Useful Japanese Expressions

Japanese Audio Phrasebook

Whether you're traveling to Japan or simply want to learn a new language, here are some useful Japanese expressions to get you started. Provided below is a Japanese Audio Phrasebook for many of the words and phrases in this article.

Yes.
Hai.
はい。

No.
Iie.
いいえ。

Excues me.
Sumimasen.
すみません。

Thanks.​
Doumo.
どうも。

Thank you.
Arigatou gozaimasu.
ありがとうございます。

You are welcome.
Dou itashimashite.
どういたしまして。

Do you speak Japanese?
Nihongo o hanashimasu ka.
日本語を話しますか。

Yes, little.
Hai, sukoshi.
はい、少し。

Do you understand?
Wakarimasu ka.
分りますか。

I don't understand.
Wakarimasen.
分りません。

I don't know.
Shirimasen.
知りません。

How do you say it in Japanese?
Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka.
日本語で何と言いますか。

What does it mean?
Dou iu imi desu ka.
どういう意味ですか。

What is it?
Kore wa nan desu ka.
これは何ですか。

Please speak slowly.
Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
ゆっくり話してください。

Please say it again.
Mou ichido itte kudasai.
もう一度言ってください。

No, thanks.
Iie, kekkou desu.
いいえ、結構です。

It is all right.

Daijoubu desu.
大丈夫です。

Essential Words

what
nani
なに

where
doko
どこ

who
dare
だれ

when
itsu
いつ

which
dore
どれ

how much
ikura
いくら

Weather Related Words

weather
tenki
天気

climate
kikou
気候

temperature
ondo
温度

Traveling Words and Phrases

Where is the Tokyo Station?
Toukyou eki wa doko desu ka.
東京駅はどこですか。

Does this train stop at Osaka?
Kono densha wa oosaka ni tomarimasu ka.
この電車は大阪に止まりますか。

What is the next station?
Tsugi wa nani eki desu ka.
次は何駅ですか。

What time does it leave?
Nan-ji ni demasu ka.
何時に出ますか。

Where is the bus stop?
Basu-tei wa doko desu ka.
バス停はどこですか。

Does this bus goes to Kyoto?
Kono basu wa kyouto ni ikimasu ka.
このバスは京都に行きますか。

Where can I rent a car?
Doko de kuruma o kariru koto ga dekimasu ka.
どこで車を借りることができますか。

How much is it daily?
Ichinichi ikura desu ka.
一日いくらですか。

Please fill the tank.
Mantan ni shite kudasai.
満タンにしてください。

Can I park here?
Koko ni kuruma o tometemo ii desu ka.
ここに車を止めてもいいですか。

What time is the next bus?
Tsugi no basu wa nanji desu ka.
次のバスは何時ですか。

Greetings and Well Wishes


Please give my regards to everyone.
Minasama ni douzo yoroshiku.
皆様にどうぞよろしく。

Please take care of yourself.

Okarada o taisetsu ni.
お体を大切に。

Take care of yourself.

Douzo ogenki de.
どうぞお元気で。

I look forward to hearing from you.Ohenji omachi shite orimasu.
お返事お待ちしております。

Other Resources:

Introduction to Japanese

* Learn to Speak Japanese - Thinking of learning Japanese and want to know more, start here.

* Introductory Lessons - If you are ready to learn Japanese, start here.

* Basic Lessons - Confident with the basic lessons or want to brush up, go here.

* Grammar/Expressions - Verbs, adjectives, particles, pronouns, useful expressions and more.

Japanese Writing

* Japanese Writing for Beginners - Introduction to Japanese writing.

* Kanji Lessons - Are you interested in kanji? Here you will find the most commonly used kanji characters. 

* Hiragana Lessons - Here you will learn the basics of hiragana.

* Learn Hiragana with Japanese Culture- Lessons to practice hiragana with Japanese cultural examples.

Please check out my "Japanese Audio Phrasebook" to lean more Japanese vocabulary.

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Abe, Namiko. "Useful Japanese Expressions." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/useful-japanese-expressions-2028149. Abe, Namiko. (2023, April 5). Useful Japanese Expressions. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/useful-japanese-expressions-2028149 Abe, Namiko. "Useful Japanese Expressions." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/useful-japanese-expressions-2028149 (accessed March 19, 2024).