Are you planning a trip to Japan in the future but hesitating because of the language barrier? Please don’t be worried! It’s true that Japanese is far different from English or most other European languages, especially when it comes to the writing system and grammar rules, but for traveling, all you have to do (to make the trip more fun and easier) is just learn some simple, short words and phrases and you’re good to go! We’ve made a useful list in this article for you to check and practice before or during the trip. Please relax and have fun learning!
If you want to start from the Japanese writing system (three scripts), also read:
The list of some handy apps to help you practice Japanese:
Contents
Greetings / Short Phrases
こんにちは Konnichiwa
First things first, greetings. It’s not common to say hi to people on streets in Japan, but when you want to ask something or when you enter into a shop, begin the conversation with “こんにちは。(konnichiwa)”, which means “Hi / Hello” or “すみません。 (sumimasen)”, which means “Excuse me”, just like you would in other languages. If you meet a friend, it’s more natural to say “げんき? (genki)”, meaning “How are you?” or “ひさしぶり (hisashiburi)”, meaning “Long time no see.”
さようなら Sayōnara
To say goodbye, there are several expressions depending on situations and relationship with the counterpart. If the situation is formal or the person is not your friend, you can say “さようなら (sayōnara)” or most formally “しつれいします (shitsurei shimasu)”. If the person is your friend or family and you know that you’ll be seeing them again, you can say “またね (matane)” or most casually “ばいばい (baibai)”.
すみません Sumimasen
“すみません (sumimasen)” has multiple meanings in different situations, just like “Bitte” in German. It can be used to apologize, to excuse oneself, to thank someone, etc. To apologize, however, the word sounds a bit casual. If you’re deeply sorry, “ごめんなさい (gomennasai)” or most formally “もうしわけありません (mōshiwake arimasen)” would be better options.
だいじょうぶです Daijōbu desu
“だいじょうぶです (daijōbu desu)” is another tricky yet useful one in Japanese. The word originally meant “No problem” or “Don’t worry”, but it has come to be used in situations where you want to softly decline an offer or show a reserved, hesitating attitude.
| English | Japanese |
| Hello. / Hi. | こんにちは (konnichiwa) |
| How are you? | げんきですか？ (genki desuka) *To be casual, omit “ですか (desuka)” |
| I’m good/fine. | げんきです (genki desu) *To be casual, say “げんきだよ (genki dayo)” |
| Nice to meet you. | はじめまして (hajimemashite) |
| Good morning. | おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) *To be casual, omit “ございます (gozaimasu)” |
| Good evening. | こんばんは (konbanwa) |
| Thank you. | ありがとう (arigatō) |
| You’re welcome. | どういたしまして (dōitashimashite) |
| No, thank you. | ・けっこうです (kekkō desu) ・だいじょうぶです (daijōbu desu) *To be casual, say “だいじょうぶ (daijōbu)” |
| Yes. | はい (hai) *To be casual, say “うん (un)” instead with nodding your head |
| No | いいえ (īe) *To be casual, say “ううん (ūn)” instead with shaking your head |
| I’m OK. / It’s OK. / No problem. | だいじょうぶです (daijōbu desu) *To be casual, say “だいじょうぶ (daijōbu)” |
| Bye. / See you. | ・さようなら (sayōnara) ・しつれいします (shitsurei shimasu) ・またね (matane) ・ばいばい (baibai) |
| Excuse me. | すみません (sumimasen) |
| I’m sorry. | ・すみません (sumimasen) ・ごめんなさい (gomennasai) ・もうしわけありません (mōshiwake arimasen) |
| Please. | おねがいします (onegai shimasu) |
| I don’t know. / I don’t understand. | ・しりません (shiri masen) ・わかりません (wakari masen) |
| I don’t speak Japanese. | にほんごがはなせません (nihongo ga hanasemasen) |
On Streets / Transportation
One of the challenges tourists encounter when travelling to other countries is getting to their destination, whether it’s a station, a shop or a restaurant. Unfortunately, you can’t expect just anyone on the street can speak English in Japan, so here are some words and phrases that would help you get out of the woods. Make sure to say “すみません (sumimasen)” first when talking to a stranger so they won’t be (too) surprised.
| English | Japanese |
| Do you have the time? | いまなんじですか (ima nanji desuka) |
| I’m lost. | みちにまよいました (michi ni mayo imashita) |
| Do you speak English? | えいごはなせますか (eigo hanase masuka) |
| Could you tell me how to get to…? | …のいきかたをおしえてください (… no ikikata wo oshiete kudasai) |
| Is there a convenience store nearby? | ちかくにコンビニはありますか (chikaku ni konbini wa ari masuka) |
| (At a train station) Which platform should I go to? | どのホームにいけばいいですか (dono hōmu ni ikeba ī desuka) |
| (At a train station) Where is …line? | …せんはどこですか (…sen wa doko desuka) |
| (At a train station) Is this train bound for Shinjuku? | このでんしゃはしんじゅくにいきますか (kono densha wa Shinjuku ni ikimasuka) |
| What time is the next bus arriving? | つぎのバスはなんじにきますか (tsugi no basu wa nanji ni kimasuka) |
| (At taxi) To Narita airport, please. | なりたくうこうまでおねがいします (narita kūkō made onegai shimasu) |
| Can I use a credit card? | カードはつかえますか (kādo wa tsukae masuka) |
At Shops
At shops located in sightseeing areas like Asakusa and Kyoto, or popular shopping sites like Ginza, there are staff fluent in English or the tags might be written in English. Still, in case you need to handle a conversation in Japanese, here are some phrases and colors that would be helpful in this situation.
| English | Japanese |
| How much is this? | これはいくらですか (kore wa ikura desuka) |
| What is this? | これはなんですか (kore wa nan desuka) |
| Do you have a smaller/bigger size? | もうすこしちいさい/おおきいさいずはありますか (mōsukoshi chīsai/ōkī saizu wa ari masuka) |
| Can I try this on? | しちゃくできますか (shichaku deki masuka) |
| I’d like to buy… | …をください (…wo kudasai) |
Colors in Japanese
Although the shop staff would understand most colors in English, it’s useful if you know how to say/read them in Japanese or Katakana English too.
| English | Japanese (Kanji / Hiragana / Katakana English) |
| White | ・白 しろ (shiro) ・ホワイト (howaito) |
| Black | ・黒 くろ (kuro) ・ブラック (burakku) |
| Red | ・赤 あか (aka) ・レッド (reddo) |
| Blue | ・青 あお (ao) ・ブルー (burū) |
| Yellow | ・黄色 きいろ (kiiro) ・イエロー (ierō) |
| Green | ・緑 みどり (midori) ・グリーン (grīn) |
| Brown | ・茶色 ちゃいろ (chairo) ・ブラウン (buraun) |
| Gray | ・灰色 はいいろ (haiiro) ・グレー (gurē) |
| Navy | ・紺色 こんいろ (koniro) ・ネイビー (neibī) |
| Beige | ・ベージュ (bēju) |
At Restaurants / Cafés
Some restaurants and cafés have English menus, or set a tablet at each table to order online (most of the time available in both Japanese & English) so you can just look at the pictures of each food item and drink and choose what you want. Otherwise, the staff will come to your table and ask you for your order in Japanese or simple English. Of course it’s safer if you know some simple Japanese phrases for a smooth conversation with them!
| English | Japanese |
| (The waiter often asks) How many people? | なんめいさまですか (nanmei sama desuka) |
| (We are) three people. | さんめいです (sanmei desu) |
| Do you have an English menu? | えいごのメニューはありますか (eigo no menyū wa ari masuka) |
| Do you have free Wi-Fi? | わいふぁいはありますか (wai fai wa ari masuka) |
| May I order? | ちゅうもんいいですか (chūmon īdesuka?) |
| I’d like A and B. | AとBをください (A to B wo kudasai) |
| Cheers! | かんぱい！ (kanpai) |
| (When starting to eat. It is a kind of grace) | いただきます (itadakimasu) |
| It’s good/delicious. | おいしいです (oishī desu) *To be casual, omit “desu”. To add the meaning of “isn’t it?” (ask for consent), add “ね (ne)” in the end |
| Can I have another glass of beer? | ビールをもういっぱいおねがいします (bīru wo mō ippai onegi shimasu) |
| Check / bill, please. | おかいけいをおねがいします (okaikei wo onegaishimasu) |
| (When leaving the restaurant) I enjoyed the meal. / It was good. | ごちそうさまでした (gochisō sama deshita) |
Counting Numbers
People
You can simply add “mei (めい 名)” to the number to tell how many people you are.
| English | Hiragana | Pronunciation |
| 1 person | 1名（いちめい） | Ichi mei |
| 2 people | 2名（にめい） | Ni mei |
| 3 people | 3名（さんめい） | San mei |
| 4 people | 4名（よんめい） | Yon mei |
| 5 people | 5名（ごめい） | Go mei |
Food and Drinks
Counting food and drinks is a bit tricky compared to counting people. What you need to add is simply “tsu (つ)”, but how to read the number when it’s attached can be the hard part. If you get confused, don’t worry. Just call out the number without adding anything, and the staff will understand how many you want to order. Maybe using your fingers to show the number will help as well.
| English | Hiragana | Pronunciation |
| 1 (food item/drink) | 1つ（ひとつ） | Hitotsu |
| 2 (food items/drinks) | 2つ（ふたつ） | Futatsu |
| 3 (food items/drinks) | 3つ（みっつ） | Mittsu |
| 4 (food items/drinks) | 4つ（よっつ） | Yottsu |
| 5 (food items/drinks) | 5つ（いつつ） | Itsutsu |
Also Read:
- What Do “Itadakimasu” And “Gochisousama” Mean? Common Phrases and Manners During Meals in Japan
- Ordering Food in Japanese: Complete Guide for Izakaya
Summary
We have listed up simple, easy Japanese words and phrases that are 100% helpful during your trip to Japan. Don’t panic or be nervous if you’re not able to memorize them all. Although a lot of Japanese people are not very fluent in English, most of them are happy to help you when you need help. Just relax and have fun with your adventure in Japan!
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