Japan Greetings (gashi)

 Konnichiwa (Hi; Good afternoon.)

 Ohayō gozaimasu/ Ohayō (Good morning [formal/informal])
 Konbanwa (Good evening)
Say Ohayō gozaimasu to your superior instead of Ohayō. And don’t forget to bow when you greet him.
 Hajimemashite. (How do you do?)
 O-genki desu ka. (How are you? [formal])
 Genki? (How are you? [informal])
 Maiku-san wa? (How about you, Mike?)
 Hai, genki desu. (Yes, I’m fine.)
 Ē, māmā desu. (Well, so-so.)
 Hai, watashi mo genki desu. (Yes, I’m fine, too.)
The particle mo in Watashi mo genki desu means “also.”
There are also many ways to say goodbye.
 Mata ashita. (See you tomorrow.)
 Sayōnara. (Goodbye.)
 Oyasumi nasai. (Good night.)

San is the most commonly used respectful title placed someone’s first or last name, regardless of their
gender or marital status. Sama is a more formal respectful title — use it after the family names of your
clients, customers, or those to whom respect is due.
san (a polite/neutral respectful title)
 Sumisu-san (Mr. Smith)
 Maikeru-san (Michael)
 Tanaka-san (Ms. Tanaka)
 Sandora-san (Sandra)
 sama (formal respectful title)
 Sumisu-sama (Mr. Smith)
 Tanaka-sama (Ms. Tanaka)
Place a respectful title after the other people’s names, but not after your own name.

Personal pronouns
 Watashi (I)  otoko no ko (boy)
 anata (you [singular])  onna no ko (girl)
 kare (he)  kazoku (family)
 kanojo (she)  kodomo/okosan (child [plain/polite])
 watashi-tachi (we)  chichi/otōsan (father [plain/polite])
 anata-tachi (you [plural])  haha/okāsan (mother [plain/polite])
 karera (they [M])  musuko/musukosan (son [plain/polite])
 kanojora (they [F])  musume/musumesan (daughter [plain/polite])
 karera (they [M, F, or mixed group])  ani/onīsan (older brother [plain/polite])
 otoko no hito (man)  otōto/otōtosan (younger brother [plain/polite])
 otto/goshujin (husband)  ane/onēsan (older sister [plain/polite])
 onna no hito (woman)  imōto/imōtosan (younger sister [plain/polite])
 tsuma/okusan (wife)  tomodachi (friend)

Legal emergencies
 Keisatsukan (police officer)  Ryōjikan wa doko desu ka. (Where is the consulate?)
 Dorobō (Thief!)  Taishikan no denwa bangō wa nan-ban desu
 Hittakuri ni aimashita. (I’ve been robbed.) ka? (What is the embassy’s phone number?)
 Keisatsu o yonde kudasai. (Please call the police.)

Medical emergencies
 To ask for a doctor say isha.  To get medicine as for yakkyoku.
 To ask for a hospital say byōin.  To ask for a nurse say kangoshi.
 To call for an ambulance say kyuu-kyuu desu.
Once you are able to talk to the right person, you can use the following words to explain what’s wrong.
 jiko (accident)  zutsuu (headache)
 byouki (sick)  kega (injury)
 itami (pain)  ishiki fumei (unconscious)
The following phrases might come in handy during an emergency.
 Tasukete kudasai. (Please help!)
 Chotto wakarimasen. (I don’t know.)
 Iki ga dekimasen. (I can’t breathe.)
 Byōin wa doko desu ka. (Where is a hospital?)
 Asupirin wa arimasu ka. (Do you have any aspirin?)
 Atama ga itai desu. (I have a headache.)
 Iki ga dekimasen. (I cannot breathe.)
 Kanojo wa kaidan kara ochimashita. (She fell down
the stairs.)
 Kare wa kibun ga warukute, netsu ga arimasu. netsu
ga arimasu. (He is feeling sick and has a high fever.)
 Byōin wa doko desu ka. (Where is the hospital?)
 Dono byōin ga ichiban chikai desu ka. (Which
hospital is the closest?)
 Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai. (Please call the
ambulance.)

Japanese Vocabulary for Shopping

The following phrases will be useful no matter what kind of shopping you plan on doing.
 Are ga ii desu. (I like that one over there.)  Nani o o-sagashi desu ka. (What are you looking
 Îe, ii desu. (No thank you.) for?)
 Irasshaimase! (Welcome!)  Ikura? (How much?)
The following words can be used in a variety of shopping situations.
 o-kane (money)  ôkii desu (big; tall; large)
 genkin (cash)  genka (price)
 kurejitto kâdo (credit card)  chîsai desu (small)
 takai (expensive)  kaban (bag)

Places to shop
 mise (store)  Disukauntosutoa (discount store)
 Shobou (bookstore)  depâto (department store)
 Doraggusutoa (drugstore)  sôpâmâketto (supermarket)
 Konbini (convenience store)  kanbutsuya (grocery store)
Grocery shopping
 kôhî (kohh-heee) (coffee)  toriniku (toh-ree-nee-koo) (chicken)
 gyûnyû (gyooo-nyooo) (milk)  sakana (sah-kah-nah) (fish)
 bîru (beee-roo) (beer)  tamago (eggs)
 wain (wah-een) (wine)  yasai (yah-sah-ee) (vegetables)
 o-kome (oh-koh-meh) (uncooked rice)  kudamono (koo-dah-moh-noh) (fruit)
 niku (nee-koo) (meat)  pan (pahn) (bread)
 butaniku (boo-tah-nee-koo) (pork)

Clothes shopping
 Kuroi doresu o sagashite imasu. (I am looking for a  Kono tokei wa takai desu. (This watch is
black dress.) expensive.)
 Kore wa ikaga desu ka. (How about this one?)  Kurejitto kâdo de haratte mo ii desu ka. (May I pay by
 Are ga ii desu. (I like that one over there.) credit card?)
 Kite mite mo ii desu ka. (May I try it on?)  Kore o henpin shite mo ii desu ka. (May I return this
 Shichakushitsu wa doko desu ka. (Where is the item?)
fitting room?)  Sçru wa itsu kara desu ka. (When will the sale start?)
 Kore wa chîsasugimasu. (This one is too small.)  wanpîsu (wahn-peee-soo) (dress)
 Kore wa ôkisugimasu. (This one is too big.)  bôshi (bohh-shee) (hat)
 Kore no eru-saizu wa arimasu ka. (Do you have this  shatsu (shah-tsoo) (shirt)
in size large?)  burausu (boo-rah-oo-soo) (blouse)
 Kore o kudasai. (I’ll take this one.)  sûtsu (sooo-tsoo) suit
 Kore o onegai shimasu. (This one, please.)  jînzu (jeeen-zoo) (jeans)
 Kono shatsu wa ikura desu ka. (How much is this  zubon (zoo-bohn) pants
shirt?)  sçtâ (sehh-tahh) sweater
 Kono sukââto o kudasai. (I would like to purchase  jaketto (jah-keht-toh) jacket
this skirt.)  kutsu (koo-tsoo) shoe

Common colors
 kuroi desu (black)  shiroi desu (white)
 aoi desu (blue)  kiiroi desu (yellow)
 akai desu (red)  midori (green)
Courtesy phrases
 Hai. (yes)
 Īe. (no; Oh, it’s nothing.)
 Dōzo. (please)
 Arigatō. (Thanks [informal])
 Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu. (Thank you very much.)
 Dō itashimashite. (You’re welcome.)
 Tabun. (Maybe.)
 Īe, ii desu. (No, thank you.)
 Gomennasai. (Sorry!)
 Sumimasen. (I’m sorry.)
 Chotto sumimasen. (Excuse me.)
 Chotto literally means “a little,” but it’s used to soften
the expression in Chotto sumimasen.
 Mochiron. (of course)
 Ā, sō desu ka. (Oh, I see.)

How to Count in Japanese

ichi 1 jûhachi 18
ni 2 jûkyû or jûku 19
san 3 nijû 20
shi or yon 4 nijûichi 21
go 5 nijûni 22
roku 6 nijûsan 23
shichi or nana 7 sanjû 30
hachi 8 sanjûichi 31
kyû 9 sanjûni 32
jû 10 yonjû 40
jûichi 11 gojû 50
jûni 12 rokujû 60
jûsan 13 nanajû 70
jûshi or jûyon 14 hachijû 80
jûgo 15 kyûjû 90
jûroku 16 kyûjûkyû 99
jûshichi or jûnana 17

100 and higher

100 hyaku
101 hyakuichi
102 hyakuni
150 hyakugoju
500 gohyaku
999 kyû-hyaku-kyû-jû-kyû
1,000 sen