Basic Japanese Words and Phrases for Beginners

Table of Contents

1. Intro­duc­tion
2. Essen­tial Phras­es and Words
   • Greet­ings
   • Every­day Expres­sions
3. Peo­ple and Pro­nouns
4. Food and Drink
5. Num­bers and Time
   • Days of the Week
   • Months of the Year
   • Time Expres­sions
6. Places
7. Colours
8. Essen­tial Verbs
9. Con­clu­sion
10. FAQs

Introduction

Are you plan­ning a trip to Japan or start­ing your jour­ney to learn the Japan­ese lan­guage? Mas­ter­ing basic Japan­ese words and phras­es can help you nav­i­gate every­day con­ver­sa­tions and show respect for the local cul­ture. This guide will intro­duce essen­tial words, greet­ings, and prac­ti­cal expres­sions to build your lan­guage skills.

Let’s dive into these must-know words and phras­es!

Essential Phrases and Words

Greetings

In Japan, greet­ings are accom­pa­nied by bow­ing to express respect and cour­tesy. Under­stand­ing the right greet­ing based on time and sit­u­a­tion is key.

• Ohay­oo Goza­imas (おはようございます) – Good Morn­ing
• Use before 11 AM for for­mal set­tings. Casu­al­ly, say “Ohay­oo.”
• Kon’nichiwa (こんにちは) – Good After­noon
• Com­mon­ly used dur­ing the day­time. Often mis­tak­en as a gen­er­al hel­lo.
• Kon­ban­wa (こんばんは) – Good Evening
• Appro­pri­ate after 5 PM.
• Ari­ga­too Goza­imas (ありがとうございます) – Thank You
• The for­mal ver­sion casu­al­ly says, “Ari­ga­to.”
• Sum­i­masen (すみません) – Excuse Me/I’m Sor­ry
• Use­ful for get­ting someone’s atten­tion, apol­o­giz­ing polite­ly, or express­ing grat­i­tude.

Everyday Expressions

These phras­es will help in dai­ly inter­ac­tions:

• Hai (はい) – Yes
• Iie (いいえ) – No
• Namae wa nan desu ka (名前は何ですか) – What is your name?
• Watashi wa ~ desu (私は〜です) – I am ~
• ~ kara kimashita (から来ました) – I am from ~
• Kore wa nan desu ka? (これは何ですか?) – What is this?
• Iku­ra desu ka? (いくらですか?) – How much is it?
• Toire wa doko desu ka? (トイレはどこですか?) – Where is the bath­room?
• Wakari­masen (わかりません) – I don’t under­stand.
• Nihon­go woHanase­masen (日本語を話せません) – I can’t speak Japan­ese.

People and Pronouns

Japan­ese cul­ture empha­sizes polite­ness and for­mal­i­ty, often avoid­ing pro­nouns like “you” in favour of names or social roles.

• Watashi (私) – I (used for­mal­ly by both gen­ders)
• Boku (僕) – I (used casu­al­ly by males)
• Ore (俺) – I (used infor­mal­ly by males)
• Tomodachi (友達) – Friend
• Buchoo (部長) – Man­ag­er
• Kazoku (家族) – Fam­i­ly
• Otoo-san (お父さん) – Father
• Okaa-san (お母さん) – Moth­er
• Oni-san (お兄さん) – Old­er Broth­er
• Onee-san (お姉さん) – Old­er Sis­ter

Food and Drink

Japan boasts a rich culi­nary her­itage with unique dish­es and flavours. These words will help you nav­i­gate menus and din­ing expe­ri­ences:

• Asa-gohan (朝ご飯) – Break­fast
• Hiru-gohan (昼ご飯) – Lunch
• Yoru-gohan (夜ご飯) – Din­ner
• Gohan (ご飯) – Rice/Meal
• Pan (パン) – Bread
• Sakana (魚) – Fish
• Mizu (水) – Water
• Koohii (コーヒー) – Cof­fee
• Ocha (お茶) – Green Tea
• Osake (お酒) – Sake/Alcohol
• Wain (ワイン) – Wine

Numbers and Time

Numbers

Japan­ese num­bers are straight­for­ward and essen­tial for shop­ping or giv­ing direc­tions.

• Ichi (一) – 1
• Ni (二) – 2
• San (三) – 3
• Shi/Yon (四) – 4
• Go (五) – 5
• Roku (六) – 6
• Shichi/Nana (七) – 7
• Hachi (八) – 8
• Kyuu (九) – 9
• Juu (十) – 10

Days of the Week

• Nichiy­oobi (日曜日) – Sun­day
• Get­suy­oobi (月曜日) – Mon­day
• Kay­oobi (火曜日) – Tues­day
• Suiy­oobi (水曜日) – Wednes­day
• Mokuy­oobi (木曜日) – Thurs­day
• Kiny­oobi (金曜日) – Fri­day
• Doy­oobi (土曜日) – Sat­ur­day

Months of the Year

• Ichi­gat­su (一月) – Jan­u­ary
• Nigat­su (二月) – Feb­ru­ary
• San­gat­su (三月) – March
• Shi­gat­su (四月) – April
• Gogat­su (五月) – May
• Roku­gat­su (六月) – June
• Shichi­gat­su (七月) – July
• Hachi­gat­su (八月) – August
• Kugat­su (九月) – Sep­tem­ber
• Juu­gat­su (十月) – Octo­ber
• Juuichi­gat­su (十一月) – Novem­ber
• Juu­ni­gat­su (十二月) – Decem­ber

Essential Verbs

Learn­ing verbs will help you form sen­tences and express actions:

• Taberu (食べる) – To eat
• Iku (行く) – To go
• Nomu (飲む) – To drink
• Miru (見る) – To see
• You (読む) – To read
• Hana­su (話す) – To talk
• Kaeru (帰る) – To return
• Kiku (聞く) – To lis­ten

Conclusion

Mas­ter­ing these basic Japan­ese words and phras­es is a great first step in your lan­guage-learn­ing jour­ney. Whether you’re trav­el­ling to Japan or sim­ply curi­ous about the cul­ture, hav­ing these essen­tials under your belt will enhance your expe­ri­ence.

FAQs

1. How long does it take to learn basic Japan­ese?

It depends on your learn­ing goals and con­sis­ten­cy. With dai­ly prac­tice, you can learn essen­tial phras­es in a few months.

1. Is Japan­ese gram­mar dif­fi­cult?

Japan­ese gram­mar dif­fers from Eng­lish but is log­i­cal and struc­tured. With prac­tice, it becomes eas­i­er to grasp.

1. Can I vis­it Japan with­out speak­ing Japan­ese?

Yes, but know­ing basic phras­es great­ly improves your trav­el expe­ri­ence and shows respect for the cul­ture.

1. How do you say “I love Japan” in Japan­ese?

“Nihon ga suki desu (日本が好きです)” trans­lates to “I love Japan.”

1. Are there any good resources for learn­ing Japan­ese?

Lan­guage apps, online cours­es, and native tutors are excel­lent resources for learn­ing Japan­ese.