and Romaji) English Meaning

Person 1:

Konnichi wa. Hajimemashite.

Hello. Nice to meet you.

Person 2:

Hajimemashite. O-genki desu ka?

Nice to meet you.How are you?

Person 1:

Hai, genki desu.

I am fine.

Person 1: ______

______ Watashi wa ______ to moushimasu. Anata no o-namae wa?

My name is ______.What is your name?

Person 2: ______

______ Watashi wa ______ to iimasu. Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.

My name is ______.Pleased to make youracquaintance.

Person 1: Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.

Pleased to make youracquaintance.

Explanation: "Hajimemashite" literally means "it is a beginning" but would be the equivalent of "Nice tomeet you" in English. It would only be used the first time meeting someone. As learned in DescriptiveWords - Part 1 , "genki" means "in good spirits". "O-genki desu ka" is literally asking "Are you in goodspirits?". This is the most common way of asking "How are you?" in Japanese. The other personresponds "Yes, I am in good spirits". "Mousu" is the ultra polite form of the verb "iu" (to say). Both peopleare literally saying "I am said/called _____". "Namae" is the word for "name". An "o" is added in front of it(and other words throughout this exchange) to show respect. This is not done when talking aboutyourself. "Yoroshii" means "good/fine" and "negai" is a wish or request. "Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu"literally means "I request/wish kindly of you". It is basically like saying "Please treat me well". It can beused in other situations as well - such as when asking for a favor.

Other Common Japanese PhrasesWe are often asked how to say "I love you" in Japanese. This would be "Anata o ai shite imasu" BUT beadvised that the Japanese typically don't use the word for love ( - - ai) when talking about theirfeelings for someone else (not even a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, child, parent, etc.). They would

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ohayougozaimasu Good morning

Explanation: "ohayou gozaimsu" can be used both formally and informally. It can also be shortened to simply"ohayou" which is less polite but in no way rude. It can be shortened further to "ohayo" which is lesspolite than "ohayou" and more on the informal side.

"ohayou" comes from the adjective (hayai) which means "early". "gozaru" (which becomes"gozaimasu" in polite form) is the honorific version of "aru" (to exist (inanimate)). Putting these twotogether, "ohayou gozaimasu" literally means "it honorably exists early".

konnichiwa Hello

Explanation: "konnichiwa" is made up of the Kanji for "now", the Kanji for "day/sun", and the topic marker "wa" (theHiragana "ha"). It is probably closer to "Good day" but used similar to how "Hello" is used in English.

konbanwa Good evening

Explanation: "konbanwa" is made up of the Kanji for "now", the Kanji for "evening", and the topic marker "wa" (theHiragana "ha"). "konban" by itself means "this evening".

oyasuminasai Good night

Explanation:

"oyasuminasai" is derived from the verb (yasumu) which means "to be absent (from work orschool), to rest, to go to bed". It is a farewell and implies that the person you're saying it to will soon go tosleep. It appears similar to base 2 + nasai which is a very informal (rude in most situations) commandform but the "o" at the beginning (which is , an honorific prefix, in Kanji but not typically written as suchdue to the complexity of the Kanji) elevates it to polite form. "yasuminasai" by itself would simply mean"Take a break!"

itadakimasu expression of gratitudebefore meals

Explanation: "itadakimasu" is commonly said just before eating a meal. It expresses gratitude for the meal and is thepolite form of the verb (itadaku - to humbly receive/accept). "itadaku" is the humble version of (morau - to receive/accept).

gochisousamadeshita said after meals

Explanation:

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"gochisousama deshita" is commonly said just after eating a meal. The "go" at the beginning would bewritten in Kanji with the same honorific prefix that we saw on "oyasuminasai" ( ) but it is read "go"instead of "o" in this case. (chisou) means "banquet, feast" even though the Kanji are for "hurry"and "run/race". (sama) is the same as the honorific suffix that could be used after a person's name.

arigatougozaimasu Thank you

Explanation: "arigatou" is made up of the Kanji for "aru" (to exist (inanimate)) and (muzukashii - difficult). Itliterally means "difficulty exists" or "it is difficult". (doumo - a more informal way of saying "Thankyou") could be added to the beginning of "arigatou gozaimasu" to make it even more polite. The differentwords for "Thank you" from most polite to least polite are as follows:

doumo arigatou gozaimasuarigatou gozaimasu

doumo arigatouarigatoudoumo

gomen nasai I beg your pardon, I'm sorry

Explanation: You probably recognize the honorific prefix at the beginning of "gomen nasai". It is similar to"oyasuminasai" in that it kind of sounds like a command but it is not. (men) means "dismissal" so"gomen nasai" literally means "I request your honorable dismissal". The shorter and less polite version is"gomen" by itself.

shitsurei shimasu a way of saying "Excuse me"

Explanation: (shitsurei) is a "dn" (descriptive noun) that means "rude/rudeness". (shitsurei suru

("shimasu" in polite form)) means "to be rude or impolite" so this literally means "I'm going to be rude". Itis often used when one is about to hang up the phone to end a conversation or a way to ask forforgiveness for something one is about to do (like squeeze past someone on a train). To be more polite,use the humble version of "suru", (itasu) and say "shitsurei itashimasu" instead.

sumimasen another way of saying

"Excuse me" or "I'm sorry"

Explanation: The verb behind "sumimasen" is (sumu) which means "to finish, to end, to be completed"."sumimasen" literally means "it will not be ended". It is a common way of asking for forgiveness fortroubling someone. A very similar phrase would be the previous phrase in past tense - "shitsureishimashita".

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itte kimasu a way of saying "See youlater"

Explanation: "itte kimasu" combines the verbs (iku - to go) and (kuru - to come). A verb in base "te" form (as

"iku" is here) can be used to continue a sentence or phrase (like using "and" in English). "itte kimasu"literally means "I will go and come back". It is often said by the father as he leaves for work, children asthey leave for school, etc.

itte rasshai a different way of saying"See you later"

Explanation: "itte rasshai" is the response to "itte kimasu". The first part is exactly the same but the second part usesan abbreviated form of the verb (irassharu) which is the honorific version of "kuru"."rasshai" can only be used with another verb in base "te" right before it. In the form "irasshai"(unabbreviated) is it kind of like a command so this is literally "go and honorably come back!". "irasshai"is often said by itself to welcome someone. The more polite version, "irasshaimase" is often said bythose working in a shop to welcome customers.

tadaima I'm home!

Explanation: "tadaima" is the opposite of "itte kimasu" and is said by the person upon their return. It is typically writtenin Hiragana but the Kanji mean "only, just" and "now". It literally means "presently" or "just now" and canbe used this way as part of a longer sentence.

okaerinasai Welcome home

Explanation: "okaerinasai" is the response for "tadaima". It is derived from the verb (kaeru) which means "toreturn home" and is very similar to