Nihongo Nihongo
Basic Japanese Phrases Conversation
Essential Japanese Phrases for Daily Conversation!
1. Konnichiwa (こんにちは) – Hello
2. Ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます) – Good morning
3. Konbanwa (こんばんは) – Good evening
4. Moshi moshi (もしもし) – Hello (but only if you’re on the phone or something like Skype)
5. Ogenki desu ka? (お元気ですか) – How are you?
6. Genki desu (元気です) – I’m good/I’ve been doing well, thanks
7. __ o Kudasai (__をください) – I would like __, please
8. Ohisashiburi desu ne (お久しぶりですね) – Long time no see
9. _______–san mo? (______-さんも？) – And you? (Hint: fill in the blank with your friend’s name. This is a great response to things like “How are you?” because you can say, “I’m good! And you?”)
10. Namae wa nan desu ka? (名前は何ですか) – What’s your name?
11. Watashi no namae wa _____ desu (私の名前は＿＿です) – My name is ______
12. Doko kara kimashita ka? (どこから来ましたか) – Where are you from?
13. Watashi wa ______ kara kimashita (私は＿＿から来ました) – I’m from __________.
14. Sou desu ka? (そうですか) – Is that so?/Really?/I see (Hint: this is a great thing to say after learning where someone is from, what they do, or other facts about their life.)
15. Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) – Thank you
16. Douitashimashite (どういたしまして) – You’re welcome
17. Sumimasen (すみません) – I’m sorry/excuse me (Hint: you can use this for anything from apologising for stumbling into someone on the train to asking for help or asking for people to move out of your way.)
18. Gomen nasai (ごめんなさい) – I’m sorry (Hint: didn’t we already cover “I’m sorry”? Gomen nasai is less “excuse me” and more “I’m truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.” Use it if you knocked something over and broke it, not if you interrupted someone’s stroll to ask for directions.)
19. Itadakimasu (いただきます) – An expression of gratitude for the meal you’re about to eat
20. Gochisousama deshita (ごちそうさまでした) – That was delicious (Hint: say this after meals as a way to say thank you.)
21. Eigo te iu no wa… (英語ていうのは) – And in English, that’s…?
22. Wakarimasen (わかりません) – I don’t understand
23. Shirimasen (知りません) – I don’t know
24. Wasuremashita (忘れました) – I forgot
25. Motto yukkuri kudasai (もっとゆっくり下さい) – Please go a little slower
26. Mou ichido kudasai (もう一度下さい) – Could you say that one more time?
27. Nihongo de perapera de wa nai desu (日本語でペラペラではないです) – I’m not very fluent in Japanese (Hint: you’re speaking Japanese already! So you can’t say “I don’t know Japanese at all,” right?)
28. ___ te iu no imi wa nan desu ka? (＿＿ていうの意味は何ですか) – What does _____ mean?
29. Tetsudatte kuremasen ka? (手伝ってくれませんか) – Can you help me?
30. Doko desu ka? (どこですか) – Where is it?
31. Itsu desu ka? (いつですか) – When is it?
32. Doushite? (どうして) – Why?
33. Dochira desu ka? (どちらですか) – Which one is it?
34. Nan desu ka? (何ですか) – What is it?
35. Dare desu ka? (だれですか) – Who is it?
36. Ima nanji desu ka? (今何時ですか) – What time is it right now?
37. Nanji ni? (何時に？) – At what time?
38. Ima (今) – Now
39. Ato de (後で) – Later
40. Kyou (今日) – Today
41. Kinou (昨日) – Yesterday
42. Ashita (明日) – Tomorrow
43. Nansai desu ka? (何歳ですか) – How old are you?
44. Doko ni sundeimasu ka? (どこに住んでいますか) – Where do you live?
45. Kyoudai ga imasu ka? (兄弟がいますか) – Do you have siblings?
46. Ikura desu ka? (いくらですか) – How much does that cost?
47. Kore wa nan desu ka? (これはなんですか) – What is this?
48. Sore wa nan desu ka? (それはなんですか) – What is that?
49. Are we nan desu ka? (あれはなんですか) – What is that? (Hint: Use “kore” when something is close to you, “sore” when something is away from you but close to the person you’re speaking to, and “are” when something is far away from both of you.)
50. Toire wa doko desu ka? (トイレはどこですか) – Where’s the toilet?
51. Hai (はい) – Yes
52. Iie (いいえ) – No
53. Mada mada (まだまだ) – Not yet
54. Kamoshiremasen (かもしれません) – Maybe/I’m not sure
55. Tokidoki (時々) – Sometimes
56. Zenzen (全然) – Never
57. Itsumo (いつも) – Always
58. Taitei (たいてい) – Usually
59. __ ni Ikitai (__に行きたい) – I want to go to __
60. Watashi wa _____ desu (私は＿＿です) – I’m a _______ (Hint: you can fill this blank with anything you feel describes you. That might be a “student” (gakusei), “tourist” (kankoukyaku), or even “doctor” (isha)!
61. Daijoubu desu (大丈夫です) – That’s okay
62. Ii desu (いいです) – That’s good
63. Ki o tsukete (気を付けて) – Be careful (Hint: you might say this to someone going on a trip.)
64. Yoku dekimashita (よくできました) – Great job
65. Omedetou gozaimasu (おめでとうございます) – Congratulations
66. Ja (じゃ) – Well (Hint: used in the sense of “well, I guess I’d better get going.”)
67. Sayounara (さようなら) – Goodbye (Hint: use only if you don’t plan on seeing them again. This is a more final “goodbye.”)
68. Ja, mata (じゃまた) – Well, see you (Hint: this is the much more common “goodbye.”)
69. Oyasumi nasai (おやすみなさい) – Good night
Related Post:
Japanese greetings you need to know
Honorific speech in Japanese
