Basic Japanese phrases to learn before your first trip (2024)

Photo: Contiki

Perhaps one of the most well-known things about Japan is that it’s a country that operates on a deep culture of respect, and one of the most respectful things when travelling is to pick up the local language! Though you of course don’t have to become fluent, being able to speak to locals in their own language and show that you are putting in an effort is always something that will win you some points abroad. Plus, being multilingual is a huge advantage and a great skill to have in lots of areas in your life – so, there’s really no excuse not to try!

When planning your trip to Japan, get excited for all the magnificent views, the intricate tradition and heritage you’ll get to witness, and of course the mouth-watering food. And, by tucking these Japanese phrases under your belt, you’ll be able to have an even better time interacting with the locals and getting to know the country in the most authentic way.

General notes on Japanese phrases and language

Though Japanese might sound daunting, especially for people used to speaking Germanic or Romance languages, it’s actually deceptively straightforward. Like any language, Japanese has rules, and formality and respect play a significant role, but if you follow these guidelines you’ll be a master of Japanese phrases in no time! So, here are some general notes.

1. Suffixes

The longer the phrase, the more formal it is (usually). You will notice these suffixes being used often: ‘desu’, ‘masu’, ‘nasai’, ‘gozaimasu’.

The ‘u’ at the end of polite language suffixes (such as ‘desu’ or ‘masu’) is not pronounced. Instead, you would say ‘des’ or ‘mas’, dropping the letter completely.

2. Syllables

Spoken Japanese is done by breaking down each syllable of the word. For example, onegaishimasu (please), which should be broken down as such: o-ne-ga-i-shi-ma-su.

Within this syllabic pronunciation, each syllable is said for the same amount of time. However, if a vowel is marked with an accent, like in ohayō (good morning), then that vowel, and its correlating syllable, should be pronounced for longer. In the case of ohayō, the last o is held for longer, effectively being said as o-ha-yohhh.

3. Sentence structure

Japanese is a language based on context, which is to say that in conversation a lot of information is omitted from a sentence, based on the context. For example, if the subject of the conversation is clear, it will be omitted from the sentence. Grammatically, only a verb or adjective (which function the same way) is necessary to formulate a sentence in Japanese, whereas in English, the subject is usually necessary.

Take this sentence for example: “Watashi wa Angelo, desu. 23 sai desu.”

In English, you might say “I am Angelo, I’m 23 years old,” but in Japanese, the second watashi wa (I am), is unnecessary as we already know from the context that Angelo is the subject of the sentence.

4. Building blocks

Japanese is an agglutinating language, which means that relevant grammatical information can be added to a ‘stem’, sort of like word Lego. Take the stem ‘tabe’ for example – you can add the following suffixes to change the way you use the word:

• taberu – eat
• tabemasu – eat (polite language)
• tabenai – don’t eat
• tabemasen – don’t eat (polite language)
• taberareru – can eat
• tabetai – want to eat

5. Kanji vs. Katakana vs. Hiragana

There are three writing systems in Japanese and each has a different look.

Hiragana are the basic syllables which make up most Japanese words, and these are the most common. Hiragana has a more rounded look: ひらがな (Hiragana).

Katakana work the same as Hiragana, but are usually used for loan words adapted from other languages. Katakana looks a little rougher: カタカナ (Katakana).

Kanji are Chinese characters that are used for easier and more compact reading in Japanese everyday use. Kanji have a more complex look: 漢字 (Kanji).

A note on honorifics

Respect and respectful language are super important when it comes to learning Japanese phrases, and honorifics play a big role in this kind of language. Simply put, an honorific is a way of addressing another person, mostly used in formal settings, and particularly when addressing people that you do not know or elders.

If you are addressing someone you do not know while on your travels in Japan, it is very unusual not to use an honorific. That being said, if you are viewed as a tourist, the locals may use them less.

An honorific is always marked with a suffix added to the person’s last name if you are being formal or polite, or to the person’s first name if you are being casual (though this should only be done with close friends or acquaintances). Some of the most common honorifics are the following:

• Sama – used towards customers or anyone you must address very formally, for example Tanaka-sama
• San – the most classic suffix used in polite language, for example Tanaka-san
• Kun – a colloquial suffix given to boys, for example Hikaru-kun
• Chan – a colloquial suffix given to girls, for example Rina-chan

Helpful Japanese phrases

Okay, so let’s get into it! These are helpful Japanese phrases that you can use while you explore the culture-rich Asian nation and get to chatting with locals.

Day-to-day

Your day-to-day phrases are just that: ones you can easily pick up and use on the go to start and end conversations and make that little bit of effort to get closer to locals instead of expecting everyone to meet you in English.

• Hello – こんにちは – Kon’nichiwa
• Goodbye – ではまた – Dewa mata (you may have heard Sayōnara be used as a common goodbye, but in reality this is more like farewell, so use it accordingly)
• Please – お願いします – Onegaishimasu
• Thank you (informal) – ありがとう – Arigatō
• Thank you very much (informal) – どうもありがとう – Dōmo arigatō
• Thank you (formal) – ありがとうございます – Arigatō gozaimasu
• Yes – はい – Hai (note that it is unusual in Japan to just say ‘yes’, instead you would repeat the verb or noun. I.e. Do you like sushi? Yes, I like sushi.)
• No – いいえ – Iie (same as above)
• Sorry / Excuse me – すみません – Sumimasen
• Do you speak English? – 英語話せますか – Eigo hanasemasu ka?
• I don’t understand – わかりません – Wakarimasen
• Where is the bathroom? – お手洗いはどこですか – Otearai wa doko desu ka?

Greetings

Made some friends? Planning on chatting more? Here are some extra Japanese phrases used for greetings and starting conversations!

• Hello (meeting someone for the first time) – はじめまして – Hajimemash*te
• Hello (on the phone) – もしもし – Moshimoshi
• Good morning (informal) – おはよう – Ohayō
• Good morning (formal) – おはようございます – Ohayō gozaimasu
• Good evening – こんばんは – Konbanwa
• Good night (informal) – おやすみ – Oyasumi
• Good night (formal) – おやすみ なさい – Oyasumi nasai
• How are you? – お元気ですか – Ogenki desu ka?
• I am well – 元気 – Genki desu

Travel phrases and directions

Use these when you’re out adventuring in bustling Tokyo or discovering the shrines of Miyajima Island.

• Where is… – …はどこですか – …Wa doko desu ka?
• How much is… – …はいくらですか – …Wa ikura desu ka?
• With card please – カードでお願いします – Kaado de onegai shimasu (it’s very common in Japan to pay with cash, in fact most places like restaurants will only accept cash, so make sure you have some!)
• Restaurant – レストラン – Restoran (this is basically an English word adapted into Japanese, but you should say it in a ‘Japanese way’ by properly enunciating each vowel)
• Hotel – ホテル – Hoteru (same as above)
• Bullet train – 新幹線 – Shinkansen
• Which train? – 何の電車 – Nan no densha?
• Left – 左 – Hidari
• Right – 右 – Migi

Ordering food

I mean, you can’t visit Japan without sampling all the out of this world food, can you? Use these Japanese phrases to help you order and send your taste buds to heaven.

• I would like to order / Can I please have… – ください – (insert what you are ordering) Kudasai
• It’s very good – 本当においしいです – Hontō ni oishii desu
• Delicious – おいしい – Oishii
• Cheers! – 乾杯 – Kanpai!
• Can I have a coffee please? – すみません, コーヒーください – Sumimasen kōhii kudasai
• Water (cold) – 水 – Mizu
• Water (hot) – お湯 – Oyu
• Beer – ビール – Biiru
• Sake – 日本酒 – Nihonshu
• Alcohol – お酒 – Osake
• Sushi – 寿司 – Sushi (easy!)
• Hot – あつい – Atsui
• Cold – さむい – Samui
• Spicy – からい – Karai
• Not spicy – からくない – Karakunai
• Check please – お会計ください – Okaikei kudasai

Japanese slang

Seeing as Japanese is a language heavily based on respect, slang is not generally used too much, or not seen as proper. But, if you want to sound more casual and colloquial with any friends you might make along the way, here are some common phrases to use.

• Handsome – イケメン – Ikemen
• Lame / Boring – ダサい – Dasai
• Pissed off – ムカつく – Mukatsuku
• To google – ググる – Guguru
• To cringe or have a weird feeling – キモイ- Kimoi
• Very funny – うける – Ukeru
• Really? (as an interjection) – まじ – Maji
• Super / Very – めっちゃ – Meccha
• Amazing / Crazy – やばい – Yabai
• To be no good – ダメ – Dame