Travel with Japanese
You’ll be saying thank you a lot, so it’s the perfect place to begin.
The word for thank you in Japanese is arigatou gozaimasu (in Japanese, the “u” at the end of some words is barely pronounced to the point of being nearly silent).
You can usually simply say arigatou, which is a little more casual but usually perfectly fine.
In Japan, where politeness is such a key part of the culture, you’ll be saying arigatou gozaimasu a lot!
Hello
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases hello konnichiwa
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Next you’ll want to learn the word for hello, which is konnichiwa. You’ve probably heard this word before!
Konnichiwa is typically used during the day, and there are other phrases for good morning and good evening (ohayou gozaimasu, and konbanwa, respectively).
But when you’re starting out it’s best to keep things simple, and if you simply learn konnichiwa you can use it throughout the day to say hello!
Excuse Me
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases excuse me sumimasen
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Excuse me is an important expression in any language, and Japanese is no exception.
The word for excuse me in Japanese is sumimasen. Chances are you’ll be using this one quite a bit, so if you can try and memorize it!
It’s a doubly useful word, as it can be used both to get a person’s attention, and also to apologize.
For example, use sumimasen at an izakaya (a Japanese-style gastropub) to get a waiter’s attention. At izakaya, it’s often called out as sumimaseeeeee~n!
On the other hand, if you accidentally walk onto a tatami floor with your shoes on (something you’re likely to do at some point) you can use sumimasen to say I’m sorry.
I would like __, please.
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases I'd like kudasai
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Now that we’ve covered three basic essentials, we can move onto two key sentences that will hopefully help you a lot.
First is I would like __, please. This is useful in a variety of situations: at restaurants, in stores, and on many other occasions you’ll encounter while traveling.
In Japanese, it’s __ o kudasai (simply fill in the __ [blank] with the item of your choice).
To get the most out of this phrase, you may want to learn a few vocabulary words, such as water (mizu), beer (biiru), and others you think you may need.
Where is the __?
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases where is doko
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Last but not least, we think it’s quite useful to be able to ask Where is the __?
This is useful even if you can’t understand the answer, because once you ask, people will be able to point you in the right direction, or even help you get to where you’re going!
In Japanese, it’s __ wa doko desu ka? (simply fill in the __ [blank] with the place you’re trying to reach).
One key vocabulary word that often goes along with this phrase for travelers is eki, which means station (for example, Shinjuku eki is Shinjuku station).
The word for thank you in Japanese is arigatou gozaimasu (in Japanese, the “u” at the end of some words is barely pronounced to the point of being nearly silent).
You can usually simply say arigatou, which is a little more casual but usually perfectly fine.
In Japan, where politeness is such a key part of the culture, you’ll be saying arigatou gozaimasu a lot!
Hello
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases hello konnichiwa
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Next you’ll want to learn the word for hello, which is konnichiwa. You’ve probably heard this word before!
Konnichiwa is typically used during the day, and there are other phrases for good morning and good evening (ohayou gozaimasu, and konbanwa, respectively).
But when you’re starting out it’s best to keep things simple, and if you simply learn konnichiwa you can use it throughout the day to say hello!
Excuse Me
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases excuse me sumimasen
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Excuse me is an important expression in any language, and Japanese is no exception.
The word for excuse me in Japanese is sumimasen. Chances are you’ll be using this one quite a bit, so if you can try and memorize it!
It’s a doubly useful word, as it can be used both to get a person’s attention, and also to apologize.
For example, use sumimasen at an izakaya (a Japanese-style gastropub) to get a waiter’s attention. At izakaya, it’s often called out as sumimaseeeeee~n!
On the other hand, if you accidentally walk onto a tatami floor with your shoes on (something you’re likely to do at some point) you can use sumimasen to say I’m sorry.
I would like __, please.
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases I'd like kudasai
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Now that we’ve covered three basic essentials, we can move onto two key sentences that will hopefully help you a lot.
First is I would like __, please. This is useful in a variety of situations: at restaurants, in stores, and on many other occasions you’ll encounter while traveling.
In Japanese, it’s __ o kudasai (simply fill in the __ [blank] with the item of your choice).
To get the most out of this phrase, you may want to learn a few vocabulary words, such as water (mizu), beer (biiru), and others you think you may need.
Where is the __?
Boutique Japan Travel Company Tiny Phrasebook Japanese words and phrases where is doko
A flashcard from our Tiny Phrasebook
Last but not least, we think it’s quite useful to be able to ask Where is the __?
This is useful even if you can’t understand the answer, because once you ask, people will be able to point you in the right direction, or even help you get to where you’re going!
In Japanese, it’s __ wa doko desu ka? (simply fill in the __ [blank] with the place you’re trying to reach).
One key vocabulary word that often goes along with this phrase for travelers is eki, which means station (for example, Shinjuku eki is Shinjuku station).
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