Greetings

English Japanese Transliteration

Hello/Good day こんにちは konnichiwa
Hello (on the phone/Skype) もしもし moshi moshi
How are you? おげんきですか？ ogenki desu ka?>
I’m good. げんきです genki desu
Long time no see. おしゃしぶりです oshashiburidesu

Basic & Polite Phrases

English Japanese Transliteration

Please おねがいします onegaishimasu
Thank you so much どうもありがとうございま doumo arigatou gozaimasu
Excuse me すみません sumimasen
I’m sorry ごめんなさい gomennasai
You’re welcome どういたしまして douitashimashite

Get the Conversation Rolling

English Japanese Transliteration

Are you busy now? いまいそがしいですか？ ima isogashii desu ka?
What are you plans this こんしゅうまつよていがありま konshuumatsu yotei ga arimasu
weekend? すか？ ka?
かぞくのみなさんわいかがです kazoku no minasan wa ikaga
How is your family? か？ desu ka?
じこしょうかいをおねがいしま jiko shoukai o onegaishimasu
Tell me about yourself す
What do you think? どうおもいますか? dou omoimasu ka?

Getting a Bit of Clarification

English Japanese Transliteration

How do you say that in それわえいごでなんといいます sore wa eigo de nanto iimasu
English? か？ ka?
I don’t understand. わかりません wakarimasen
I forgot わすれました wasuremashita
I don’t know. しりません shirimasen
Can you please say it slowly? もとゆっくりはんして? moto yukkuri hanshite?

Words About Time

English Japanese Transliteration

Every day まいにち mai nichi
Sometimes じじ jiji
Now いま ima
Later あとで atode
Maybe たぶん tabun

Exclamations & Transition Words to Take Your Speaking to the Next Level
English Japanese Transliteration
That’s a good question それはよいしつもんですね Sore wa yoishitsu mondesu ne
Alright だいじょうぶ daijoubu
Wait a moment ちょっとまってください chotto matte kudasai
Don’t worry くよくよするな kuyokuyo suru na
Oops おっとっと ottotto

Conversation Closers

English Japanese Transliteration

Thank you for your おいそがしいところありがとうござ o isogashii tokoro arigatou
time いました gozaimashita
see you later じゃあまた jaa mata
see you またね matane
Goodbye さようなら sayounara

Basic Words for Learning Japanese

1. 本 (hon) - Book
2. ベッド (beddo) – Bed
3. 誕生日 (tanjōby) – Birthday
4. 時計 (tokei) – Watch, clock
5. 名前 (namae) – Name
6. きれい (kirei) – Beautiful
7. 黒い (kuroi) – Black
8. 白い (shiroi) - White
9. 英語 (eigo) – English (language)
10. 大学 (daigaku) – University
11. 電話 (denwa) – Telephone
12. バス (basu) – Bus
13. 猫 (neko) – Cat
14. 犬 (inu) – Dog
15. コンピュータ (konpiūta) – Computer
16. 服 (fuku) – Clothes

Basic Japanese Food Vocabulary

17. コーヒー (kohi) – Coffee
18. パン (pan) – Bread
19. ビール (biru) – Beer
20. 昼ご飯 (hirogohan) - Lunch
21. 夕食 (yūshoku) – Dinner
22. 食べ物 (tabemono) – Food
23. 飲み物 (nomi mono) – Beverage
24. 果物 (kudamono) - Fruit

Basic Japanese Words for People

25. 男の子 (otoko no ko) – Boy
26. 女の子 (onna no ko) – Girl
27. 子供 (kodomo) – Child
28. 母 (haha) – Mother
29. 父 (chichi) – Father
30. 友達 (tomodachi) – Friend
31. 学生 (kagusei) – Student
32. 先生 (sensei) – Teacher
Basic Japanese Nature Words
33. 川 (kawa) – River
34. 花 (hana) – Flower
35. 魚 (sakana) – Fish
36. 空 (sora) - Sky
37. 山 (yama) – Mountain
38. 雨 (ame) - Rain

Basic Japanese Words for Saying Time

39. 今 (ima) – Now
40. 今日 (kyou) – Today
41. 昨日 (kinou) – Yesterday
42. 明日 (asita) – Tomorrow
43. 毎日 (mai nichi) – Every day
44. 毎週 (maishū) – Every week
45. 午前 (gozen)* - Morning
46. 午後 (gogo) – Afternoon
47. 月曜日 (getsuyoubi) – Monday
48. 火曜日 (kayoubi) – Tuesday
49. 水曜日 (suiyoubi) – Wednesday
50. 木曜日 ( mokuyoubi) – Thursday
51. 金曜日 (kinyoubi) – Friday
52. 土曜日 (douyoubi) - Saturday
53. 日曜日 (nichiyoubi) – Sunday
54. 今年 (kotoshi) – This year

Japanese Body Parts Vocabulary for Beginners

55. 耳 (mimi) - Ear
56. 手 (te) - Hand
57. 足 (ashi) - Foot
58. 目 (me) - Eye
59. 口 (kuchi) – Mouth
60. 顔 (kao) - Face

Japanese Words for Places and Directions

61. 駅 (eki) – Train station
62. 北 (kita) – North
63. 南 (minami) – South
64. 西 (nishi) – West
65. 東 (higashi) – East
66. 国 (kuni) – Country
67. 外国 (gaikoku) – Gaikoku
68. 右 (mighi) – Right
69. 左 (hidari) – Left
70. 入口 (iriguchi) – Entrance
71. 出口 (deguchi) - Exit

Japanese Greetings for Beginners

72. おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu) – Good Morning
73. おはよう (ohayou) – Good Morning (informal version)
74. こんにちは (konnichi wa) – Hello
75. こんばんは (konban wa) – Good evening
76. ただいま (tadaima) – I’m home (this greeting is used when you get home and want to announce your
presence)
77. おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai) Good night (used to announce that you are going to bed. However,
you cannot use it when you are leaving someone else’s house for the night.)
 78. もしもし (moshi moshi) – Hello? (used when answering the phone)
79. いらっしゃいませ (irasshiaimase) – Welcome! (this greeting is mainly used by business owners or
employees to welcome their costumers to their store).
80. おげんきですか (ogenki desu ka?) – How Are you?
81. おしゃしぶりです (oshashiburi desu) – Long time no see.
82. さようなら (sayounara) – Goodbye
83. またね (matane) – See you

Common Japanese Phrases for Beginners

84. はい (hai) – Yes
85. いいえ (iie) - No
86. わかりません (wakarimasen) – I don’t understand
87. わすれました (wasuremashita) – I forgot
88. しりません (shirimasen) – I don’t know
89. たぶん (tabun) – Maybe
90. だいじょうぶ (daijoubu) – Alright
91. よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) – Nice to meet you
92. どうも (doumo) – Thanks
93. おねがいします (onegai shimasu) – Please
94. どうもありがとうございます (doumo arigatou gozaimasu) – Thank you so much
95. すみません (sumimasen) – Excuse me / I’m sorry
96. ごめんなさい (gomennasai) – I’m sorry
97. どういたしまして (douita shimashite) – You’re welcome
98. どうぞ* (douzo) – After you
99. ごめんなさい(gomen nasai) – I’m sorry
100. 助けてください (tasukete kudasai) – Help!