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The 100 Most Important Japanese Words You Should Know: Emergency
The 100 Most Important Japanese Words You Should Know: Emergency
Say you booked a last minute trip to Japan. Then, soon after that, you quickly realize that you
don’t speak a word of Japanese (let alone a hundred words). For all of you people out there
(or, for all of you beginners of Japanese out there), this list is for you. These 100 words will
get you through an untold number of situations, problems, and feelings, just by knowing
these all-important words. I’m not saying that there aren’t any other important words out
there (and I hope you add to the list by commenting below), but I do think this list of 100
words will get you really, really far if you are, for some reason, only limited to learning 100
words. Enjoy!
Having trouble pronouncing these “crazy” Japanese words? Try out some of the free lessons
on TextFugu to become a Japanese pronunciation master.
Emergency
If you’re traveling to Japan, you’re going to want to know words that have to do with
“emergency” situations. You don’t want to be caught off guard in a foreign country. If you’re
in trouble, you need to be able to ask for some help, whether that help is finding a bathroom
or getting someone who speaks English.
トイレ (toire) = Toilet. Everyone has to use the toilet at some point, so if you need help
finding it, this is the word for you.
手洗い (tearai) = Bathroom. Just like toilet, but a little more all-inclusive. You can feel free
to use either of these in a pinch, though.
助けて (tasukete) = HELP. Just yell this out and (maybe) someone will come to your aid…
if you’re lucky.
やめて! (yamete!) = Stop it! Maybe somebody is messing with you and you want them to
stop (yakuza? probably not). This is what you’d want to say.
英語 (eigo) = English. Sometimes you just need someone who speaks some English.
Everyone in Japan is supposed to be able to speak English, though you might have trouble
finding the right person depending on where you are.
服 (fuku) = Clothes. Don’t ask… I just thought it would be terrible to lose your clothes, and
with all the hot springs and perverts, you never know.
死にそう (shini sou) = Seems Like I’m Going To Die. When things get really serious, you
may need to pull out all the stops.
警察 (keisatsu) = Police. If something really bad happens, these are the guys you’re going to
want to ask for.
危ない (abunai) = Dangerous. You’ll see this on signs and stuff too. If someone says
“abunai” to you, you should probably watch your step.
危険 (kiken) = Peril, Hazard. Basically, this is a fancier abunai. You’ll see this on signs as
well.
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Asking
Asking broad general questions, then using body language to tell people the rest is a really
fun way to get by in a country where you don’t speak the language!
どうした? (doushita?) = What Happened? Then again, you probably won’t understand
what the person responds with, but it’s always nice to ask.
時間 (jikan) = Time. Just ask this with an quizzical tone and people will get the drift.
質問 (shitsumon) = Question. Have a question? Let someone know. Couple this with “eigo!
eigo!” and maybe someone who can speak some English will come to answer your
shitsumon.
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People
Sometimes you need something that has to do with a someone. You can get by without too
much here.
先生 (sensei) = Teacher. If you’re a student in Japan, this one comes in handy.
人 (hito) = Person. For when you need to point out a person in general.
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Locations
Finding your way around can be pretty important. Here are some words that will help you do
that and keep you from getting lost.
ホテル (hoteru) = Hotel. You’ll need to be able to find this if you’re traveling in Japan.
どこ (doko) = Where. Don’t know where something is? Ask where it is with this word.
大学 (daigaku) = College. Great for college students studying in Japan, or people who like
colleges in general.
タクシー (takushi) = Taxi. Expensive, but you can find them everywhere.
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Food
Oh food, how I love thee. Can’t live without it, either.
おなかすいた (onaka suita) / はらへった (hara hetta) = Hungry. Two ways to say this
one. First one is more neutral, second is more casual.
飲み物 (nomimono) = Drink. Not the verb, but the noun. Please get me a drink.
美味しい (oishii) = Good Tasting. If something tastes nice (or if you want to be nice), you’d
say this.
不味い (mazui) = Bad Tasting. I probably wouldn’t ever say this, but just in case you need
to let someone know…
レストラン (resutoran) = Restaurant. Now you need to figure out which one.
コンビニ (konbini) = Convenience Store. Great place to buy small things and food.
Convenience Store food in Japan is pretty awesome.
スーパー (suupaa) = Super Market. If you need something a convenience store can’t give
you.
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Being Polite
You don’t want to piss people off when you’re in their country. Bad things happen if you
do…
ありがとうございます (arigatougozaimasu) = Thank You. Do I even need to tell you
why you should learn this? I hope not.
すみません (sumimasen) = Excuse Me. The streets can be busy, it’s nice to say excuse me
when you walk through people.
ごめんなさい (gomennasai) = Sorry. If you bump into a Yakuza gang member, you might
want to whip this one out.
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Greetings
Hopefully you meet some nice people in your travels. Say hello (and then goodbye!) to them.
こんにちは (konnichiwa) = Good Afternoon. You can use this around noonish on to the
evening.
こんばんは (konbanwa) = Good Evening. Like the other ones, but for evenings.
[hr]
Basic Verbs
Verbs will get you a long ways. You don’t have to know much else as long as you know
verbs, because verbs help you to get things done.
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Basic Adjectives
Adjectives, while not as awesome as verbs, are also very useful. They help you describe
things.
悪い (warui) = Bad.
いい (ii) = Good.
熱い (atsui) = Hot.
寒い (samui) = Cold.
赤 (aka) = Red.
青 (ao) = Blue.
黒 (kuro) = Black.
緑 (midori) = Green.
黄色 (kiiro) = Yellow.
白 (shiro) = White.
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Numbers
一 (ichi) = One.
二 (ni) = Two.
三 (san) = Three.
五 (go) = Five. Good way to remember the first five numbers: “Itchy knee! Son, She go!”
Imagine that playing out…
六 (roku) = Six.
八 (hachi) = Eight.
九 (ku) = Nine.
十 (juu) = Ten.
百 (hyaku) = 100.
千 (sen) = 1,000.
万 (man) = 10,000.
円 (en) = Yen. Not really a number, but goes nicely with the numbers, I think.
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