Survival phrases are two or more words that are often used in daily life and can help you get started once you set your foot in the country. They could be phrases of asking for help, ordering in a restaurant, asking for directions, saying polite words and starting a conversation. Learning basics can help you get understood without worrying about the grammar, verbs and vocabulary basics. Here are some of the categorized Japanese survival phrases that are written in Romanized Japanese (Romaji) and Japanese scripts - Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji.
Greetings and Meeting
Note: The U in the word “desu” is unvoiced and it’s often clipped in Kyushu but in northern Japan (Sapporo), U is pronounced.
|
Romaji (Roman/Latin script) |
Japanese script (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji) |
Translation |
|
Konnichiwa |
こんにちは |
Hello |
|
Moshi moshi (used over the phone or chat) |
もしもし |
Hello |
|
Ohayou gozaimasu |
おはようございます |
Good morning |
|
Ogenki desu ka? |
お元気ですか おげんきですか？ |
How are you? |
|
Konbanwa |
こんばんは |
Good Evening |
|
Oyasuminasai Oyasumi (Informal) |
おやすみなさい おやすみ |
Good Night |
|
Ohisashiburi desu ne |
お久しぶりですね |
Long-time no see |
|
Arigatou Gozaimasu |
ありがとうございます |
Thank you |
|
Genki desu |
元気です |
I’m good, thanks |
|
_______ san mo? |
さんも？ |
(Name of the person) - And you? |
|
Watashi wa nihongo ga sukoshi shika hanasemasen |
わたしは にほんごがすこししか はなせません |
I only speak a little Japanese |
|
Eigo o hanashimasu ka |
えいご お はなします か |
Do you speak English? |
|
Wakarimasen |
わかりません |
I don’t understand |
|
Moo ichido onegai shimasu |
もお いちど おねがい します |
Repeat, please |
|
Nihongo ga wakarimasen |
にほんご が わかりません |
I don’t speak Japanese |
|
Motto yukkuri hanashite kudasai |
もっと ゆっくりはなしてください。 |
Can you speak more slowly? |
|
Oaidekite ureshī desu |
おあいできて うれしいです |
I am very glad to meet you. |
|
Sorewa okinodokuni |
それは おきのどくに それはお気の毒に |
I am sorry about that |
|
Isogashī toko, arigatō |
いそがしい とこ、 ありがとう 忙しいとこ、有難う |
Thanks for your time |
Polite Japanese words
|
Romaji (Roman/Latin script) |
Japanese script |
Translation |
|
Shitsurei shimasu |
しつれい します 失礼します |
Excuse me (very polite) |
|
Sumimasen |
すみません |
Excuse me (formal) |
|
Ano |
あの |
Excuse me (casual) |
|
Gomen nasai or Sumimasen |
ごめん なさい / すみません |
Excuse me/ Sorry (apologetic) |
|
Oisogashī tokoro, shitsurei shimashita |
おいそがしい ところ、 しつれい しました お忙しいところ、失礼しました |
Thanks for your time, sorry for disturbing you (formal) |
|
Go shinsetsu ni dōmo |
ご しんせつ に どうも ご親切にどうも |
That is very kind |
|
Totemo kansha shite imasu |
とても かんしゃ して います とても感謝しています |
Many thanks |
Asking for directions/time and directional phrases
|
Romaji (Roman/Latin script) |
Japanese script |
Translation/Explanation |
|
E Ikitai Desu |
へいきたいです |
I want to go (used in taxi where you want to tell the driver for your intended destination. Takushi is the name for Taxi |
|
Wa Doko Desuka? |
はどこですか？ |
Where is ~ ? |
|
Nanji desu |
なんじですか。 |
What time is it? |
|
Koko ni kooshuudenwa ga arimasu ka? |
ここ に こおしゅうでんわ が あります か? |
Is there a public phone here? |
|
Chikatetsu wa doko desu ka? |
ちかてつ は どこ です か? |
Where is the subway? |
|
Ofuro wa doko desu ka? |
おふろ は どこ です か? |
Where is the bathroom? |
|
Tetsudatte itadakemasu ka? |
てつだって いただけます か? |
Can you help me? |
|
Intānetto o tsukattemo iidesu ka? |
いんたあなえっと お つかっても いいです か? |
Can I get on the internet? |
|
Ue, Shita, Migi, HIdari |
うえ、した、みぎ、ひだり |
Up, Down, Right, Left |
Introducing a person/Saying pleasantries
Watashi refers to I, no and wa are Japanese conjunctions and desu marks the sentence end.
|
Romaji (Roman/Latin script) |
Japanese script |
Translation/Explanation |
|
Watashi no Namae wa ~ desu |
わたしのなまえは～です |
My name is ~ |
|
Watashi no ~ desu |
わたしの～です |
This is my ~ This is used to introduce your travel companion, family and friends. For this phase, you’ll add words such as (Otto おっと Husband), ( Tsuma つま - Wife) (Tomodachi ともだち -Friend) |
|
Hajimemashite |
初めまして |
Nice to meet you |
|
(Place) kara Kimashita |
からきました。 |
I am from (Place) Here you can also tell about your nationality or ethnicity such as I am Japanese/Filipino |
|
Shumi wa (hobbies) desu. Soshite (hobbies)desu. |
趣味は ___ そして、___ です。 |
My hobby is ( ). Also, I love food. |
|
Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu |
宜しくお願い致します。 |
I look forward to (studying) with you. |
|
Sayounara |
さようなら |
Goodbye |
|
Jaa ne Mata ne |
じゃあね またね |
See you |
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