Also avoid placing too much emphasis on particular words or syllables. Although Japanese does have a form of stress and intonation, it is significantly flatter than English. Word stress is much more subtle and neglecting it at this point should not interfere with meaning. Trying to keep your intonation flat will make your attempts to speak Japanese more comprehensible to local listeners. When asking questions, you can raise the tone at the end, as in English.
; a, __, _A : like 'a' in "f'''a'''ther" ; i, __, _C : like 'i' in "mach'''i'''ne" ; u, __, _E : like 'oo' in "h'''oo'''p", but short ; e, __, _G : like 'e' in "s'''e'''t" ; o, __, _I : like 'o' in "r'''o'''pe", but less round
Note that "u" is often weak at the end of syllables. In particular, the common endings ''desu'' and ''masu'' are usually pronounced as ''des'' and ''mas'' respectively.
With the solitary exception of "n" (___E__), consonants in Japanese are always followed by a vowel to form a syllable. Consonants and vowels are not freely combinable as in English, see table on the right for all possible syllables and note irregularities like __ ''shi'' or __ ''fu''. Certain syllables can be marked with diacritics, which alters the pronunciation of the consonant part. The list below first gives the consonant part of the syllable in romanized Japanese, then the Japanese syllables that the sound occurs in first in Hiragana, then Katakana.
; k in ___________E_J_L_N_P_R : like 'k' in "king" ; g in ___________E_K_M_O_Q_S : like 'g' in "go" ; s in _________E_T_X_Z_\ : like 's' in "sit" ; z in _________E_U_Y_[_] : like 'z' in "haze" ; t in _______E_^_e_g : like 't' in "top" ; d in _______E___f_h : like 'd' in "dog" ; n in ___________E_i_j_k_l_m : like 'n' in "nice" ; h in _________E_n_q_w_z : like 'h' in "help" ; p in ___________E_p_s_v_y_| : like 'p' in "pig" ; b in ___________E_o_r_u_x_{ : like 'b' in "bed" ; m in ___________E_}_~______ : like 'm' in "mother" ; y in _______E______ : like 'y' in "yard" ; r in ___________E__________ : no equivalent in English, a sound between 'l', 'r' and 'd', but close to a very soft 'r' ; w in ___E__ : like 'w' in "wall"
; sh in ___E_V : like 'sh' in "sheep" ; j in ___E_W : like 'j' in "jar" ; ch in ___E_` : like 'ch' in "touch" ; ts in ___E_c : like 'ts' in "hot soup" ; f in ___E_t : like 'wh' in "who"
; n, __, __ : short 'n', slides towards 'm' in some cases
; ___E_b (small ''tsu'') : glottal stop; the following consonant is prepared, held and stopped for the duration of one syllable. For example, ________ ''nippon'' is pronounced "nip-(pause)-pon". (Note that the double consonants ''nn, mm'', which are not written with __, do not have this pause.)
Katakana are used to write foreign and loanwords and are hence a good choice for travellers to learn. The katakana set of characters encompasses exactly the same sounds as hiragana; they only look different. The table on the left only reproduces the basic character set and diacritics (_J __ _K). Combinations (_L__) apply just as for hiragana. One additional sound though is __ ''vu'' and combinations like ___F ''ve'' based on it, accommodating additional foreign sounds (to be fair, __ ''vu'' exists in hiragana as well, but is rarely, if ever, used). Every once in a while you may spot additional ingenious combinations or use of diacritics.
Since Japanese doesn't very well accommodate rapid successions of consonants, the katakana transcription can often only approximate the actual pronunciation of a foreign word. While some words like cafe (_J_t_F ''kafe'') can be represented quite gracefully, other words like beer (_r_[__ ''b?ru'') or rent-a-car (_____^_J_[ ''rentak?'') seem slightly strange to the native English speaker. Nonetheless, many English expressions and concepts are used in everyday life, as are a number of German, French, Dutch and Portugese loanwords. Oftentimes the exact meaning of a word has changed in Japanese (de: Arbeit __ _A___o_C_g ''arubaito'' is used only for part-time work) or a completely new meaning was invented (_____}___J_[ ''wanmank?'' __ "one-man car", trains and buses without an inspector, only ''one'' driver), but you can usually at least guess at the meaning.
To identify a katakana word, it's usually helpful to repeat it out loud a few times and to leave out superfluous vocals, especially the 'u' in _X ''su'' and 'o' in _g ''to''. That way ___C_X ''raisu'' quickly becomes "rice" and _`_P_b_g ''chiketto'' becomes "ticket". Don't try too hard though, as sometimes original Japanese words are written in katakana as well, similar to the use of uppercase or italic letters in English. In addition, some words were not derived from English but from other languages such as German, French or Dutch.
At its core, Japanese grammar is pretty simple, though sentence structures differ greatly from English. For instance, Japanese uses postpositions instead of prepositions (''Japan in'' and not ''in Japan''). It has no gender, declensions or plurals. Nouns never conjugate while adjectives follow a generally standardised conjugation pattern. However, verbs have extensive conjugation patterns and much of Japanese lessons for foreign language learners is about getting these conjugations right. Verbs and adjectives also conjugate by politeness level though, and in a rather peculiar way.
Japanese is a so called agglutinative language, meaning several morphemes which have purely grammatical functions are glued to the end of a word stem to express the grammatical function. The more the intended meaning differs from the basic form of the word, the more morphemes are glued together.
{| cellpadding="8" border="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #EEE" ! colspan=5 | Japanese verb and adjective conjugation
Japanese grammar generally employs a subject-object-verb order, but is very modular and flexible since the grammatical meaning of a word is expressed by the morphemes glued to its end and special marker particles. The two most important particles are the topic marker __ ''wa'' and the object marker __ ''o''.
: I saw the movie. : __'''__'''_f__'''__'''_________B : ''Watashi-'''wa''' eiga-'''o''' mimashita.'' : ''I-['''topic'''] movie-['''object'''] seen.''
It becomes a little more complicated if both objects and subjects are mixed within a sentence and the subject marker __ ''ga'' is thrown in.
: I discovered that she likes tea. : __'''__'''____'''__'''____'''__'''_D______'''__'''_________B<br />''Watashi-'''wa''' kanojo-'''ga''' ocha-'''o''' sukinakoto-'''ga''' wakatta.'' : ''I-['''topic'''] she-['''subj.'''] tea-['''obj.'''] like-['''subj.'''] understood.''
Students of the language can spend years wrapping their heads around the difference between the ''topic'' of a sentence (marked by __ ''wa'') and the ''subject'' of a sentence (marked by __ ''ga''). However, as a beginner, you can fairly safely always use __ ''wa'' to mark the person doing the action and get your message across.
Some other useful particles are:
; __ no : possessive marker : The mother's child : __'''__'''_q : ''haha '''no''' ko''
; __ de, __ ni : indicating places and times : in Tokyo : ______ : ''T?ky?-'''de''''' : at 2 o'clock : _Q____ : ''niji-'''ni'''''
; ____ kara, __ e, ____ made : from, towards, until : From here towards Osaka until Nara. : ______________________ : ''koko '''kara''' ?saka-'''e''' Nara-'''made''' ''
; __ to, __ ka : and, or : This and that. : __________ : ''kore '''to''' sore'' : This or that. : __________ : ''kore '''ka''' sore''
; ___H ka? : question forming particle : Are you going to Tokyo? : _______s_________H : ''T?ky? ni ikimasu '''ka?'''
: _____A_R_c_____B ''Watashi wa, Yamada desu'' ("I [am] Yamada.") : _______A___________B ''Kore wa, ringo desu'' ("This [is] apple.") : _______A_________B ''Sore wa, akai desu'' ("''That [is] red.").
The word _____@''desu'' here is ''not'' a verb, it's a polite copula (linking word), which can be omitted in colloquial speech or replaced with other copulas including ______ ''deshita'' (polite past), ________ ''desh?'' (polite suggestion) or __ ''da'' (plain). The topic indicated by __ ''wa'' is also optional and is often implied by context:
: ___________________H ''Anata wa dare desu ka?'' ("Who [are] you?") : _R_c_____B ''Yamada desu.'' ("[I am] Yamada.") : _______________H ''Kore wa nan desu ka?'' ("What [is] this?") : ___________B ''Ringo desu''. ("[This is] an apple.") : _________F_______H ''Sore wa nani-iro desu ka?'' ("What color [is] that?")<br> : _________B ''Akai desu''. ("[That is] red.")
The two verbs ____ ''iru'' > ''imasu'' and ____ ''aru'' > ''arimasu'' express the '''physical presence''' of a person or an object respectively. To say '''"A is located in B'''", use the pattern '''A ''ga'' B ''ni imasu/arimasu''':
: _R_c___________________B ''Yamada-san ga koko ni imasu.'' ("Mr. Yamada is [physically located] here.") : _y___________________H_@''Pen ga tsukue ni arimasu ka?'' ("Is there a pen on the table?") : _____A_________B ''Hai, arimasu.'' ("Yes, [the pen] is [on the table].")
As long as you're not 100% sure what you're doing you should always refer to yourself as __ ''watashi'' and address others by their name. If you feel adventurous, here are a number of ways to address people.
'''I''' ; __ ''watashi'', ''watakushi'' : the most common polite form for "I", lit. "private" ; ______ ''atashi'' : informal feminine version of ''watashi'' ; ____ ''uchi'' : dialect form of ''watashi'', lit "(my) house", usually used to refer to one's family or home ; _l ''boku'' : boyish and more informal ; __ ''ore'' : male speak (rude)
'''you''' ; ______ ''anata'' : most common form for "you", not too direct ; ______ ''anta'' : more direct, used only by females, tends to be insulting ; _N ''kimi'' : more direct, mostly from a man to a woman ; ___O ''omae'' : very direct and informal, used only by males ; ______ ''tem?'' : ''very'' rude, used only by males
More a cultural than a grammatical problem is the problem of addressing somebody. Even though there exist a multitude of words with the meaning "you", it is generally avoided to address somebody directly. The closest equivalent to "you" is ______ ''anata'', but it's only used among friends or equals. It is usually preferred to address somebody by name, title or status, applying appropriate honorifics.
; ____ ''-san'' : The most basic honorific, about equivalent to Mister or Miss (no distiction between the two in Japanese). _R_c____ ''Yamada-san'': Mister Yamada ; _l ''-sama'' : Politer than ''-san'', used to address people ranking higher on the social ladder. It is also used by shop assistants to address customers. ; ______ ''-chan'' : Usually used to address young children. Also used to address (usually female) close friends. ; _N ''-kun'' : Used to address male close friends. ; ___q_l ''okyaku-sama'' : "Mister customer", used by hotel or shop owners to address you. ; _X______ ''tench?-san'' : The way to address the owner of a shop, though not the part-time workers. ; ___Z____ ''on?-san'', ___o____ ''on?-san'' : Literally brother and sister respectively, is used to address young people who you're having a hard time finding a better honorific for. ; ________ ''oj?-san'', ___k____ ''ob?-san'' : "Gramps" and "granny", very popular to address old people. Cuter when used with ''-chan''. ; ____ ''shach?'' : The boss of the company. ; ______ ''sochira'' : Means something like "on your side" and is used when absolutely no better honorific can be found.
There are also several different words for "I", with __ ''watashi'' being the most commonly used. Grammatically it's often unnecessary to use the words "you" or "I" as the intended meaning is obvious from context, so they should generally be avoided. Sometimes people will also call themselves by their own name. When doing so they must not add any additional honorifics though; one only does this when addressing others.
There's no specific form for "we" or the plural "you". To address groups of people you add the plural particle ____ ''-tachi'' to somebody within the group or the group designator.
; ______ ''watashi-tachi'' : lit. "the group around myself", meaning "we" ; ___X ''ware-ware'' : a less formal way of saying "we" ; __________ ''anata-tachi'' : "the group around you", plural "you" ; _q______ ''kodomo-tachi'' : "a group of children", meaning "the children" ; _R_c________ ''Yamada-san-tachi'' : "the group around Yamada-''san''", everybody you'd associate with Mr. Yamada, based on context
The clincher is the set of Chinese characters known as ''kanji'', roughly 2,000 of which are in daily use while many more exist. Kanji originated as pictures, where each character originally represented a meaning, idea or concept, not a sound as in English. Even though kanji have since evolved dramatically and many have long since jettisoned any connection to the original concept, the meaning of some simple kanji can still be easily guessed at (see below).
One difficulty in reading Japanese lies often in the fact that a kanji can have several different pronunciations. The kanji _l for example has the meaning of a person, and by itself it may be pronounced ''hito''. The kanji __ means big (imagine a person with outstretched arms) and can be pronounced as ''dai'' or ''?''. Together they form the word ___l ''otona'', "adult" (lit. ''big person''). In the word _O___l ''gaikokujin'' ("foreigner", lit. ''outside country person'') the same kanji _l is pronounced ''jin''. These pronunciations exist because a single kanji may be used to write one or more different words, or parts of words. These "readings" are normally categorized as either Sino-Japanese (______ ''onyomi''); a Japanese approximation of the Chinese pronunciation of the character at the time it was introduced to Japanese, or native Japanese (_P____ ''kunyomi''); based on the pronunciation of a native Japanese word. Generally, ''kanji'' are read with their native Japanese reading when on their own (eg. _b, '''hanashi''') and with Sino-Japanese readings when part of compound words (eg. _d_b, den'''wa'''), though there are many exceptions.
While knowing Chinese will give one a huge advantage in tackling kanji, and someone who knows Chinese would generally be able to guess the meanings of new kanji with about 70% accuracy, one should still be careful. While most characters have similar meanings in both Japanese and Chinese, there are a few which have drastically different meanings. For example, the word ____ "hand paper" means "toilet paper" (''shouzhi'') in China, but "letter" (''tegami'') in Japan.
Kanji are mixed with hiragana and katakana in everyday writing for historical reasons. Japan adopted the Chinese ''hanzi'' system, but found it difficult to impossible to express sound-based Japanese grammatical inflections with the meaning-based Chinese characters. Hence the sound-based hiragana characters have been invented and tacked onto the end of hanzi/kanji characters. The katakana system was invented to express foreign and loan words. There are also several competing systems for rendering Japanese in the Latin alphabet, although the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn_romanization Hepburn romanization] system is the most common and is used on Wikitravel as well. Do not be surprised if you see these words romanized differently elsewhere.
Also note that there are many homophones in Japanese, i.e. words with different meanings that have the same prononciation (like "there", "they're" and "their"). This can be confusing even to native speakers, to the extent that words have to be explained with an alternative reading or need to be drawn. These words may also employ a pitch-accent system to distinguish them, which speakers of non-tonal languages may have difficulty learning to understand.
{| cellpadding="8" border="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #EEE"
; _________B ___\_____B <br>''Ii desu. Kekk? desu.'' : "It's good/excellent." Used when you don't want more beer, don't want your ''bent?'' lunch microwaved, and generally are happy to keep things as they are. Accompany with teeth-sucking and handwaving to be sure to get your point across - both of these expressions may be interpreted as ''positive'' responses if you don't include enough nonverbal indications to the contrary. ; _____________________<br>''Chotto muzukashii desu...'' : Literally "it's a little difficult", but in practice "it's completely impossible." Often just abbreviated to sucking in air through teeth, saying "chotto" and looking pained. Take the hint. ; _\___________________<br>''M?shiwakenai desukedo...'' : "This is inexcusable but..." But no. Used by sales clerks and such to tell you that you cannot do or have something. ; _________B<br>''Dame desu.'' : "It's no good." Used by equals and superiors to tell you that you cannot do or have something. The Kansai equivalent is ''akan''. ; _________B<br>''Chigaimasu.'' : "It is different." What they really mean is "you're wrong". The casual form ''chigau'' and the Kansai contraction ''chau'' are also much used.
; Leave me alone. : _______________B ''Hottoitekure.'' ; Don't touch me! : _________________I ''Sawaranaidekure!'' ; I'll call the police. : _x_@___________B ''Keisatsu o yobimasu.'' ; Police! : ___________I ''Omawarisan!'' ; Stop! Thief! : ____! _D___I ''Mate! Dorob?!'' ; I need your help. : _________________B ''Tasukete kudasai.'' ; It's an emergency. : ___}_____B ''Kinky? desu.'' ; I'm lost. : ___q_____B ''Maigo desu.'' ; I lost my bag. : _________________B ''Kaban wo nakushimashita.'' ; I dropped my wallet. : ___z_______________B ''Saifu wo otoshimashita.'' ; I'm sick. : _a_C_____B ''By?ki desu.'' ; I don't feel well. : _C_______________B ''Kibun ga warui desu.'' ; I've been injured. : _______________B ''Kega wo shimashita.'' ; Please call a doctor. : _____________________B ''Isha wo yonde kudasai.'' ; Can I use your phone? : _d_b___g_________________H ''Denwa wo tsukattemo ii desu ka?''
; I'm allergic to ... . : ____ _c _A_____M_[_____B ''Watashi wa ... arerugii desu.''(ja.Arerugii,de.Allergie) ; antibiotics : _R______ ''k?sei busshitsu'' ; aspirin : _A_X_s____ ''asupirin'' ; codeine : _R_f_C__ ''kodein'' ; dairy products : _____i ''ny?seihin'' ; food coloring : _l_H___F__ ''jink? chakushokury?'' ; fungus : ____ ''kinrui'' ; MSG : _____f ''ajinomoto'' ; mushrooms : _L_m_R ''kinoko'' ; peanuts : _s_[_i_b_c ''p?nattsu'' ; penicillin : _y_j_V____ ''penishirin'' ; pollen : ____ ''kafun'' ; seafood : ______ ''gyokairui'' ; sesame : _S_} ''goma'' ; shellfish : _L__ ''kairui'' ; tree nuts, fruits or berries : ______ ''kinomi'' ; wheat : ____ ''komugi''
; ... hurts. : _c _______B''... ga itai.'' ; Feeling unwell. : _C________ ''kibun ga warui'' ; Having a fever. : _M___________B ''Netsu ga arimasu.'' ; Coughing a lot. : _P_________B ''Seki ga demasu.'' ; Feeling listless. : ___________B ''Karada ga darui.'' ; Feeling nauseated. : _f___C_________B ''Hakike ga shimasu.'' ; Feeling dizzy. : _______________B ''Memai ga shimasu.'' ; Having the chills. : ___C_________B ''Samuke ga shimasu.'' ; Swallowed something. : _________________________B ''Nanika o nonde shimaimashita.'' ; Bleeding. : _o_______B ''Shukketsu desu.'' ; Broken bone. : _________B ''Kossetsu desu.'' ; He/she is unconscious. : _____s_______B ''Ishiki fumei desu.'' ; Burned. : _________B ''Yakedo desu.'' ; Trouble breathing. : ___z_________B ''Koky? konnan desu.'' ; Heart attack. : _S___________B ''Shinz? hossa desu.'' ; Vision worsened. : _________________B ''Shiryoku ga ochimashita.'' ; Cannot hear well. : _____________________B ''Mimi ga yoku kikoemasen.'' ; Nose bleeds a lot. : _@_______________B ''Hanaji ga yoku demasu.''
; Blizzard : ____ (''fubuki'') ; Earthquake : _n_k (''jishin'') ; Flood : _^__ (''k?zui'') ; Landslide : _n____ (''jisuberi'') ; Tsunami : ___g (''tsunami'') ; Typhoon : ____ (''taif?'') ; Volcano eruption : ____ (''funka'')
There are both Japanese and Chinese readings for most numbers, but presented below are the more commonly used Chinese readings. Note that, due to superstition (''shi'' also means "death"), 4 and 7 typically use the Japanese readings ''yon'' and ''nana'' instead.
; small roundish objects (apples, sweets) : __ ''-ko'' ; people : _l ''-nin'' , ___l ''-meisama'' (polite) ; animals : _C ''-hiki, -biki, -piki'' ; flat objects (papers, tickets) : __ ''-mai'' ; long objects (bottles, pens): _{ ''-hon, -bon, -pon'' ; cups, glasses: _t ''-hai, -bai, -pai'' ; nights of a stay : __ ''-haku, -paku'' ; years (age) : __ ''-sai'' Note how many counters change form depending on the previous number: one, two, three glasses are ''ippai'', ''nihai'', ''sanbai'' respectively. _@There are also a few exceptions: one person and two people are ''hitori'' and ''futari''. 20 years old is usually pronounced ''hatachi''. You'll still be understood if you get these wrong though.
For numbers from one to nine, an old counting system is often used which applies to virtually any object you may want to count, without the need to attach a specific counter: ; 1 : ____ ''hitotsu'' ; 2 : ____ ''futatsu'' ; 3 : _O__ ''mittsu'' ; 4 : _l__ ''yottsu'' ; 5 : ____ ''itsutsu'' ; 6 : _Z__ ''muttsu'' ; 7 : ____ ''nanatsu'' ; 8 : ____ ''yattsu'' ; 9 : ____ ''kokonotsu'' It is always a good idea to use a specific counter whenever possible, but using the generic numbers above is often equally acceptable. This system is rarely used anymore for numbers greater than nine.}}
; 0 : _Z (''zero'' or ''maru'') / __ (''rei'') in finance ; 1 : __ (''ichi'') ; 2 : __ (''ni'') ; 3 : _O (''san'') ; 4 : _l (''yon'' or ''shi'') ; 5 : __ (''go'') ; 6 : _Z (''roku'') ; 7 : __ (''nana'' or ''shichi'') ; 8 : __ (''hachi'') ; 9 : __ (''ky?'') ; 10 : _\ (''j?'') ; 11 : _\__ (''j?-ichi'') ; 12 : _\__ (''j?-ni'') ; 13 : _\_O (''j?-san'') ; 14 : _\_l (''j?-yon'') ; 15 : _\__ (''j?-go'') ; 16 : _\_Z (''j?-roku'') ; 17 : _\__ (''j?-nana'') ; 18 : _\__ (''j?-hachi'') ; 19 : _\__ (''j?-ky?''/''j?-ku'') ; 20 : ___\ (''ni-j?'') ; 21 : ___\__ (''ni-j?-ichi'') ; 22 : ___\__ (''ni-j?-ni'') ; 23 : ___\_O (''ni-j?-san'') ; 30 : _O_\ (''san-j?'') ; 40 : _l_\(''yon-j?'') ; 50 : ___\ (''go-j?'') ; 60 : _Z_\ (''roku-j?'') ; 70 : ___\(''nana-j?'') ; 80 : ___\ (''hachi-j?'') ; 90 : ___\ (''ky?-j?'') ; 100 : _S (''hyaku'') ; 200 : ___S (''nihyaku'') ; 300 : _O_S (''sambyaku'') ; 600 : _Z_S (''roppyaku'') ; 800 : ___S (''happyaku'') ; 1000 : __ (''sen'') ; 2000 : ____ (''ni-sen'') ; 3000 : _O__ (''san-zen'') ; 10,000 : ____ (''ichi-man'') ; 1,000,000 : _S__ (''hyaku-man'') ; 100,000,000 : ____ (''ichi-oku'') ; 1,000,000,000,000 : ____ (''itch?'') ; 0.5 : _Z_E__ (''rei ten go'') ; 0.56 : _Z_E___Z (''rei ten go-roku'') ; number _____ (''train, bus, etc.'') : _______ (''____ ban'') ; half : ____ (''hambun'') ; less (few) : ______ (''sukunai'') ; more (many) : ____ (''?i'')
; now : __ (''ima'') ; later : ____ (''atode'') ; before : _O__ (''mae ni'') ; before ___ : ___ ___O__ ('' ___ no mae ni'') ; morning : __ (''asa'') ; afternoon : ____ (''gogo'') ; evening : _[__ (''y?gata'') ; night : __ (''yoru'')
; six o'clock AM : __6__ (''asa rokuji'') ; nine o'clock AM : ___O9__ (''gozen kuji'') ; noon : ____ (''sh?go'') ; one o'clock PM : ____1__ (''gogo ichiji.'') ; two o'clock PM : ____2__ (''gogo niji'') ; midnight : __12__ (''yoru j?niji''), ____ (''r?ji'')
; _____ minute(s) : _____ __ (''fun'' or ''pun'') ; _____ hour(s) : _____ ____ (''jikan'') ; _____ day(s) : _____ ____ (''nichikan'' or ''(k)kakan'', see note above) ; _____ week(s) : _____ _T__ (''sh?kan'') ; _____ month(s) : _____ ____ (''kagetsu'') ; _____ year(s) : _____ _N (''nen'')
; today : ____(''ky?'') ; yesterday : ____(''kin?'') ; tomorrow : ____(''ashita'') ; tomorrow (formal) : ____(''asu'') ; this week : ___T(''konsh?'') ; last week : ___T(''sensh?'') ; next week : ___T(''raish?'')
; First day of the month :1__ (''tsuitachi'') ; Second day of the month : 2__ (''futsuka'') ; Third day of the month : 3__ (''mikka'') ; Fourth day of the month : 4__ (''yokka'') ; Fifth day of the month : 5__ (''itsuka'') ; Sixth day of the month : 6__ (''muika'') ; Seventh day of the month : 7__ (''nanoka'') ; Eighth day of the month : 8__ (''y?ka'') ; Ninth day of the month : 9__ (''kokonoka'') ; Tenth day of the month : 10__ (''t?ka'')
The other days of the month are more orderly, just add the suffix ''-nichi'' to the ordinal number. Note that 14, 20, and 24 deviate from this pattern.
; Eleventh day of the month : 11__ (''j?ichinichi'') ; Fourteenth day of the month : 14__ (''j?yokka'') ; Twentieth day of the month : 20__ (''hatsuka'') ; Twenty-fourth day of the month : 24__ (''nij?yokka'')
; January : _P__ (''ichigatsu'') ; February : _Q__ (''nigatsu'') ; March : _R__ (''sangatsu'') ; April : _S__ (''shigatsu'') ; May : _T__ (''gogatsu'') ; June : _U__ (''rokugatsu'') ; July : _V__ (''shichigatsu'') ; August : _W__ (''hachigatsu'') ; September : _X__ (''kugatsu'') ; October : _P_O__ (''j?gatsu'') ; November : _P_P__ (''j?ichigatsu'') ; December : _P_Q__ (''j?nigatsu'')
2007_N3__21__(__)
Note that '''Imperial era years''', based on the name and duration of the current Emperor's reign, are also frequently used. 2007 in the Gregorian calendar corresponds to '''Heisei 19''' (____19_N), which may be abbreviated as "H19". Dates like "19/03/24" (March 24, Heisei 19) are also occasionally seen.
Note that some Japanese colors are normally suffixed with ''-iro'' (_F) to distinguish between the color and the object. For example, __ ''cha'' means "tea", but ___F ''chairo'' means "tea-color" → "brown".
; black : __ / _u___b_N (''kuro / burakku'') ; white : __ / _z___C_g (''shiro / howaito'') ; gray : _D(_F) / _O___[ (''hai(iro) / gur?'') ; red : __ / ___b_h (''aka / reddo'') ; blue : __ / _u___[ (''ao / bur?'') ; yellow : __(_F) / _C_G___[ (''ki(iro) / ier?'') ; green : __ / _O___[__ (''midori / guriin'') ; orange : __ / _I_____W (''daidai / orenji'') ; purple : __ / _p_[_v__ (''murasaki / p?puru'') ; brown : __(_F) / _u___E__ (''cha(iro) / buraun'')
If your meal was good, thank the chef or staff with ''Gochis?sama deshita'' when leaving, and you'll get an extra-hearty thank you in return!}}
; I'm hungry. : _________________B (''onaka-ga-sukimashita'') ; A table for one person/two people, please. : ___l/___l_____B (''hitori/futari desu'') ; Please bring a menu. : ___j___[_________B (''menu wo kudasai.'') ; Can I look in the kitchen? : _________________________H (''ch?riba wo mite mo ii desu ka?'') ; Is there a house specialty? : ___________________H (''O-susume wa arimasuka?'') ; Is there a local specialty? : _________________________H (''Kono hen no m?butsu wa arimasuka?'') ; Please choose for me. : ___C_________B (''O-makase shimasu.'') ; I'm a vegetarian. : _x_W_^___A_______B (''Bejitarian desu.'') ; I don't eat pork. : _______________B (''Butaniku wa dame desu.'') ; I don't eat beef. : _______________B(''Gy?niku wa dame desu.'') ; I don't eat raw fish. : _________________B(''Nama no sakana wa dame desu.'') ; Please do not use too much oil. : _____T___________B(''Abura wo hikaete kudasai.'') ; fixed-price meal : ___H (''teishoku'') ; a la carte : ___i____ (''ippinry?ri'') ; breakfast : ___H (''ch?shoku'') / ______ (''asagohan'') ; lunch : ___H (''ch?shoku'') / _______@(''hirugohan'') ; light meal/snack : _y_H (''keishoku'') ; supper : _[_H (''y?shoku'') / ______ (''bangohan'') ; Please bring _____. : _____ _________B(''_____ wo kudasai.'') ; I want a dish containing _____. : ____________________________B (''____ ga haitteru mono wo kudasai.'') ; chicken : _{__ (''toriniku'') ; beef : ____ (''gy?niku'') ; pork : ____ (''butaniku'') ; fish : __ (''sakana'') ; ham : _n__ (''hamu'') ; sausage : _\_[_Z_[_W (''s?s?ji'') ; cheese : _`_[_Y (''ch?zu'') ; eggs : __ (''tamago'') ; salad : _T____ (''sarada'') ; (fresh) vegetables : (__)____ ('' (nama) yasai'') ; (fresh) fruit : (__)____ ('' (nama) kudamono'') ; bread : _p__ (''pan'') ; toast : _g_[_X_g (''t?suto'') ; noodles : ____ (''menrui'') ; pasta : _p_X_^ (''pasuta'') ; rice : ____ (''gohan'') ; soup : _X_[_v : (''s?pu'') ; beans : __ (''mame'') ; May I have a glass/cup of _____? : _____ _____t_______B (''____ wo ippai kudasai.'') ; May I have a bottle of _____? : _____ _____{_______B (''_____ wo ippon kudasai.'') ; coffee : _R_[_q_[ (''k?h?'') ; green tea : ____ (''ocha'') ; black tea : _g__ (''k?cha'') ; juice : ___` (''kaj?'') ; water : __ (''mizu'') ; beer : _r_[__ (''b?ru'') ; red/white wine : __/_____C__ (''aka/shiro wain'') ; Do you have _____? : _____ ____________? (''_____ wa arimasuka?'') ; chopsticks : ____ (''o-hashi'') ; fork : _t_H_[_N (''f?ku'') ; spoon : _X_v_[__ (''sup?n'') ; salt : __ (''shio'') ; black pepper : ____ (''kosh?'') ; soy sauce : ____ (''sh?yu'') ; ashtray : _D_M (''haizara'') ; Excuse me, waiter? (''getting attention of server'') : __________ (''sumimasen'') ; (when starting a meal) : _____________B(itadakimasu) ; It was delicious. (when finishing a meal) : ___y_____________B (''Go-chis?-sama deshita.'') ; Please clear the plates. : ___M_________________B (''Osara o sagete kudasai.'') ; The check, please. : ___________________B (''O-kanjo onegai shimasu.'')
; Do you serve alcohol? : ______________? (''O-sake arimasuka?'') ; Is there table service? : _e_[_u___T_[_r_X__________? (''T?buru s?bisu arimasuka?'') ; A beer/two beers, please. : _r_[_____t/___t_______B(''Biiru ippai/nihai kudasai.'') ; A glass of red/white wine, please. : __/_____C_____t_______B(''Aka/shiro wain ippai kudasai.'') ; A mug (of beer), please. : _r_[_____W___b_L_______B(''B?ru no jokki kudasai.'') ; A bottle, please. : _r_________B (''Bin kudasai.'') ; _____ (''hard liquor'') and _____ (''mixer''), please. : _____ __ _____ _______B(''_____ to _____ kudasai.'') ; sake : ___{__ (''nihonshu'') ; Japanese liquor : ____ (''sh?ch?'') ; whiskey : _E_C_X_L_[ (''uisukii'') ; vodka : _E_H_b_J (''wokka'') ; rum : ____ (''ramu'') ; water : __ (''mizu'') ; club soda : _\_[__ (''s?da'') ; tonic water : _g_j_b_N_E_H_[_^_[ (''tonikku w?t?'') ; orange juice : _I_____W_W___[_X (''orenji j?su'') ; cola (''soda'') : _R_[__ (''k?ra'') ; with ice : _I___U___b_N (''onzarokku (on the rocks)'') ; Do you have any bar snacks? : __________________? (''o-tsumami arimasuka?'') ; One more, please. : _________________B (''M? hitotsu kudasai.'') ; Another round, please. : _____________________t_____________B (''Minna ni onaji mono o ippai zutsu kudasai.'') ; When is closing time? : ___X____________? (''Heiten wa nanji desuka?'')
; Do you have this in my size? : _____T_C_Y_____________H (''Watashi no saizu de arimasuka?'') ; How much is this? : _____________H (''Ikura desuka?'') ; That's too expensive. : ___________B (''Takasugimasu.'') ; Would you take _____? : ______~_____________H (''_____ yen wa d? desuka?'') ; expensive : ____ (''takai'') ; cheap : ____ (''yasui'') ; I can't afford it. : ___________________________B (''Sonna ni o-kane wo motte masen.'') ; I don't want it. : _v_________B (''Irimasen.'') ; You're cheating me. : _x___________B (''Damashiterun da.'') '''Use with caution!''' ; I'm not interested. : _______________B (''Ky?mi arimasen.'') ; OK, I'll take it. : _____A_____________B (''Hai, sore ni shimasu.'') ; Can I have a bag? : _______________H (''Fukuro moraemasu ka?'') ; Do you ship (overseas)? : _C_O_______o_________H (''Kaigai (y)e hass? dekimasuka?'') ; I need... : ______~_________B (''____ ga hoshii desu.'') ; ...spectacles. : ____ (''megane'') ; ...toothpaste. : ______ (''hamigaki'') ; ...a toothbrush. : ___u___V (''ha-burashi'') ; ...tampons. : _^___|__ (''tampon'') ; ...soap. : ____ (''sekken'') ; ...shampoo. : _V_____v_[ (''shamp?'') ; ...pain reliever. (''e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen'') : ______ (''chints?zai'') ; ...cold medicine. : ______ (''kazegusuri'') ; ...stomach medicine. : ______ (''ich?yaku'') ; ...a razor. : ____ (''kamisori'') ; ...an umbrella. : _P (''kasa'') ; ...sunblock lotion. : _______~__ (''hiyakedome'') ; ...a postcard. : _t__ (''hagaki'') ; ...postage stamps. : ____ (''kitte'') ; ...batteries. : _d_r (''denchi'') ; ...writing paper. : __ (''kami'') ; ...a pen. : _y__ (''pen'') ; ...a pencil. : ___M (''empitsu'') ; ...English-language books. : _p_____{ (''eigo no hon'') ; ...English-language magazines. : _p_____G__ (''eigo no zasshi'') ; ...an English-language newspaper. : _p___V__ (''?ji shinbun'') ; ...a Japanese-English dictionary. : _a_p___T (''wa? jiten'') ; ...an English-Japanese dictionary. : _p_a___T (''?wa jiten'')
; Father : __ (''chichi'') ; Mother : __ (''haha'') ; Older Brother : _Z (''ani'') ; Older Sister : _o (''ane'') ; Younger Brother : __ (''ot?to'') ; Younger Sister : __ (''im?to'') ; Grandfather : _c__ (''sofu'') ; Grandmother : _c__ (''sobo'') ; Uncle : _f__/____ (''oji'') ; Aunt : _f__/____ (''oba'') ; Husband : _v (''otto'') / ___l (''shujin'') ; Wife : __ (''tsuma'') / ____ (''kanai'') ; Son : ___q (''musuko'') ; Daughter : __ (''musume'') ; Grandchild : ___@(''mago'')
; I haven't done anything (wrong). : ____(________)___________B(''Nani mo (warui koto) shitemasen.'') ; It was a misunderstanding. : ___________B (''Gokai deshita.'') ; Where are you taking me? : _______A_____s___________H (''Doko e tsurete yukuno desuka?'') ; Am I under arrest? : _________________________H (''Watashi wa taiho sareteruno desuka?'') ; I am a citizen of ____. : _____@___________B (''____ no kokumin desu.'') ; I want to meet with the ____ embassy. : ____ ___g___________________B (''____ taishikan to awasete kudasai.'') ; I want to meet with a lawyer. : _____m_________________B(''Bengoshi to awasete kudasai.'') ; Can it be settled with a fine? : _________________H (''Bakkin de sumimasuka?'')<br>Note: You can say this to a traffic cop, but bribery is highly unlikely to work in Japan.
; _f_W_J__ ''deji kame'' : __ _f_W_^___J____ ''dejitaru kamera'', a digital camera. ; _p_\_R__ ''pasokon'' : __ _p_[_\_i___R___s___[_^_[ ''p?sonaru konpy?t?'', a personal computer. _m_[_g ''n?to'' stands for notebooks. ; _v___N__ ''purikura'' : __ _v_____g_N___u ''purinto kurabu'' or "print club". A sort of extremely flashy photo booth and a favourite pastime for many. ; _p_`_X__ ''pachi suro'' : __ _p_`___R___X___b_g ''pachinko & surotto'', locations everywhere offering the number one Japanese gambling game ''pachinko'' and traditional slot machines. ; _____R__ ''rimokon'' : __ _____[_g_R___g___[__ ''rim?to kontor?ru'', remote control ; KY ''kei wai'' : __ ___C________ '''''k'''?ki '''y'''omenai'', "can't read his/her air", meaning an indecipherable or mysterious person.
; ___________B ''S? desu ne.'' : "That's how it is, isn't it?"<br />General agreement. Especially old people can be heard going ''s? desu ne'' back and forth quite a few times. ; _i_____j_________________B ''(Taihen) omataseshimashita.'' : "I have made you wait (terribly) long."<br />Used as an excuse after any amount of downtime, even just seconds. Often also used as a starter to get things going again. ; _________________B ''Otsukaresama deshita.'' : "It's been honorably tiresome."<br />To colleagues in the sense of "you gave it all, good work", but more generally at the end of almost any activity. ; _________I ''Ganbatte!'' : "Give it your best!"<br />Meant to be encouraging and motivating. ; _____________B ''Itadakimasu.'' : "I will receive."<br />To yourself before starting to eat or when accepting something offered to you. ; ___________B ''Shitsurei shimasu.'' : "I will trouble you." or "I will be impolite."<br />When entering your superiors room or an unfamiliar house, when trying to get someone's attention or generally when interrupting someone. ; _____________B ''Shitsurei shimashita.'' : "I have troubled you." or "Excuse my impoliteness."<br />When leaving your superiors room or an unfamiliar house or generally as "Sorry to have bothered you, carry on." ; _____v_B ''Daij?bu.'' : "It is alright."<br />For general reassurance. Used with ''desu ka?'' to inquire if something or somebody is alright. ; _____I ''Sugoi!'' : "Great!", "Incredible!"<br />Very popular amongst girls and greatly overused. ; _______I ''Kawaii!'' : "How cute!"<br />See ''sugoi''. ; ______? ''Eee~'' : "Reallyyyyyyy~?"<br />Almost a standard reaction to any kind of news. Can be lengthened indefinitely and is hence useful to stall for time when thinking about a real answer. ; _E_\_I ''Uso!'' : "Lie!"<br />Doesn't necessarily accuse one of lying, usually used in the sense of "Seriously?!"
; Ringo wo goran ni narimasuka? : Can '''you see''' the apple? (''respectful'') ; Ringo wo haiken shimasu. : '''I see''' the apple. (''humble'') ; Kare mo ringo wo mimasu. : '''He also sees''' the apple. (''polite'')
In fact, the ''desu'' copula and the ''-masu'' form taught to beginning students of Japanese are both examples of ''teineigo''. A few verbs and adjectives have special ''teineigo'' forms:
; to be : ''aru'' (____) → ''gozaru'' (_______A______) (basic polite form __________ (''gozaimasu'') and '''not''' __________) ; to die : ''shinu'' (____) → ''nakunaru'' (_S______) ; good : ''ii/yoi'' (____/____) → ''yoroshii'' (________)
;___{ ''Nihon/Nippon'' , ___{__ ''Nihon-koku'': Japan ;____ ''Ch?goku'', _____l_____a__ ''Ch?ka jinmin Kyouwa koku'' : China (or, confusingly, Western Honshu) ;___p ''Taiwan'' : Taiwan ;___` ''Honkon'': Hong Kong ;____ ''Kankoku'' : South Korea ;_k___N_@''Kitach?sen'' : North Korea ;_h_C_c ''Doitsu'' : Germany ;_C_M___X ''Igirisu'', _p__ ''Eikoku'' (written) : United Kingdom ;_C___h ''Indo'' : India ;_^_C ''Tai'' : Thailand ;_C_^___A ''Itaria'' : Italy ;_A_____J ''Amerika'', ____ ''Beikoku'' (written) : United States of America (not the whole American continent) ;___A_t___J ''Minami-afurika'' : South Africa ;_I______ ''Oranda'' : The Netherlands ;_x___M_[_@''Berug?'' : Belgium ;_A___u_______A_M ''Arabu-shuch?koku-remp?'' : United Arab Emirates
; Fool or idiot (Kanto) : _o_J (''baka'') ; Fool or idiot (Kansai) : _A_z (''aho'') ; Doing something untimely : ______ (''manuke'') ; A slow person : ______ (''noroma'') ; Being bad at something : ____ (''heta'') ; Being very bad at something : ______ (''hetakuso'') ; A stingy person : _P_` (''kechi'') ; An old man : _W_W_C (''jijii'') ; An old woman : _o_o_A (''babaa'') ; Not being cool : ___T_C (''dasai'')* ; Fussy or depressing : _E_U_C (''uzai'')* ; Creepy : _L___C (''kimoi'')* ; Drop dead! : ________ (''kutabare'') ; Get out of the way! : ____ (''doke'') ; Noisy! : ________ (''urusai'') ; Shit : __ (''kuso'')