Learn Japanese aa, ee, un, saa = yes (informal) abayo = casual goodbye, kind of like "see you"

aburi = fried tofu aisatsu ni = to greet, say hello to akari = light ano hi = "this day" ano hito = literally "that person", exact meaning varies according to context ano toki = back there, back then, at that time, etc. anou = "well..." ara/are = oh, or "huh?"; "Ara" is used by women, "Are" by men. arigatou gozaimasu = thank you very much (arigatou = thanks, thank you) arimasen/imasen = isn't ("arimashita" = was, were) asagohan = breakfast; often shortened to "gohan" atama = head B baka = idiot, fool, etc. (all-purpose insult) bakaga = impossible bakemono = monster bangohan = dinner; evening meal bento = a box lunch betsu ni = a multi-purpose negative phrase, translated as "nothing" or "not really" bouzu = kid C chotto matte = "wait a minute!" ("matte" = wait, "chotto" = for a short time) kimono, yukata (summer kimono) D daga = however/but daijoubu = don't worry, I'm okay, I'll be allright, etc. "daijouka" is "are you okay?" daisuki/suki = "daisuki" can also describe your favorite things. dakara = so, therefore damare = the command form of "be quiet", often translates as "shut up!" or "silence!" dare = who demo/datte = but dewa = an interjection, has various meanings including "Then...","Well...","Now..." etc. toki doki = a phrase meaning "sometimes/from time to time", also refers to a

heartbeat doko = where domo = thank you; this is a short version of the full (i.e. very formal) version of "thank you very much" which is "domo arigatou gozaimasu" doozo = here you go, here you are (giving someone something) doushite = why/why not?/how come, etc. "doushita" can mean "what's wrong?" dou = how; "dou da?" is "how about it?" E eto... = like saying "um..." expletives: mou, che, chikuso, kuso, shimatta (all meaning darn, crap, etc.) F

G gaijin = refers to any foreigner gakkou = highschool gambatte ne! = do your best! genki da = cheer up, be well, take care, etc. ("genki" literally means energy) gochisousama! = I'm finished! (with a meal) gomen nasai = I'm sorry H haha-oya = respectful word for "mother" hai = yes hajime = beginning, start, the first time, etc. hajimemashite = I'm pleased to meet you hakubaikou = white plum (the scent and the flower) han = half; examples are "hanbun" ("half of me" or "part of me") and "hanyou" ("half-demon"), "Han" also refers to the cutting edge of a sword. hanase = command form of "to release", often translates as "release me!" or "let me go!" hanashi = as a noun it means "news, account, story", etc. It is also a form of the verb "to talk". hayaku = means "faster", also translates as "hurry up" or "quickly" when used as a command. hen = weird or strange henshin = transform or change hidoi = mean, cruel hikari = light, energy (glare, gleam, ray) hime = princess himitsu = secret

hito = man, person hitokiri = assassin ("hito"= man and "hito-kire" means "to slice", so "hitokiri" literally means "Man-Slicer" or "ManSlayer", hence why it's an appropriate job title for an assassin ;) hitomi = to see, eye hitotsu no = a part of something (a, one, etc.) honto = really ("honto desu ka" = "really?") houshi = priest I ichiban = first, the best, favorite, etc. ie = house ii = good, nice; the phrase "ii ne/na" means "it's all right" iie, iya = no iinazuke = fiancee ikari = fury ikenai = oh no! iku = "to go", often you hear it as "ikuzo" meaning "let's go" ima = now imouto = younger sister inochi = life inu = dog irrashimase! = welcome! (used in restaurants to greet customers) itachi = weasel itadakimasu = let's eat!, here's to good food, etc. ite = ouch, ow itte kimasu = "I'm taking off!" or "I'm leaving now!" ; "kimasu" is a casual form of the verb "to leave" istumo = always, constantly, ever, etc. Just "itsu" is "when" J ja ne/ja na = see you later/see you then ja matta/mattana = casual "goodbye" -janai/-nai = a suffix, makes a word negative janken = the Japanese version of "rock, paper, scissors", the phrase is "Janken, Janken, Pon!" jibun = self, yourself/himself/herself jikai = next time jinchuu = Earthly justice (is also sometimes translated as "revenge") jitsu wa = "actually..." jou-chan = "little missy" joudan janai ="this is no joke!" or "you've got to be kidding!", etc. "Joudan janai wa" is like "are you joking?" and such. K

kakatte iru = depend kakkoii! = "cool!" kami = some common meanings for this word are "spirit" ("Kamisama" is God), "hair" and "paper" kamiya = flower kanai = wife kanji = perception, feeling. Also refers to the Chinese characters used in Japanese writing. kanojo = girlfriend kao = face kaoru = scent kare/kareshi = literally "he", it's also used to refer to a boyfriend kawaii/kawaiikune = cute/uncute kaze = wind keisatsu = police ken = sword; there are many words for sword according to their type (usually determined by length). Examples: wattou (long battle katana, usually greater than 30 inches in length), katana (generally 25-30 inches long), wakizashi (short sword), kodachi (short sword between a wakizashi and katana in length), tanto (long dagger), kunai (short throwing knives), sakabatou (a fictional reversebladed sword), zanbatou (giant sword used to cut down both horse and rider), bokken (wooden sword), and shinai (bamboo practice sword). The sheath or scabbard for a sword is called a "saya". kenjutsu = swordsmanship kenkaku = swordsman kenshin = devotion, dedication; in kanji it reads "Heart of Sword" keredo/kedo = though, although, but ki/chi = the Asian concept of a life force or life spirit; it's mentioned a lot in martial arts anime. "Ken-ki" is used in Rurouni Kenshin in reference to swords, and in Inuyasha "youki" is used to describe demon energy. kimochi = feeling, emotion, pleasure kiotsukete = be careful kitsune = fox kirei = pretty, lovely (can also be used as an affectionate nickname for someone) kizu = wound (physical cut) kodomo = child koekeishiya = successor koishii, koibito = beloved, lover, sweetheart, etc. koi = love (also a kind of goldfish). "Koi" is one of those Japanese homonym words that has about a million different meanings, so you hear it everywhere. The verb "kuru" which means "to come" is often used in a conjugated form which is "koi!" meaning "come over here" or "come on". koko = here (koko wa = "where am I?") kokoro = heart, mind, soul, etc. konbanwa = good evening

koneko = kitten konnichiwa = hello, good afternoon kono = this, however it has many meanings I think kore wa = this is, that's korosu = kill kotaeru = "to answer", you'll hear it in various forms in anime, often as the command "answer me!" koto wa = thing, what, affair/matter kotowaru = decline (to refuse do something, such as fight) kowai = scared, fear, afraid kudasai = please M maa, maa = "now, now" ; a phrase used to placate someone maa na = I guess maboroshi = means "illusion", as in a dream or illusion constructed by someone; figuratively it means "mystic" or "mystical". machigainai = there's no mistake! (like when you recognize someone, or verify information) mamoru = protect masaka = of course not, impossible, it can't be, not really, etc. massushiro = a phrase, means "clean and white" mattaku = sheesh, yeesh, jeez, "oh for heaven's sake", etc. General expression of annoyance. miko = priestess minna = everyone miru = to see miso = Japanese soy-based soup mizu = water mochi = a Japanese dessert: rice dough (kind of marshmallow in texture) stuffed with ohagi (sweet bean paste) moko-dono = son-in-law mon = family crest, often seen on formal kimono. mononoke = vengeful spirit mooto = increases the amount of something. An example is "hayaku, hayaku, mooto hayaku" (a phrase from a "Spirited Away" image song) which means "faster, faster and faster" but "mooto" doesn't mean "and"; it's simply increasing the amount of "hayaku" mori = forest moshi moshi = hello (on the phone) mou ii = a phrase, means "no more" or "that's enough!" mune = the dull edge of a Japanese sword. It also means "heart" musume = daughter or young woman (in Rurouni Kenshin "itachi musume" = "weasel girl" or literally the daughter of a weasel) and can be an insult in context myuun = the sound a cat makes; cats also make a "nyaa nyaa" sound.

N na ha = a very impolite and abbreviated way to ask someone their name. "Onamae wa" is standard-polite; if you want to be even more formal you would use "O-namae wa nan to iimasu ka" or "O-namae wa nan to osshaimasu ka" (the latter is very polite ^^) nakanaide = don't cry ("nakanaide kudasai" = please don't cry) nanda/nande = why, what. "nanda to" is an extreme version of "what", sort of like "WHAT?!" nandeste = what did you say? nani = what nani yatten no = what are you doing? nani-mo = nothing naruhodo = I see (as in "I understand") naze = why (an extreme why, as in "why did you do that?!") ne = right (as in "correct") neko = cat nezumi = mouse or rat nibun = half nigeru = run nihon, nippon/nihongo = Japan/Japanese (language) nikuma = pork buns ningen = human nidoto = never (as in "I'll never do that again") no = serves several purposes, often as a particle, but also marks a possessive ("Watashi no inu" would be "My dog" for instance) O obasan = aunt obaasan = grandmother. It's important to note that this word is very different from "obasan" above (which only has one "a" in romanji or a short "a" sound in speech). The "a" sound in "obaasan" is held twice as long. obaba = great-grandmother or a fairly rude way of saying "old woman" obou = monk oden = a mixed stew ohagi = sweet bean paste oi = "hey!" oishii = delicious, tasty ojisan = uncle, or "mister" when used by a non-relative. The Japanese have the habit of sometimes referring to strangers or aquaintances with familial terms. This is one such example. ojiisan = grandfather. Just as with "obasan" it's important to note the difference in spelling. You hold the "i" sound longer when you want to say "grandfather" as opposed to "uncle". okaa = mother. In speech this word is almost always used with an honorific. "Okaasama" is very respectful, "Okaasan" is general respect (this is the usual

form you hear), "Okaachan" is informal and is sort of like saying "mommy". okari nasai = welcome home okashira = commander or boss okonomiyaki = Japanese "pizza" (it's similar to a pancake with sauce and other toppings added) ohayou gozaimasu = good morning (just "ohayou" is like "morning!") ohisashiburi = it's been a long time or "long time no see" onna = woman onegai = please (the full version is "onegai-shimasu" when you're being really polite; if used like a command I've seen it translated as "I beg of you!") oneesan = older sister oni = ogre or demon oniichan = older brother (-chan is informal, to be polite you'd say oniisan) onigirii = rice ball onsen = hot spring ooji = prince osuwari = the command form of "to sit" ; actually this is technically a dog command... otaku = in Japan this words simply refers to a fan of anything, in America it's come to describe an fan of anime specifically. otoko = man otou = father. In speech, just as with "okaa", this word is almost always used with an honorific. "Otousama" is very respectful, "Otousan" is general respect (this is the usual form you hear), "Otouchan" is informal and is sort of like saying "daddy". otouto = younger brother otto = husband ougi = succession technique for a sword or martial arts school, literally means "deep act" owari = "the end", as in the end of a show or story oyaji = "old man", as in your dad oyasumi nasai = good night P pacu = the sound a fish makes pan = bread particle: the Japanese "particle" refers to the short syllables (no, to, ni, mo, ha, ya, yo, wa, na, etc.) sprinked in Japanese sentences. The meaning and uses of particles are many and varied. They most often serve as object markers, identifying the subject of the sentence (first person pronouns are nearly always followed by a particle. Examples would be "watashi no", "sessha mo", etc.). They also serve a function similar to English preposition "filler" words such as: of, and, the, from, to, etc. To understand particles you need a Japanese grammar dictionary. piyo = the sound a bird makes

R rei = soul rounin = masterless samurai rurouni = vagabond or wanderer (it's important to note that this word was made up by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin, combining "rounin" (masterless samurai) and "rurou" (vagabond). It doesn't actually exist in the Japanese language) ryu = school or style (for example, a sword style). It also means "dragon". S sakura = cherry blossom samurai = Japan's ancient warrior class (one step above peasants), officially abolished at the start of the Meji era (1868) sasuga ha = "nothing less from", as when someone lives up to his/her reputation or does something cool that you expected sayounara = farewell (as in "goodbye forever" or for a long time) seiyuu = voice actor/actress sen = a breakdown of Japanese currency sensei, shishou = teacher, master senshi = soldier sempai = upperclassmen, predecessor; essentially someone who has studied or been there before you. shakkin = debt (money) shihondai = assistant master shikashi = however/but shinde = command form of "shinu", which is the verb "to die" shinji = believe, can also mean "hope" shinjitsu = truth shinpai = worry shogun = warlord shoji = the sliding rice paper doors in Japanese houses shounen = boy shoujo = girl sonna = such soo = so (the one word that's the same in Japanese and English) sore = that soredemo = however/but soro soro = soon, now soshite = and sou ka = I see or "do I?" (the ka indicates a question) sou na = no, as in "no, that can't be!" or "no way!" sou desu ne = yes it is; "sou sou" can mean "oh yeah", and "sou" on its own can also mean "yes" so-yo = that's true, that's right! (usually pronounced "soi-you") subete = all, everything sugoi! = awesome!, cool!, wow!, etc.

suhama = rice cake sukoshi = literally "to a small degree"; usual translations: a bit, few, slight, slightly, little, some, any sumanu/sumanai/sumimasen = I'm sorry (formal) suru = to do; "nani o suru?" = "what are you doing?" T tabun = probably taberu = to eat (verb) -tachi = when added to things, makes them plural ("hito-tachi" = "folk, people" for example). When used with first and second person pronouns -tachi can make words that mean we/our and "you guys". Ore/Boku/Watashi-tachi all mean "we/our" and "Omeatachi" means "you guys", essentially referring to a group of people (see notes on pronoun use above). tadaima = I'm home, I'm back, etc. taichou = captain, commander taisetsu na = important, beloved (to/of someone) tamago = egg tamashi = soul tanuki = raccoon (the Japanese raccoon dog, actually) taousu = defeat (in battle) tasukete = help tataku = to hit, beat, or knock. Variations are "tatakau" (battle or fight) and "tatakai" (this is the command form of "to fight") tatami = the mats that cover Japanese floors tatta = conjugated form (it means "I/ You/ He.. stood") of the verb "to stand up" which is "tatsu" tattaka = fight/battle tempura = deep-fried vegetables tenchuu = divine or Heavenly justice tenshi = angel to = means "and" when linking two words tori = bird, also refers to a chicken (tori no atama = "chicken head"; from Rurouni Kenshin) tsubasa = wings tsuee = strong, as in "he's strong" tsugi = next tsuki = moon (as in the satellite) tsuzuku = to be continued tsuyoi = strong, powerful U udon = a kind of Japanese noodle unmei = fate or destiny usagi = rabbit

urasai! = "shut up!" or just "be quiet" ureshii = happy uso = lie W wai! = yay! wakaru/wakatta/wakarimashita = various commonly used forms of "to understand", they mean "I understand, I know, I get it", etc. When talking to a person who is higher ranked than you (or if you just want to be very polite) you say "kashikomarimashita" wakaranai = negative form of the verb; means "I don't understand, I don't get it", etc. wan = the sound a dog makes writing: The Japanese written system is very complicated and consists of three separate scripts that are used together: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana is the Japanese native script and consists of 46 basic characters. Hiragana is a syllabary rather than an alphabet (ka, ki, ko, ku, etc.) so English words cannot be neatly transcribed into Hiragana or vice versa. "Romanji" is the Japanese term for native words written in the English alphabet. Several systems exists for transcribing Japanese words into English script, the most common of which is the Hepburn system. Katakana is also 46 characters and has the same sounds as Hiragana, but is used primarily for writing foreign words and for emphasis (similar to the way we use bold or italic characters). Kanji are Chinese characters that have been adapted for the Japanese language. There are literally thousands of different Kanji, and much of Japanese is written in them. Kanji are often used for proper nouns (such as names and places) and also distinguish between homonyms (which are very common in Japanese). Y yahari/yappari = literally "as expected"; usally translated as: as I thought, just as I suspected, you really are, can it be that you're?, etc. yakisoba = pan-fried noodles ("soba" are buckwheat noodles) yakusoku = promise yamete/yamero = stop ("yamete" is feminine, "yamero" is masculine) yare yare = oh well, "oh brother", etc. yatta! = he/she/I did it! yatto = finally yen = Japanese money; although the exact exchange rate varies day by day yo = just as in English, this is a really casual greeting. As a particle in Japanese speech, "yo" adds emphasis to a word yokai = "roger!" yokatta = an expression of relief, usually translates as "I'm so glad" or "thank goodness!" yoshi! = all right, let's go, let's do it!

youma/youkai = demon yowai = weak yume = dream yuurei = ghost yuki = snow yurusenai! = "I won't allow/permit it!", "I can't forgive this!", etc. "Yurusu" means to forgive, pardon, etc. Z zettai! = absolutely!, definitely! This phrase can be translated many ways actually, and can also be used as empahsis to make another word seem stronger.