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Common Japanese Words & Phrases

873 everyday words with readings, romaji, and native audio

AudioJapaneseRomajiMeaning
新宿で山手線に乗り換えますしんじゅくでやまのてせんにのりかえます Shinjuku de Yamanote sen ni norikaerimasu I will transfer to the Yamanote Line at Shinjuku ( polite )
新宿で山手線に乗り換えてくださいしんじゅくでやまのてせんにのりかえてください Shinjuku de Yamanote sen ni norikaette kudasai Please transfer to the Yamanote Line at Shinjuku
次の駅で新幹線を降りますつぎのえきでしんかんせんをおります tsugi no eki de shinkansen wo orimasu I will get off the bullet train at the next station
次の駅で新幹線を降りてくださいつぎのえきでしんかんせんをおりてください tsugi no eki de shinkansen wo orite kudasai Please get off the bullet train at the next station
電車とタクシーとどちらの方が安いですかでんしゃとタクシーとどちらのほうがやすいですか densha to takushi to dochira no hou ga yasui desu ka Which is cheaper, the train or the taxi?
大阪は東京より賑やかですおおさかはとうきょうよりにぎやかです oosaka wa toukyou yori nigiyaka desu Osaka is livelier than Tokyo — Osaka - Tokyo with yori only
大阪は東京より小さいですおおさかはとうきょうよりちいさいです oosaka wa toukyou yori chiisai desu Osaka is smaller than Tokyo — Osaka - Tokyo and only use yori
ここは食べ物がいいと聞きましたここはたべものがいいとききました koko wa tabemono ga ii to kikimashita I heard that the food here is good — never put da after an i-adj even if quoting it with "to kikimasu"
お腹がすいたと言いましたおなかがすいたといいました onaka ga suita to iimashita [I/he/she] said that [I/he/she] is hungry ( polite ) — always use casual verb form when it is being quoted by と followed by a quoting verb like iimasu (iu), omoimasu (omou) — ex suita (suku past casual) must be used, not sukimashita
アホ aho fool, idiot (Osaka Kansai dialect) — casual slang term often used in the Kansai region like Osaka — softer and more playful nuance than baka
あなたが私のことアホだと 言ったと思いましたあなたがわたしのことアホだといったとおもいました anata ga watashi no koto aho da to itta to omoimashita I thought you said I was a fool/idiot ( formal Osaka Kansai form) — anata ga = marks that sentence is about YOU — watashi no koto = marks that I is the target of fool — [something] to itta = you said [something] — [something] to omoimashita = you said [something] — to itta omoimashita can be chained together to mean I thought you said [something]
日本の料理の中でカレーが一番好きですにっぽんのりょうりのなかでカレーがいちばんすきです Nihon no ryouri no naka de karee ga ichiban suki desu Among Japanese foods, I like curry the most Out of all the Japanese foods, I like curry the best — naka de = among, within — tabemono = food — ryouri = cooking, dish, cusine
関係かんけい kankei relation, relationship, connection
彼と私はいい関係ですかれとわたしはいいかんけいです kare to watashi wa ii kankei desu He and I have a good relationship My boyfriend and I have a good relationship
二人の関係は秘密です二にんのかんけいはひみつです futari no kankei wa himitsu desu their (those two's) relationship is a secret
その話は仕事に関係がありますかそのはなしはしごとにかんけいがありますか sono hanashi wa shigoto ni kankei ga arimasu ka? Is that story related to work? literal: As for that story, is there a connection/relation to work?
関係ない！かんけいない！ kankei nai! It's irrelevant ( casual ) It has nothing to do with it! ( casual ) literal: connection/relation not there
これを聞いたことがありませんこれをきいたことがありません kore wo kiita koto ga arimasen I have not heard this before I have never heard this before
メニューをください menu wo kudasai Please give me the menu
メニューをお願いしますメニューをおねがいします menu wo onegai shimasu Would you please give me the menu? — more formal and polite than kudasai
このサンプルをもらってもいいですか kono sampuru wo moratte mo ii desu ka May I have this sample? Is it if I have this sample?
この瓶の水をもらってもいいですかこのびんのみずをもらってもいいですか kono bin no mizu wo moratte mo ii desu ka? May I take/have this bottled water? ( Polite morau request ) literal: May I receive this bottled water? — useful in a ryokan or hotel where slippers, toiletries, water may or may not be free to take
この地図をもらってもいいですかこのちずをもらってもいいですか kono chizu wo moratte mo ii desu ka May I have this map? ( polite morau receive verb) literal: Would it be okay if I received this map? — morau is more polite than kureru (both used when you want to receive something) — mo ii desu ka = may I?
かこわるい kakowarui uncool, lame, embarrassing — casual , slangy way to express that something is the opposite of stylish, impressive, or attractive
食べないでくださいたべないでください tabenaide kudasai please don't eat — naide form = polite negative request — d rop the ru from the dictionary form and add nai , then add de
彼 に 聞かないで くださいかれにきかないでください kare ni kikanaide kudasai please don't ask him — [subject] + [ ni ] + [kiku] = to ask [subject] because of ni particle — -naide form = polite negative request — replace the - u ending of the dictionary form with anai to create the nai-form , and then add de
飲まないでくださいのまないでください nomanaide kudasai please don't drink — naide form = polite negative request — replace the u-ending of the dictionary form with anai to create the nai-form , and then add de
行かないでくださいいかないでください ikanaide kudasai please don't go — naide form = polite negative request — replace the u-ending of the dictionary form with anai to create the nai-form , and then add de
見ないでくださいみないでください minaide kudasai please don't look — naide form = polite negative request — d rop the ru from the dictionary form and add nai , then add de
遊ばないでくださいあそばないでください asobanaide kudasai please don't play — naide form = polite negative request — replace the u-ending of the dictionary form with anai to create the nai-form , and then add de
死なないでくださいしなないでください shinanaide kudasai please don't die — naide form = polite negative request — replace the u-ending of the dictionary form with anai to create the nai-form , and then add de
しないでください shinaide kudasai please don't do [it]
会わないでくださいあわないでください awanaide kudasai please don't meet — naide form = polite negative request — d rop the u from the dictionary form and add wa nai , then add de
来ないでくださいこないでください konaide kudasai please don't come
買わないでくださいかわないでください kawanaide kudasai please don't buy — naide form = polite negative request — d rop the u from the dictionary form and add wa nai , then add de
この歌を聞いたことがありますかこのうたをきいたことがありますか kono uta wo kiita koto ga arimasu ka Have you heard this song? — uta = song
いらっしゃいませ Irasshaimase Welcome! Come in! (shop context) — Japanese greeting used by store employees, restaurant staff, and other service workers to welcome customers — If you hear it while shopping or dining in Japan, you can simply nod, smile, or say "arigatou" (ありがとう) if you want to acknowledge it. No need to respond formally!
Cashier: 温めますか Customer: お願いしますCashier:あたためますかCustomer:おねがいします Cashier: atatamemasu ka Customer: onegaishimasu Customer: Would you like me to heat it up? Cashier: Yes, please — literal: heat it up? -> please — often heard in convenience stores when you buy foods that can be heated up
Cashier: 袋はご利用ですか Customer: 大丈夫ですCashier:ぶくろはごりようですかCustomer:だいじょうぶです Cashier: fukuro wa go-riyou desu ka Customer: daijoubu desu Cashier: Would you like a bag? Customer: No, it's okay — literal = as for bag, use? -> [it's] okay — goryou = use, utilize
500円です。お支払いは500えんです。おしはらいは Gohyaku en desu. Oshiharai wa? That will be 500 yen. How would you like to pay? — literal = 500 yen. As for payment? — oshiharai: payment - honorific, polite form of harau/harai (pay)
カードで (お願いします)カードで(おねがいします) kaado de (onegaishimasu) by card, with card (please) — can be said in response to "how would you like to pay?" — onegai shimasu is optional
ありがとうございました arigatou gozaimashita Thank you (past tense, for a past action), goodbye — used to express gratitude for something that was completed — can be used as a good bye in the sense of "Thank you, good bye"
食べなくて は いけませんたべなくてはいけません tabenakute wa ikemasen [I, you, etc] need to/have to/must eat ( polite ) — use kute wa form for this
行かなきゃ いけないいかなきゃいけない ikanakya ikenai I need to/have to go ( casual ) — use nakya form
いりません irimasen I don't need it ( polite ) — can be used to say you don't need something like a receipt
気をつけてきをつけて ki wo tsukete Take care, be careful — said when saying goodbye to someone traveling or warning someone to be careful
道に迷ったと思いますみちにまよったとおもいます michi ni mayotta to omoimasu I think I am lost ( polite ) — mayu past tense = to get lost — when quoting something with to omoimasu the phrase that is quoted must be casual
10分後に注文しますね10ふんごにちゅうもんしますね juppun go ni chuumon shimasu ne I will order in 10 minutes, (okay?) I will order after 10 minutes, (okay?) — 後 ( ご ) = after
10分後に注文したいです10ふんごにちゅうもんしたいです juppun go ni chuumon shitai desu I want to order in 10 minutes I'd like to order in 10 minutes
おすすめは何ですかおすすめはなにですか osusume wa nan desu ka? What do you recommend?
一番人気の料理は何ですかいちばんにんきのりょうりはなにですか ichiban ninki no ryouri wa nan desu ka What is the most popular dish?
おすすめをお願いしますおすすめをおねがいします osusume wo onegai shimasu I'll take your recommendation please Your recommendations please — use this when you want your server to recommend something!
おまかせでお願いしますおまかせでおねがいします omakase de onegai shimasu I'll leave it up to you, chef's choice (please) — used to ask waiter or chef to choose for you — common in sushi or fine dining restaurants — make it more casual by removing onegai shimasu
以上ですいじょうです ijou desu that's all, that's it — use when you finish stating your order — use when finishing a presentation or speech
これで大丈夫ですこれでだいじょうぶです kore de daijoubu desu I’m okay/fine with this This is okay/fine/enough literal: with this, I’m okay / I’m okay with this — use when confirming your order to the waiter or confirming something is okay
串くし kushi skewer, stick (for food) — refers to food on a skewer like yakitori
串焼きくしやき kushiyaki grilled skewered food (general term)
焼き鳥やきとり yakitori grilled chicken skewer
牛串ぎゅうくし gyuu kushi grilled beef skewer
優しく して くれて ありがとうございますやさしくしてくれてありがとうございます yasashikute shite kurete arigatou gozaimasu Thank you for being kind to me — -ku form of yasashi to make it an adverb suru to mean "to act kindly" — shite kurete = to do something for me (speaker) — te form used to link verbs together to another phrase, which in this case is thank you