Basic Japanese phrases by situation

205 everyday Japanese phrases in 12 situations, each with its English meaning and audio you can play in the browser.

Pick a situation to see its phrases. Phrases written only in kana also show romaji; for phrases with kanji, listen to the audio and read the meaning. Learn the phrases of one situation at a time and say them out loud.

Basic greetings · 18 phrases

Japanese greetings change with the time of day and how well you know the person. おはようございます is used until about 10–11 a.m., こんにちは during the day and こんばんは in the evening. With friends and family the short forms おはよう or やあ are common.

Common ways to say thank you · 6 phrases

ありがとう is the everyday “thank you”. Adding ございます makes it polite, and どうも can stand alone as a quick thanks or be put in front for extra emphasis: どうもありがとうございます.

Common apologies · 12 phrases

Japanese has several ways to say sorry. すみません is the all-purpose apology, ごめんなさい is personal and used with friends and family, and 申し訳ありません is the formal apology heard at work and in customer service.

Classroom phrases · 21 phrases

These are the phrases teachers and students use every day in a Japanese class: asking someone to repeat, to speak slowly, saying you understand or don’t, and asking how to say a word.

Everyday conversation · 45 phrases

Everyday conversation covers the small sentences of daily life: talking about the weather, asking where something is, how someone is, inviting a friend or saying what you are doing. These are the phrases you will hear most often around you in Japan.

Talking about hobbies · 7 phrases

Hobbies are one of the first topics of small talk in Japan. These phrases let you ask about someone’s hobbies and talk about what you like to do in your free time.

Part-time work at restaurants · 11 phrases

Many students in Japan work part-time (アルバイト) in restaurants. These are the set phrases staff use with customers: welcoming them, asking how many people, taking an order and thanking them at the register.

Bargaining · 18 phrases

Bargaining is rare in Japanese shops with price tags, but it happens at flea markets, electronics stores and when buying in bulk. These phrases help you ask for a discount politely.

Asking for favors · 7 phrases

Asking for a favour in Japanese usually uses the ～てください form or softer forms like ～てもらえませんか. These phrases help you ask someone to do something politely, from asking a group to gather to asking a stranger to wait or to hurry. The polite level you choose depends on who you are asking: a friend, a colleague or a customer.

Travel phrases · 15 phrases

Travel phrases for Japan: asking for directions, buying tickets, checking into a hotel and asking how much something costs. Short, polite sentences are understood everywhere.

Compliments · 15 phrases

Compliments are part of everyday politeness in Japan. These phrases help you praise food, clothes, skills or someone’s work, and answer a compliment modestly.

Common Kansai dialect phrases · 30 phrases

Kansai dialect (関西弁) is spoken in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. It is the dialect you hear most in comedy, TV and anime. Many words differ from standard Japanese: おおきに for ありがとう, あかん for だめ, ほんま for 本当.

FAQ

What are the most important Japanese phrases for beginners?

Greetings (おはようございます, こんにちは), thank you (ありがとうございます), sorry or excuse me (すみません) and please (おねがいします) cover most short exchanges.

Is すみません “sorry” or “excuse me”?

Both. It is used to apologise, to get someone’s attention in a shop or restaurant and even to say thank you when someone has gone out of their way.