873 everyday words with readings, romaji, and native audio
Audio
Japanese
Romaji
Meaning
ここに名前を書いてくださいここになまえをかいてください
koko ni namae wo kaite kudasai
Please write your name here — koko ni = (at/in) here — namae = name — kaite = write (command te form of kaku)
他 に 趣味 は あります かほかにしゅみはありますか
hoka ni shumi wa arimasu ka
Do you have any other hobbies? — hoka = other
本当にありがとうございますほんとうにありがとうございます
hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu
Thank you very much (really/truly) I really mean it, thank you so much! — used to emphasize sincerity of how much someone helped you
本当にごめんなさいほんとうにごめんなさい
hontou ni gomen nasai
I'm really sorry ( polite )
ここ に あと 5ヶ月 ぐらい いる と 思いますここにあと5かげつぐらいいるとおもいます
ato go kagetsu gurai iru to omoimasu
I think I will be here for about 5 more months — kagetsu = counter for months — gurai = about, approximately — ato = more — to = quoting particle
Translate to formal form: 友達は親切だ。そして頭がいいよ。ともだちはしんせつだ。そしてあたまがいいよ。
Tomodachi wa shinsetsu da. Soshite atama ga ii yo.
Translate the following to casual form: 友達は親切です。そして頭がいいですよ。 (ともだち は しんせつです。そして あたま が いい です よ。) — na adjectives and nouns must have da or desu to finish the sentence — i adjectives CANNOT have da after but can have desu after
その話を聞かないでくださいそのはなしをきかないでください
sono hanashi wo kikanaide kudasai
please don't listen to that story — [object] + [ wo ] + [kiku] = to listen to [object] because of wo 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
私は東京に一度行ったことがありますわたしはとうきょうにいちどいったことがあります
watashi wa toukyou ni ichi do itta koto ga arimasu
I have been to Toyko once ( formal counter, meaningful ) — [past tense verb] + [koto ga arimasu] = have done verb before — do counter = # of times counter that is more formal and more specific to meaningful, distinct occurrences compared to kai counter
私は東京に二度行ったことがありますわたしはとうきょうにどいったことがあります
watashi wa toukyou ni ni do itta koto ga arimasu
I have been to Toyko twice ( formal counter, meaningful ) — [past tense verb] + [koto ga arimasu] = have done verb before — do counter = # of times counter that is more formal and more specific to meaningful, distinct occurrences compared to kai counter
I have been to Tokyo once ( casual counter ) — [past tense verb] + [koto ga arimasu] = have done verb before — kai counter = # of times counter that is more casual than do counter
I have been to Tokyo twice ( casual counter ) — [past tense verb] + [koto ga arimasu] = have done verb before — kai counter = # of times counter that is more casual than do counter
ただいまただいま(formal,NOTthegreeting)
tadaima
currently, presently ( formal )
ただいま 席 を 外して おります。ただいませきをはずしております。
tadaima seki wo hazushite orimasu.
[Someone is] currently away from their seat / desk. ( formal ) — common formal phrase that you will hear when calling to talk to a particular person at a company — 席 (せき) : seat / desk / workstation — wo hazushite orimasu : am away (humble form of hazushiteimasu) — 〜ております is the humble/ formal version of 〜ています
日本語 が 話せませんにほんごがはなせません
Nihongo ga hanasemasen ( polite )
I can't speak Japanese ( polite -masu form ) — can form = hanasu -> hanaseru -> hanasemasu -> hanasemasen
店内でてんないで
tennai de
dine-in literal: inside the store/restuarant — often used to ask "would you like to have dine in or take out?"
店内 で お召し上がり です か？てんないでおめしあがりですか？
tennai de omeshiagari desu ka?
Will you be dining in? ( formal ) Literal: will you be eating dine-in? — omeshiagari: honorific noun form of taberu (to eat) and nomu (to drink) — restaurants will often ask you this
召し上がるめしあがる
meshiagaru
to eat, drink ( honorific form of taberu and nomu) — extremely respectful and usually only spoken to you by customer service
持ち帰りもかえり
mochikaeri
take out — used often at restaurants to ask, "Will you be dining in or doing take out?"
いいえ、持ち帰りです。いいえ、もかえりです。
iie, mochikaeri desu.
No, it's takeout No I'll take it to go
おっしゃる とおり です。おっしゃるとおりです。
ossharu toori desu
It's exactly as you said / I agree / You're absolutely right ( formal, honorific )
今日は何曜日ですかきょうはなんようびですか
kyou wa nan youbi desu ka
What day (of the week) is it today? As for today, what is the day (of the week)?
いらっしゃる (3)いらっしゃる
irassharu
to go, come, be (for people) (honorific, polite) — honorific equivalent of iku, kuru, and iru — think of いらっしゃる as “to be around in a grand way” — when someone important “is,” “comes,” or “goes,” you use いらっしゃる instead of plain いる/行く/来る
いらっしゃいます
irasshaimasu
to go, come, be (for people) ( -masu form, polite, honorific ) — polite, -masu form honorific equivalent of iku, kuru, and iru — think of いらっしゃいます as “to be around in a grand way” — when someone important “is,” “comes,” or “goes,” you use いらっしゃる instead of plain いる/行く/来る
先生はいらっしゃいますかせんせいはいらっしゃいますか
sensei wa irasshaimasu ka
Is the teacher there? ( polite, honorific -masu form ) — polite , honorific -masu form way of saying sensei wa imasu ka?
どちらへいらっしゃいますか
dochira he irasshaimasu ka
Where are [you] going? ( polite, honorific -masu form ) — polite and honorific -masu form way of saying " doko he ikimasu ka? " — dochira = where, which, which way
ご覧になるごらんになる
goran ni naru
to see, look ( honorific, polite ) — honorific and polite way to say miru
先生 が ご覧になりますせんせいがごらんになります
sensei ga goran ni narimasu
The teacher will see [it] ( -masu form, honorific, polite ) — honorific and polite -masu form way to say miru
おっしゃる
ossharu
to say, speak, tell ( polite, honorific ) — polite and honorific way to say iu
何 と おっしゃいました かなんとおっしゃいましたか
nan to osshaimashita ka
What did you say [sir/ma'am]? ( -masu form, honorific, polite ) — honorific and polite way to say iu or iimasu
なさる
nasaru
to do ( honorific , polite ) — honorific, polite form of suru
なさいます
nasaimasu
to do ( polite and honorific -masu form ) — polite and honorific way to say suru
ござる
gozaru
to be, exist, have (inanimate things) ( polite, traditional ) — polite , traditional form of aru and used only for nonliving things — shows respect toward the listener , not toward the subject
ございます
gozaimasu
to be, exist, have (inanimate things) ( -masu, polite, traditional ) — polite and traditional -masu form of aru — shows respect toward the listener , even though the subject is inanimate
いらっしゃいませ。お席はこちらにございますいらっしゃいませ。おせきはこちらにございます
Irasshaimase. Oseki wa kochira ni gozaimasu
Welcome. Your seat is over here. ( -masu form , polite and traditional -masu form) — phrase often heard in customer service scenarios
そのとおりです！
sono toori desu!
Exactly! / That's right! / I agree ( casual ) — toori = exactly, as, just as, in the same way as
先生 が 言う とおり に 書きなさいせんせいがいうとおりにかきなさい
sensei ga iu toori ni kakinasai
Write exactly as the teacher says — toori = exactly, as, just as, in the same way — nasai = imperative command form
A: nihongo ga jouzu desu ne. B: iya iya, mada mada!
A: Your japanese is good, (isn’t it) B: Nah, not at all — not yet! / I still have a long way to go! ( casual ) — Japanese often modestly downplay compliments to show humility so make sure you reply to compliments this way! — mada mada adds emphasis on something not happening yet — memorize B and say that one in response to A when you’re in Japan!
ここに荷物を置いてもよろしいでしょうか？ここににもつをおいてもよろしいでしょうか？
koko ni nimotsu wo oite mo ii desu ka?
May I put [my] luggage here? (extra polite ) Is it okay if I put [my] luggage here? (extra polite )
ここに座ってもいいですか？ここにすわってもいいですか？
koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka?
May I sit here? Is it okay if I sit here?
ここでタバコを吸ってはいけません。ここでタバコをすってはいけません。
koko de tabako wo sutte wa ikemasen
Smoking cigarettes here is not allowed You must not smoke cigarettes here
ここでタバコを吸ってもいいですか？ここでタバコをすってもいいですか？
koko de tabako wo sutte mo ii desu ka?
May I smoke (cigarettes) here? Is it okay if I smoke (cigarettes) here?
ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか？ここでしゃしんをとってもいいですか？
koko de shashin wo totte mo ii desu ka?
May I take a photo here? Is it okay if I take a photo here?
ここで写真を撮ってはいけません。ここでしゃしんをとってはいけません。
koko de shashin wo totte wa ikemasen
Photo taking is not allowed here You must not take photos here
ここに車を止めてもいいですか？ここにくるまをとめてもいいですか？
koko ni kuruma wo tomete mo ii desu ka?
May I park [my] car here? Is it okay to park [my] car here?
ここに車を止めてはいけません。ここにくるまをとめてはいけません。
koko ni kuruma wo tomete wa ikemasen
Parking your car here is not allowed You must not park your car here
本を読んだり、料理をしたりするのが好きです。ほんをよんだり、りょうりをしたりするのがすきです。
hon wo yondari, ryouri wo shitari suru no ga suki desu
I like doing things like reading books and cooking (among other things) — -tari suru form of verb indicates there is an incomplete list — の nominalizes the verb suru
分かりやすいわかりやすい
wakariyasui
easy to understand — convert a verb to its stem form and add the adjective (yasui) to end
読みやすいよみやすい
yomiyasui
easy to read — convert a verb to its stem form and add the adjective (yasui) to end
食べやすいたべやすい
tabeyasui
easy to eat — convert a verb to its stem form and add the adjective (yasui) to end
分かりにくいわかりにくい
wakarinikui
hard / difficult to understand — convert a verb to its stem form and add the adjective (nikui) to end
読みにくいよみにくい
yominikui
hard / difficult to read — convert a verb to its stem form and add the adjective (nikui) to end
食べにくいたべにくい
tabenikui
hard / difficult to eat — convert a verb to its stem form and add the adjective (nikui) to end
鮭 / サーモンサーモン
saamon
salmon
鰻 / ウナギうなぎ
unagi
eel — written in kanji or hiragana in menus
鮪 / マグロまぐろ
maguro
tuna
ハマチはまち
hamachi
young yellowtail (fish) — firmer, lighter in color, and leaner with a cleaner, more intense umami flavor compared to adult yellowtail. — often caught wild and is better suited for grilling or cooking, such as ______ kama (grilled collar)
鰤 / ブリぶり
buri
adult yellowtail (fish) — extremely rich, buttery, and soft due to high fat content, often with a pinkish, opaque color compared to young yellowtail. — the standard for sushi/sashimi due to its melt-in-the-mouth texture.
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