Japons

Introduction
Our lessons can get you well on your way to learning how to speak, read, and write Nihongo. On this site
you will find such things as the Japanese alphabet (including Hiragana and Katakana) as well as Kanji
(Chinese characters), vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and common words and phrases. What
sets us apart from other Japanese language courses or tutorials is that we actually teach you how to
conjugate verbs and how to build your own sentences - things critical to learning how to speak fluently!
The Japanese language is actually very simple but so unlike English that many English speakers find it
difficult to learn. The goal of this 10 free lesson course is to help you study the basics of the language and
to teach you how to learn Japanese in a way that is, hopefully, fast and easy to understand.
IMPORTANT: While learning how to speak Japanese, do not rely too heavily on Romanized Japanese or
romaji (Japanese written in English letters). It is not used in Japan nor is it widely known in Japan. It is very
important to learn Kana (the Japanese alphabets - Hiragana and Katakana) to avoid many issues that can
come from using romaji as a crutch.

Lesson 1
Hiragana -
The first step to learning the Japanese language is to learn the alphabet. Or, at least, to learn the sounds
that exist in the language. There are absolutely no "tones" in Japanese like in many other Asian languages
and there are only 2 exceptions within the alphabet which will be explained later. The Japanese alphabet
does not contain letters but, instead, contains characters and, technically, they are not alphabets but
character sets. The characters in the chart below are called Hiragana. Hiragana is the main alphabet or
character set for Japanese. Japanese also consists of two other character sets - Kanji (Chinese
characters), which we will get into later, and another alphabet/character set, Katakana, which is mainly
used for foreign words. Katakana will be covered in Lesson 2. Don't wait to move on until you have all
Hiragana characters memorized - learn them as you continue to go through the other lessons.
There are 5 vowels in Japanese. (a), pronounced "ahh", (i), pronounced like "e" in "eat", (u), pronounced
like "oo" in "soon", (e), pronounced like "e" in "elk", and (o), pronounced "oh". All Hiragana characters end
with one of these vowels, with the exception of (n). The only "consonant" that does not resemble that of
English is the Japanese "r". It is slightly "rolled" as if it were a combination of a "d", "r", and "l"
Exceptions:
1. The Hiragana (ha) is pronounced "wa" when it immediately follows the topic of the sentence. This
character is usually only pronounced "ha" when it is part of a word.
2. The Hiragana (he) is pronounced "e" when it immediately follows a place or direction. Both of these
are very simple to detect.
In the classic Japanese language the "h" sound was pronounced like "w", "h", and "f" all put together. The
sound for the "ha", "hi", "fu", "he", "ho" evolved one way and the particles, which sounded closer to "wa"
and "we", went a different route. They finally ended up taking sounds slightly different then the hiragana
was normally pronounced which were also sounds already found in the Japanese language so these two
exceptions are often very confusing to outsiders.

Note: You probably noticed in the chart above that there are 2 characters pronounced "zu" and 2
characters pronounced "ji". The characters (zu) and (ji) are very rarely used. (zu) only occurs when
there is a (tsu) in front of it like in (tsuzuku - to continue) or when a Kanji (Chinese character) that
has a reading which starts with (tsu) is paired at the end with another character changing the (tsu) to
a (zu). The same applies for the Hiragana (ji). Since they are used so rarely I wouldn't worry about
them too much. I will let you know whenever we come upon a word in which they are used.
Some people wonder why "yi", "ye", "wi", "wu", and "we" are missing. There aren't characters for "yi", "ye",
or "wu". There is a (wi) and a (we) but these were deemed obsolete in 1946 and were replaced by
(i) and (e) respectively.

Lesson 2
Katakana -
As mentioned in Lesson 1, Katakana (as seen in the chart below) is mainly used for foreign words such as
foreign names and words that have been borrowed from other languages such as
(kompyu-ta- = computer). Katakana is the least frequently used of the three character sets in Japanese.
The Japanese language does not have as many sounds as the English language so, when creating a name
in Katakana, for instance, the name must be sound out to the closest Japanese equivalent. Katakana,
Hiragana, and Furigana (when Hiragana is written small next to a Kanji character to show how that
character is read) are collectively known as Kana. Don't worry too much about Katakana (beyond maybe
learning your name) for now.
There are some special Katakana characters that exist only for foreign names (such as (she) or
(ti)). These special characters are not in the chart below (which contains only the standard set of Katakana
characters) but can be seen in our Names in Japanese lesson. There are also the characters (wi) and
(we) which were deemed obsolete in 1946.

Lesson 3
Vocabulary -
Now that you've at least started learning the Japanese alphabets, let's learn some basic vocabulary words
and simple Japanese phrases. I will list the Kanji, Hiragana, Romaji (the word sounded out using English
letters), and the English meaning for each Japanese word or phrase. Most Japanese words have Kanji for
them but I will only include the Kanji if that word is typically written that way.
Keep in mind that the Japanese language has different levels of politeness that change based on who you
are talking to. I will refer to these as "ultra-formal", "formal" (or "polite form"), "normal" (or "plain form"),
"informal", and "rude" (we won't be covering too much of the rude form, however).

Lesson 4

Basic Japanese grammar -

Japanese grammar is quite simple and straight forward but very different from English grammar so most
English speakers find it rather confusing. For instance, in Japanese the verb always comes at the end. The
best thing you can do when learning Japanese is to learn it from the bottom up and not compare it to
English grammar.
The Japanese language uses what we will refer to as particles to mark the various parts of the sentence.
The main particles are: (These particles will be described in more detail below)

The particles
"wa" () and
"ga" (): The
particle "wa"
marks the topic of
the sentence and
the particle "ga"
marks the subject
of the sentence.
In the example, "I
know where you
live" (watashi wa
anata ga doko ni
sunde iru ka shitte
iru), "I" would be
the topic while
"you" would be the subject.
Not all Japanese sentences have both a topic and subject and, in many cases, the topic is implied in
Japanese (for example, the "I" (watashi wa) would be left out of this sentence because it is implied that
since I am talking I am the one that knows where you live). Many Japanese books and teachers teach that
"wa" and "ga" are the same thing and it doesn't matter which you use when. This is not the case but I
wouldn't worry too much about keeping them straight at first - it will come with time.
The particle "wo" (): The particle "wo" (or "o") marks the direct object of a Japanese sentence. In the
example, "I'm going to take her home" (watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru), "her" would be the direct object.
The particle "ni" (): The particle "ni" can be used to mark the direction, time, or the indirect object of a
Japanese sentence.
An example of a direction marker can be seen in the previous example "I'm going to take her home"
(watashi wa kanojo wo ie ni okuru). In this case, the "ni" acts like a "to" - "I'm going to take her 'to' home".
The particle "e" () can be used in this way as well but usually implies more of a general direction as
opposed to a specific place.
The particle "ni" is also used to mark time in a Japanese sentence. For example, "I'm leaving at 3 o'clock"
(watashi wa sanji ni hanareru).
The final use for the particle "ni" in Japanese grammar is that of indirect object marker. In the example, "I
was taken home by him" (watashi wa kare ni ie made okurareta), "him" is the indirect object.

Note: The "watashi wa" in all of the example sentences used above would normally be left out as it is
implied.

Lesson 5
Numbers, time, and days of the week
Before we get too much further into Japanese grammar and verb conjugation, I thought it would be a good
idea to teach Japanese numbers, time, days of the week, etc.
Numbers after 10 are a piece of cake once you know 1 through 10. 11 is simply ten with a one after it,
(, juuichi), 12 - juuni, 13 - juusan, 14 - juuyon, etc. 20 is simply (, nijuu), 21 nijuuichi, and so forth.
Put these numbers in front of the character for time and you've got the time of the day.
Now just put the character for moon after a number and you've got a month.
Japanese days of the week don't follow such an easy pattern but here they are anyway along with some
other time-related words.

Lesson 6

Godan verbs -
Now, before you can start making up sentences of your own, you need to learn how to conjugate Japanese
verbs. Verbs are the most important part of the Japanese sentence. Often times Japanese people will leave
out everything but the verb.
They are very big on leaving out the obvious and sometimes not so obvious which can get confusing at
times. There are only 3 types of verbs in the Japanese language and they each follow a pattern that is very
simple and very rarely has any exceptions. Most Japanese verbs fall into the first group, the Godan ()
verbs. These verbs always conjugate the same way with only one exception. These verbs have five
changes that follow the order of the Japanese vowels (i.e. the characters for that section of the hiragana
chart), hence the name Godan (meaning 5 levels or steps), and then the "te" and "ta" forms that are
common to all verbs. The chart below shows how to conjugate Japanese Godan verbs:

Base 1: Base 1 can not be used by itself but becomes the plain form negative simply by adding -nai. (ex.
hanasanai - I won't say anything.) If the verb ends in (u) then the end for Base 1 becomes (wa). (ex.
au (Base 1) -> awa)
(Plain form is what people use when talking to a friend. It would not be proper to use in a business
environment. We will go over the polite form in lesson 8.)
Base 2: Base 2 is, in most cases, a noun when used by itself but is primarily used with the polite form of
the verb.
Base 3: Base 3 is the main form (the one that would be found in the dictionary) and is also the plain form
present/future tense.
Base 4: Base 4 is most often used as "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. hanaseba - If he'd just say something.) It
can also be used by itself as a command form but it is extremely rude and I recommend not using it at all.
Base 5: Base 5 is used by itself as the "let's" form. (ex. hanasou - Let's talk.) We will get into other ways it's
used in later lessons.
Base "te": Base "te" can be used by itself as a plain form command. It is not rude but should only be used
with close friends and children. By adding kudasai it becomes the polite form command. Base "te" can also
be used in other ways that we will get into in later lessons.
Base "ta": Base "ta" is merely Base "te" with an "a" sound on the end instead of an "e" sound. It is mainly

used by itself as the plain form past tense. (ex. hanashita - I talked.) We will get into other ways it's used in
later lessons.
Notice: There is one thing that you'll need to learn in order to conjugate the "te" and "ta" forms correctly.
Basically, for all Godan verbs ending in (u), (tsu), or (ru); the (u), (tsu), or (ru) becomes
(tte) in the "te" form and (tta) in the "ta" form. (ex. katsu (to win) -> katte (Win!), katta (We won!))
For all Godan verbs ending in (bu), (mu), or (nu); the (bu), (mu), or (nu) becomes
(nde) in the "te" form and (nda) in the "ta" form. (ex. yomu (to read -> yonde (Read it.), yonda (I read
it.))
For all Godan verbs ending in (ku), the (ku) becomes (ite) in the "te" form and (ita) in the
"ta" form. (ex. aruku (to walk) -> aruite (Walk!), aruita (I walked here.)) The only exception to this rule is for
the verb iku (to go) which becomes , (itte/itta).
For all Godan verbs ending in (gu), the (gu) becomes (ide) in the "te" form and (ida) in the
"ta" form. (ex. oyogu (to swim) -> oyoide (Swim!), oyoida (I swam.))
For all Godan verbs ending in (su), the (su) becomes (shite) in the "te" form and (shita) in
the "ta" form. (ex. hanasu (to talk) -> hanashite (Say something!), hanashita (I talked (to him).))
Here are some Godan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.
Below, you have the answers.

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
au (to meet)
awa
ai
au
ae
aou
atte
atta
Romaji
(English Letters)
katsu (to win)
kata
kachi
katsu
kate
katou
katte
katta
Romaji
(English Letters)
uru (to sell)
ura

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"
Verb Base
Base 1

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

uri
uru
ure
urou
utte
utta
Romaji
(English Letters)
asobu (to play)
asoba
asobi
asobu
asobe
asobou
asonde
asonda
Romaji
(English Letters)
nomu (to drink)
noma
nomi
nomu
nome
nomou
nonde
nonda
Romaji
(English Letters)
shinu (to die)
shina
shini
shinu
shine
shinou
shinde
shinda
Romaji
(English Letters)
aruku (to walk)
aruka

Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

aruki
aruku
aruke
arukou
aruite
aruita

Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Romaji
(English Letters)
oyogu (to swim)
oyoga
oyogi
oyogu
oyoge
oyogou
oyoide
oyoida
Romaji
(English Letters)
kesu (to erase, turn off)
kesa
keshi
kesu
kese
kesou
keshite
keshita
Romaji
(English Letters)
iku (to go)
ika
iki
iku
ike
ikou
itte
itta

Romaji
(English Letters)

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

English Meaning

au
katsu
uru
asobu
nomu
shinu
aruku
oyogu
kesu

iku

to meet
to win
to sell
to play
to drink
to die
to walk
to swim
to erase, turn off
to go
(Remember the exception
for Bases "te"and "ta")

Lesson 7
Ichidan Verbs -

The second group of Japanese verbs are called Ichidan () verbs. It is usually an Ichidan verb if it ends
with the sound "iru" or "eru". Some well used Japanese verbs which appear to be Ichidan but are really
Godan are listed here. Ichidan verbs also follow a simple conjugation pattern that is somewhat similar to
that of the Godan verbs. Below is a verb conjugation chart for Japanese Ichidan verbs:

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
taberu (to eat)
tabe
tabe
taberu
tabere
tabeyou
tabete
tabeta

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Base 1 and Base 2: As you can see, Base 1 and 2 are the same. Just like with the Godan verbs,
a negative can be made by adding -nai (ex. tabenai - I will not eat.) and this base, or root form, is
also used for the formal form of the verb.
Base 3: Base 3 is the same as with Godan verbs.
Base 4: Base 4, however, can not be used by itself like with Godan verbs. It is only used for "if
verb" by adding -ba. (ex. tabereba - If I eat it...) It is not the low command form for Ichidan verbs.

The low command form for Ichidan verbs is Base 1 + (ro).

Base 5: Base 5 is the same as with Godan verbs.
Base "te" and Base "ta": The Base "te" and "ta" forms for Ichidan verbs are a lot easier than with
Godan verbs. Simply take off the "ru" and add a "te" for Base "te" and a "ta" for Base "ta". These
have the same functions as with Godan verbs.
Here are some Ichidan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just
learned.
Below, the answers.
- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

iru

miru
neru
kiru
dekiru
oboeru

English Meaning
to exist (animate), to be
somewhere
to see
to sleep
to wear, put on
can do
to remember

Irregular verbs
The last type of verbs are the Irregular verbs but there are only 2 of them in the entire language so just
memorize their charts below. The first one is suru (to do something). Many nouns can be used as a verb
simply by putting "suru" right after them. It is probably the most used of all Japanese verbs. The second
Irregular verb is kuru (to come).

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
suru (to do)
shi
shi
suru
sure
shiyou
shite
shita

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be used as
the "if verb".
The rude command form is "Shiro".

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
kuru (to come)
ko
ki

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2

kuru
kure
koyou
kite
kita

Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

The functions for these bases are the same as for the Godan verbs except that Base 4 can only be used as
the "if verb".
The rude command form is "Koi" and really should only be used on animals.

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
Verb Base
(English Letters)
iru (to exist (animate), to be somewhere)
i
Base 1
i
Base 2
iru
Base 3
ire
Base 4
iyou
Base 5
ite
Base "te"
ita
Base "ta"
Romaji
(English Letters)
miru (to see)
mi
mi
miru
mire
miyou
mite
mita
Romaji
(English Letters)
neru (to sleep)
ne
ne
neru
nere
neyou
nete
neta

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

 - Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
kiru (to wear, put on)
ki
ki
kiru
kire
kiyou
kite
kita
Romaji
(English Letters)
dekiru (can do)
deki
deki
dekiru
dekire
dekiyou
dekite
dekita
Romaji
(English Letters)
oboeru (to remember)
oboe
oboe
oboeru
oboere
oboeyou
oboete
oboeta

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Verb Base
Base 1
Base 2
Base 3
Base 4
Base 5
Base "te"
Base "ta"

Lesson 8
Using verb bases
Now that you know about 30 Japanese verbs and can conjugate them, I'll show you what you can do with
those verb bases. You may want to regularly refer to Lesson 6 and Lesson 7 while learning these. The
following chart applies to all Japanese verbs unless otherwise noted.

Hiragana
Base 1 +

Romaji
(English Letters)
Base 1 + nai

English Meaning
plain form negative (will not verb)

Base 1 +
Base 1 + nakatta
Base 2 +
Base 2 + masu
Base 2 +
Base 2 + mashita
Base 2 +
Base 2 + masen
Base 2 + Base 2 + masen

deshita
Base 2 +
Base 2 + tai
Base 3
Base 3
Base 4 +
Base 4 + ba
Base 4 +
Base 4 +
Base 5 +

Base "te" +
Base "te"
Base "te" +
Base "te" +
Base "te" +
Base "ta"
Base "ta" +
Base "ta" +

plain form past negative (did not verb)

polite form present/future tense
polite form past tense
polite form negative (will not verb)
polite form past negative (did not verb)

want to verb (add (desu) to make it polite)

plain form present/future tense
if verb
plain form can verb (Godan verbs only)
Base 4 + ru
(verb now becomes an Ichidan verb)
Base 4 + masu
polite form can verb (can be changed like above)
try to verb
Base 5 + to suru
(this suru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do
something))
want someone else to verb
Base "te" + hoshii (hoshii is an adjective which will be covered in the next
lesson)
Base "te"
plain form command
Base "te" + kudasai
polite form command
plain form presently verbing
Base "te" + iru
(this iru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to exist
(animate))
polite form presently verbing (can be changed like
Base "te" + imasu
above)
Base "ta"
plain form past tense
Base "ta" + ra
if and when I verb (similar to Base 4 + ba)
do such things as...
Base "ta" + ri suru (this suru is also the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to
do something))

Lesson 9
Adjectives and Adverbs
There are two different types of Japanese words that can be used to modify nouns (adjectives) and verbs
(adverbs). One group is much like what we would call an adjective but they can also be conjugated to
modify verbs as well. We will refer to these as "dv" (for "descriptive verb"). These are often referred to as
"true adjectives" or "i-adjectives". The other group can, in most cases, stand alone like a noun but can also
be used to modify nouns and verbs. We will refer to these as "dn" (for "descriptive noun"). These are often
referred to as "quasi adjectives" or "na-adjectives".
All adjectives in the "dv" group always end with (i). No exceptions. These are placed in front of a noun in
order to modify it. For example:

 - Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
akai kuruma

English Meaning
red car

These adjectives can be conjugated to form different tenses, turned into adverbs (modify verbs), etc. The
conjugation rules for "true" Japanese adjectives are as follows:

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)

drop the
and add

drop the "i"

and add "ku"

drop the
and add

drop the "i"

and add "kunai"

drop the
and add

drop the "i"

and add "katta"

drop the
and add

drop the "i"

and add "kunakatta"

English Meaning
modifies a verb (adverb form)
(akaku natta -> became red)
(naru is the verb "to become")
present tense negative
(akakunai -> is not red)
(becomes a new "dv")
past tense
(akakatta -> was red)
past tense negative
(akakunakatta -> was not red)
(This one might take a little practice saying.)

It's not as easy to recognize "dn" adjectives but I will point them out in the vocabulary lists. Sometimes
you'll even find a "dn" that ends in (i) (ex. kirei - pretty). As mentioned before, these words can, in most
cases, be used by themselves like a noun (ex. shizen - nature). By adding a (na) to the end of these
words they can be used to modify a noun (ex. shizen na kankyou -> a natural environment). And by adding
a (ni) to the end of these words they can be used to modify a verb as an adverb (ex. shizen ni aruku ->
to walk naturally).
Here's a list of some commonly used "dv" and "dn" adjectives:

- Kanji

- Hiragana

Romaji
(English Letters)
akai (dv)
kiiroi (dv)
aoi (dv)
kuroi (dv)
shiroi (dv)
omoshiroi (dv)
atsui (dv)
samui (dv)
ookii (dv)
chiisai (dv)
shizen (dn)
kirei (dn)
shitsurei (dn)
shizuka (dn)
tokubetsu (dn)
genki (dn)

English Meaning
red
yellow
blue
black
white
interesting, funny
hot
cold
big
small
nature
pretty, clean
rude
quiet
special
in good spirits

hen (dn)
jouzu (dn)
shinsetsu (dn)
suteki (dn)

weird, strange
skillful
kind, nice
"cool", good looking

Lesson 10
Meeting someone new!
We are often asked by our students learning Japanese how to introduce yourself to a Japanese person.
This interaction is normally very formal and filled with a few bows. Below is a typical Japanese
conversation/introduction between two people meeting for the first time:

Japanese
(In Kanji, Hiragana, and
Romaji)
Person 1:
Person 2:
Person 1:

Person 1:

Person 2:

Person 1:

English Meaning

Konnichi wa. Hajimemashite.

Hajimemashite. O-genki desu ka?

Hai, genki desu.

______
______

Watashi wa ______ to moushimasu. Anata no

o-namae wa?
______

______

Watashi wa ______ to iimasu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.

Hello. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.
How are you?
I am fine.

My name is ______.
What is your name?

My name is ______.
Pleased to make your
acquaintance.
Pleased to make your
acquaintance.

Explanation: "Hajimemashite" literally means "it is a beginning" but would be the equivalent of "Nice to
meet you" in English. It would only be used the first time meeting someone. As learned in Lesson 9, "genki"
means "in good spirits". "O-genki desu ka" is literally asking "Are you in good spirits?". This is the most
common way of asking "How are you?" in Japanese. The other person responds "Yes, I am in good spirits".
"Mousu" is the ultra polite form of the verb "iu" (to say). Both people are literally saying "I am said/called
_____". "Namae" is the word for "name". An "o" is added in front of it (and other words throughout this
exchange) to show respect. This is not done when talking about yourself. "Yoroshii" means "good/fine" and
"negai" is a wish or request. "Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu" literally means "I request/wish kindly of you". It is

basically like saying "Please treat me well". It can be used in other situations as well - such as when asking
for a favor.

Other Common Japanese Phrases

We are often asked how to say "I love you" in Japanese. This would be "Anata o ai shite imasu" BUT be
advised that the Japanese typically don't use the word for love ( - - ai) when talking about their
feelings for someone else (not even a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, child, parent, etc.). They would typically
say "Anata no koto ga suki desu" or "Anata ga daisuki desu". "Suki" is Japanese for "like" and "daisuki"
means "favorite". This may seem strange but this is just what they say for "I love you".

Romaji
Hiragana
(English Letters)
tanjoubi omedetou

gozaimasu
akemashite

omedetou
gozaimasu
- Kanji

Welcome
Hello
(General greeting)
Hello
(General greeting)
How are you?
Reply to 'How are you?'
Long time no see
What's your name?
My name is ...
Where are you from?
I'm from ...
Pleased to meet you
Good morning
(Morning greeting)
Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)

omedetou gozaimasu

English Meaning
Happy Birthday!
Happy New Year!
Congratulations!

Good night.
(used when someone is
going to bed)
gomennasai
I'm sorry.

sumimasen
Excuse me.

toire wa doko desu ka Where is the bathroom?

I am hungry.
onaka ga suite imasu
("My stomach is

empty.")

oyasuminasai

(ykoso)
(konnichiwa)
(ossu) - used between close male friends
(moshi moshi)
(o genki desu ka)
(hai, genki desu. anata wa?)
(o kagesama de genki desu)
(hisashiburi)
(o hisashiburi desu ne)
? (o-namae wa nan desu ka)
... (... da) (inf)
... (... desu) (frm)
(Shusshin wa doko desu ka?)
(Dochira kara desu ka?) - frm
((watashi wa) ... shusshin desu)
(hajimemashite)

(hajimemashite. dzo yoroshiku) reply

(oaidekite ureshii desu)
/ (ohay gozaimasu)
/ (ohay)
[] (konnichiwa)

Good evening
(Evening greeting)
Good night

Goodbye
(Parting phrases)

Good luck
Cheers!
(Toasts used when drinking)
Have a nice day

Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal

Bon voyage /
Have a good journey

I understand
I don't understand
Please speak more slowly
Please write it down
Please say that again
Do you speak English?
Do you speak Japanese?
Yes, a little
(reply to 'Do you speak ...?')
How do you say ... in Japanese?
Excuse me
How much is this?
Sorry

Thank you

Reply to thank you

Where's the toilet?
This gentleman/lady will pay for

/ (konbanwa)
(oyasumi nasai)
(oyasumi)
(saynara)
(ittekimasu)
- 'I'll be back' - you are leaving
(itterasshai)
- 'come back soon' - you are staying
(j mata ne) - see you later
! (gokon o inorimasu) - frm
(gambatte ne) - inf
(kanpai) lit. "dry glass"
(Yoi ichinichi o)
(douzo meshiagare)
= 'enjoy your meal' - said by the cook/chef
(itadakimasu)
- said before a meal by those eating it
(gochissama deshita)
- said after a meal by those who have eaten it
(yoi ryok o)
(gokigen y - Goodbye / Good luck)
(itte irasshai - Go and come back)
(ichiroheian o inoru)
- I wish you a smooth road (old fashioned)
(wakarimasu)
(wakaru) inf
(wakarimasen) - frm
(wakaranai) - inf
(yukkuri hanashite kudasai)
(yukkuri itte kudasai)
(kaite kudasai)
(kaite itadakemasu ka)
(m ichido, itte kudasai)
(Eigo wa dekimasu ka?)
(Nihongo o hanashimasu ka?)
(Nihongo wa hanasemasu ka?)
(Nihongo wa dekimasu ka?)
(Hai, hanashimasu)
(Hai, hanasemasu)
(Hai, dekimasu)
...
(... wa nihongo de nanto masu ka?)
! (sumimasen)
(ikura desu ka?)
! (gomen nasai)
(dmo)
(arigat)
(arigat gozaimasu)
(dmo arigat)
(dmo arigat gozaimasu)
/ (d itashimashite)
(benjo wa doko desu ka?)
(toire wa doko desu ka?)
(tearai wa doko desu ka?)

everything
Would you like to dance with me?
I miss you

I love you

Get well soon

Leave me alone!
Help!
Fire!
Call the police!

Christmas and New Year greetings

Easter greetings
Birthday greetings
One language is never enough
My hovercraft is full of eels
Why this phrase?
Do you understand?
I understood
I don't speak Japanese
Does anyone speak English?
Sorry, I didn't understand that
What did you say?
Can you translate it for me?
What does this mean?

(konohito ga zembu haraimasu)

(isshoni odorimasenka?)
(anata ga inakute sabish desu)
(sabish desu)
(anata ga koish desu) - to a lover/spouse
(suki desu)
(suki da)
(suki dayo)
(suki yo) f
(daisuki desu)
(aishiteru yo)
(aishiteru wa) >f
(odaiji ni)
! (hottoite!)
! (tasukete!)
! (kaji da!)
!
(keisatsu o yonde kudasai!)
(mer kurisumasu)
New Year greeting - 'Western' style
(shinnen omedet gozaimasu)
New Year greetings (used before New Year)
(yoi otoshi o) - inf
(yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai) - frm
New Year greetings (used at New Year, not before)

(akemashite omedet gozaimasu)

(kynenj taihen osewa ni narimashita)

(kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu)

(fukkatsu-sai omedet gozaimasu)

(sut omedet gozaimasu)

(otanjbi omedet gozaimasu)

(gengo o hitotsu wa kesshite tarinai)

(gengo hitotsu dake de wa tarinai)

(Watashi no hobkurafuto wa unagi de ippai desu.)

(wakarimasu ka?) - frm
(wakarimashta) - frm
(Nihongo o hanasemasen)
(Eigo no hanaseru hito wa imasen
ka)

(dare ka, eigo ga hanasemasu ka?)

(sumimasen. wakarimasen deshita)

(nan te iimashita ka?)

(yakushite kudasai)

(kore wa diu imi desu ka)

How do you pronounce that?

There's a problem in the room
There's no hot water
The tap/faucet is leaking
The drain is blocked
The air conditioner is too noisy
Can I have another room?
When should I vacate the room?
I'd like to check out
I'd check out on this date
Could you call a taxi please?
May I see the bill please?
How much is the total bill?
Can I have an itemised bill?
I think there's a mistake on this bill
Is there a restaurant near here?
I'd like to reserve a table
We have a reservation
Do you have an English menu?
Can I see the wine list?
I am a vegetarian

(kore wa donna f ni hatsuon shimasu ka)

(sono heya no naka ni mondai ga arimasu)

(oyu ga arimasen)

(jaguchi ga moreteimasu)

(haisuik ga tsumatteimasu)

(eakon ga urusasugimasu)

(hoka no heya e utsuremasu ka?)

(itsu, heya o denakute wa narimasen ka?)

(chekkuauto shitai no desu ga)

(kono hi ni chekkuauto shitai no desu ga)

(takus o yonde kudasi?)

(seikysho o misete itadakemasu ka?)

(seikysho no gkei wa ikura desu ka?)

(meisaisho o misete itadakemasu ka?)

(kono seikysho ni machigai ga aruy ni om no desu ka?)

(chikaku ni resutoran wa arimasu ka?)

(tburu no yoyaku o toritai no desu ga)

(sudeni yoyaku o totte imasu)

(eigo no menyu wa arimasu ka?)

(wain no risuto o misete itadakemasen ka?)

(watashi wa saishokushugisha desu)