'''Japanese''' (___{__ ''nihongo'') is spoken in Japan, and essentially nowhere else other than South Korea and China, where some use it as a second language. The language is strongly influenced by Chinese though the two are unrelated; Japanese may be distantly related to Korean, although the written form uses a combination of Katakana, Hiragana and Kanji characters which were all derived from Chinese characters.

Pronunciation guide

Japanese is not a tonal language like Chinese or Thai, and is comparatively easy to pronounce. The vowels are pronounced virtually identical to the "Italian way" and there are very few consonants that do not exist in English. All syllables are to be pronounced equal in length. Long vowels take the length of two syllables. Combinations like ____ ''kya'' are treated like one syllable and are the only occurrence of sliding vowels, all other syllables are to be pronounced rather separately.

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.

Vowels

Japanese has both short and long vowels and the distinction is often important. Long vowels are either formed by a prolonged sound mark, as in ___[ ''?'', or by an __ ''o'' followed by __ ''u'', as in ____ ''?''. In romanized Japanese, these long vowels are marked with a macron. The sounds below are first given in romanized Japanese, then Hiragana and finally Katakana.

; 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.

Consonants

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.)

Examples

  • ''kon'nichiwa'' __ ''kon-nee-chee-wa'' ('''not''' ''kounneeCHEEua'')
  • ''sumimasen'' __ ''soo-mee-mah-sen'' ('''not''' ''sue my maysen'')
  • ''onegai shimasu'' __ ''oh-neh-gigh shee-mahss'' ('''not''' ''ouneeGAY SHYmessu'')
  • Katakana

    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.

    Grammar

    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

    Forming sentences

    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?'''

    The verb "to be"

    Japanese does not have an exact equivalent to the English verb "to be". Instead, the easiest way to form '''"A equals B"''' type expressions like "I am ..." or "This is ..." is the pattern '''A ''wa'', B ''desu'''''.

    : _____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].")

    Addressing others

    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

    Reading and writing

    Reading and writing Japanese are advanced skills which take years of work to gain much real proficiency. Japanese themselves use three different writing systems of various complexity, two of which (''hiragana'' and ''katakana'') are syllabic and relatively easy to learn with 50 characters each.

    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"

    Phrase list

    ; _c____ : Open ; ______ : Closed ; ____ : Entrance ; _o__ : Exit ; ___E___E__ : Big / Middle / Small ; __ : Push ; __ : Pull ; ________, _g_C__, ______ : Toilet ; _j : Men ; __ : Women ; ___~ : Forbidden ; _~ : Yen (ja: ''en'')}}

    Basics

    ; Good afternoon. : ___________B ''Konnichiwa.'' (''kon-nee-chee-wah'') ; How are you? : _____C______? ''O genki desu ka?'' (''Oh-GEN-kee dess-ka?'') ; Fine, thank you. : _____A___C_____B ''Hai, genki desu.'' (''Ha-ee, gen-kee dess'') ; How about you? : _________H ''Anata wa?'' (''Ah-nah-tah wa'') ; What's your name? (lit. "Your name is...") : _____O___H ''O namae wa?'' (''Oh-nah-mah-eh wah?'') ; My name is ... . : _c _____B ''... desu.'' (''... dess.'') ; Nice to meet you. (formal) : _n_________B_______X_________________B ''Hajimemashite. D?zo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.'' (''Hah-jee-meh-mash-teh dohh-zoh yoh-roh-sh-ku oh-neh-gah-ee shee-mah-ss'') ; Please. (request) : _____________B ''Onegai shimasu.'' (''oh-neh-gah-ee shee-mahs'') ; Please. (offer) : _______B ''D?zo.'' (''Dohh-zoh'') ; This person is ... . (when introducing somebody) : ________ _c ''Kochira wa ...'' (''ko-chi-rah wah...'') ; Thank you very much. (formal) : _______L_______________B ''D?mo arigat? gozaimasu.'' (''doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh go-ZAh-ee-mah-ss'') ; Thank you. (less formal) : _L_______________B ''Arigat? gozaimasu.'' (''ah-ree-GAH-toh go-ZAh-ee-mahs'') ; Thank you. (normal) : _L_____B ''Arigat?.'' (''ah-ree-GAH-toh'') ; Thanks. (informal) : _______B ''D?mo.'' (''doh-moh'') ; You're welcome. : _________________B ''D? itashimashite.'' (''doh EE-tah-shee mah-shteh'') ; yes : ____ ''hai'' (''High'') ; no : ______ ''iie'' (''EE-eh'') ; Excuse me. : ___________B ''Sumimasen.'' (''soo-mee-mah-sen'') ; I'm sorry. : ___________B ''Gomen'nasai.'' (''goh-men-nah-sah-ee'') ; I'm sorry. (informal) : ______ ''Gomen'' (''goh-men'') ; Goodbye. (long-term) : ___________B ''Say?nara.'' (''sa-YOHH-nah-rah'') ; Goodbye. (informal) : _______B ''Ja ne.'' (''Jah-neh'') ; I can't speak Japanese (very well). : ___{_____i_____j_b_________B ''Nihongo ga (yoku) hanasemasen.'' ( ''nee-hohn-goh gah (yo-koo) hah-nah-seh-mah-sen'') ; Do you speak Japanese? : ___{_____b_________H ''Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka?'' (''ni-HON-go gah hah-nah-se-mahs-KAH?'') ; Yes, a little. : _____A_____B ''Hai, sukoshi.'' (''HIGH sko-shee'') ; Do you speak English? : _p_____b_________H ''Eigo ga hanasemasu ka?'' (''EHH-goh gah hah-nah-seh-mahs-KAH?'') ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : _N___p_____b_________H ''Dareka eigo ga hanasemasu ka?'' (''dah-reh-kah EHH-goh gah hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?'') ; Please speak slowly. : _________b_____________B ''Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.'' (''YOO-kuree hanash-teh koo-dah-sah-ee'') ; Please say it again. : _______x_______________B ''M? ichido itte kudasai.'' (''mo EE-chee-doh ee-te koo-dah-sah-ee'') ; Please help! : _______I ''Tasukete!'' (''tahs-keh-teh!'') ; Look out! : _______I ''Abunai!'' (''ah-boo-NIGH!'') ; Good morning. : _________________B ''Ohay? gozaimasu.'' (''oh-hah-YOH go-zah-ee-mahs'') ; Good morning. (informal) : _________B ''ohay?'' ; Good evening. : ___________B ''Kombanwa.'' (''kohn-bahn-wah'') ; Good night (to sleep) : ___x_________B ''Oyasuminasai.'' (''oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh'') ; Good night (to sleep) (informal) : ___x___B ''Oyasumi'' ; I don't understand. : _____________B ''Wakarimasen.'' (''wah-kah-ree-mah-sen'') ; I am not Japanese. : ___{_l_______________B ''Nihonjin dewa arimasen.'' (''nee-hon-jin ja a-ree-ma-sehn'') ; Where is the toilet? : ________(_g_C__)_____________H ''Otearai(Toire) wa doko desu ka?'' (''Oh-teh-ah-rah-ee wah DOH-koh dess kah?'') ; What? : ___H ''Nani?'' (''nah-nee'') ; Where? : _____H ''Doko?'' (''doh-koh'') ; Who? : _N_H ''Dare?'' (''dah-reh'') ; When? : _____H ''Itsu?'' (''it-soo'') ; Which? : _____H ''Dore?'' (''doh-reh'') ; Why? : ________ ''D?shite'' (''doh-sh'teh'') ; How? : ___________H ''D?yatte'' (''dohh-yah-teh'') ; How much? : _______H ''Ikura?'' (''ee-koo-rah'') ; What type of? : _______H ''Donna?'' (''dohn-nah'')

    Problems

    ; _________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?''

    Medical emergencies

    ; I need a doctor. : _________________________B ''Isha ni mite moraitai desu.'' ; Is there a doctor who can speak English? : _p_____o___________________H ''Eigo no dekiru Isha wa imasu ka?'' ; Please take me to a doctor. : _______A_______________B ''Isha ni tsuretette kudasai.'' ; My wife/husband/child is sick. : ___E___l_E_q_____a_C_____B ''Tsuma/shujin/kodomo ga by?ki desu.'' ; Please call an ambulance. : _~_}_________________B ''Ky?ky?sha wo yonde kudasai.'' ; I need first aid. : ___}_________________B ''?ky? teate wo shite kudasai.'' ; I need to go to the emergency room. : _~_}___________________________B ''Ky?ky?shitsu ni ikanakereba narimasen.''<br />shorter: _~_}_____s_________B ''Ky?ky?shitsu ni ikanai to.'' ; How long will it take to get better? : ___________________________H ''Naoru made dono kurai kakarimasu ka?'' ; Where is a pharmacy? : _________________H ''Yakkyoku wa doko desu ka?''

    Allergies

    ; 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''

    Explaining symptoms

    ; head : __ ''atama'' ; face: __ ''kao'' ; eyes: __ ''me'' ; nose: _@ ''hana'' ; throat: _A ''nodo'' ; chin: _{ ''ago'' ; neck : __ ''kubi'' ; shoulders: __ ''kata'' ; chest: __ ''mune'' ; waist: __ ''koshi'' ; arms: _r ''ude'' ; wrists: ____ ''tekubi'' ; fingers: _w ''yubi'' ; hands: __ ''te'' ; elbow: _I ''hiji'' ; buttocks: (__)_K ''(o)shiri'' ; thigh: __ ''momo'' ; knee: _G ''hiza'' ; legs, foot: __ ''ashi''}}

    ; ... 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.''

    Extreme weather

    Japan has more than its fair share of natural disasters.

    ; Blizzard : ____ (''fubuki'') ; Earthquake : _n_k (''jishin'') ; Flood : _^__ (''k?zui'') ; Landslide : _n____ (''jisuberi'') ; Tsunami : ___g (''tsunami'') ; Typhoon : ____ (''taif?'') ; Volcano eruption : ____ (''funka'')

    Numbers

    While Arabic (Western) numerals are employed for most uses in Japan, you will occasionally still spot Japanese numerals at eg. markets and the menus of fancy restaurants. The characters used are nearly identical to Chinese numerals, and like Chinese, Japanese uses groups of 4 digits, not 3. "One million" is thus _S__ (''hyaku-man''), literally "hundred ten-thousands".

    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'')

    Time

    ; now : __ (''ima'') ; later : ____ (''atode'') ; before : _O__ (''mae ni'') ; before ___ : ___ ___O__ ('' ___ no mae ni'') ; morning : __ (''asa'') ; afternoon : ____ (''gogo'') ; evening : _[__ (''y?gata'') ; night : __ (''yoru'')

    Clock time

    Clock times are formed as Chinese numeral plus __ ''ji'', for example, ''goji'' 5__ for five o'clock. The exception is four o'clock which is pronounced ''yoji''(_l__) instead of ''shiji''. You will be understood if you simply substitute ''gozen'' ___O for "AM" and ''gogo'' ____ for PM, although other time qualifiers like __ ''asa'' for morning and __ ''yoru'' for night may be more natural. The 24-hour clock is also commonly used in official contexts such as train schedules. TV schedules occasionally use a modified 24-hour clock, with late night showtimes counted from the previous day, e.g. Monday at 26:00 indicates '''Tuesday''' at 2:00 AM.

    ; 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'')

    Duration

    Confusingly, the Japanese words for "N days" (long) and "Nth day" are the same, so eg. ____ ''futsuka'' means both "two days" and "the second day of the month". (See #Days of the Month for the full list.) You can tag on -__ ''kan'' at the end, eg. ''futsukakan'' 2____, to clarify that you mean "two days long". The exception is ____, which is read ''ichinichi'' to mean "one day/all day", but ''tsuitachi'' to mean "first day".

    ; _____ 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'')

    Days

    ; today : ____(''ky?'') ; yesterday : ____(''kin?'') ; tomorrow : ____(''ashita'') ; tomorrow (formal) : ____(''asu'') ; this week : ___T(''konsh?'') ; last week : ___T(''sensh?'') ; next week : ___T(''raish?'')

    Days of the week
    The days of the week are named after the sun, the moon and the five elements of Chinese philosophy. ; Sunday : ___j__ (''nichiy?bi'') ; Monday : ___j__ (''getsuy?bi'') ; Tuesday : ___j__ (''kay?bi'') ; Wednesday : ___j__ (''suiy?bi'') ; Thursday : ___j__ (''mokuy?bi'') ; Friday : ___j__ (''kin'y?bi'') ; Saturday : _y_j__ (''doy?bi'')

    Days of the month

    The 1st through the 10th of the month have special names:

    ; 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'')

    Months

    Months are very orderly in Japanese, just add the suffix ''-gatsu'' to the ordinal number.

    ; 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'')

    Seasons

    ;Spring : _t (''haru'') ;Summer : __ (''natsu'') ;Rainy season : _~_J (''tsuyu'') ;Autumn : _H (''aki'') ;Winter : _~ (''fuyu'')

    Writing time and date

    Dates are written in year/month/day (day of week) format, with markers:

    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.

    Colors

    Many of the English words for colors are widely used and understood by almost all Japanese. These are indicated after the slash.

    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'')

    Transportation

    Bus and train

    ; How much is a ticket to _____? : _____ ________________? (''_____ made ikura desu ka?'') ; One ticket to _____, please. : _____ _____________________B(''_____ made ichimai onegaishimasu'') ; Where does this train/bus go? : ____[_d__/_o_X]_______s________? (''kono densha/basu wa doko yuki desuka?'') ; Where is the train/bus to _____? : _____ _s____[_d__/_o_X]____________? (''_____ yuki no densha/basu wa doko desuka?'') ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : ____[_d__/_o_X]__ _____ ___~__________? (''kono densha/basu wa _____ ni tomarimasuka?'') ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : _____ _s____[_d__/_o_X]_________o__________? (''_____ yuki no densha/basu wa nanji ni shuppatsu shimasuka?'') ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : ____[_d__/_o_X]________ _____ ____________? (''kono densha/basu wa nanji ni _____ ni tsukimasuka?'')

    Directions

    ; How do I get to _____? : _____ ______________? (''_____ wa dochira desu ka?'') ; ...the train station? : _w...? (''eki...'') ; ...the bus station? : _o_X__...? (''basu tei..'') ; ...the airport? : ___`...? (''k?k?...'') ; ...downtown? : _X_____S...? (''machi no ch?shin...'') ; ...the youth hostel? : ___[_X_E_z_X_e__...? (''y?su hosuteru...'') ; ...the _____ hotel? : _____ _z_e__...? (''hoteru...'') ; ...the _____ embassy/consulate? : ________g__/______...? (''_____ taishikan/ry?jikan...'') ; Where are there a lot of _____ : _________________________? (''_____ga ooi tokoro wa doko desuka?'') ; ...lodgings? : _h...? (''yado...'') ; ...restaurants? : ___X_g____...? (''resutoran...'') ; ...bars? : _o_[...? (''baa'') ; ...sites to see? : ____...? (''mimono...'') ; Where is _____? : _________________? (''_____ wa doko desuka.'') ; Is it far from here? : __________________? (''Koko kara tooi desu ka.'') ; Please show me on the map. : _n_}___w___________B (''chizu de sashite kudasai'') ; street : __ (''michi'') ; Turn left. : _____________________B (''Hidari e magatte kudasai.'') ; Turn right. : _E___________________B(''Migi e magatte kudasai.'') ; left : __ (''hidari'') ; right : _E (''migi'') ; straight ahead : ________ (''massugu'') ; towards the _____ : _____ __________ (''e mukatte'') ; past the _____ : _____ ____ (''no saki'') ; before the _____ : _____ ___O (''no mae'') ; Watch for the _____. : ________________B (''ga mejirushi desu'') ; intersection : ______ (''k?saten'') ; traffic light : _M___@(''shingou'') ; north : _k (''kita'') ; south : __ (''minami'') ; east : __ (''higashi'') ; west : __ (''nishi'') ; uphill : ____ (''nobori''), also used for trains heading towards Tokyo ; downhill : ____ (''kudari''), also used for trains coming from Tokyo

    Taxi

    ; Taxi! : _^_N_V_[! (''Takushii! (Taxi!)'') ; Take me to _____, please. : ______________________B (''_____ made onegai shimasu.'') ; How much does it cost to get to _____? : _____ ________________? (''_____ made ikura desuka'') ; Take me there, please. : _____________________B (''soko made onegai shimasu.'')

    Lodging

    ; Do you have any rooms available? : ______________________? (''Aiteru heya arimasuka?'') ; How much is a room for one person/two people? : ___l/___l_p____________________? (''Hitori/futari-y? no heya wa ikura desuka?'') ; Is the room Japanese/Western style? : _a__/_m_________H (''Washitsu/y?shitsu desuka?'') ; Does the room come with... : ______ ... _t________? (''Heya wa ___ tsuki desuka?'') ; ...bedsheets? : _x_b_h___V_[_c...? (''beddo no shiitsu...'') ; ...a bathroom? : ___C__? (''furoba...'') ; ...a telephone? : _d_b? (''denwa...'') ; ...a TV? : _e___r? (''terebi...'') ; May I see the room first? : ______________________? (''heya o mitemo ii desuka?'') ; Do you have anything quieter? : ______[______]______________? (''motto [shizukana] heya arimasuka?'') ; ...bigger? : _L__? (''hiroi'') ; ...cleaner? : ________? (''kirei na'') ; ...cheaper? : ____? (''yasui'') ; OK, I'll take it. : _____A_______________B(''hai, kore de ii desu.'') ; I will stay for _____ night(s). : _____ _____________B(''____ ban tomarimasu.'') ; Do you know another place to stay? : _____h_______m______? (''hoka no yado wa gozonji desuka?'') ; Do you have [a safe?] : [____]__________? (''[kinko] arimasuka?'') ; ...lockers? : ...___b_J_[? (''rokkaa (locker)'') ; Is breakfast/supper included? : ___H/_[_H___t________? (''ch?shoku/y?shoku wa tsukimasuka?'') ; What time is breakfast/supper? : ___H/_[_H____________? (''ch?shoku/y?shoku wa nanji desuka?'') ; Please clean my room. : _______|_______________B (''heya o s?ji shite kudasai'') ; Please wake me at _____. : _____ ___N_______________B (''____ ni okoshite kudasai.'') ; I want to check out. : _`_F_b_N_A_E_g_____B(''chekku auto (check out) desu.'')

    Money

    ; Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : _A_____J/_I_[_X_g_____A/_J_i___h_____g________? (''Amerika/?sutoraria/kanada doru wa tsukae masuka?'') ; Do you accept British pounds? : _C_M___X_|___h___g_________H (''igirisu pondo wa tsukaemasuka?'') ; Do you accept credit cards? : _N___W_b_g_J_[_h___g_________H (''kurejitto kaado (credit card) wa tsukaemasuka?'') ; Can you change money for me? : ___________________H (''okane ry?gae dekimasuka?'') ; Where can I get money changed? : ___________________________H (''okane wa doko de ry?gae dekimasuka?'') ; Can you change a traveler's check for me? : _g___x___[_Y_E_`_F_b_N_________________H (''torabar?su chekku (traveler's check) wo ry?gae dekimasuka?'') ; Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : _g___x___[_Y_E_`_F_b_N_______________________H (''torabar?zu chekku (traveler's check) wa doko de ry?gae dekimasuka?'') ; What is the exchange rate? : _______[_g_______________H(''kawase r?to wa ikura desu ka?'') ; Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : ATM ___________________H (''ATM wa doko ni arimasuka?'')

    Eating

    ; Irasshai! ''or'' Irasshaimase! : "Come on in!", said when a customer walks in. You're not expected to respond in any way, just take a seat. ; Arigat? gozaimashita! : "Thank you very much!", said when a customer leaves.

    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.'')

    On the phone

    ; Telephone : _d_b ''denwa'' ; Mobile phone : _g__(_d_b)_@''k?tai''(denwa) ; Telephone number : _d_b____ ''denwa bang?'' ; Phone book : _d_b__ ''denwa ch?'' ; Answering machine : _______d_b ''rusuban denwa'' ; Hello : ________ ''moshi moshi'' ; May I speak to ... . : _c _______________B''... wo onegaishimasu.'' ; Is ... there? : _c _____________________H ''... wa irasshaimasu ka?'' ; Who is calling? : _____________H ''Donata desu ka?'' ; One moment, please. : _______________________B ''Chotto omachi kudasai.'' ; ... is not here right now. : _c _____________B ''... wa ima imasen.'' ; I will call you again later. : _________d_b_______B ''Ato de mata denwa shimasu.'' ; I got the wrong number. : _____________B ''Machigaemashita.'' ; The line is busy. : _b_________B ''Hanashich? desu.'' ; What is your phone number? : _d_b_________________H ''Denwa bang? wa nanban desu ka?''

    Bars

    ; ''atsukan'' : _M__ Heated sake. Recommended only in winter with cheap sake. ; ''hiyashi, reishu'' : ______, ____ Chilled sake. The way to drink better sake. ; ''issh?bin'' : _____r The standard sake bottle, containing 10 ''g?'', ie. 1.8 liters. ; ''ichig?'' : ____ The standard measure for servings of sake, around 180 milliliters. ; ''tokkuri'' : ____ A small ceramic jug used to pour sake, contains around one ''g?'' ; ''masu'' : __ A square wooden box traditionally used to drink chilled sake, also contains one ''g?''. Drink from the corner. ; ''choko'' : ______ A tiny gulp-sized ceramic cup for sake.

    ; 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?'')

    Shopping

    ; 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'')

    Family

    ; Are you married? : ________________? (''Kekkon shiteimasu ka?'') ; I am married. : _______________B (''Kekkon shiteimasu.'') ; I am single. : ___g_____B (''Dokushin desu'') ; Do you have brothers and sisters? : _Z____________? (''Ky?dai wa imasu ka?'') ; Do you have children? : _q____________? (''Kodomo wa imasu ka?'')

    Talking about your own family

    ; 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'')

    Talking about another's family

    ; Father : ________ (''ot?san'') ; Mother : ________ (''ok?san'') ; Older Brother : ___Z____ (''on?san'') ; Older Sister : ___o____ (''on?san'') ; Younger Brother : ______ (''ot?tosan'') ; Younger Sister : ______ (''im?tosan'') ; Grandfather : __________ (''oj?san'') ; Grandmother : __________ (''ob?san'') ; Uncle : ________ (''ojisan'') ; Aunt : ________ (''obasan'') ; Husband : ___l (''goshujin'') ; Wife : ______ (''okusan'') ; Son : ___q____ (''musukosan'') ; Daughter : ________ (''oj?san'') ; Grandchild : _________@(''omagosan'')

    Driving

    ; I want to rent a car. : _____^_J_[_____________B (''rentak? (rent-a-car) onegaishimasu.'') ; Can I get insurance? : ______________? (''hoken hairemasuka?'') ; Do you have a driver's license? : ______________________? (''Menkyosh? wo motte imasu ka.'') ; stop (''on a street sign'') : _~_____^______ (''tomare'') ; one way : _______s (''ipp? ts?k?'') ; caution : ___s (''jok?'') ; no parking : _______~ (''ch?sha kinshi'') ; speed limit : _______x (''seigen sokudo'') ; gas (''petrol'') station : _K_\_____X_^___h (''gasorin sutando'') ; petrol : _K_\____ (''gasorin'') ; diesel : _y__/_f_B_[_[__ (''keiyu / diizeru'')

    Authority

    In Japan, you can legally be incarcerated for twenty-three (23) days before you are charged, but you do have the right to see a lawyer after the first 48 hours of detention. Note that if you sign a confession, you ''will'' be convicted.

    ; 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.

    Typical Japanese expressions

    ; _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?!"

    Honourifics

    Japanese makes extensive use of honorific language (_h__ ''keigo'') when talking to people of higher status. Keigo is famously difficult to master and even Japanese salespeople often need to take special courses to learn to speak correctly, but it is very commonly used in situations like salespeople talking to customers and train announcements, so even passive familiarity with the most common ''keigo'' verbs and constructs can be very handy.

    Respectful form

    When talking to someone of higher status than yourself, it is important to use a respectful form (___h__ ''sonkeigo'') when talking about the other person. Generally, this follows the pattern ___`______(''o ~ ni naru''), where _` represents the stem of the basic polite form: eg. to read, ____(''yomu''), basic polite form ________(''yomimasu'') becomes ____________(''o-yomi-ni-naru''). The ''naru'' at the end follows the normal conjugation patterns for ''naru'', most commonly becoming ''narimasu'' (present) or ''narimashita'' (past). The main exceptions are listed below:

  • To see: ____ becomes __________ (''goran-ni-naru'').
  • To eat/drink: _H____/____ becomes __________ (''meshi-agaru'').
  • To come/go/be at a place: ____/_s__/____ becomes ____________ (''irassharu''). (basic polite form ________________ ''irasshaimasu'' and '''not''' ________________)
  • To know: _m__ becomes _____m__ (''gozonji-da'').
  • To give (to yourself): ______ becomes ______ (''kudasaru''). (basic polite form __________ ''kudasaimasu'' and '''not''' __________)
  • To do: ____ becomes ______ (''nasaru''). (basic polite form __________ ''nasaimasu'' and '''not''' __________)
  • To say: ____ becomes __________ (''ossharu'') (basic polite form ______________ ''osshaimasu'' and '''not''' ______________)
  • Humble form

    When talking about yourself to someone of higher status than you, it is important to put yourself down by using a humble form (______ ''kensongo''). Generally this follows the pattern ___`____ (''o ~ suru''), where _` reprents the stem of the basic polite form: eg. to borrow, ______(''kariru''), basic polite form ________ (''karimasu'') becomes __________ (''o-kari-suru''). The ''suru'' at the end follows the usual conjugation pattern of ''suru'', most commonly becoming ''shimasu'' (present) or ''shimashita'' (past); for an extra helping of humility, the verb _v__ ''itasu'' > _v______ ''itashimasu'' can be substituted. The main exceptions are listed below:

  • To see: ____ becomes _q______ (''haiken-suru'').
  • To come/go: ____/_s__ becomes _Q__ (''mairu'').
  • To eat/drink/receive: _H____/____/______ becomes ________ (''itadaku'')
  • To give: ______ becomes __________ (''sashi-ageru'').
  • To do: ____ becomes _v__ (''itasu'')
  • To know: _m__ becomes ______ (''zonjiru'')
  • To say: ____ becomes _\________ (''m?shi-ageru'')
  • My name is: ____ becomes _\__ (''m?su'')
  • Polite form

    The third type of keigo is called simply "polite language", or ''teineigo'' (___J__). Whereas respectful and humble language refer to the ''subject'' (you and I), ''teineigo'' is used to simply imply respect to the ''listener''. An example:

    ; 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'' (________)

    Country and territory names

    Country and territory names in Japanese are generally borrowed from their English names and written in katakana. Some of the main exceptions are as follows:

    ;___{ ''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

    Offensive Language

    It might happen that there is a need to express negative emotions towards others. Or it might happen that others do this to you. In those cases it is useful to understand some Japanese offensive words. Please use these with care.

    ; 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'')

  • These words are mostly used by young people
  • Learning more

  • [http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html WWWJDIC] — English-Japanese-English dictionary including sentence translation, kanji lookup and place/personal name dictionary
  • [http://www.manythings.org/japanese/ Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials] — A collection of online study aids and quizzes
  • [http://www.japanesepod101.com Learn Japanese by listening] — Some Japanese lessons in mp3.
  • [http://learnjapanese.lcweblink.info/ Learn to speak Japanese - One at a Time] — Daily Japanese lessons.