Learning even a
little Japanese before your trip is a worthwhile endeavor
(although I must confess that without reinforcement,
I have lost almost everything that I learned). At the
very least you should make an effort to learn Hiragana
and Katakana, the two most commonly used character
sets. Katakana is especially useful because it is used
exclusively for writing foreign words (usually English).
Once you've memorized
the Katakana characters reading is just a matter of
sounding out the syllables and trying to figure out
what English word is being interpreted. Needless to
say, this ability can be extraordinarily useful in
restaurants.
Knowing just the
bare minimum of Japanese we were able to safely navigate
the subway system, purchase food (big deal), and exchange
pleasantries with the
people we met. The following won't make you fluent in Japanese, but you'll
be able to say "please," "thank you", and "I'm lost" with
absolute confidence.
Even if your Japanese is less than perfect,
you can make up for many deficiencies by using the English
versions of the above phrases -- frequently and with
sincerity. The Japanese place a great store on politeness,
in any language, and will respond to your efforts in
kind.
Finally, if some words sound familiar,
it's because they are. Many English words have been adopted
into the Japanese language. So if you hear the word jazu,
rest assured that your in line for a jazz club...
General Pronunciation Guide
A as in father
I as in machine
E as in yes
O as in go
U as in put
Long vowels are generally indicated by a rule over the vowel or double vowels
(ii).
Consonants are generally pronounced as
in English; the differences are subtle, and not easily
explained. The best way to learn these pronunciations
is to listen carefully to a language tape or Power Japanese.
Finally, all letters in a word are pronounced.
At first, it feel awkward (and you'll notice that native
speakers tend to omit final sounds), but soon the words
will flow.
| Basic Words and Phrases |
| Japanese Word/Phrase |
English Translation |
| Anata |
You |
| Arigatoo gozaimasu |
Thank you |
| Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu |
Thank you |
| Dozo |
Please |
| Eigo |
English language |
| Eigo ga wakarimasu ka? |
Do you understand English? |
| Gomen Nasai |
Pardon me |
| Hai |
Yes |
| Hai, wakarimasu? |
Yes, I understand. |
| Iie |
No |
| Iie, wakarimasen |
No, I don't understand. |
| Konban Wa |
Good Evening |
| Konnichi Wa |
Good Afternoon |
| Doozo |
Please |
| Moshi Moshi |
Hello (greeting on telephone or upon entering a
room) |
| Nanji desu ka? |
What time is it? |
| Nihongo |
Japanese Language |
| ohayoo gozaimasu |
Good Morning (until about 10 a.m.) |
| Ryoogae suru |
To exchange money |
| Sayonara |
Goodbye |
| Sumimasen |
Excuse me |
| Toire wa doko ni arimasu ka? |
Where is the toilet? |
| Watakushi |
I (most commonly used version) |
| and courtesy of Wicked Japanese: |
| Mapputatsuni hiki sakuwayo |
I will tear you in half |
| Numbers |
| Japanese Word/Phrase |
English Translation |
| Ichi |
One |
| Ni |
Two |
| San |
Three |
| Shi (Yon) |
Four |
| Go |
Five |
| Roku |
Six |
| Shichi |
Seven |
| Hachi |
Eight |
| Kyuu |
Nine |
| Juu |
Ten |
| Months/Days of the Week |
| Japanese Word/Phrase |
English Translation |
| Ichi-gatsu |
January |
| Ni-gatsu |
February |
| San-gatsu |
March |
| Shi-gatsu |
April |
| Go-gatsu |
May |
| Roku-gatsu |
June |
| Shichi-gatsu |
July |
| Hachi-gatsu |
August |
| Ku-gatsu |
September |
| Juu-gatsu |
October |
| Juuichi-gatsu |
November |
| Juuni-gatsu |
December |
| Nichiyobi |
Sunday |
| Getsuyoobi |
Monday |
| Kayoobi |
Tuesday |
| Suiyoobi |
Wednesday |
| Mokuyoobi |
Thursday |
| Kin-yoobi |
Friday |
| Doyoobi |
Saturday |
| Heijitsu |
Weekday |
| Shumatsu |
Weekend |
| Kita |
North |
| Minami |
South |
| Higashi |
East |
| Nishi |
West |
| Restaurants/Hotels/Transportation |
| Japanese Word/Phrase |
English Translation |
| Resutoran |
Restaurant |
| Teishoku |
Set or complete meal |
| Gohan |
Rice |
| Mizu |
Water |
| Menyuu o misete kudasai |
Please show me a menu |
| Fooku o motte kite kudasai |
Please bring me a fork |
| Supuun o motte kite kudasai |
Please bring me a spoon |
| Naifu o ... |
A knife |
| Oshibori |
Wet towel (usually hot) |
| Denpyoo o motte kite kudasai |
The check, please |
| Takushii |
Taxi |
| Ikura desu ka? |
How much is it? |
| [Hotel Name] made onegai shimasu. |
Please go to the [hotel name]. |
| Eki |
Station |
| Kippu |
Ticket |
| Densha |
Train |
| Chikatetsu |
Subway |
| Hoteru |
Hotel |
| Ryokan |
Japanese Inn |
| Yoyaku |
Reservation |
| Furu-tsuki no heya wa arimasu ka? |
Do you have room with a bath? |
| Tatami |
Mat |
| Futon |
Japanese mattress |
| Yutaka |
Bathrobe (light kimono) |
| Culture |
| Japanese Word/Phrase |
English Translation |
| Jinja |
Shrine |
| Otera |
Buddhist Temple |
| Torii |
Shrine Entrance |
