learn japanese phrases for travel

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Japanese Phrases for Tourists: 116 Essential Phrases for Your Japanese Vacation

Before I traveled to Japan for the first time, everyone assured me that “Everybody speaks English there,” and I wouldn’t need to use Japanese at all.

But in reality, most of the people I encountered in Japan had a fairly elementary level of spoken English .

For a better travel experience, you should learn some basic travel words and phrases in Japanese.

Greetings and Basic Japanese Phrases

Airport phrases you’ll hear, airport phrases you’ll use, asking for directions, receiving directions, transportation phrases, hotel phrases, eating and drinking in japan: what you’ll hear, eating and drinking in japan: what you’ll say, shopping in japan: phrases you’ll hear, shopping phrases you’ll use, number of items in japanese, tips to use your new phrases: politeness and pronunciation, how to study these japanese travel phrases.

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I’ll provide the hiragana, kanji and romaji for each word, and will explain the use of certain Japanese phrases for tourists in context.

1. Hello — konnichiwa

2. good morning — ohayou gozaimasu, 3. nice to meet you — hajimemashite, 4. goodbye — sayounara, 5. please — onegaishimasu, 6. thank yo u — arigatou gozaimasu, 7. you’re welcome — dou itashimashite, 8. excuse me/sorry — sumimasen.

This is definitely one to memorize. I say すみません at least 30 times a day in Japan. It’s a magical word.

It helps you push through a crowd, get attention from a waiter, ask for directions or be excused for basically any touristy blunder.

Simply saying すみません and gesturing is a pretty good way to express that you need help, but don’t speak Japanese.

9. Yes — hai

10. no — iie, 11. let’s eat/ “bon appetit” — itadakimasu .

Similar to the French “ bon appetit” , this is what Japanese people say before they eat. It doesn’t have a literal translation in English, but it’s a way to give thanks for a meal .

You should also remember this phrase’s pair: ごちそうさま (gochisousama) or ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita). These phrases are used at the end of a meal and translate as “What a good meal,” or “Thank you for the meal,” the latter being the more polite form.

12. I don’t understand — wakarimasen 

13. i don’t speak japanese —   nihongo o hanashimasen, 14. do you speak english — eigo o hanashimasu ka , 15. can you please repeat that — mou ichido itte kudasai, 16. can you please speak slowly — yukkuri hanashite kudasai, 17. what is your name — onamae wa nan desu ka, 18. my name is… — watashi no namae wa…, 19. what is this — kore wa nan desu ka.

これ and それ literally just mean “this” and “that.”

20. How much does this cost? — kore wa ikura desu ka? 

If you’re pointing at something that you can’t reach, you say それは いくらですか？

21. Can you please help me? — tasukete moraemasuka ?

Japanese airports aren’t just places to land: they’re an entire cultural showcase on their own. For example, at the Narita Airport , you’ll see pet hotels , gacha machines , the (in)famous smart toilets and even a Pokémon Store !

22. Welcome, please come in — yokoso, o-hairi kudasai

23. please show your ticket — chiketto o misete kudasai, 24. please show your passport — pasupooto o misete kudasai, 25. what is your reservation name — yoyaku-mei wa nan desu ka, 26. the flight is delayed — furaito chien shiteimasu, 27. the flight has been canceled — furaito kyanseru saremashita, 28. baggage claim is this way — baggeji kureimu wa kochira desu, 29. we have arrived at … airport — … kuko ni tochaku shimashita, 30. we will depart for … airport — … kuko e shuppatsu shimasu, 31. there is a delay in the flight — furaito ni okure ga arimasu, 32. there are restrictions on carry-on baggage — kinai mochikomi no nimotsu niwa seigen ga arimasu.

33. Please tell me how to get to the airport — kuko e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai

34. is this a departure flight — korewa shuppatsu-bin desu ka, 35. is this an arrival flight — korewa tochaku-bin desu ka, 36. where is the boarding gate — tojyo-guchi wa doko desu ka, 37. i’ll check my baggage — tenimotsu azukemasu, 38. please call a taxi — takushii o yonde kudasai, 39. i’d like to rent a car — rentakaa o karitai desu, 40. where is the gate for the connecting flight — noritsugi-bin no geeto wa doko desu ka.

Asking for directions is sort of daunting, especially when the person answers in a whole stream of fast-paced Japanese.

But you’ll find that Japan is one of the best places to be a lost and hopeless tourist. There’s always someone nearby who’s more than happy to help. I’ve even had people take time out of their days to walk me where I needed to go!

Simply say wherever it is that you want to go followed by どこですか？ — doko desu ka? (Where is …?).

41. I want to go… (here) — (koko) ni ikitai desu 

Say ここ if you have an address written down or a point marked on a map of where you want to go.

If you know the name or address of the place where you want to go, simply say the place name followed by に行きたいです . For example, if you want to go to Shinjuku station, you simply say 新宿駅に行きたいです   — Shinjuku eki ni ikitai desu . (I want to go to Shinjuku station.)

42. Where is the…? — …wa doko desu ka?

43. can you please show me where we are on the map — watashitachi ga doko ni iru no ka, chizu de oshiete kudasai.

This might seem like an odd question (and a bit of a mouthful), but it can be a lot more helpful than asking for directions from someone who doesn’t know English.

44. Is it near? — chikai desu ka?

45. is it far — tooi desu ka.

46. Go straight ahead — massugu itte kudasai 

47. turn left — hidari ni magatte kudasai, 48. turn right — migi ni magatte kudasai.

In Japan, public transportation is how most people get around. If you’re not used to taking the bus, train or anything similar, better keep the following phrases handy!

49. Take me to this address, please — kono jyusho made tsureteitte kudasai

50. what is the fare — ryoukin wa ikura desu ka, 51. stop here, please — koko de tomatte kudasai, 52. does this bus go to (street name) — kono basu wa … ni ikimasu ka, 53. does that train stop at … — sono denshya wa … de tomarimasu ka, 54. a map, please — chizu o onegai shimasu, 55. this hotel — k ono hoteru, 56. the subway — chikatetsu , 57. the train station — denshya no eki, 58. the bus stop  — basutei, 59. the taxi stand — takushii noriba, 60. the exit — deguchi, 61. the entrance — iriguchi, 62. the bathroom — toire.

Like other service-oriented businesses in the country, Japanese hotels subscribe to the concept of omotenashi , which roughly translates to pouring your whole heart into service. That means you can expect employees at Japanese hotels to go above and beyond when it comes to making you feel welcome.

63. I have a reservation under the name of … — … no yoyaku o shiteimasu

64. i would like to check-in — chekkuin shitai desu, 65. what time is check-in — chekkuin wa nanji desu ka, 66. is breakfast included — choshoku wa fukumareteimasu ka, 67. where is my room — watashi no heya wa doko desu ka, 68. please give me a wake-up call at …  — … ni weikuappu kooru onegaishimasu., 69. where is the nearest convenience store — ichiban chikai konbini wa doko desu ka, 70. can you recommend a good restaurant nearby — chikaku no oishii resutoran o shokaishite moraemasu  ka, 71. what time is check-out — chekkuauto no jikan wa nanji desu ka, 72. where can i store my luggage — nimotsu wa dokoni azukeraremasu ka, 73. is there wi-fi in the hotel — hoteru ni wa wai-fai ga arimasu ka, 74. where is the nearest atm — ichi-ban chikai atm wa doko desu ka, 75. i’d like to have some extra towels, please — yobun no taoru o kudasai., 76. what time is breakfast served — choshoku wa nanji kara desu ka, 77. excuse me, i need an iron and ironing board — sumimasen, airon to iron-dai ga hitsuyo desu..

Like Japanese hotels, Japanese restaurants also practice omotenashi. Here are some of the more common phrases you’ll hear from Japanese restaurant staff.

78. Welcome — Irasshaimase

79. how many people in your party — nan mei sama desu ka, 80. this way, please — kochira e douzo, 81. certainly (in response to your order) — kashikomarimashita, 82. thank you for waiting — omatase itashimashita.

The best restaurants in Japan are the authentic ones that don’t cater to tourists. But these are also the places that have no English menus, and sometimes no English-speaking waitstaff.

Luckily, it’s very common for Japanese menus to feature photos of all the dishes. And many places have models of their dishes on display, so you likely won’t be going in completely blind.

Use these phrases , and you should be in and out of a restaurant without too many hiccups.

83. A table for two, please —  futari you no teeburu o onegai shimasu

You can also replace futari with the number of people who you need to have seated:

• one — hitori ( 一人 )
• three — sannin ( 三人 )
• four — yonin ( 四人 )

If you’re confused about Japanese numbers and counters, don’t despair. You can just do as the locals do and indicate the number of diners by holding up your fingers.

84. The menu, please — menyu o onegai shimasu

85. what are today’s recommendations — kyo no osusume wa.

If everything on the menu looks appetizing and you’re not quite sure what to order, use this phrase.

86. Water, please — mizu o onegai shimasu

87. two beers, please — biiru o nihai onegai shimasu, 88. can i please have (one, two) of this — kore o (hitotsu, futatsu) onegai でdekimasu, 89. do you have a vegetarian dish — bejitarian youno ryouri ga arimasu ka.

I’ve traveled in Japan with vegetarians twice, and this question usually draws quite strange looks. Vegetarianism basically doesn’t exist in Japan, although Japanese cuisine is generally quite vegetarian-friendly.

It might work better to say これは肉ですか？ — kore wa niku desu ka? , to say “is this meat?” Follow up with 私は肉を食べません — watashi wa niku o tabemasen,  which means “I don’t eat meat,” if you want to make yourself understood.

90. Is … in it? — … wa haitte imasu ka?

Alternatively, you can also ask if specific ingredients are included in your food, so you’ll know whether you should order it or not.

91. That’s okay — daijyoubu desu

You can also use this expression to ask someone if they’re okay. Just add the question particle  ka to the end: 大丈夫ですか ？ — daijyoubu desu ka? 

92. The check, please — okanjyou o onegai shimasu 

Say the above, or you can do as the locals do and catch the waiter’s eye (with a smile!) and draw a clockwise circle in the air with your index finger pointing towards the roof.

In some restaurants, you need to bring the check to the cash register which is usually located by the restaurant’s doorway.

93. Cheers! — kanpai!

94. it was delicious — oishikatta desu, 95. water — mizu, 96. wine — wain, 97. beer — biiru , 98. tea — ochya, 99. coffee — coohii, 100. juice — juusu, 101. meat — niku, 102. chicken — toriniku , 103. pork — butaniku, 104. beef  — gyuniku , 105. fish — sakana , 106. rice — gohan, 107. bread — pan , 108. vegetables — yasai  , 109. fruit — kudamono.

When you’re met with cries of いらっしゃいませ！, you’re not really expected to respond to this greeting. As for me, I just smile and say こんにちは which means, of course, “hello.”

Walking into a department store is particularly surreal, with each assistant taking cues from the others, so that every time a customer walks in, いらっしゃいませ bounces around the entire floor.

110. Are you looking for something? — nani ka osagashi desu ka?

111. is that all — ijyou de yoroshii desu ka, 112. here it is / here you go — hai, douzo.

113. I would like this — kore o onegai shimasu

114. i would like one of those — sore o hitotsu onegai shimasu, 115. i would like to pay in cash  — genkin de onegai shimasu, 116. i would like to pay by credit card — kurejitto kaado de onegai shimasu.

The only real challenge with ordering meals in Japanese is the use of counters.

We have counters in English, too (for example “sheets” of paper, “glasses” of water, “blades” of grass), but not as many or as complicated as in Japanese.

Luckily Japanese has a “universal” counter, つ ( tsu ), which you can use for anything, including food.

The numbers one to four as つ counters are pronounced 一つ ( hitotsu )、 二つ ( futatsu )、 三つ ( mittsu ) and 四つ ( yottsu ). You can use this counter for drinks too, and the waiter will understand you.

However, if you want to be a little more impressive, you can use the drinks counter: 杯 ( hai/bai/pai depending on the number used with it). The numbers one to four using this counter are 一杯 ( ippai )、 二杯 ( nihai ) 、 三杯 ( sanbai ) and 四杯 ( yonhai ).

If you want to learn more about counters, this post explains them  in more detail.

All the examples I’ve given are in the polite, neutral form of speech . You basically can’t go wrong speaking this way in Japan, so you don’t need to worry about making any social faux pas!

Some notes on pronunciation:

• Avoid turning vowels into dipthongs (vowel sounds that run into each other, like the oi in “coin”). Pronounce each vowel on its own even when there are two vowels next to each other. Onegai is read as “o-ne-ga-i,” not “o-ne-gai”
• The sound  ou and repeated vowels like ii and  ee are exceptions: they show an elongation of the sound.  Ohayou is read as “o-ha-yoh,” not “o-ha-yo-u.”
• Treat ん (n)  as its own syllable.   Konnichiwa is read “ko-n-ni-chi-wa,” not “ko-ni-chi-wa.” It’s subtle, but it makes a difference!
• Repeated consonants are pronounced. For an example of how to do this, just read the word “bookkeeper” out loud.
• The small kana っ like in いって signify a break between the sounds —”it-te,” not “i-te.”
• Small y- kana like ゃ in おちゃ add the  y sound to the preceding syllable —”o-chya,” not “o-chi-a.”
• は (ha)  as a particle is pronounced wa,  and を (wo)  as a particle is pronounced  o.

The beauty of Japanese is that it’s an extremely phonetic language, so if you say the words exactly as you read them, you can’t really get them wrong.

Having said that, people will probably struggle to understand you if you speak in a strong non-Japanese accent, so it might pay to listen to some spoken Japanese before you start practicing pronunciation.

The most important thing to remember is that, unlike English speakers, Japanese speakers don’t put emphasis on the second or third syllable of a word—there’s some emphasis on the first syllable, but it’s subtle.

Some ways that you can listen to Japanese being spoken is by watching Japanese films , television programs , anime or YouTube clips .

The Japanese language program FluentU has a little bit of everything in the media, with interactive subtitles and customizable flashcards for a well-rounded learning experience.

Maybe this seems like a lot, but learning Japanese travel phrases for tourists will make your trip run more smoothly, and the people you meet will appreciate your effort.

Speaking the local language tends to get people on your side. They’re less likely to try to rip you off, and often will want to become your best friend.

I like to make little phrasebooks for myself when I travel, so I can have these Japanese travel phrases and vocabulary always on hand.

I’ve been treated to tea and dinner in people’s homes, and once was driven around a city with a personal guide/impromptu friend all day, just because I struck up conversations in the local language.

Don’t be scared! Give it a try!

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Boutique Japan

20 Essential Japanese Phrases for Travelers to Japan

If you’re visiting Japan and a little worried about the language barrier (or you simply love languages), we’ve got you covered with these essential Japanese phrases for travelers.

In our guide to what we believe are the most important Japanese phrases for travel, we’ll introduce you to a selection of key words and phrases — and explain why the Japanese language barrier is not as worrisome as you might think.

The truth is, you do not need to speak any Japanese to have a successful, wonderful trip to Japan (and if you’re looking for travel inspiration, check out our favorite destinations in Japan ). However, learning a few key Japanese phrases can make your trip just that much better. So let’s get into it!

Download our Free Japanese Phrasebook:

Originally written in 2014, this post was updated and republished on November 1, 2019.

The Most Essential Japanese Words & Phrases for Your Trip to Japan

Learning Japanese can seem daunting, but don’t worry. You don’t need to learn any of these words or phrases to have a great time (see why we love Japan ).

However, as any seasoned traveler knows, making a little linguistic effort can go a long way, and it can be helpful to learn even a little of the local language for your travels. We’ve narrowed it down to a small selection of key words and phrases, divided by category:

• The Basics: Key Japanese Words and Phrases
• Food and Drink: Eating Your Way Around Japan
• Now or Later: Time-Related Phrases in Japanese
• Getting Around Japan: Transportation-Related Phrases

Here is a quick look at the words and phrase you’ll find below:

Top 20 Essential Japanese Travel Phrases:

• Konnichiwa (こんにちは) – Hello
• Arigatou Gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) – Thank you
• Sumimasen (すみません) – Excuse me
• __ o Kudasai (__をください) – I would like __, please
• __ wa Doko Desu ka? (__はどこですか) – Where is __?
• Itadakimasu (いただきます) – An expression of gratitude for the meal you’re about to eat
• Omakase de (お任せで) – Used to order chef’s recommendation (often for sushi)
• O-sake (お酒) – General term for alcohol
• Nihonshu (日本酒) – Japanese sake
• Kinen Seki (禁煙席) – Non-smoking seat
• Ima Nanji Desu ka? (今何時ですか) – What time is it now?
• Nanji ni? (何時に？) – At what time?
• Asa (朝) – Morning
• Kyou (今日) – Today
• Ashita (明日) – Tomorrow
• __ ni Ikitai (__に行きたい) – I want to go to __
• Tomete Kudasai (止めてください) – Stop, please
• Kippu (切符) – Ticket
• Shinkansen (新幹線) – Bullet train
• Dono Densha? (どの電車？) – Which train?

If you’re concerned about memorizing all this Japanese, or want to learn even more words and phrases, download Boutique Japan’s Tiny Phrasebook for free.

And for an introduction to how to say these words and phrases, see our bonus video to help you practice your Japanese pronunciation .

Basic Japanese Words and Phrases

Let’s start with a few of the most basic-yet-essential Japanese words and phrases. Even if you only remember how to say hello or thank you , you’ll find that Japanese people will be appreciative of your efforts!

1. Konnichiwa (こんにちは) – Hello

Let’s start with one you’ve probably heard before: the word for hello is konnichiwa .

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 !

2. Arigatou Gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) – Thank you

In Japan, etiquette is no joke, and chances are you’ll be saying thank you a lot (learn more in our guide to Japanese etiquette ).

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!

3. Sumimasen (すみません) – Excuse me

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 also 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 .

4. __ o Kudasai ( をください) – I would like , please

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) , sake , and others you think you may need.

5. __ wa Doko Desu ka? ( はどこですか) – Where is __?

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, such as the Ghibli Museum ). 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 ).

Eating Your Way Around Japan: Food and Drink Phrases

For many travelers, Japanese food is a top priority! From classic Tokyo sushi restaurants to the legendary food culture of Okinawa , there’s a lot to take in. For alcohol afficionados, Japan also offers sake , Japanese whisky , shochu , and other traditional beverages.

While you don’t need to speak any Japanese to enjoy eating and drinking in Japan, these key words and phrases will help you make the most of your culinary experiences.

6. Itadakimasu (いただきます) – An expression of gratitude for the meal you’re about to eat

Certainly not required, but if you say itadakimasu before you begin eating, whether in a restaurant or at a person’s home, they will surely be impressed with your manners.

Essentially, this phrase expresses humility and thanks for the meal you are about to enjoy. The website Tofugu does a very nice job of explaining the meaning of itadakimasu .

7. Omakase de (お任せで) – Used to order chef’s recommendation (often for sushi)

If you’re a passionate sushi enthusiast, you probably already know the meaning of omakase .

When you tell a chef omakase de , you’re letting them know that you’re placing the meal in their hands. Especially for travelers with adventurous palates, this is the best way to experience a meal at a Tokyo sushi shop , for example.

However, the phrase is not only used at sushi restaurants, and can often be used at other types of establishments as well.

8. O-sake (お酒) – General term for alcohol

Technically osake , this word has tripped many a non-Japanese speaker up! While in English the word sake means, well, sake , in Japanese the word sake — more politely, osake — refers to alcoholic beverages in general.

( Sake and osake are virtually interchangeable; the “o” is what is known as an honorific prefix, but unless you’re studying Japanese in more depth, you really don’t need to worry about this!)

So if you’re looking for sake (which in Japanese is called nihonshu) , it’s best to ask for nihonshu (see below). If you’re simply looking for an adult beverage (such as nihonshu , shochu , or Japanese whisky ), the catchall term sake will do the trick.

9. Nihonshu (日本酒) – Japanese sake

See above for the distinction between sake and nihonshu !

10. Kinen Seki (禁煙席) – Non-smoking seat

Encountering cigarette smoke is somewhat of an unavoidable aspect of traveling around Japan. This being said, most of our travelers are quite averse to smoke, and fortunately it’s possible to travel around Japan without smoke becoming too much of a nuisance.

In some places, such as restaurants, you may have a choice between the smoking and non-smoking sections. Kinen means non-smoking, and seki means seat : put them together and you’ve just conveyed that you’d like to be seated in the non-smoking area!

Time-Related Phrases in Japanese

Time-related phrases can be extremely helpful in certain travel situations, and below you’ll find a few of the most practical Japanese words and phrases on this topic.

11. Ima Nanji Desu ka? (今何時ですか) – What time is it now?

Chances are you’ll have a watch or cell phone on you, but once in a while you may need to ask a stranger for the time.

The basic phrase is simply nanji desu ka? which means, What time is it? People also commonly say ima nanji desu ka? which simply means, What time is it now? ( Ima means now.)

12. Nanji ni? (何時に？) – At what time?

This is a particularly useful phrase while traveling. It can be helpful when purchasing rail tickets (see more on getting around Japan below), making meal reservations, or arranging tickets to events.

Sure, you could just ask nanji? ( what time? ) and hope your point gets across, but by adding the preposition ni you can be assured of much more clarity!

13. Asa (朝) – Morning

This one is fairly self-explanatory: asa means morning . While it’s no surprise that a food-loving culture like Japan has multiple words for breakfast , one of the most common is asagohan ( gohan literally means rice , but is more generally used to mean food ).

14. Kyou (今日) – Today

Words like today and tomorrow can be particularly useful when buying train tickets, for example. For more on transport, see the transport-related phrases below.

15. Ashita (明日) – Tomorrow

When pronouncing the word for tomorrow, ashita , the i is virtually silent, so it ends up sounding more like ashta . If you need to express the day after tomorrow, the word is asatte .

Getting Around Japan: Transportation-Related Phrases for Travelers to Japan

For some travelers, one of the biggest concerns about not speaking the language is the prospect of getting around the country, navigating the trains, and trying to avoid getting lost.

Fortunately, Japan has an incredibly efficient and easy-to-use rail network, and you can read all about it in our guide to train travel and getting around Japan . And here are some key Japanese words and phrases to help you on your way.

16. __ ni Ikitai ( に行きたい) – I want to go to __

On its own, ikitai means, I want to go .

To express that you’d like to go somewhere, use the phrase __ ni ikitai (simply fill in the __ [blank] with the place you’re trying to reach). For example, Kyoto ni ikitai means, I want to go to Kyoto .

17. Tomete Kudasai (止めてください) – Stop, please

Tomete means stop , and is particularly useful in taxis. The kudasai here means please , and makes the phrase much more polite ( tomete on its own would come off as quite brusque).

18. Kippu (切符) – Ticket

Kippu means ticket (as in train tickets). As you can easily imagine, when purchasing rail tickets it can be very useful to be able to tell the ticket agent that you’d like a ticket to a certain place!

Made means until or to (in this case, to your destination). For example, Osaka made means to Osaka . Thus, Osaka made no kippu means ticket to Osaka . Put it all together with kudasai (for politeness) and you have Osaka made no kippu o kudasai .

19. Shinkansen (新幹線) – Bullet train

Ah, the shinkansen . One of the utter joys of traveling around Japan is the world-famous shinkansen (bullet train).

Whether you have the well-known Japan Rail Pass or not, if you’re doing any domestic travel within Japan, chances are you’ll end up on the incredible (and incredibly pleasant) shinkansen for at least one if not more of your journeys. Enjoy, and grab a bento and some nihonshu (see above) for the ride!

20. Dono Densha? (どの電車？) – Which train?

Wondering which train you need? Imagine you’re in Kyoto Station, headed for Tokyo. You’re on your shinkansen’s departure platform, but you see two trains.

You show your ticket to a friendly Japanese person, and ask, dono densha? They take a look at your ticket and the two trains, and point you to the right one. And you’re on your way – happy travels!

Download our Free Japanese Phrasebook PDF

For those of you who want to learn even more Japanese for travel, we’ve created the Boutique Japan Tiny Phrasebook.

Our Tiny Phrasebook features carefully selected Japanese words and phrases designed to help you get the most out of your trip to Japan. You’ll find all of the words and phrases featured above, and many more!

The phrasebook is a beautifully designed PDF (it may take a few moments to load depending on your internet speed).

Simply save it to your smartphone, tablet, or computer. We suggest using an app like iBooks (or another PDF reader) so you can search for words and navigate easily.

Bonus Video: Practice your Japanese Pronunciation

One of the best things about Japanese is that it’s surprisingly easy to pronounce. Unlike several other languages throughout Asia, Japanese is not a tonal language.

In the video below, we go over basic pronunciation for some of the most useful Japanese words and phrases for your trip to Japan.

Do you need to speak any Japanese to travel around Japan ?

Absolutely not. You can travel to Japan without learning any of these words and have a great time.

People ask us about the Japanese language barrier all the time, with common questions such as, Do Japanese people speak English? How much (or how little)? The language barrier is a common myth that shouldn’t get in your way. Most of our travelers don’t speak a single word of Japanese, yet come back with testimonials of how much they love Japan .

The truth is that most Japanese people speak at least a little bit of English. These days, all Japanese students study English for a minimum of six years in secondary school, and many students — as well as adults — also take English-language classes after school or on weekends.

English-language fluency is not widespread, so most people you meet probably won’t be fluent in English, but almost everyone you meet will know at least a few English words – and many will know anywhere from hundreds to thousands.

Sometimes you may find that the people you meet are hesitant to try their English on you, but you’ll likely find that you can communicate in basic English in a huge variety of situations while traveling around Japan.

The Japanese Written Language

You may also be worried about the written language. The good news is that you don’t need to be able to read or write Japanese to enjoy Japan.

Japanese people don’t expect you to be able to read the Japanese language, and you’ll find English-language signage throughout the country. This is especially true in places frequented by travelers, such as sightseeing spots, shopping areas, train stations, airports, and often even on the street.

As for at restaurants, though it’s not always the case, in some cases you will find English-language menus. When English-language menus are not available, photos are often included to make pointing and ordering possible.

Despite Japan’s travel-friendliness, every visitor to Japan at some point finds him or herself in a situation in which linguistic communication is simply not possible, and sign language and gesturing are required.

Getting lost in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language is a fear of many would-be travelers, but if you had to pick a country in which to get lost, you couldn’t do much better than Japan! Japan is by far one of the safest countries in the world, with crime rates that are astonishingly low compared to places like the US and most of Europe. And Japanese people will often go to surprising lengths to help tourists.

Back when I first moved to Japan I spoke very little Japanese, and on my first visit to Kyoto I accidentally took the wrong train and ended up wandering around a neighborhood with no idea how to get where I wanted to go. Luckily, an older gentleman with his wife spotted me looking confused and came up to me with perhaps one of the only English phrases he knew: “ Are you lost? ” I said yes and showed him the name of the place I wanted to go.

If he had simply pointed me in the right direction it would have been helpful, but instead he started walking me in the right direction. After a few minutes of walking his wife split off, presumably to go home, and we continued. After 15 minutes of walking he had dropped me off at exactly the spot I needed to be, and – as is typical in Japanese culture – expected nothing in return. I thanked him profusely and we had a good laugh despite our inability to communicate linguistically.

Why Learn Any Japanese if You Won’t Need it?

Almost everyone who has visited Japan has a similar story of a random act of kindness and generosity from a Japanese stranger (or a tale of a camera or passport left on a train being miraculously returned). So you can rest assured that even if you forget all of the words and phrases we’ve shown, you’ll be in good hands with the wonderful people of Japan.

But aside from the fact that it’s a rich and fascinating language, learning even just one or two Japanese words or phrases will help endear you to the Japanese people you meet during your trip, and enhance your overall travel experience.

Japanese people tend to be extremely appreciative of visitors who take the time to learn even just a word or phrase or two, and if you try then chances are you’ll be greeted with oohs and aahs of encouragement.

We hope you’ve found our guide to Japanese words and phrases for travelers helpful. Arigatou gozaimasu!

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83 Must-Know Japanese Travel Phrases For Your Next Trip To Japan

If you're learning Japanese and considering a trip to Japan, you'll probably want to learn some Japanese travel phrases so you can make the most of your trip.

Getting a feel for which expressions will be most important to you can vary depending upon your specific interests and goals while traveling. But some vocab is particularly useful no matter what.

If you spend time learning any basic Japanese phrases and words, start with these 83 Japanese travel phrases so that you can head into Japan on the right foot!

Regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, two of the most important words you’ll need to know are arigatou gozaimasu and sumimasen .

Arigatou (gozaimasu ) means “thank you,” and it’s very polite; you can use it with anyone. Sumimasen means “excuse me” (when trying to get someone’s attention) or “I’m sorry” (if you’ve inconvenienced someone, such as by misunderstanding or taking up time).

Let's discover the other Japanese travel phrases that will be a must on your next trip to Japan.

By the way, if you want to learn Japanese fast and have fun while doing it, my top recommendation is  Japanese Uncovered  which teaches you through StoryLearning®. 

With  Japanese Uncovered  you’ll use my unique StoryLearning® method to learn Japanese naturally through story… not rules. It’s as fun as it is effective.

If you’re ready to get started,  click here for a 7-day FREE trial.

At The Airport

So you have arrived in Japan, and you’re in the airport. Depending on how your travels went and what you’re planning on doing next, you might have multiple places you need to visit.

To start, review your vocab and see if any of these locations apply to you for your next stop:

#1 currency exchange ( ryougaejo 両替所) #2 toilet ( toire トイレ) #3 customs ( zeikan 税関) #4 immigration ( nyuukoku shinsa 入国審査) #5 information ( desksougou annaijo 総合案内所) #6 souvenir shop ( omiyageya お土産屋) #7 Seat ( seki 席) #8 Train ( densha 電車) #9 Taxi ( takushi タクシー)

These are the most likely places you’ll need to stop next once you arrive. If you need to locate a certain establishment or find where to go, you can always ask someone:

#10 Where is the ______? (____ ha doko desu ka? ＿＿はどこですか。)

After you conclude your business wandering around the airport, you’ll probably be heading out into the city. In order to do that, you’ll most likely need to take a train out of the airport. If you feel confident using the airport’s self-service ticket machines, you can buy your own ticket.

However, if you have a JR Pass or need to use special train services, or if you don’t know how to use the machines, you can approach the manned ticket counter and ask:

#11 Can I have a ticket to _______ please? (____ made no chiketto wo kudasai. ＿＿までのチケットをください。)

If you are concerned that you may have to change trains during the process, you can ask about this too by saying:

#12 Is there a transfer? ( Norikae ha arimasu ka? 乗り換えはありますか。)

Taking A Taxi

Taxis in Japan are much more economical options than people give them credit for, so if you’re overwhelmed about navigating by yourself, a taxi can be a great option. The vocabulary for taking a taxi is simple, and drivers typically go above and beyond to help you.

#13 Taxi ( takushi タクシー)

When you have located the taxis, you will see that they typically drive up in a line. Wait your turn, and when one drives up, approach. Remember: do not open or close the taxi doors yourself; the driver has an automated button to do this for you.

#14 I’d like to go to _____, please. (____ made onegaishimasu ＿＿までお願いします) #15 How much does it cost? ( Ikura desu ka? いくらですか。)

One important thing to remember is that Japan is a very cash-centric society . The use of credit cards is much rarer than you may be used to, so you should plan to carry larger than normal amounts of cash with you in general. This also means that you should be prepared to ask your taxi driver if he or she accepts credit cards at all.

#16 Is paying by credit card okay? ( Kurejitto kaado de ii desu ka? クレジットカードでいいですか。)

Checking Into Your Hotel

So you have taken a taxi or train, and you’ve arrived at your hotel. Hotels have a wide array of commodities that you can take advantage of, which means that you’ll also get to use a lot of unique vocabulary.

Check out some of the words you’re most likely to use:

#17 Key ( kagi 鍵) #18 Front desk ( chouba (but furonto desuku is more common) 帳場 (フロントデスク)) #19 Lobby ( robii ロビー) #20 Dining room ( shokudou 食堂) #21 Hall ( rouka 廊下) #22 Towel ( taoru タオル) #23 Soap ( sekken 石鹸) #24 Toothbrush ( ha-burashi 歯ブラシ) #25 Toothpaste ( ha-migaki 歯磨き) #26 Razor ( kamisori かみそり) #27 Television ( terebi テレビ) #28 Housekeeping ( kaji-gakari かじがかり) #29 Laundry ( sentaku 選択)

If you are looking to do laundry at a hotel, be aware that Japanese dryers are not as powerful as most countries’, so you may need to run the dryer multiple times or simply hang your clothes to dry.

When you are ready to check in, you can approach the front desk. Depending on what you need to do next, you can use phrases such as:

#30 I’d like to check in. ( Chekku in wo onegaishimasu .チェックインをお願いします。) #31 My name is _______. ( Namae wa _____desu .名前あ＿＿＿です。) #32 I’d like to make a reservation. ( Yoyaku wo shitai desu .予約をしたいです。) #33 Is there wifi? ( Wi-Fi ga arimasu ka? WIFIがありますか。) #34 What time is checkout? ( Chekku auto wa nanji desu ka? チェックアウトは何時ですか。`) #35 Can you hold my luggage for me? ( Nimotsu wo koko ni oite itte mo ii desu ka? 荷物はここに置いていってもいいですか。)

Japanese Greetings

Now that you have settled into Japan a little bit, you’ll probably enjoy going for a walk to see the sights. As you interact with other people, the phrases you’re most likely to hear them say are:

#36 Ohayou/konnichiwa/konbanwa

These are the “daily” greetings that mean “hello.” Ohayou (good morning) is typically used until about 11:30 or noon, then people switch to konnichiwa (good afternoon). At about 5pm, most people will switch to konbanwa (good evening).

#37 Itterasshai/Okaeri

When you leave and return for the day, you may be greeted with unique phrases. Itterasshai means “have a safe trip” or simply “goodbye for the day,” said as you leave. Your hotel staff may say this to you. They may also greet you with okaeri (welcome back) when you return.

#38 Irasshaimase

Whenever you enter a business, you’ll likely be greeted with irasshaimase , a very formal welcome. You are not expected to say anything in response; it’s sort of like the staff saying hello while also thanking you for shopping or visiting.

Buying Coffee

If you can’t go a day without your morning brew, take heart—Japanese coffee shops are everywhere, and the vocabulary is actually almost identical to what you may be used to ordering.

#39 Coffee shop ( kissaten 喫茶店) #40 Hot coffee ( hotto kohi ホットコーヒー) #41 Iced coffee ( aisu kohi アイスコーヒー) #42 Cafe latte ( kafe rate カフェラテ) #43 Drip coffee ( dorippu kohi ドリップコーヒー) #44 Soy milk ( soi miruku ソイミルク)) #45 Espresso ( Esupuresso エスプレッソ)

When it comes time to order your drink, you can specify what you want via the following format:

#46 I’d like to order [number] of [item]. ([item] wo [number] onegaishimasu .[item] を [number]お願いします。)

The [item] can be kohi, mizu (water), or any other item you would like to order. If you don’t know how to say what you want to order, you can point to a menu and simply say “kore” (this) in the [item] place. You can fill the [number] slot with the quantity you would like; the words hitotsu, futatsu , and mitsu mean one, two, and three, respectively.

For example:

• I’d like one hot coffee, please. ( Hotto kohi wo hitotsu onegaishimasu. )

After this, the waitress may ask what size you would like. You can typically choose from small (S), medium (M), and large (L).

Use the letter to indicate which size you would like:

#47 Size ( saizu サイズ) #48 Medium M ( saizuM サイズ)

In A Japanese Restaurant

If you’ve decided to stop by a Japanese restaurant instead of a café, you might need a wider variety of words to make sure you can get by.

The good news is that many restaurants—especially in large cities—have pictures on their menus, and no one will be upset if you point and simply say “this, please.”

To start, the vocabulary you’re most likely to need include:

#49 Fish ( sakana 魚) #50 Meat ( niku 肉) #51 Vegetables ( yasai 野菜) #52 Vegetarian ( begitarian ベジタリアン) #53 Beer ( biiru ビール) #54 Water ( mizu 水) #55 Tea ( ocha お茶)

As you enter a restaurant, you will likely be asked how many people are in your party. Using basic Japanese numbers 1-10, you can create the following sentence:

#56 There are [number] people. ([number] mei desu .___名です)

Once you have been seated, you may need to use some of the following phrases:

#57 Do you have an English menu? ( Eigo no menyu arimasu ka? 英語のメニューありますか。) #58 What is this [while pointing]? ( Kore ha nan desu ka? これは何ですか。)

When you have decided what you would like to order, you can simply state:

#59 [item] please. (____ onegaishimasu .＿＿お願いします。)

If you do not know the name of the item and would like to order just by pointing at the menu, you can use:

#60 I’d like to order [number] of [item]. ([item] wo [number] onegaishimasu .[item] を [number]お願いします。)

When your meal is over, your next step is to pay. Important phrases that can get you through this phase of the interaction include:

#61 Could we have the bill, please? ( Okaikei kudasai. お会計ください。) #62 Can I pay with a credit card? ( Kurejitto kaado de daijoubu desu ka? クレジットカードで大丈夫ですか。)

In A Convenience Store

If you don’t feel like stopping by a restaurant, or if you’d just like a quick bite to eat or other item, the thousands of convenience stores (called konbini , short for konbiniensu sutoa , “convenience store”) that appear on nearly every street corner are ready to serve you.

The easiest meals in terms of simplicity will be bento boxes, or small boxes (in the cold section) that serve as a whole meal. If you pick one of those up and stand in line, you will almost always hear the following three phrases (to which you can answer yes or no, which keeps things simple):

#63 Next in line, please! ( Otsugi no kata douzo! お次の方どうぞ。) #64 Do you have a point card [a rewards card for the convenience store]? ( Pointo ka-do ha omochi desu ka? ポイントカードはお持ちですか。) #65 Would you like your bento warmed up? ( Obento atatamemasu ka? お弁当温めますか。)

Getting Directions And Getting Lost

Almost inevitably, you’ll find yourself turned around once you start exploring. That’s not such a bad thing! Japan is full of small, tucked away secrets, and the people are eager to help you get back to a familiar place much more often than not.

If you need to ask directions, the phrases that will serve you best are:

#66 Where is [place]?( ____ ha doko desu ka? ＿＿ はどこですか。) #67 Can I ask you for directions? ( Michi wo kiite mo ii desu ka? 道を聞いてもいいですか。) #68 Can you help me? ( Tasukete kudasaimasen ka? 助けてくださいませんか。)

In response, Japanese people are likely to use the following words:

#69 Next ( totonari となり) #70 In front of ( mae 前) #71 Behind ( ushiro 後ろ) #72 Nearby ( chikaku 近く) #73 North ( kita 北) #74 South ( minami 南) #75 East ( higashi 東) #76 West ( nishi 西) #77 Right ( migi 右) #78 Left ( hidari 左) #79 Street/road/path ( michi 道) #80 Bridge ( hashi 橋) #81 Corner ( kado 角)

Thanks to the consistent presence of trains and other forms of public transport, you should feel emboldened to explore as much as you like. There will always be a train station or bus nearby where you can ask directions or head back to a familiar place!

Japanese Travel Phrases

So there you have it – 83 Japanese travel phrases to hit the ground running on your next trip to Japan. From the airport to the convenience store and from the hotel to Japanese restaurants these knowing these Japanese travel phrases will help you feel less like a tourist.

And who knows, maybe getting started with these Japanese travel phrases will be your gateway into learning the language.

By the way, if you'd like to learn some more Japanese phrases before your trip, make sure you check out this post on basic conversational Japanese for your first chat with a native speaker. You might also like this list of Japanese conversation starters.

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Japanese Phrases for Travelers (A Cheat Sheet)

When traveling through Japan, it is VERY helpful to have some Japanese phrases under your belt. On my visit there, I found that many people I encountered did not speak English, so I’m so glad that I took some time to a (little) bit of Japanese before my visit.

Keep reading for a list of the top Japanese phrases for travelers, as well as some general information on the language and tips on how to start learning on your own! Your trip to Kyoto , Tokyo , and beyond will be better because of it.

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Japanese Language Overview

Language history.

The exact origins of Japanese are disputed by top linguists, as there is evidence that it could have originated from either the Polynesian, Chinese, or the Ural-Altaic languages. For a time, many scholars agreed that Japanese is part of the Ural-Altaic language family, which also includes Turkish, Korean, Manchu, and Mongolian. Japanese has been compared with Korean due to similarities in structure, use, and grammar, but the relation is still debated. Today, it the only major language whose origin is still unknown.

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This free download includes all the key Japanese phrases that you will need for your travels to Japan. In addition, get details on the best resources to improve your speaking and listening skills as well.

Japanese language history can be split into five main periods:

• Old Japanese (Prior to 8th Century)
• Late Old Japanese (9th – 11th Century)
• Middle Japanese (12th – 16th Century)
• Early Modern Japanese (17th-18th Century)
• Modern Japanese (19th Century – now)

Japanese has been a recognized language for the past 1200 years, from around the 8th century AD, where the earliest Japanese writings have been found. Some earlier evidence of the Japanese language has appeared in Chinese writings from as early as the 3rd century AD, but it is not known how long the language has existed on the island.

The Language Today

Today, Japanese is spoken by over 125 million people, most of whom reside in Japan. It is not the official language of Japan, but is the de facto national language of Japan. The standard form of the language is called hyojungo “standard Japanese or kyostugo “common language”. This is the variety of the language that is taught in schools and used in TV and official communications.

There are dozens of dialects spoken throughout Japan, as with many old languages. Some differences are more minor (e.g., changes to pronunciation or words used), while other dialects are so distinct from each other that they are mutually unintelligible. This is most often the case for dialects coming from peripheral regions, mountain villages, or isolated islands in the country.

I will also note, there are other languages spoken in Okinawa, as well as the Ryukyu and Amami Islands, known as the Ryukyuan languages. These languages are part of the Japonic language family, and some are considered endangered languages by UNESCO. Their decline is use is due to a shift in greater use of Standard Japanese and other dialects.

RELATED: Kyoto Travel Guide

Japanese Script

An interesting fact about Japanese that did not know until recently, is that Japanese has no genetic relationship to Chinese. Which was surprising to me because the language does use mostly Chinese characters in its written script. There have been two methods of using Chinese script – the first by using them as characters to represent an object or idea. The second method involves using the script to pronounce Japanese words phonetically – which is not widely done today.

Over time, the Japanese script has been modified from the traditional Chinese characters with the overall simplification of some characters. Additionally, there has been the incorporation of hiragana characters, which are also simplified and have a more rounded appearance.

Additional Observations on Japanese

For the true language nerds out here are a few interesting facts about Japanese:

• There are no diphthongs in Japanese, only monophthongs, demonstrating that all Japanese vowels are “pure”
• Word order is classified as subject-object-verb, but the only strict rule there is that the verb must be at the end of the sentence
• The culture in Japan is VERY polite, and that is also represented in the spoken language as there is an extensive grammatical structure to express politeness, formality, and even differing levels of social status

Basic Japanese Words and Pronunciation

Japanese greetings – formal.

Here are some basic formal greetings (hi / goodbye) that you’d use on a regular day.

• Hello/Good day – Konnichiwa (こんにちは今日は)
• Good morning – Ohayō Gozaimasu (おはよう ございます お早う御座います)
• Good evening – Konbanwa (こんばんは)
• Good night – Shitsurei shimasu (しつれい　します 失礼します)
• Goodbye – Sayōnara (さようなら)

Note, when greeting others in Japan be sure to accompany your words with a slight bow. This bow is often done again when saying goodbye as well.

Japanese Greetings – Informal

If you stay in Japan for a time and make friends, it may be appropriate for you to incorporate informal greetings into your vocabulary:

• Hi – Yā (やあ)
• Hey/Yo – Yō (よう)
• What’s Up? – Saikin dō? (さいきんどう最近どう)
• Bye – Jā / Jā ne (じゃあ　/　じゃあ　ね)
• See you soon – Mata ne (また　ね)
• See you again – Jā mata (じゃあ　また)
• See you tomorrow – Mata ashita (また　あした また明日)
• Be well – Genki De (げんき　で 元気で)

Top 30 Japanese Phrases

Outside of Japanese greetings, here are the top 30 phrases that you should learn before visiting Japan:

• Hello – Kon’nichiwa (こんにちは)
• Yes – Hai ( はい)
• No – Iie (いいえ)
• Thank you – Arigatō* (ありがとう)
• Excuse me – Sumimasen* (すみません) – This phrase is important when trying to get the attention of your waiter in restaurants, and when passing people in tight quarters.
• Please – O-negai shimasu (おねがいします)
• You’re welcome – Dōitashimashite (どういたしまして)
• I’m sorry – Gomennasai (ごめんなさい)
• Do you speak English? – Eigo o hanasemasu ka (えいごをはなせますか。)
• I only speak a little Japanese – Watashi wa nihongo ga sukoshi shika hanasemasen. (わたしは　にほんごがすこししか　はなせません。)
• What is your name? – O-namae wa nan desu ka. (おなまえはなんですか。)
• My name is __ – Watashi no namae wa ___ desu. (わたしのなまえは　かおりです)
• How are you? – O-genki desu ka. (おげんきですか。)
• I’m fine, thanks – Genki desu. (げんきです)
• I’m very glad to meet you – Oaidekite ureshī desu. (おあいできて　うれしいです。)
• I don’t understand – Wakarimasen (わかりません。)
• What did you say? – Nante iimashita ka. (なんていいましたか。)
• Can you speak more slowly? – Motto yukkuri hanashite kudasai. (もっと　ゆっくりはなしてください。)
• I understand you perfectly. – Yoku wakarimasu. (よくわかります。)
• How much is it? – Ikura desu ka? (いくらですか？)
• Do you have ___? – ______ wa arimasu ka? (はありますか)
• Help! – Tasukete (助けて。)
• I don’t need it. – Iranai (いらない)
• Great! / I’m glad! – Yokatta (良かった)
• Are you okay? – Daijoubu desu ka. (大丈夫ですか)
• What happened? – Doushitanda. (どうしたんだ)
• Welcome – Irasshaimase. ( いらっしゃいませ)
• How much does it cost? – Ikura kakarimasu ka? (いくらかかりますか？)
• It costs. .. – Hiyō ga kakarimasu (費用がかかります)

Note: I’ve put an asterisk by the phrases that I used the most while traveling through Japan.

Counting to 10 in Japanese

There are two methods of counting in Japanese: 1) Sino-Japanese and 2) Native Japanese. Sino-Japanese is used most often (by far), so this is what is demonstrated in the tabel below:

RELATED: The Link Between Languages and Travel

Pronouncing Japanese the Right Way

Check out this video from a native speaker that covers pronunciation for many of the phrases listed above. For best results, practice saying the words out loud so that you get used to speaking them.

Japanese Travel Phrases PDF

Keep your learning going by downloading this Japanese Phrases PDF. You will be able to practice as needed before your trip!

FAQs about Learning Japanese for Travel

Before your trip to Japan, some common phrases you should learn are “Arigatou gozaimasu” (Thank you very much), “Sumimasen” (Excuse me/I’m sorry), “Konnichiwa” (Hello), “O-genki desu ka?” (How are you?), and “Eigo o hanashimasu ka?” (Do you speak English?).

Japanese people often say “Ittekimasu” (I’ll go and come back) before leaving their home, which is a polite way of saying they are heading out. Similarly, upon returning, they say “Tadaima” (I’m back) to announce their arrival.

The Japanese word for travel is “tabi” (旅).

Some must-know phrases for Japanese travel include “Doko desu ka?” (Where is it?), “Ikura desu ka?” (How much does it cost?), “Eki wa doko desu ka?” (Where is the train station?), “Kudasai” (Please/give me), and “Osusume no o-sake wa arimasu ka?” (Do you have any recommended sake?).

Some cool Japanese phrases include “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu” (Please take care of it/Thank you in advance), “Kawaii” (Cute), “Oishii” (Delicious), “Ganbatte” (Good luck/Do your best), and “Natsukashii” (Nostalgic).

Learning Japanese for Travel | Final Recommendations

That wraps my list of essential Japanese phrases for travelers. Now that you know WHAT you need to learn, the next step is to take it into practice. I suggest that you do that by downloading the attached PDF of key Japanese phrases, and practice the phrases daily for at least a month before your trip.

To complement learning these phrases, there are a few additional resources that you may find helpful:

• iTalki – On this site you can practice with a tutor, formal teacher, or others just seeking to do a language exchange (for free!). The paid lessons have very cheap options, with some as low as $5 an hour. Check it out!
• LigoPie – Practice listening and reading Japanese with videos. You can make changes to the speed you are listening to as well. This is the best way to rapidly increase your comprehension skills!
• Japanese Pod – There are so many free resources on the website and through the podcast they offer. There are paid options as well.
• Duolingo – I don’t find this app useful for practicing spoken language, but it will help you remember key phrases through repetition.

Have you studied Japanese before? Let me know if you have any additional tips in the comments below!

Related Posts on Japan:

• 2 Days in Kyoto
• 4 Days in Tokyo
• Hakone Travel Guide
• The Best Samurai Experience in Kyoto
• Ninja Akasaka Review

Additional Travel Language Guides:

• Portuguese for Travel
• Spanish for Travel
• Italian for Travel
• Thai for Travel
• Greek for Travel
• Language and Travel

Don’t forget to pin this for later!

Christen Thomas is the founder of TravelWanderGrow, established in 2018. She has lived abroad and traveled extensively to over 30 countries. In addition, she is a certified Travel Advisor and is an expert in planning trips focused on city history and culture. As a frequent traveler, she also shares tips on how to prepare to travel well and how to save money while doing so.

Pinning this for later as we’re hoping to visit Japan in the next few years. Great breakdown of the common phrases. I had a Japanese roommate in high school so I’ve heard a lot of these phrases, but never knew how to spell them – so interesting!

Glad you have found the guide helpful, Emily! Hope you get to practice the phrases soon :).

I am Korean-American & can speak conversational Korean. I feel I would be able to easily pickup Japanese but they seem to talk so fast! Thanks for sharing this post! My husband & I hope to visit Japan later this fall…it will come handy!

Doesn’t it always seem that others speak so fast when you are learning a language? Hopefully you can put these to good use on your trip to Japan!

Very useful and interesting. Thank you! Keep it coming

Glad you found it helpful, Oliver!

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100 Basic Japanese Phrases for Your Trip to Japan

Our list of 100 Japanese phrases for traveling to Japan covers basic questions, greetings, phrases to express gratitude, as well as words you can use when shopping, at restaurants, or in case of an emergency.

Matcha Admin

Basic Japanese for Travelers

English is still not widely spoken in Japan, though there are many multilingual signs and information centers within train stations and at major sightseeing destinations.

Read on to learn one hundred basic Japanese phrases with their meaning and pronunciation. For a smooth trip, we also encourage you to use an automatic translation device like Pocketalk ; you can use it to scan Japanese text and generate a basic translation, or to translate your own words into Japanese when you want to communicate with staff or locals at your destination.

Top 100 Japanese Phrases for Travel

1. Basic Expressions: Greetings and Thanks 2. Transportation: Trains, Taxis, Payment 3. Destinations: Shrines, Temples, etc. 4. Shopping: How to Ask for Things 5. For Restaurants, Cafes, and Izakaya Pubs 6. Accommodation: Hotels and Japanese Inns 7. For Trouble and Emergencies

1. Basic Expressions: Greetings and Thanks

Photo by Pixta

おはようございます Ohayo gozaimasu (pronounced O-ha-yo-o-go-za-i-mas) Good morning

こんにちは Konnichiwa (pronounced Kon-ni-chi-wah) Hello/Hi

こんばんは Konbanwa (pronounced Kon-ban-wah) Good Evening

またね Mata ne (pronounced Ma-ta-ne) Bye/See you

People may often translate "goodbye" as "sayonara" in Japanese, but this is a much more formal word and tends to have a more permanent tone to it, like a farewell. When speaking casually, "mata ne" is typically used.

すみません Sumimasen (pronounced Su-me-ma-sen) Excuse me/Pardon?

ごめんなさい Gomen nasai (pronounced Go-men-nah-sigh) I'm sorry

ありがとう Arigato (pronounced A-ri-gah-toe) Thank you

Beyond Arigato! How to Say Thank You in Japanese: 12 Phrases for Every Situation

おおきに Ookini (pronounced O-o-ki-ni) Thank you (used in Kansai, especially Osaka)

わかりません Wakarimasen (pronounced Wa-ka-ri-ma-sen) I have no idea/I don't know

はい Hai (pronounced Hi) Yes

いいえ Iie (pronounced E-ye) No

あなた Anata (pronounced A-na-ta) You

わたし Watashi (pronounced Wa-ta-she) Me, myself, I

英語 Eigo (pronounced Eh-go) English

If you are trying to find information in English, you may want to ask someone for help, most easily done by saying "Eigo?" However, you may have some trouble finding an English speaker when outside of major sightseeing areas.

これはなんですか？ Kore wa nan desu ka? (pronounced Ko-re-wa-nan-des-ka) What is this?

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. People in Japan are kind and will definitely try their best to help you.

それはどこですか？ Sore wa doko desu ka? (pronounced So-re-wa-do-ko-des-ka) Where is that?

◯◯に行きたい ... ni ikitai (pronounced ...ni i-ki-tai) I want to go to --.

失礼します Shitsurei shimasu (pronounced She-tsu-ray-she-mas) May I enter?/Thank you for your time/Goodbye

This is a more formal sentence used when entering or leaving a room, hanging up the phone, or other business/formal situations. Just keep in mind that this is a formal phrase and is spoken when being very polite.

かわいい Kawaii (pronounced Ka-wah-e [rhymes with "Hawaii"]) Cute/Sweet/Adorable/Gorgeous

"Kawaii" is a useful word, it can describe any number of things, from food to goods to people.

うれしい Ureshii (pronounced U-re-shi-i) I’m happy.

かなしい Kanashii (pronounced Ka-na-shi-i) I’m sad.

たのしい Tanoshii (pronounced Ta-no-shi-i) I’m having fun.

すき Suki (pronounced Su-ki) I like it/I like you.

きらい Kirai (pronounced Ki-rai) I don’t like it/I don’t like you.

15 Japanese Phrases For When You're In Love - Express Your Feelings!

↑ Return to the top of article.

2. Transportation

両替 Ryogae (pronounced Ryo-ga-eh) Cash exchange

初乗り Hatsunori (pronounced Ha-tsu-no-ri) The base fare (on taxi)

The "hatsunori" fee is usually clearly displayed inside taxis near the car navigation system on the front. Generally, it is written “初乗り◯◯円”, showing how much the base fare is. Also, there should be a small monitor on the front displaying the total fare for the distance run. You are unlikely to be ripped off by taxi drivers in Japan, so don't hesitate to ask what the rate is.

Riding Taxis in Japan: The 6 Best Apps to Grab a Cab

Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA Pronounced Sue-e-ka, Pas-mo, I-co-ka

These are the IC cards you can use to pay for your ticket when getting on trains, metros, buses, and monorails. In recent years, the digital versions of these cards have become more popular than the physical ones.

Suica and Pasmo IC Cards: Prepaid Transportation Passes in Japan

みどりの窓口 Midori no Madoguchi (pronounced Mi-do-ri-no-ma-doh-gu-chi) *This is the general term for "JR ticket counters" at JR stations. Look for these counters when you want to reserve seat tickets for trains and Shinkansen.

Shinkansen: How to Buy Bullet Train Tickets

各駅停車 Kakueki teisha (pronounced Ka-ku-eh-ki-tei-sha) Local train

Local trains stop at every station on the line until their final stop; the train type is usually displayed in light green lights on the digital displays.

快速 Kaisoku (pronounced Ka-i-so-ku) Rapid train

A rapid train may skip a few or many stations, depending on the line. If you're heading to a major station, take a rapid train.

通勤快速 Tsukin kaisoku (pronounced Tsu-u-kin-kai-so-ku) Commuter Express

The commuter express trains only run on certain lines or only during rush hours in big cities. They tend to be very crowded trains.

特急 Tokkyu (pronounced To-kkyu) Limited express train

You need to buy an additional ticket along with the usual one to get on limited express trains. There are two ticket types: reserved seat tickets and non-reserved seat tickets. Reserved tickets have to be bought in advance before the ride. Non-reserved ones can be bought on the train when the conductor comes by.

グリーン車 Green-sha (pronounced Green-sha) “Green car,” the first-class car

You need to buy a “green car ticket” in addition to the basic fare tickets to ride in these cars. There is usually a ticket dispenser on the train platform. You also can also buy a ticket inside the car, but it would cost more than buying in advance. Green cars offer better seats and environment compared to others. You are also offered food services.

最寄り駅 Moyori eki (pronounced Mo-yo-ri-e-ki) The nearest railway station to the destination.

This word often shows up in the access information for shops and restaurants. One characteristic of the Japanese language is that several words are sometimes combined into one. In this case, 最寄り(= the nearest) and 駅(= station) are put together.

時刻表 Jikokuhyo (pronounced Ji-ko-ku-hyoh) Time-table for trains or buses

運賃 Unchin (pronounced Un-chin) Fare

The fare depends on which company’s bus you take. Some set the all-commodity rate and some do not. When to pay the fare differs by the bus, too. For details, ask the driver when boarding.

先払い Sakibarai (pronounced Sa-ki-ba-rai) Pay when getting on the bus

If the bus driver tells you “Sakibarai," then you have to pay first before the ride.

後払い Atobarai (pronounced A-to-ba-rai) Pay when getting off the bus

In this case, you have to pay for the distance traveled when you get off the bus. The fare will be displayed on a screen above the front window.

3. Destinations: Shrines, Temples, and Museums

拝観料 Haikanryo (pronounced Hai-kan-ryoh) The entrance fee at shrines and temples

Japanese Religion: Differences Between Temples And Shrines

おみくじ Omikuji (pronounced O-me-ku-g) Fortune slip

Below are the seven ranks of fortune commonly found on omikuji (fortune slips for luck divination found at shrines and temples), from the best to the worst. The type of luck will be written on an omikuji at a shrine or temple.

Omikuji - Japanese Fortune Slips

大吉 Daikichi (pronounced Die-ki-chi) Excellent luck

中吉 Chukichi (pronounced Chu-ki-chi) Higher-than-average luck

小吉 Shokichi (pronounced Show-ki-chi) Slightly higher than average luck

吉 Kichi (pronounced Ki-chi) Average luck

末吉 Suekichi (pronounced Sue-e-ki-chi) Slightly bad luck

凶 Kyo (pronounced Kyo) Bad luck

大凶 Daikyo (pronounced Da-i-kyo) Very very bad luck

お守り Omamori (pronounced O-ma-mo-ri) Good-luck charm, amulet

お賽銭 Osaisen (pronounced O-sigh-i-sen) Monetary offering

When visiting a temple or shrine, you should offer some money when you go up to pray; usually, a 5 yen coin will suffice because the word "go en" (5 yen) also sounds like the word "goen" which means good relationships.

観光案内所 Kanko annaisho (pronounced Kan-koh-an-nai-sho) Tourist Information Center

It’s often said that these centers are not easy to find. Check the location beforehand on the internet or guidebooks.

4. Shopping

Picture from Shopping in Kyoto: Top 16 Department Stores, Malls, and Shopping Streets

これください Kore kudasai (pronounced Ko-re ku-da-sigh) I want this.

お願いします Onegai shimasu (pronounced O-ne-guy-she-mas) Yes, please.

When you are offered something by the staff and you would like to have it, use the phrase above.

大丈夫です Daijobu desu (pronounced Die-joe-bu-des) No, thank you.

If you want to decline that offer, then use the phrase above.

いくら？ Ikura? (pronounced E-ku-ra) How much is this?

13 Japanese Phrases For Shopping In Japan

おすすめ Osusume (pronounced O-sue-sue-may) Recommendation

試食 / 試飲 Shishoku / Shiin (pronounced She-sho-ku / She-in) Food tasting, Drink tasting

12 Simple Japanese Phrases For Supermarkets And Convenience Stores

9 Japanese Phrases You Can Use At The Drugstore

↑ Return to the top of the article.

5. Restaurants, Cafes, and Izakaya Pubs

Picture from Osaka's Vibrant Izakaya Culture: 13 Pubs and Bar Districts 牛丼 Gyudon (pronounced Gyu-don) A bowl of rice with a topping of sliced beef

たこ焼き Takoyaki (pronounced Tah-ko-yah-ki) Fried octopus dumplings

お好み焼き Okonomiyaki (pronounced O-ko-no-mi-yah-ki) Pancake-like dish with meat (or seafood) and vegetables

Ready For Japan! Vol. 4 - Make Authentic Okonomiyaki At Home

和風 Wafu (pronounced Wa-fu-u) Japanese-style

無料 Muryo (pronounced Mu-ryoh) Free

How To Order Sushi - 6 Simple Japanese Phrases To Use At Restaurants!

大盛り Oomori (pronounced Oh-moh-ri) Large serving

You sometimes might find "大盛り" in combination with "無料," which means you can eat more for the same price!

食べ放題 / 飲み放題 Tabehodai / Nomihodai (pronounced Tah-beh-hoh-die / Noh-mi-hoh-die) All-you-can-eat / All-you-can-drink

Quite a number of restaurants and bars offer such food and drink plans.

ベジタリアン / 菜食 Vegetarian / Saishoku (pronounced Beh-ji-tah-ri-an/Sigh-sho-ku) Vegetarian

ヴィーガン / 完全菜食 Vegan / Kanzen Saishoku (pronounced Bi-gan/Kan-zen-sigh-sho-ku) Vegan

Vegetarian and vegan dining is gaining in popularity in Japan, but it can be hard to find at standard restaurants. Ask the employee at the restaurant just in case.

いただきます Itadakimasu (pronounced I-tah-da-ki-mas)

"Itadakimasu" is a phrase showing gratitude to the people who cooked the dish. It is a basic manner to say this before eating the food.

おいしい Oishii (pronounced O-i-shi-i) Delicious

おかわり Okawari (pronounced O-ka-wa-ri) Another helping/cup

ごちそうさまでした Gochisosama deshita (pronounced Go-chi-so-u-sah-mah-de-she-tah) Thank you for the delicious meal.

"Gochisosamadeshita" is similar to "itadakimasu," but you say this after your food is done. Don't forget to say it, or it will be considered rude to the cook.

居酒屋 Izakaya (pronounced I-za-ka-ya) Japanese bar

日本酒 Nihonshu (pronounced Ni-ho-n-shoe) Japanese sake

地酒 Jizake (pronounced Ji-za-ke) Local sake

焼酎 Shochu (pronounced Show-chu-u)

Shochu is a Japanese distilled liquor made mainly from rice, barley, or potatoes.

泡盛 Awamori (pronounced A-wa-mo-ri) Strong Okinawa liquor

枝豆 Edamame (pronounced E-da-ma-me)

Edamame is the word for green-boiled and salted soybeans eaten along with alcoholic beverages like beer or sake.

乾杯 Kanpai (pronounced Kan-pai) Cheers!

トイレ/お手洗い/化粧室 Toire / Otearai / Keshoshitsu (pronounced Toy-re / O-teh-ah-rai / Keh-show-she-tsu) Toilet

Otearai and Keshoshitsu are formal terms for "bathroom" used in restaurants or hotels.

10 Things You Need to Know About Japanese Toilets

6. Accommodation

ホステル Hostel (pronounced Ho-sue-te-lu) Hostel

カプセルホテル Capselu hotel (pronounced Ca-pu-seh-lu-ho-te-lu) Capsule hotel

Capsule hotels give each guest a "capsule-like" space instead of rooms. They are efficient and ideal for those with a minimalistic travel style.

旅館 Ryokan (pronounced Ryo-kan) A Japanese inn, or Japanese-style hotel

民宿 Minshuku (pronounced Min-shoe-ku) A Japanese-style private guesthouse

素泊まり Sudomari (pronounced Su-do-ma-ri) A stay without meals included

10 Japanese Phrases You Can Use At A Hotel

7. For Trouble and Emergencies

盗まれた Nusumareta (pronounced Nu-su-ma-re-tah) My belongings have been stolen.

なくした Nakushita (pronounced Na-ku-she-tah) I’ve lost my belongings.

たすけて Tasukete (pronounced Ta-sue-ke-te) Help!

交番 Koban (pronounced Koh-ban) Police station

警察 Keisatsu (pronounced Kei-sa-tsu) Police

110 Hyakutoban (pronounced Hya-ku-to-ban)

If you want to ask people to call the police, tell them "Hyakutoban." Or, push 1-1-0 on your mobile phone or public telephone nearby. Emergency calls on public phones are free.

きもちわるい Kimochi warui (pronounced Ki-mo-chi-wa-ru-i) I’m feeling sick.

怪我した Kega shita (pronounced Ke-ga-she-ta) I’m injured.

救急車 Kyukyusha (pronounced Kyu-kyu-sha) Ambulance

Japanese Phrases To Use When You're Sick Or In The Hospital

119 Hyakujukyuban (pronounced Hya-ku-ju-kyu-ban)

The Japanese 911 is 119. This number will call for an ambulance or fire services. When using certain SIM cards, you might not be able to use such emergency calls. Ask for help around you.

大使館 Taishikan (pronounced Tai-she-kan) Foreign embassy

Many embassies are located in the Roppongi area, but make sure you know where yours is in advance.

14 Japanese Phrases To Use To Make Requests And Ask For Help

Main image by Pixta

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About the product [sample incense] sold at the shop

73+ Essential Japanese Travel Phrases for Tourists Visiting Japan & Free cheat sheet

Disclosure: This essential Japanese travel phrases for tourists article may contain affiliate links. If you click it and buy something you like, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Read more in  Disclaimer .

Going to Japan? Searching for essential Japanese travel phrases for tourists ? Look no further! When in Japan, being familiar with common Japanese phrases for tourists will be beyond helpful! Trust me! I have been to Japan and knowing basic Japanese phrases helped me to enjoy exploring the vibrant streets of Tokyo , serene temples of Kyoto , or the natural beauty of Mount Fuji during sakura.

Before you travel to the land of the rising Sun, learn Japanese travel phrases which will help to order ramen, and to deepen your understanding of Japanese culture and their way of life. Curious, what are some common phrases I need to learn before my trip to Japan ?

🥘 If you have been wondering “What is Anja’s favorite Japanese food?”, you will find the answer hidden in the blog.

Japan is one of the most sought-after and visited countries in Asia, known for its fascinating blend of tradition and modernity, breathtaking landscapes, and renowned cuisine. Especially popular in Spring at sakura or in Autumn for fall foliage.   There are people in Japan, who speak English. But it is not as common as you would think. Thus, japanese phrases to know when traveling will come in handy. By knowing basic Japanese words you will also be able to show respect to the locals. In this common travel phrases Japanese language guide , you are going to find useful phrases in Japanese for tourists. From typical Japanese phrases for greetings, Japanese hotel phrases and Japanese words for simple conversation. Inside the post you will also find a FREE Japanese travel phrases pdf , that you can download and bring with you to Japan.   Let’s begin your Japanese adventure by learning essential Japanese phrases for travel .

for ESSENTIAL TRAVEL PHRASES: • 73+ Essential ENGLISH Travel Phrases and Words You Should Know • 73+ Essential ARABIC Travel Phrases for Tourists in Arab Countries & Free PDF • 73+ Essential GREEK Travel Phrases for Tourists on a Greek Holiday & Download • 73+ Essential JAPANESE Travel Phrases for Tourists Visiting Japan & Free cheat sheet • 73+ Essential SLOVENIAN Travel Phrases for your trip to Slovenia & Free Download • 73+ Essential SWAHILI Travel Phrases for Travelers to East Africa + Free Download for WORDS & PHRASES in 101 different languages: • How to say You have beautiful eyes in 101 different languages • How to say What is the WiFi password in 101 different languages • How to say Hello in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Love in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say I love you in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Thank you in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Happy Birthday in 101 different languages spoken In the World • How to say Happy New Year in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Friend in 101 different languages spoken around the World with Pronunciation

for general JAPAN TRAVEL TIPS: • GET OVER JET LAG WITH THESE 19 EASY-TO-FOLLOW TIPS • ULTIMATE TRAVELER SAFETY GUIDE: WHAT TO DO DURING AN EARTHQUAKE for JAPAN TIPS: • Ultimate List of 23 Best Apps for Travel to Japan • JAPAN COST OF TRAVEL AND DETAILED BUDGET BREAKDOWN • HOW TO SPEND SEVENTEEN DAYS IN JAPAN: FIRST TIME ITINERARY • 73+ Essential Japanese Travel Phrases for Tourists Visiting Japan & Free cheat sheet for best TOURS IN JAPAN: • TOP 5 RAMEN TOURS IN TOKYO TO UNLOCK YOUR TASTEBUDS • 10 STUNNING JAPAN CHERRY BLOSSOM TOURS THAT YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE for INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS about JAPAN: • 55 BEST KYOTO CAPTIONS FOR INSTAGRAM – GOLDEN AND KAWAII • 55 BEST TOKYO CAPTIONS FOR INSTAGRAM – KAWAII AND CUTE • 73 Best Ramen Captions for Instagram – Delicious Like Broth • 87 Simplistic Cherry Blossom Captions for Sakura – Sweet and Dreamy • 135 Best Japan Captions for Instagram – Puns, Quotes, Riddles & Jokes

Table of Contents

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1. Where is Japanese spoken?

Did you know that more than 125 million people speak Japanese? Japanese is primarily spoken in Japan. It is the official language of Japan and is spoken by the majority of the population there. Due to globalization and the popularity of Japanese culture, Japanese is studied and spoken by learners in many countries worldwide. There are Japanese-speaking communities in countries around the world, particularly in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Australia, and the Philippines. The best way to learn Japanese for travel is by using apps like Duolingo or Memrise. If your Japan itinerary is longer than 2 weeks, maybe sign up for a language course. To master the basic Japanese phrases for conversation the best way would be going on a language exchange but if you don’t have time, just download Japanese cheat sheet in this blog post.

2. Japanese language basics: alphabet and pronunciation

Before you start learning common Japanese phrases for tourists, you have to familiarize yourself with the basics of the Japanese language . The Japanese writing system consists of three alphabets: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji . Hiragana and Katakana are native to Japan. They both use 46 characters , each representing one syllable and a specific phonetic sound . Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and Katakana for words borrowed from foreign languages. Kanji is a writing system borrowed from China, where each ideogram stands for a certain meaning and can have multiple pronunciations.  Don’t get scared, let me tell you that Japanese alphabet has fewer letters than English alphabet, 21 in total. It uses the same sounds that you use in the English language. Each character represents a specific sound , and once you grasp the sounds, you will be able to read and pronounce Japanese with ease.   Below you will find a guide for Hiragana and Katakana symbols and a similar sound in English language.

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3. Essential Japanese travel phrases

3.1. basic japanese phrases for travelers.

Basic Japanese phrases for conversation that showcase politeness and cultural respect, encouraging positive interactions with locals and are a base for every communication. Those are basic phrases to know when visiting Japan.

ALSO READ: • HOW TO SPEND SEVENTEEN DAYS IN JAPAN: FIRST TIME ITINERARY

3.2. Essential Japanese phrases for greetings and introductions

Japanese words and phrases for greetings lay the foundation for any interaction, allowing you to initiate conversations and make a positive first impression. They are easy Japanese words to learn.

ALSO READ: • How to say You have beautiful eyes in 101 different languages around the World

3.3. Essential Japanese travel phrases for directions and getting around

Japanese travel phrases when asking for directions will enable you to navigate unfamiliar streets and find your way around.

ALSO READ: • Japan Cost of Travel and Detailed Budget Breakdown

3.4. Useful Japanese phrases for tourists when ordering food and drinks

Japanese language phrases for ordering meals, asking for recommendations, and specifying dietary preferences ensure enjoyable dining experiences and help you explore local cuisines.

3.5. Essential phrases in Japanese for shopping

Japanese basics terms for inquiring about prices, negotiating, and Japan tourist phrases for asking for sizes or colors are handy when exploring markets and boutiques.

ALSO READ: • Ultimate List of 23 Best Apps for Travel to Japan

🥘 “What is Anja’s favorite Japanese food?” It is ramen. I love ramen and could eat it every day.

3.6. Useful Japanese hotel phrases

Japanese language words and hotel phrases you will need when checking in a hotel, asking for towels, fixing air conditioning, enquiring what time is breakfast, and what is included in your room rate.

ALSO READ: • How to say Thank you in 101 different languages in the World

3.7. Survival Japanese phrases and Japanese travel terms in case of emergencies

Here you will find helpful Japanese travel terms in case of emergencies, natural disasters, or if you will be needing assistance in difficult or dangerous situations.

ALSO READ: • Best Japan Captions for Instagram – Puns, Quotes, Riddles & Jokes

3.8. Beyond tourist Japanese phrases

If you’re like me and really love learning a few phrases in new languages, expand your study beyond the essential travel phrases . I always learn how to say please and thank you, never visit a country without knowing the local word for “coffee” and never leave without knowing how to say;

4. Best language App for traveling abroad

Learning a language is a long process. If you think you won’t have time to learn basic Japanese phrases , or if the situations come your way when above mentioned Japanese travel phrases won’t be enough, use Google Translate. This is my favorite language app, that I use on (almost) every trip.

4.1. Google Translate

Google Translate is the most popular language travel app that can be used everywhere. I personally use it on all my travels, when going to Tanzania to learn what some Swahili words mean, when in Mexico to help with my not-the-best Spanish, when in Italy, in Japan and other places. I’m sure you are familiar with the language app already. The most obvious feature is it will help you translate the destination language into your own one. But the absolute best feature is that it can translate the text using ‘ camera translation ’. All you have to do is open the app, point your camera toward the text in a foreign language and Google Translate will do the rest. Perfect for menus! It also translates text from the photos on your camera roll. And it also works offline, when you download the language pair on your phone. Language: 133 languages Download: iOS | Android | Website Price: Free

5. Final Thoughts on Essential Japanese Travel Phrases for Tourists

Whether it’s a warm greeting, ordering a meal, or expressing gratitude, this travel japanese guide and Japanese for tourists not only open doors to easier communication, but also show respect and will help you to understand Japanese culture in a different way. Before traveling to Nippon, learn Japanese words for tourists that will help you to navigate through this modern but culturally entwined land, full of history, sushis, shrines, and geishas. How to say Hello in Japanese and how to say thank you in Japanese language. Basic Japanese phrases for directions, ordering food, and checking in a hotel. And don’t forget to download Japanese travel cheat sheet . Which of these must know Japanese phrases for travel have you managed to memorize so far? Let me know in the comments! Safe travels = 安全な旅行 [anzen’na ryokō], Anja

➤ What you should read next …

• How to spend 17 days in Japan • Japan Cost of Travel and Detailed Budget Breakdown • Ultimate List of 23 Best Apps for Travel to Japan • 135 Best Japan Captions for Instagram – Puns, Quotes, Riddles & Jokes • How to say Hello in 101 different languages

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Are you ready to travel like a PRO? Save time and money with these travel tips and resources . I personally use these companies to save time and money. They do the work by providing a list of options, prices, and reviews from actual guests, for anywhere I am traveling worldwide. ✈️ FLIGHTS: I use Skyscanner in combination with Google Flights to find amazing flight fares (try the Explore feature). I book directly with an airline or pair it with Iwantthatflight for the best deals. 🏨 ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com is my favorite site for finding great hotel deals. They return the best rates and reviews are from actual guests! 🚘 RENTAL CARS: Discover Cars are my go-to, when planning an epic road trip. 🗽 TOURS & ACTIVITIES: I like to wander around on my own, but when I want to explore with a group, skip the line with an entrance ticket, I book it with GetYourGuide or Viator . ❤️‍🩹 TRAVEL INSURANCE: I never, under any circumstances travel without insurance. In most cases, I use yearly global travel medical insurance. But, if you don’t have that and some impromptu travel plans occur, use SafetyWing . With them, you can buy travel insurance even when you are already abroad. Better be safe, than sorry! 📲 ONLINE SAFETY: NordVPN keeps your devices’ browsing safe and malware-free. Stream shows from around the world, access social media in countries where they are blocked and buy cheap flights by changing your virtual location. 🛜 STAY CONNECTED WITH eSIM: Ditch the plastic SIM cards and waiting in lines at the airport! Airalo eSIMs allow you to connect as soon as you land at your destination. They have eSIMs for over 190+ countries worldwide.

Where is Japanese spoken?

Japanese is an official language in Japan. There are some Japanese-speaking communities in various other countries around the world, like the United States, Brazil, Canada and Australia.

How to say Good Morning in Japanese?

おはようございます pronounced as “ohayou gozaimasu” Learn basic Japanese words and quick Japanese phrases easy on Anja On Adventure blog. Here you can also FREE DOWNLOAD Japanese phrases for travelers pdf and key Japanese phrases for tourists.

How to say Thank you in Japanese?

Thank you in Japanese is ありがとうございます, which is pronounced as “ arigatou gozaimasu”. Learn more Japanese language basics and easy Japanese phrases for tourists on Anja On Adventure blog. Here you can also FREE DOWNLOAD basic Japanese travel phrases pdf and coloring pages with Japanese words.

How to say Hello in Japanese?

こんにちは pronounced as “konnichiwa” Learn basic Japanese for tourists and important Japanese phrases for travel on Anja On Adventure blog. Here you can also FREE DOWNLOAD Japanese for travelers pdf and Japan basic words.

How to say My name is in Japanese?

わたしのなまえは …, pronounced as “ Watashi no namae wa …”. Learn Japan travel phrases and top Japanese phrases for tourists on Anja On Adventure blog. Here you can also FREE DOWNLOAD basic Japanese words pdf and Japanese phrases while travelling Japan.

How to say How are you in Japanese?

おげんきですか? , pronounced as “ Ogenki desu ka?” Learn more Japanese phrases to know and basic Japanese phrases for tourists on Anja On Adventure blog. Here you can also FREE DOWNLOAD Japanese phrase cheat sheet pdf and useful kanji for tourists.

How do you say Hi in Japanese?

Hi in Japanese language is やあ , pronounced as “ya”. Learn learn basic Japanese for travel and Japanese phrases for travelling on Anja On Adventure blog. Here you can also FREE DOWNLOAD japanese cheat sheet tourist pdf and Japan phrases for travelers.

❥ About Anja On Adventure

Anja On Adventure is a travel blog, a collection of insider tips and information on destinations, that I visited as a solo female traveler, tour guide, teacher, yacht stewardess, and Survivor challenge tester. Anja, is a thirty-something adventure-seeking, sun chasing, beach hopping, gin-loving, tropics enthusiast with a creative mind and sarcastic spirit, who loves coconut and mango but doesn’t like chocolate and sweets. I am passionate about all things travel, maps, and puzzles. Click here to learn more About me .

About the author: Anja

Japanese Travel Phrases for an Enjoyable Trip to Japan

Are you traveling to Japan and want to learn practical Japanese travel phrases? This article is designed to help you learn the most useful Japanese words for travel.

It’s always good to learn basic words when you travel to a foreign country. Not only does it make getting around easier, but it also allows you to enjoy communicating with the locals.

In general, Japanese people are not so good at speaking English , free wifi services aren’t very prevalent (especially outside of the central cities), and Japan is still more of a cash-based society than you may think. However, Japanese people are very kind; they’ll listen to you patiently and do their best to help. So just use these basic Japanese travel phrases to talk to Japanese people when you want to ask something.

When you speak even a little bit of Japanese, locals will appreciate your effort and will be more friendly. Here’s JapanesePod101’s list of practical Japanese travel phrases for your travels to Japan!

Table of Contents

• Greeting/Communication
• Asking for Directions
• Restaurants
• When You Need Help
• Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Greeting/Communication

To begin our list of essential Japanese travel phrases, we’ll go over greetings and basic travel phrases in Japanese for solid communication. These simple Japanese travel phrases can make a world of difference in your conversations and overall experience in Japan.

• Romanization: Kon’nichiwa
• English Translation: Hello

In terms of must-know Japanese travel phrases, you probably already know that this is the most common Japanese greeting word . You can say this to anybody for any occasion during the daytime.

• Romanization: Hai / Iie
• English Translation: Yes / No

Hai is “Yes” and it’s pronounced like the English word “Hi.” In Japan, saying yes also means that you understand. Iie is “No” and it’s pronounced ‘EE-eh.’

3- ありがとうございます

• Romanization: Arigatō gozaimasu
• English Translation: Thank you

Arigatō gozaimasu is the polite way to say “Thank you” in Japanese, and you can use this for any occasion. In case of a casual situation, you can just say Arigatō , or even more casually, Dōmo (どうも) which means “Thanks.”

4- いいえ、いりません

• Romanization: Iie, irimasen
• English Translation: No, thank you.

It literally means “No, I don’t need it,” in Japanese. At a restaurant, say this phrase when a waiter offers to fill your glass of water and you don’t want more.

• Romanization: Sumimasen
• English Translation: I’m sorry / Excuse me

This word is usually used to say “sorry” or “excuse me” . Say this when you bump into someone in a crowd or when you ask someone for directions. Japanese people also use this to mean “thank you,” in some cases, such as when someone picks up something you dropped.

• Romanization: Onegai shimasu
• English Translation: Please

When you request something, it’s polite to say Onegai shimasu . When someone offers you something and says please, she/he would say Dōzo (どうぞ) in Japanese.

• Romanization: Watashi wa XX desu.
• English Translation: I am XX.

Watashi is “I,” wa is “am/is/are,” and desu is a present-tense word that links subjects and predicates; it’s placed at the end of a sentence. You can put your name, or your nationality, such as: Watashi wa Amerika-jin desu (私はアメリカ人です) which means “I am American.”　　

8- 私は日本語がわかりません

• Romanization: Watashi wa nihongo ga wakarimasen.
• English Translation: I don’t understand Japanese.

Nihongo is stands for the Japanese language, and Wakarimasen means “I don’t understand.” If you don’t know something, you can just say Wakarimasen meaning “I don’t know.”

9- 英語を話せますか

• Romanization: Eigo o hanasemasu ka
• English Translation: Can you speak English?

This is one of the most useful Japanese phrases for travelers. Eigo means “English,” Hanasemasu is a polite way to say “I speak,” and ka is a word that you add to the end of a complete sentence to make a question.

10- 英語でお願いします

• Romanization: Eigo de onegai shimasu
• English Translation: English, please.

This is another important Japanese travel phrase. De is the particle, and in this case it means “by” or “by means of.” The phrase literally translates as “English by please.” You can also say M saizu de onegai shimasu (Mサイズでお願いします) which means “Medium size, please.”

2. Asking for Directions

One of the most important Japanese travel phrases you should know are directions . Here are some useful vocabulary words and two Japanese language travel phrases you need to know!

1- Vocabulary

• 駅 ( Eki ) : Station
• 地下鉄 ( Chikatetsu ) : Subway/Metro
• トイレ ( Toire ) : Toilet
• 銀行 ( Ginkō ) : Bank
• 切符売り場 ( Kippu uriba ) : Ticket machine/Office
• 観光案内所 ( Kankō annaijo ) : Tourist information office
• 入口 ( Iriguchi ) : Entrance
• 出口 ( Deguchi ) : Exit
• 右 ( Migi ) : Right
• 左 ( Hidari ) : Left
• まっすぐ ( Massugu ) : Straight
• 曲がる ( Magaru ) : Turn
• 交差点 ( Kōsaten ) : Intersection
• 角 ( Kado ) : Corner

2- XXはどこですか

• Romanization: XX wa doko desu ka
• English Translation: Where is XX?

Doko means “where” and you replace XX with the name of where you want to go.

For example

• Toire wa doko desu ka (Where is the toilet?)
• Deguchi wa doko desu ka (Where is an exit?)

3- XX e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka (XXへはどう行けばいいですか) : How can I go to XX?

• Romanization: XX e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka
• English Translation: How can I go to XX?

Dō is “how,” e is “to,” and ikeba ii can be translated as “good to go.” When you want to know how you can get somewhere, replace XX with where you want to go.

For example:

• Eki e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka (How can I go to the station?)
• Ginkō e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka (How can I go to the bank?)

4- Other Examples

1. この道をまっすぐ行きます ( Kono michi o massugu ikimasu. )：Go straight on this street.

Kono michi is “this street” and ikimasu is the polite way to say “Go.” O is a Japanese postpositional particle which indicates an object (in this case, kono michi ).

2. 次の角を右へ曲がります ( Tsugi no kado o migi e magarimasu. )：Turn right at the next corner.

Tsugi no kado means “next corner” and magarimasu is the polite way to say “Turn.” E is another postpositional particle that indicates direction; this can be translated as the English word “to.”

3. 交差点を渡って左へ行きます ( Kōsaten o watatte hidari e ikimasu. )：Cross an intersection and go to the left (direction).

Watatte is a conjugated form of wataru which means “cross.”

3. Shopping

You’ll definitely love shopping when traveling in Japan, and some of the best Japanese phrases for travel are those related to this fun past-time. Knowing some useful Japanese words will make your shopping even more enjoyable.

1- XXはありますか

• Romanization: XX wa arimasu ka
• English Translation: Do you have XX?

When you’re at a store and looking for something, you can use this phrase by replacing XX with what you want.

• Romanization: Ikura desu ka
• English Translation: How much is it?

This is probably one of the most useful Japanese words for traveling and shopping. You can say Ikura desu ka in many situations, such as when you’re shopping, buying tickets, paying for a taxi, etc.

• Romanization: Menzei dekimasu ka
• English Translation: Can you do a tax exemption?

Did you know that, as a traveler, you can get a sales tax exemption when you purchase things greater than 5,000 yen? Menzei is “tax exempted” and dekimasu means “can do.” Don’t forget to say this when you buy something big!

• Romanization: Kore wa nan desu ka
• English Translation: What is this?

Kore is “this” and nan is another form of nani which means “what.” There are many unique foods, gadgets, and things which are unique to Japan, so when you wonder what it is, point to it and say this phrase.

• Romanization: Kore o kaimasu
• English Translation: I’ll buy this.

Kaimasu is the conjugation of the verb kau , which means “buy.”

6- カードは使えますか

• Romanization: Kādo wa tsukaemasu ka
• English Translation: Can I use a credit card?

Kādo is “card” and you pronounce it just like the English word “card.” Tsukaemasu is a conjugation of the potential form of the verb tsukau which means “use.” This phrase is useful when you want to use your card at small shops and restaurants.

4. Restaurants

Japan has an array of delicious foods, of which sushi and ramen are just the tip of the iceberg. Amazingly, Tokyo is the city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, for several consecutive years. Enjoy yummy food at restaurants with useful Japanese words for restaurants and easy Japanese travel phrases related to food.

• 英語のメニュー ( Eigo no menyū ) : English menu
• ベジタリアンのメニュー ( Bejitarian no menyū ) : Vegetarian menu
• 豚肉を含まないメニュー ( Butaniku o fukumanai menyū ) : Menu without pork
• 水 ( Mizu ) : Water
• 白/赤ワイン ( Shiro / Aka wain ) : White / Red wine

2- XXはありますか

When you want to ask if the restaurant has something you want, say this phrase (replacing XX with what you want).

• Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka (Do you have an English menu?)
• Aka wain wa arimasu ka (Do you have red wine?)
• Romanization: XX o kudasai
• English Translation: Can I have XX?

This is another very useful phrase. Simply replace XX with what you want. You can also use this versatile phrase in various occasions, such as when shopping, choosing something, etc.

• Kore o kudasai (Can I have this?)
• Mizu o kudasai (Can I have water?)

4- お会計お願いします

• Romanization: O-kaikei onegai shimasu
• English Translation: Check, please.

O-kaikei means “check.” In Japan, people often cross their index fingers in front of their face as a gesture to indicate “check, please” at casual restaurants. However, when you’re at a nice restaurant, simply tell a waiter: O-kaikei onegai shimasu .

5. When You Need Help

Sometimes you get faced with unexpected emergencies while you’re traveling. Japan is famous for being one of the safest countries in the world, but you might fall very ill or be caught in a great earthquake.

1- Vocabularies

• 警察 ( Keisatsu ) : Police
• 病院 ( Byōin ) : Hospital
• 救急車 ( Kyūkyūsha ) : Ambulance
• ドラッグストア/薬局 ( Doraggu sutoa / Yakkyoku ) : Drug Store/Pharmacy
• タクシー ( Takushī ) : Taxi

2- XXを呼んでください

• Romanization: XX o yonde kudasai
• English Translation: Can you call XX?

When you’re severely ill or in case of emergency, let people know by using this phrase. Japanese people will kindly help you.

• Yūkyūsha o yonde kudasai (Can you call an ambulance?)
• Keisatsu o yonde kudasai (Can you call the police?)

3- どこでインターネットを使えますか

• Romanization: Doko de intānetto o tsukaemasu ka
• English Translation: Where can I use the internet?

Although large cities in Japan provide free public wifi at major stations, metros, and cafes, you may need to find internet access in smaller cities. Remember that there will be kind Japanese people who will share their personal hotspots, or look things up for you with their own phones, as well.

4- 電話を貸してください

• Romanization: Denwa o kashite kudasai
• English Translation: Can I use your phone?

Denwa is “phone” and kashite is a conjugation word of kasu , which means “lend.” This phrase is literally translated as “Please lend (me) a phone.”

• Romanization: Tasukete kudasai
• English Translation: Please help me.

I believe this phrase is the last thing you would ever use in Japan, but in case something does happen, this is useful survival Japanese for tourists.

6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this article of Japanese travel phrases is helpful and that you’ll enjoy your trip to Japan!

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com . We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills.

We also have YouTube channel: JapanesePod101 . It’s fun to learn Japanese through watching videos and listening to actual Japanese pronunciation, so we recommend you check it out!

Don’t forget to study with our free Japanese vocabulary lists , read more insightful blog posts like this one, and download our mobile apps to learn anywhere, anytime! Whatever your reason for learning Japanese , know that we’re here to help and you can do it ! Keep in mind that the best way to learn Japanese phrases for travel is repetition and practice.

Before you go, let us know in the comments how you feel about using these useful travel phrases in Japanese after reading this article. More confident, or still a little confused about something? Feel free to ask questions in the comments!

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25+ Easy Japanese Travel Phrases for Beginners to Say

Looking to learn some Japanese travel phrases?

Well, if you’re traveling to Japan, then you’ll likely need some of these phrases about toilets, money, English and much more.

By the way, if you want to hear REAL Japanese, check out this audio lesson by JapanesePod101. Press play below. Why? It’s one thing to read about Japanese and another to hear native speakers — you learn faster!

• “Survival Phrases S2 #1 – Thank You!”
• Lesson by  by JapanesePod101.com  (click here for more fun audio lessons)

So, here are the most useful Japanese travel phrases.

1. Konnichiwa こんにちは Hello/Good Day

You’re probably somewhat aware of this word “Konnichiwa.” A very common Japanese greeting . You can use it to greet people during the day. This means, you wouldn’t use it during the morning or evening.

2. Ohayou Gozaimasu おはようございます Good Morning

This is a good Japanese greeting to know. So, if you’re entering a hotel, a shop or some other place in the morning, you can say this first. Use this before 11AM.

Now, what about evening?

3. Konbanwa こんばんは Good evening

Feel free to use this Japanese greeting after 6PM or so.

4. Hai  はい Yes, いいえ iie No

These are just basic words you and every one should know.

If you’re curious, you can learn more ways to say yes in Japanese here , and more ways to say no in Japanese here . But, as a traveler, “hai” and “iie” are good enough.

5. Arigatou Gozaimasu.  ありがとうございます Thank you very much

You’ll likely want to say thank you to shop staff, airline staff or a water at a restaurant.

So, just say “Arigatou Gozaimasu.” This is pronounced “a-ree-ga-to go-zay-mas”.

You can also check out this JapanesePod101 (they’re a Japanese learning program) audio lesson here to hear the pronunciation.

• Lesson by  by JapanesePod101.com  (click here for more fun lessons at JapanesePod101.com)

There are several ways to say thank you depending on the politeness level. Obviously, the longer, the more polite. Use “Arigatou gozaimasu” to be on the safe side.

• Thanks (super casual – only with friends)
• Thank you (casual, okay to use with most people)
• Thank you very much (polite, standard, most common way to say it – the SAFEST phrase to use)
• Thank you very much (MORE polite, because it’s in past tense).

So, these were some really basic phrases.

Now, we’re going to go from 0 to 100 and cover more complex ones.

6. Toire wa doko desu ka? トイレはどこですか? ) Where is the bathroom?

This is probably one of the most useful Japanese travel phrases.

You’ll always need the toilet, right? That’s why it’s good to know

Since Japan uses very different characters from English, it’s possible that you may not recognize the sign for the bathroom. Also, keep a look out for the high-tech toilets when visiting Japan!

• Pronounced: Toy-re
• Doko – where

7. Ikura desu ka? いくらですか? – How much is it?

If you’re out shopping or on the street buying food, this is the perfect phrase to use. Keep in mind that Japan is a country that doesn’t haggle so there is usually a set price. If you’re lucky, some local shops might give you some extra products or food for free.

• Pronounced: ee-koo-ra

8. Betsu betsu de onegai shimasu. 別々でお願いします。) – We would like to pay separately.

When travelling as a group, it’s nice to be able to split the cost when you’re about to pay for your meal at a restaurant.This is a great phrase to use before they bring the bill.

• Betsu betsu – separately

9. Sumimasen! すみません！ – Excuse me! (or thank you!)

This phrase can be used for multiple purposes. It’s possible to use it to say “excuse me”, if someone is in your way or to ask a stranger a question. It also works as a “thank you”. In some cases, it’s more common to say “Sumimasen!” than to say “Arigato!”. “Sumimasen!” acknowledges someone going out of their way for you.

• pronounced (soo-mee-ma-sen)

10. _____wa doko desu ka? _____はどこですか？ – Where is _____?

If you’re on the street trying to find a place or you get lost, simply ask this question. You can put any location in the blank part of the phrase. It could be a restaurant, landmark, or a train station.

11. _____wo kudasai.  _____をください。 – I would like to have _____. 

Use this phrase when asking for something. In the blank, you can add things like what you want on the menu, train tickets, or anything you might be looking to buy. Keep in mind that this phrase only works when asking for items or food, and it doesn’t work with verbs.

• Pronunciation: Koo-da-sai

12. Osusume wa nan desu ka? オススメはなんですか?  What do you recommend?

This is useful for anyone who likes to explore food culture. If you’re confused with what to order on the menu, you can use this phrase to ask the waiter’s recommendation. It’s also useful, if you just need some advice on what is recommended. For example, if there are two trains you can take to get somewhere and you need to decide.

• Pronunciation: oh-soo-soo-me

13. Shashin totte moratte mo ii desu ka? 写真とってもらっても良いですか？ Could you take a picture for me (or us)? 

This probably the second most useful Japanese travel phrases

If you’re at a beautiful landmark, you might want a picture as a keepsake. Use this phrase to ask a stranger to take a picture for you. Taking pictures is a big part of Japanese culture so someone will definitely help you out.

• shashin – picture

14. Yoyaku ga arimasu. 予約があります。I have a reservation.

This phrase can be used if you’ve made a reservation for a restaurant or any other kind of service. They’ll usually need to check your confirmation number or name to verify your reservation.

• Yoyaku – reservation

15. Chizu o kudasai. 地図をください。 Could I have a map?

The train and metro lines in the big cities of Japan can be crazy. Use this phrase if you want to have a train or metro map. It’s also useful if you’re in need of a map at a landmark, museum, or other location.

• Chizu – map

16. Takushii noriba wa dokodesuka? タクシー乗り場はどこですか？ Where can I grab a taxi?

There are often designated locations that taxi’s can be picked up in Japan. They’re usually in front of airports, train stations and in busy city centers. If you see taxis parked one after another and try to approach one of them, they’ll refuse you because you’ve come across a taxi line, and somewhere at the front is a taxi stand. So, you’ll have to find it. Or you can ask someone using this phrase. That being said, you can always wave down a cab.

• Takushii – taxi
• Noriba – Taxi stand

17. Okaikei onegaishimasu  お会計お願いします。 Could I have the bill? 

This phrase is useful if you’re at a restaurant and want to get the bill. In Japan, depending on the restaurant, they have many small dishes that they will need to calculate for you.

• Kaikei  – bill/check

18. Eigo shaberemasuka? 英語喋れますか？ Can you speak English?

Even if you’re trying to practice your Japanese, it might be necessary to speak in English if you get confused. Ask this phrase to see if the other person can speak with you in English. These days, it’s common that many shops or train stations will have English speaking representatives.

• Eigo  – English

19. Shichaku shite mo ii desu ka?  試着しても良いですか？ Can I try this on?

This is a useful phrase for clothes shopping. Clothing shop assistants are usually very attentive in Japan. It’s important to keep in mind that it can be considered rude if you end up not buying anything after trying on lots of clothes.

• Shichaku  – try on

20. Wai fai wa arimasu ka? ワイファイはありますか？Do you have Wifi?

Internet connection is important to navigate an unknown city or to stay connected with friends and family. Ask this phrase to check if a place has any Wi-Fi connection. Convenience stores and train stations will usually have free Wifi!

• Wai Fai  – WiFi

21. Kaado uketsuke masuka? カード受け付けますか？ Can I use card payment?

It’s important to check if a restaurant accepts credit cards in Japan. In some restaurants, it is possible that it would be cash only.

• Kaado  – (credit) card

22. _____no arerugii ga arimasu. ______のアレルギーがあります。I have an allergy to ______.

If you have any allergies it’s essential to learn this phrase. It’s also recommended to learn the names of the specific allergens in Japanese. These days, many restaurants in Japan are very sensitive to food allergies. They will have a chart with all of the menu items and the common food allergens in each dish.

• Arerugii  – allergy

23. Menyuu, onegai shimasu. メニュー、お願いします。Menu Please.

Here’s one of the more easier Japanese travel phrases.

Menu in Japanese is… “menyuu.” Yes, it sounds pretty much the same. So if you’re at a restaurant and need a menu, you won’t go wrong.

• Menyuu – menu

24. Kore wo kudasai. これをください。 This please.

This another one of the most useful Japanese travel phrases.

It’s likely you’ll go shopping and want something out of reach. So, you can point to the object and say “kore wo kudasai” and the shop staff will help you out. You can also use this phrase while pointing at a menu – in case you can’t read it and are going by pictures.

• Kore  – this
• Kudasai – please

25. Mizu, onegai shimasu. 水、お願いします。Water, please.

What if you’re at a restaurant and need water?

Or, what if you’re feeling dehydrated? Remember the word “mee-zoo” meaning water. You can tell this to a waiter, a bartender, or whoever can provide you with water.

• Mizu – Water

Now you know a whole bunch of Japanese travel words and phrases.

Also, if you want to learn some  beautiful Japanese words, then check my other post  here .

Do you know any other Japanese travel phrases?

Leave a comment below.

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written by Caitlin Sacasas

Language: Japanese

Reading time: 12 minutes

Published: Dec 30, 2019

Updated: Sep 17, 2021

25 Essential Japanese Phrases for Travellers and Tourists

Getting ready to travel to Japan? You’ll need to know a few Japanese phrases before you go!

Learning even a few travel phrases in Japanese will break down a lot of barriers during your stay.

Japan is becoming more foreigner-friendly — you’ll notice updated signage includes English in main cities. And many Japanese people have spent some time learning English in school. But most people aren’t comfortable talking in English.

Japanese people know how hard it is to learn their language. They highly respect anyone who tries to learn and they appreciate your effort. Your willingness to try speaking Japanese will encourage them to try speaking the English they know. It’ll help you get by, and make your stay much more enjoyable.

Besides, it’s incredibly rewarding to visit a foreign country and connect with locals in their native language . And it shows a lot of respect for their culture, which the Japanese highly value.

So here are 25 essential Japanese phrases for all you travelers out there. All these phrases will be in formal, standard Japanese speech so they’re appropriate in any situation.

If you blast through these and you’re ready to learn more, check out JapanesePod101 . It’s the best podcast for learning Japanese, with courses dedicated to learning Survival Japanese — everything you need to know in Japanese to get by. Plus, there are culture classes, beginner to advanced lessons, and more. It’s definitely my favorite for getting started.

Okay, let’s start speaking Japanese!

1. “Hello” in Japanese – こんにちは ( Konnichiwa )

In Japanese, you can greet someone with こんにちは. It means “hello,” but there are many ways to greet someone in Japanese .

Konnichiwa also translates as “good afternoon,” so it’s best used during the day. In the morning, you can use おはようございます ( Ohayou gozaimasu ), and in the evening, こんばんは ( konbanwa ).

Konnichiwa actually means “This day is…” but it’s used now to say hello.

2. “Please” in Japanese – ください ( Kudasai )

There are a couple of ways to say “please” in Japanese. The most universal one is ください. It means “please,” and you’d use it to ask a favor of almost anyone.

For instance, if you’re at a restaurant, you can say メニューをください ( Menyu- o kudasai ) to say “Please give me a menu.”

If you want to be more polite, you could use お願いします ( Onegai shimasu ). Either version of “please” is okay, but this one is better if you’re asking something of someone with higher status, or if you’re asking for a service. At a restaurant, both ください and お願いします are acceptable. Another example: if you’re ready for the check, you say お会計お願いします ( o-kaikei onegai shimasu ).

Unlike English, where “please” can be at the beginning or end of the sentence, it always comes at the end of the sentence in Japanese.

3. “Thank You” in Japanese – ありがとうございます ( Arigatou gozaimasu )

To thank someone in Japanese, you say ありがとうございます. That’s the most common way.

But maybe you learned “thank you” was “ Domo arigatou , Mr. Roboto.” from the song. どもありがとう does mean “thank you” as well, but more like “Thank you very much.” And it’s a little less formal without the ending ございます ( gozaimasu ).

4. “Excuse Me” in Japanese – すみません ( Sumimasen )

When you want to get someone’s attention, you can say すみません, followed by your question or request.

You can also use this to ask someone (politely) to move, or even to apologize in place of “sorry.”

5. “Let’s Eat” in Japanese – いただきます ( Itadakimasu )

いただきます is a unique Japanese phrase. It’s used like “let’s eat” in English or “bon appetit” in French. But it’s original meaning is “I humbly receive” and it’s always said before every meal, even when you eat alone. It’s a way to give thanks for the food, almost like saying grace.

When eating with others, it’s the signal to begin eating. You clap your hands together in a prayer position and say “いただきます！”

But, if you wanted to suggest grabbing a bite to eat, the polite way to ask would be 食べませんか ( Tabemasen ka , “Would you like to eat?”).

6. “Thank You for the Food” in Japanese – ごちそうさまでした ( Gochisousama deshita )

After a meal, you always say ごちそうさまでした. It means “thank you for the food,” and you’d say it to whoever treated you to your meal or cooked your food. Even if you paid for or made your own meal, you say this as an expression of gratitude to have food to eat.

7. “One” in Japanese – 一つ ( Hitotsu )

There are two different ways to count in Japanese , but for most basic phrases you’ll need to know “one” as 一つ. Hitotsu is the universal counter for the number 1, meaning you can use it to specify how many of anything you want or have.

The phrase 一つをください ( Hitotsu o kudasai ) means “one, please.” You can use it to ask for one ticket, one pastry, one of anything while you’re out. Simply point and say Hitotsu o kudasai .

8. “Yes” and “No” in Japanese – はい ( Hai ) and いいえ ( Iie )

To say “yes” in Japanese, you say はい and “no” is いいえ. Both of these are the polite, formal way to say them. However, you’ll more often hear うん ( un ) and ううん ( uun ) even though these are informal. Since you’re learning the basics, stick to hai and iie for now, but just know you may hear un and uun from others.

There’s another way to say “no” that’s more common because it’s less direct than iie . I’ll get to that in a moment.

9. “What’s Your Name?” in Japanese – お名前は何ですか ( O-namae wa nan desu ka )

In Japanese, you can ask for someone’s name by saying お名前は何ですか. “Ka” is a question particle, so it takes the place of “?” at the end of a sentence in Japanese.

When replying, Japanese people say either only their last name or their last name and then first name. If you want to answer this question, you can simply say your name followed by です ( desu ). So here's how that exchange might look:

“お名前は何ですか。” ( O-namae wa nan desu ka ) “たけうちなおこです。お名前は何ですか。” ( Takeuchi Naoko desu. O-namae wa nan desu ka. ) “サカサスケイトリンです。” ( Sakasasu Keitorin desu. )

In that example, the other person is Naoko Takeuchi (if only I was so lucky as to introduce myself to the creator of Sailor Moon!). But in Japanese, she’s known by her family name first: Takeuchi Naoko.

As a 外国人 ( gaikokujin , “foreigner”), I could say my name as either Keitorin Sakasasu or Sakasasu Keitorin . Either way is fine.

After meeting someone, it’s respectful to say よろしくお願いします。( Yoroshiku onegai shimasu , “Nice to meet you.”)

10. “How are you?” in Japanese – お元気ですか ( O-genki desu ka )

In Japanese, you can ask someone how they are with お元気ですか. But it’s more common to say お元気でした ( O-genki deshita ), which is past tense for asking someone “How have you been?” You don’t often ask how someone is doing in Japanese, but rather how they have been since you’ve seen them last (when it’s been a while).

11. “I’m Sorry” in Japanese – ごめんなさい ( Gomen nasai )

To apologize in Japanese, you can say ごめんなさい ( gomen nasai ) or ごめんね ( gomen ne ). Gomen ne is more casual, but still quite common even in semi-formal situations. すみません ( Sumimasen ) works, too, or you could ask someone “Excuse me” and then follow with “Sorry” – ごめんね！

12. “What’s This?” in Japanese – これは何ですか ( Kore wa nan desu ka )

Chances are, in Japan, you’ll stumble across some wild and totally different things. There are a lot of things unique to Japanese culture , from the toilets to the vending machines. So this is a good phrase to have ready!

If you don’t know what something is, ask これは何ですか and someone will explain it to you or help you out.

13. “I Don’t Understand” in Japanese – わかりません ( Wakarimasen )

Still don’t know what that thing is? Or is someone trying to talk to you in Japanese, and you don’t follow along? Then reply with ごめんなさい。わかりません。( Gomen nasai. Wakarimasen ).

Don’t be embarrassed to explain that you don’t understand. It won’t hurt the other person’s feelings — and you’re just starting out! It’s better to be honest than to run into trouble because you pretended to understand .

14. “What Does _ Mean?” in Japanese – は何意味ですか (*__ wa nan imi desu ka*)

Didn’t understand a certain word in particular? You can then ask “ _ は何意味ですか. “ Insert the word you didn’t understand into the blank.

For instance, if someone told you that thing in the vending machine is a 傘 ( kasa ), and you don’t know what kasa means, then you can ask 傘は何意味ですか ( Kasa wa nan imi desu ka ). The other person can either explain it’s for rain — “雨のためですよ” ( Ame no tame desu yo ) — or they’ll tell you “umbrella” if they know it in English.

15. “Say it Again More Slowly, Please” in Japanese – もう一度ゆっくり言ってお願いします ( Mou ichido yukkuri itte onegai shimasu )

If you still don’t understand or can’t keep up, use this phrase. Japanese people talk very fast, and the words can run together easily. So if you didn’t understand because you need to hear it slower, say すみません、わかりません。もう一度ゆっくり言ってお願いします ( Sumimasen, wakarimasen. Mou ichido yukkuri itte onegai shimasu ).

Or, you could shorten it to ゆっくりお願いします ( Yukkuri onegai shimasu ). This is just “more slowly, please.”

16. “How do you say ?” in Japanese – _ は日本語で何と言いますか (*__ wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka*)

If you don’t know the word for something in Japanese, you don’t have to completely revert back to English! You can say _ は日本語で何と言いますか and fill in the blank with the English word.

Using our umbrella example again, you could say “Umbrella は日本語で何と言いますか” and the other person can tell you it’s kasa .

17. “Do you speak English?” in Japanese – 英語を話せますか ( Eigo wo hanasemasu ka )

You can ask someone if they speak English with 英語を話せますか. You could use this phrase with any language, and swap out eigo (“English”) for any other language. 日本語を話せますか ( Nihongo wo hanasemasu ka ) means “Do you speak Japanese?”

If you’re really trying to learn the language, not just get by briefly on a trip to Japan, then I would encourage you to keep trying to speak only in Japanese . This is your chance to learn and really speak! Don’t waste it by reverting back to English. You can always use phrases like the last one – “ _ は日本語で何と言いますか” – over and over again to learn how to say what you need!

18. “Where is ?” in Japanese – _ はどこですか (*__ wa doko desu ka*)

If you’re lost or looking for something, and all the signs are in kanji that you can’t read yet, then ask someone for help with “ _ はどこですか.” Some words you might want to fill in the blank with:

• トイレ ( toire ) – Bathroom
• 駅 ( Eki ) – Train station
• 地下鉄 ( Chikatetsu ) – Subway
• バス停 ( Basu tei ) – Bus stop
• ホテル ( Hoteru ) – Hotel
• 地図 ( Chizu ) – A map
• 入口 ( Iriguchi ) – Entrance
• 出口 ( Deguchi ) – Exit
• レストラン ( Resutoran ) – Restaurant

19. “How Much is This?” in Japanese – これはいくらですか ( Kore wa ikura desu ka )

When you’re out shopping, you can find out the price of something by asking これはいくらですか. Keep in mind yen — represented by 円 ( en ) in Japan — is like counting pennies. If someone said 1000 yen ( sen en in Japanese), that’s actually about $10.

20. “It’s a bit…” in Japanese – ちょっと… ( Chotto… )

Ah, yes. The universal phrase, ちょっと. Chotto means “a little” or “a bit.” As a phrase by itself, it shows hesitation, and means “It’s a bit… (inconvenient, not good for me).”

You’ll hear this phrase used in place of no ( iie ) more than you hear a direct “no.” One thing you’ll learn is that Japanese is not a very direct language, and relies heavily on context and body language.

So, if you asked how much something was with “これはいくらですか” and it was too expensive, you can say “Aaa… chotto…” to say “Ah, that’s a bit pricey.” To be more direct, you could say ちょっと高い ( Chotto takai ), “It’s a bit expensive.” You may be able to score a cheaper price by being direct, but directness like that isn’t considered polite.

21. “What do you recommend?” in Japanese – おすすめは何ですか ( Osusume wa nan desu ka )

If you don’t know what’s good at a restaurant or shop, you can ask someone おすすめは何ですか to get their opinion.

This is a nice phrase to know because then you can ask locals what’s good around here, where you should eat, or what the house specialty is. It’s a good way to truly experience the country!

22. “Does this go to __?” in Japanese – これは＿＿に行きますか ( Kore wa _ ni ikimasu ka)

This is another helpful phrase to know if you plan on using any of the public transportation. The train system can be especially confusing, so if you’re not sure you’re hopping on the right line, ask! “これは＿＿に行きますか” will get a yes or no answer from someone. Fill in the blank with the destination of where you want to go.

23. “Do you have ?” in Japanese – ＿＿はありますか (* wa arimasu ka*)

If you’re looking for something, you can use the phrase “＿＿はありますか” to ask. But this is also helpful if you’re at a restaurant and you’re wondering if they can meet your dietary needs. For instance, if you’re vegetarian, you could ask ベジタリアンメニューはありますか ( Bejitarian menyu- wa arimasu ka ).

If you can’t eat something specific, use the phrase “ は食べられません。” ( wa taberaremasen) For example, I can’t eat gluten. So I could say グルテンは食べられません。( Guruten wa taberaremasen. ) If it’s an allergy, you can say にアレルギーがあります。 (* ni arerugi- ga arimasu.*)

Here’s a few things you may not be able to eat:

• 肉 ( niku ) – Meat
• 牛肉 ( gyuuniku ) – Beef
• 豚肉 ( butaniku ) – Pork
• 鶏肉 ( toriniku ) – Chicken
• ピーナッツ ( pi-nattsu ) – Peanuts
• 小麦 ( komugi ) – Wheat
• 卵 ( tomago ) – Eggs
• 大豆 ( daizu ) – Soy
• 魚 ( sakana ) – Fish
• 貝類 ( kairui ) – Shellfish
• 乳製品 ( nyuuseihin ) – Dairy

24. “Can you take my picture, please?” in Japanese – 写真を撮ってもらえますか ( Shashin wo totte moraemasu ka )

Of course, you’ll want to capture your journey to Japan! So if you’re walking about and need someone to take your picture, you can politely ask them for the favor with 写真を撮ってもらえますか. Or you could simplify it with 写真ください？ ( Shashin kudasai? )

25. “I’ll have a beer to start, please” in Japanese – とりあえずビールをください ( Toriaezu bi-ru wo kudasai )

This classic phrase is a must-know. Anytime you go out in Japan, you’ll hear people say とりあえずビールをください, or just とりあえずビール ( Toriaezu bi-ru )! It’s such a set phrase, everyone picks it up quickly. Drinking culture is a big part of Japan, and it’s rude to turn down a drink. Usually, everyone starts off the first round with beer, which is why this phrase is so common. When it’s time to toast, say かんぱい！( Kanpai , “Cheers!”)

Enjoy Your Trip to the Land of the Rising Sun with these Japanese Phrases!

These Japanese phrases will help you put the right foot forward during your stay in Japan, and help you have a deeper cultural experience.

Can you think of any other helpful Japanese phrases for travelers to know? Share them in the comments! 気を付けて ( Ki wo tsukete ) — or “Be safe!”

Caitlin Sacasas

Content Writer, Fluent in 3 Months

Caitlin is a copywriter, content strategist, and language learner. Besides languages, her passions are fitness, books, and Star Wars. Connect with her: Twitter | LinkedIn

Speaks: English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish

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20 Essential Travel Japanese Phrases (& FREE PDF sheet)

If you’re worried about going to Japan without speaking Japanese – don’t worry. In most major cities many English signs can be seen and some restaurants offer English menus.

However, there will be some situations where you need to go by pointing, gesturing, nodding etc, and having a few key phrases up your sleeve will certainly be helpful.

No time to ‘study’ Japanese? No problem! This is a mini travel Japanese lesson as well as a phrase list which will help you to build on your previous knowledge without involving any complicated sentence structures. The aim of this list is ‘simple and ready to be used’ rather than ‘complicated and forgotten already’.

I have also divided the list in different levels according to the frequency of use (strictly my personal opinion!) so you can choose how much or how little you want to learn.

Level 1 Sushi level (It’s not Suzie, it’s Sushi.)

ありがとうございます Arigato-gozaimas

You will find yourself saying this one often. I think this is one of the most important Japanese words also for the Japanese and you will probably hear local people saying this to one another a lot. So, don’t be shy with your ‘ arigato-gozaimas ‘, say it as often as you want – we love it! If you find it too much of a mouthful, the short and informal ‘ arigato ‘ should do.

2. Excuse me/Sorry

すみません Sumimasen

When you want to get someone’s attention; in a restaurant, a shop, train station, asking a stranger on a street for direction etc… The word can also mean ‘sorry’ and listeners will usually know which one you mean in the context.

おねがいします O’negai shimas

Use this in conjunction with finger-pointing and/or gestures to make requests in restaurants, shops and such. Ie: saying ‘ o’negai shimas ‘ whilst pointing at writing (or a photo of) ‘tall caramel latte macchiato’ means you’re saying ‘tall caramel latte macchiato please.’

If you’re up for a challenge, use 〜 o o’negai shimas （〜を　おねがいします) format,

ie: Ko-hi- o o’negai shimas , ( coffee please).

Check-in o o’negai shimas , ( check-in please).

いいえ Iie (it’s an [i:] sound as in ‘feel’, then ‘e’ as in ‘end’)

6. Where is〜?

〜はどこですか 　 〜wa doko des ka

Insert the destination of your choice and you’re good to go, ie: toire wa doko des ka , (where is the toilet ?)

Other useful words:

• Police box 交番 Ko-ban
• Bank 銀行 Ginko
• Convenience store コンビニ Kon’bini (Japanese convenience store is a legend. You can pay your bills, buy bus tickets or concert tickets, and so much more. It goes without saying that most of your daily essentials can be purchased here. Trust me, you will want to take one home.)
• Train station 駅 Eki
• Bus stop バス停 Basu-tei

7. How much?

いくらですか Ikura des ka

Just in case. Sometimes ¥100 store giant Daiso has things that are ¥300, ¥500… (although they are always clearly labeled!!)

8. Do you have〜?/Is there〜?

〜は　ありますか 〜wa arimas ka

When you are looking for that super-rare Nintendo game in Akihabara ( Virtual Bowling wa arimas ka ), or if you are that person who asks for cappuccino in a Japanese tea specialist cafe ( cappuccino wa arimas ka ). Can also be used when you want to know if a place has certain facilities like toilet, ( toire wa arimas ka ).

In English please? 英語でおねがいします Eigo de o’negai shimas .

If you’re desperate, just omit the ‘de’ and say ‘ eigo o’negai shimas !’ Not grammatically correct, but people will understand. I can not guarantee their ability to speak in English though.

Do you have an English menu? 英語のメニューはありますか Eigo no menu wa arimas ka (here comes that ‘ 〜wa arimas ka ‘ structure again).

10. Good-bye

さようなら Sayo-nara

There is this beautiful old Japanese song called ‘Sayonara (1979)’ by a band called Off Course, but I digress…

11. Numbers

Here is the super easy way to learn Japanese numbers 0 – 99. Worried that you might forget? Don’t worry, wear them on a T-shirt!

I hope you’re enjoying learning Japanese with this list so far. If you would like a free PDF version you can download from here , AND it comes with 5 extra phrases!

The next level is Onigiri rica ball level…

Level 2 Onigiri rice ball level

(you know onigiri is not sushi and can name at least 3 different classic onigiri fillings.).

〜 まで 　 〜made (NOT as in ‘made in Japan’, it’s ma’de.)

Will be handy when you want to express where you’re heading. For example at the train station: ‘ Kyoto ma’de ( des )’ which is ‘To Kyoto’ (with des = polite, without des = casual).

In case you want to learn to say ‘A ticket to Kyoto please’ it’s ‘ Kyoto ma’de no kippu o o’negai shimas ‘.

13. What time

Bring up in pitch at the end just a bit to say ‘what time? ( Nan ji ?)’

If you want to say ‘until what time?’ it’s ‘ Nan ji ma’de ?’ This can mean ‘what time do you close?’ and is useful when you need to know the closing time of shops or restaurants.

You learnt ‘ ma’de ‘, now you need to know ‘ kara ‘ as well. How do we say ‘from what time?’ You guessed it, it’s ‘ Nan ji kara ?’

And I can hear your clever brain clicking and thinking: ‘wait, does that mean I can say Kyoto kara – from Kyoto, too?’ That is right!

15. (Does this) go to〜?

〜に行きますか 〜ni iki mas ka

Useful when you want to check if a train or a bus really goes to your destination. ‘ Shibuya ni iki mas ka ? (Go to Shibuya?)’

You can also make a statement out of it simply by taking off the question marker か ka .

渋谷に行きます Shibuya ni iki mas = Go to Shibuya .

16. (I’m/it’s) Ok

だいじょうぶです Daijo-bu des

You’re standing outside the shop waiting for your friend, a keen Japanese person decides that you’re lost and tries to help you, you say ‘ daijo-bu des (I’m ok)’. A waiter accidentally knocks down your bag, nothing is broken, you say ‘ daijo-bu des (it’s ok)’.

Would you like to know how to say ‘are you ok/is it ok?’ Easy! Simply add ‘ ka か’ which is a question marker at the end and say ‘ daijo-bu des ka ?’

17. Is card ok?

カード だいじょうぶですか ka-do daijo-bu des ka

In high-tech Japan, cash is still king. Although cashless options are increasing especially since COVID19, it is always a good idea to bring cash and/or ask the staff if they take card payments. If you want to say ‘can I pay by card?’ it will be ‘ ka-do de hara’e mas ka ?’ but this simple ‘ ka-do daijo-bu des ka ? (is card ok?)’ sentence will do just fine specially when you ask at the cashier.

18. Good afternoon (and kind of ‘hello’)

こんにちは Kon’ni chiwa

You all know this one. Since Japanese does not have ‘hello’, I guess this is the closest as ‘good afternoon’ can be used during the waking hours of most average people.

• Good morning おはようございます ohayo-gozaimas
• Good evening こんばんは konbanwa

19. I don’t understand

わかりません Wakarimasen

Please feel free to say this when you don’t understand our ‘Japangrish’.

20. (It’s) different/wrong

ちがいます Chigaimas

Wrong price? Incorrect change? Wrong dish arrived? The room is different to the one you have booked? Say ‘ chigaimas ‘!

Congratulations for coming this far and I hope you found this list useful. Click here to download the PDF version for free (+ 5 extra phrases!) or you can use the form below.

I really hope we can travel to Japan again soon (August 2021). For up to date information, please visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website : https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

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The journey is the reward

42 Basic Japanese Phrases to Survive in Japan [With Audio]

Japan’s beauty is unique in Asia and attracts millions of people worldwide. Who hasn’t thought to themselves at least once,

I would love to get lost here. 

If you plan to travel to Japan someday, learning some basic Japanese phrases will not onl y help you to survive in Japan, but also increase your chance of communicating with native Japanese that adds amazing flavor to your journey.

In this post, we’ll present you with 42 basic Japanese phrases that can navigate you through your stay in Japan. From introducing yourself, navigating public transportation and asking for directions, shopping, eating out, and coping with an emergency, this article will cover almost all the basic Japanese phrases for tourists .

Read on to prepare for your next trip to Japan!

Table of Contents

Japanese Phrases for Meeting and Greeting

We all know that Japanese people speak and act politely. Here are some greeting phrases that will make your life in Japan a lot smoother. 

First, if you want to talk to someone, you’d better start with a greeting. If you meet somebody in the morning, you can start the conversation by saying:

Note that Japanese people use “すみません” frequently to apologize for things like stepping someone in the bus, or stopping someone to ask for direction. So this could be one of the most useful Japanese phrases you want to memorize.

Japanese Phrases for Navigating Public Transportation and Getting Around

When Using Public Transportation, y ou may have heard that Japanese cities like Tokyo have one of the most complex railway systems in the world. But don’t worry, here are several phrases to help you survive in those underground labyrinth ( Navitime can help to navigate you through Japan’s confusing metro system). First, you need to find the bus stop (バス停, basutei) or the railway station (駅, eki).

You may want to try the Japan Rail Pass to save some money as well as effort to buy tickets every time. Also, a useful app called HyperDia can help you decide which train to take and warn you when a journey isn’t covered by the Japan Rail Pass .

Now try yourself!

To find digital maps or travel brochures, you can consult JNTO-Travel Brochures . For all the help you received, you can express your gratitude with the simple phrase:

Japanese Phrases for Shopping

While traveling in Japan, you may find there are so many things you want to purchase and take home. Then what phrases are used when shopping for souvenirs?

Don’t forget to get your tax refund if you are an international tourist staying in Japan for less than 6 months.

Japanese Phrases for Eating Out

After walking and shopping, you may find yourself hungry and want some authentic Japanese cuisine. With these basic Japanese phrases, you can walk into any restaurant you want with confidence.

If you want to ask for an English menu, you may say: 英語のメニュー、お願いします。(eigo no menyu, onegaishimasu.) When you find something you are interested in, you can just point to the menu and tell the waiter: 

If you want to order the food by its name, you could use the sentence structure “ください (kudasai)”. For example, if it is the tea that you want, you can say:

If you happen to be dining with a Japanese person, say this before you start:

Japanese people say “ いただきます ” before eating (not towards anyone, but to the food), and “ごちそうさまでした” after finishing it. You can say “ごちそうさまでした” to the owner of the restaurant, and he or she will be very much glad. When you are satisfied with the food, you can say this Japanese phrase to compliment the food:

After finishing the delicious meal, you may want to express your gratitude by saying:

As one can imagine, the amount of help you might receive doesn’t only depend on the welcoming nature of your host but also on how respectful you are.

💡Tips: Japanese dining etiquette 101

• Don’t point at someone or something with your chopsticks.
• Use the chopsticks to grab your food, not as a fork.
• Do not leave your chopsticks planted up in your rice.
• Don’t pass on food to other people around you from chopsticks to chopsticks.

To better plan your trip and find local cuisine, you can consult: Japan Travel ; Japan-Guide and Gurunavi. Before going to Japan, you might want to know more about Japanese Manners Do’s and Don’ts . Know their manners so that you can use these Japanese phrases wisely. 

Japanese Phrases for Emergency

I do hope you will not run into any unpleasant situations in Japan. However, as the saying goes, “Better safe than sorry”, I hope you can remember the following phrases to prepare for any emergency cases that might occur. First, the situation will be a lot better if you can find anyone who is able to speak English, so you can try to find one by asking:

If it is getting dangerous, just shout out:

If you get lost, try to explain your situation to people around you. Remember you can get help from the embassy and do note down the phone number and address of the embassy of your country. If you cannot use your phone, try to ask others for help:

Except for the last section, I do hope all the basic Japanese phrases you learned in this post will come in handy during your stay in Japan. As a bonus, I will introduce several cute Japanese phrases that can be used to express your emotion when talking to native speakers!

Japanese Phrases to Express Emotion

You may have already known the phrase, Japanese people do use “かわいい” a lot. It seems that “かわいい” can be used to show their likeness for almost anything, from clothes, stationery, to buildings and shops.

Another phrase that you are most likely to hear in Japan is “すごい ”. Try to use “ すごい” to compliment others and you may make some native friends.

If you are interested in learning more Japanese phrases, check out LingoDeer’s travel phrasebook and learn 1000+ common Japanese travel phrases for free . You may also encounter some anime expressions;)

If you already fall in love with Japanese, go on and read our blog articles How long does it take to learn Japanese, or this essential guide to Learn Japanese From Beginner to Advanced. Hope you can find something useful there, too! 

See, learning Japanese is not as hard as you think! If you wish to find more Japanese learning resources, check out this article about the best Japanese learning apps and hopefully you’ll find one suits you!

Wish to learn more Japanese phrases but don’t know where to start? Let me help!

I’m LingoDeer . I’m here to make your Japanese learning journey smart and fun!

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Published by Cindy Fan

Hi, I am Cindy Fan. I majored in Japanese for four years in undergraduate school and spent 7 months in Tokyo as an exchange student. There, I fell in love with Japanese culture. Currently, I am studying for an LLM degree at BFSU. View all posts by Cindy Fan

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Useful Japanese Travel Phrases to Learn Before Visiting

If you’re planning a trip to Japan , it’s important to know some basic Japanese travel phrases to help you navigate the country and communicate with the locals.

A few Japanese speak English, especially in major cities, but using Japanese phrases can make a big difference in showing respect and building relationships with the locals.

From simple greetings to ordering food in a Japanese restaurant , a basic understanding of local phrases can go a long way. To help you get started, we’ve compiled some essential Japanese words and phrases for travelers, courtesy of Boutique Japan.

First, greetings such as “ Konnichiwa ” (hello) and “ Arigatou ” (thank you) are a great way to show respect and politeness when interacting with locals.

Simple phrases like “ Sumimasen ” (excuse me) and “ Onegaishimasu ” (please) can also be helpful in various situations.

When it comes to ordering food in a restaurant, phrases like “ Chuumon wo onegaishimasu ” (I would like to order, please) and “ O-mizu wo kudasai ” (Can I have some water, please?) can help make your dining experience smoother. In addition, asking “ Nani wo osusumeshimasu ka? ” (What do you recommend?) can lead to the discovery of new and delicious Japanese dishes .

These are just a few examples of essential Japanese phrases for travelers. By learning some basic Japanese travel phrases, you can enhance your travel experience and make meaningful connections with locals.

So start practicing and have a wonderful trip in Japan!

Here are useful Japanese travel phrases and words which will help you to explore Japan

• こんにちは ( Konnichiwa ) – Hello
• ありがとう ( Arigatou ) – Thank you
• すみません ( Sumimasen ) – Excuse me/I’m sorry
• はい ( Hai ) – Yes
• いいえ ( Iie ) – No
• お願いします ( Onegaishimasu ) – Please
• どうも ( Doumo ) – Thanks/Thank you very much
• ごめんなさい ( Gomen nasai ) – I’m sorry
• おはようございます ( Ohayou gozaimasu ) – Good morning
• こんばんは ( Konbanwa ) – Good evening
• さようなら ( Sayounara ) – Goodbye
• いくらですか？( Ikura desu ka? ) – How much is it?
• おいくらですか？( Oikura desu ka? ) – How much is it? (more polite)
• どこですか？( Doko desu ka? ) – Where is it?
• お手洗いはどこですか？( Otearai wa doko desu ka? ) – Where is the restroom?
• おいしいです ( Oishii desu ) – It’s delicious
• 英語が話せますか？( Eigo ga hanasemasu ka? ) – Do you speak English?
• わかりません ( Wakarimasen ) – I don’t understand
• すみません、もう一度言ってください ( Sumimasen, mou ichido itte kudasai ) – Excuse me, could you please say that again?

Here are some additional Japanese travel phrases, which you could use at a restaurant

• メニューを見せてください ( Menyuu wo misete kudasai ) – Could you show me the menu, please?
• 何をお勧めしますか？( Nani wo osusumeshimasu ka? ) – What do you recommend?
• 注文をお願いします ( Chuumon wo onegaishimasu ) – I would like to order, please.
• これを注文します ( Kore wo chuumon shimasu ) – I’ll have this one, please.
• お水をください ( O-mizu wo kudasai ) – Can I have some water, please?
• お酒はありますか？( Osake wa arimasu ka? ) – Do you have any alcohol?
• 焼き鳥を二本ください ( Yakitori wo nihon kudasai ) – Can I have two skewers of grilled chicken, please?
• お勘定をお願いします ( Okaikei wo onegaishimasu ) – Can I have the bill, please?
• もう少し辛くしてください ( Mou sukoshi karakushite kudasai ) – Can you make it a little spicier, please?
• お会計は、クレジットカードで払えますか？( Okaikei wa, kurejitto kaado de haraemasu ka? ) – Can I pay the bill with a credit card?

I hope these additional phrases help you navigate ordering food and drinks at a restaurant in Japan!

Related read: The Different Flavors of Japan: What Makes Japanese Cuisine so Special

Here are some additional Japanese travel phrases, which you could use when looking for directions

• ここはどこですか？( Koko wa doko desu ka? ) – Where am I?
• この地図を見てください ( Kono chizu wo mite kudasai ) – Could you please look at this map?
• ここに行くにはどうすればいいですか？( Koko ni iku ni wa dou sureba ii desu ka? ) – How do I get to this place?
• この場所には、どうやって行けますか？( Kono basho ni wa, douyatte ikemasu ka? ) – How can I get to this place?
• 左に曲がってください ( Hidari ni magatte kudasai ) – Turn left, please.
• 右に曲がってください ( Migi ni magatte kudasai ) – Turn right, please.
• まっすぐ行ってください ( Massugu itte kudasai ) – Go straight, please.
• どのくらい遠いですか？( Dono kurai tooi desu ka? ) – How far is it?
• この地域の交通情報はどこで調べられますか？( Kono chiiki no koutsuujouhou wa doko de shiraberaremasu ka? ) – Where can I find information about transportation in this area?
• 申し訳ありませんが、もう一度教えていただけますか？( Moushiwake arimasen ga, mou ichido oshiete itadakemasu ka? ) – I’m sorry, could you please tell me again?

I hope these additional phrases help you navigate to what you want to see in Japan!

Here are Japanese travel phrases when using the public transport or a taxi

• このバスは〇〇行きですか？( Kono basu wa ○○-yuki desu ka? ) – Does this bus go to ○○?
• どこでバスに乗れますか？( Doko de basu ni noremasu ka? ) – Where can I catch the bus?
• これで〇〇駅に行けますか？( Kore de ○○-eki ni ikemasu ka? ) – Can I go to ○○ station with this?
• 次の駅で降りる予定です。( Tsugi no eki de oriru yotei desu ) – I plan to get off at the next station.
• 何駅目ですか？( Nanboku-me desu ka? ) – What stop is this?
• 駅はどちらですか？( Eki wa dochira desu ka? ) – Where is the station?
• この電車は何番線ですか？( Kono densha wa nanbansen desu ka? ) – What platform is this train?
• この電車は〇〇に行きますか？( Kono densha wa ○○ ni ikimasu ka? ) – Does this train go to ○○?
• タクシーを拾いたいのですが。( Takushii wo hirotai no desu ga ) – I’d like to hail a taxi, please.
• 〇〇に行ってください。( ○○ ni itte kudasai ) – Please take me to ○○.

I hope that these additional phrases will make it easier for you to find your way around public transportation or taxis in Japan!

Related read: Traveling by Rail in Japan with JR Pass

So you’ve taken a taxi or train and arrived at your hotel. You’re going to find that hotels have a lot to offer you, which means you’re also going to get to use a lot of unique vocabulary.

Here are some of the words you’re most likely to use when checking into your hotel

• チェックインをお願いします。( Chekkuin wo onegaishimasu ) – I’d like to check in, please.
• 予約をしています。( Yoyaku wo shiteimasu ) – I have a reservation.
• 〇〇で予約をしています。( ○○ de yoyaku wo shiteimasu ) – I have a reservation at ○○.
• 予約名は〇〇です。( Yoyaku-me wa ○○ desu ) – The reservation is under the name of ○○.
• 一泊〇〇円の部屋を予約しています。( Ippaku ○○en no heya wo yoyaku shiteimasu ) – I have a reservation for a room at ○○ yen per night.
• シングルルーム/ダブルルーム/ツインルームを予約しています。( Shinguru ruumu/daburu ruumu/tsuin ruumu wo yoyaku shiteimasu ) – I have a reservation for a single/double/twin room.
• ルームキーをお願いします。( Ruumu kii wo onegaishimasu ) – May I have my room key, please?
• チェックアウトは何時ですか？( Chekkauto wa nanji desu ka? ) – What time is check-out?
• 禁煙ルームを希望します。( Kinen ruumu wo kibou shimasu ) – I would like a non-smoking room.
• 何階に部屋がありますか？( Nankai ni heya ga arimasu ka? ) – On which floor is my room?

I hope these additional phrases are of help to you during your hotel check-in process in Japan!

Here useful phrases to order coffee or tea

• コーヒー/紅茶を一杯お願いします。( Koohii/koucha wo ippai onegaishimasu ) – I would like a cup of coffee/tea, please.
• ホットコーヒー/アイスコーヒーをお願いします。( Hotto koohii/aisu koohii wo onegaishimasu ) – I would like a hot/cold coffee, please.
• 砂糖を入れてもらえますか？( Satou wo irete moraemasu ka? ) – Can I have some sugar, please?
• ミルクを入れてもらえますか？( Miruku wo irete moraemasu ka? ) – Can I have some milk, please?
• ホイップクリームを入れてもらえますか？( Hoippu kuriimu wo irete moraemasu ka? ) – Can I have some whipped cream, please?
• アイスカフェラテをお願いします。( Aisu kafe rate wo onegaishimasu ) – I would like an iced cafe latte, please.
• カフェモカをお願いします。( Kafe moka wo onegaishimasu ) – I would like a cafe mocha, please.
• アールグレイをお願いします。( Aaru gurei wo onegaishimasu ) – I would like Earl Grey tea, please.
• デカフェをお願いします。( Dekafe wo onegaishimasu ) – I would like decaf coffee, please.

Hopefully, these additional phrases will make your coffee or tea ordering in Japan a lot easier for you!

Let’s go shopping in Japan

• これはいくらですか？( Kore wa ikura desu ka? ) – How much is this?
• これをください。( Kore o kudasai. ) – Please give me this.
• ありがとうございます。( Arigatou gozaimasu. ) – Thank you very much.
• これはどこですか？( Kore wa doko desu ka? ) – Where is this?
• すみません、見てもいいですか？( Sumimasen, mite mo ii desu ka? ) – Excuse me, may I have a look at this?
• まだ見たい物があります。( Mada mitai mono ga arimasu. ) – Do you have something else I can see?
• このサイズがありますか？( Kono saizu ga arimasu ka? ) – Do you have this in my size?
• 買いましょうか？( Kaimashou ka? ) – Shall I buy this?
• かりとお願いします。( Karito o kudasai. ) – Could you wrap it up, please?
• クレジットカードが使えますか？( Credit card ga tsukaemasu ka? ) – Do you accept credit cards?

Related read: Hankyu Very Much: Non-bargain-shopping in Japan

Knowing a few basic Japanese travel phrases can make your trip to Japan much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Whether you’re asking for directions, ordering food, checking into a hotel, or simply interacting with the locals, using a few key phrases can go a long way in making connections and showing respect for Japanese culture .

With these additional phrases added to the list, you now have a solid foundation of essential Japanese travel phrases to use during your trip.

Remember to practice and be patient, as language barriers and cultural differences can sometimes present challenges. But with a friendly attitude and a willingness to learn, you’ll be able to navigate your way around Japan with confidence and ease.

Enjoy your travels and have a wonderful time in Japan!

I'm sure you've had similar experiences I had whilst traveling. You're in a certain place and a fellow traveler, or a local, tip you off on a little-known beach, bar or accommodation. Great travel tips from other travelers or locals always add something special to our travels. That was the inspiration for Travel Dudes.

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Basic Travel Phrases in Japanese (with Etiquette)

Irasshaimase! (いらっしゃいませ), or "welcome!" to your guide to Japanese travel phrases.

If you're planning a trip to Japan or simply interested in learning Japanese , this guide to using and understanding Japanese travel phrases is a must-read.

You don't need to learn the entire language before you make the trip of a lifetime. Still, knowing some key phrases, cultural differences and mannerisms will make Japan more accessible for English speakers.

Related: Saying Hello in Japanese: Pronouncing Japanese Greetings

First, we'll discuss the Japanese language and writing styles. Then, we'll cover some essential Japanese travel phrases, including "please", "thank you", "excuse me" and "I don't understand Japanese". Formality in Japanese will be explained, followed by restaurant vocabulary and etiquette.

Next, we'll cover certain phrases related to transport and travel, followed by pronunciation tips for common phrases used in Japan. Finally, we will answer frequently asked questions about Japanese phrases and travel to Japan.

The Japanese Language

Japanese words can be written in symbols or in Romanized characters, so beginners can still read and write before they learn the Japanese script.

However, when you learn Japanese characters you can better understand the nuances of the language.

Kanji are Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in Japanese writing. This writing system was introduced to Japan in the 4th or 5th century, as Japan had a talking system but no means to write it down. Kanji are complex symbols that represent words or ideas.

However, Kanji characters are used along with the more recently created syllabic scripts of Hiragana and Katakana, which represent sounds.

Some people find these scripts easier to read as the symbols are simpler. Hiragana is generally used to represent Japanese words, while Katakana represents foreign words imported into the Japanese language.

While it is possible to write everything in Hiragana or Katakana, i t w o u l d l o o k l i k e t h i s . So, it is better to replace words with Kanji when possible. Japanese people use the three scripts interchangeably, as they are needed.

10 Essential Japanese Phrases

• Konnichiwa (こんにちは) – Hello/ good afternoon
• Ohayo Gozaimasu (おはよう ご ざ い ます) - Good morning
• Konbanwa (こんばんは) - Good evening This phrase is made up of Ohayo (おはよう), meaning "early" and Gozaimasu (ご ざ い ます) meaning "is"/"am"/"are". So, its literal translation is "it is early". As you can see below, Gozaimasu can be added to Arigatou, meaning "thank you", to make it more polite.
• Arigatou (Gozaimasu) (ありがとう (ご ざ い ます)) – Thank you (polite way)
• Onegaishimasu (お願い し ます)/ Kudasai (くだ さい) - Please
• Sumimasen (すみません) – Excuse me
• Hai (はい) - Yes/ I understand
• Iie (いいえ) - No
• Nihongo ga wakarimasen (日本語がわかりません) - I don't understand Japanese
• Gomen nasai (ごめんなさい) - I'm sorry

Formality In Japanese

Social hierarchy, or your rank compared to others, determines how you will talk to someone in Japanese.

The generally accepted pecking order puts parents above children, teachers above students, customers above shopkeepers, bosses above employees, and elders above younger people.

Moreover, familiarity plays a part in how formal or informal you are with someone. Families will speak more casual Japanese with one another, while strangers use formal terms. Good friends drop formalities entirely and use slang to communicate.

Japanese words are conjugated based on formality. Formal Japanese can be divided into three categories: polite language, honorific language, and humble language.

There is also an informal way of communicating in Japanese, but when you learn Japanese, you often learn the formal first as the conjugation is easier.

Gozimasu and Arigatou

You do not need to worry too much about this as an absolute beginner. Just remember that you can make simple adjustments such as adding gozimasu (ご ざ い ます) to ohayō (おはよう) when saying "good morning" to make it more formal, or to arigatou (ありがとう) to say "thank you" the formal way.

Domo arigato (共 ありがとう) "thank you so much" is also formal. This is a phrase many westerners are familiar with due to the song Mr Roboto by Styx!

Arigato or domo used in isolation are two ways to say "thanks", informally. Use the latter two with friends and family.

Onegaishimasu and Kudasai

Finally, let's revisit when we use Onegaishimasu (お願い し ます) and Kudasai (くだ さい) for "please".

• Kudasai is the more familiar term, while onegai shimasu is more polite and honorable.
• So, you can ask for water, for instance, by using Kudasai (ください) or onegai shimasu ( を お願い し ます), depending on who you are talking to. For example:
• Mizu o onegai shimasu ( 水を お願い し ます) - I would like water, please (formal)
• Mizu o kudasai (水 お ください) - Give me water, please (informal)

Kudasai is a familiar request word that you use when you know you are entitled to something.

For instance, asking a friend or peer for something, or making a request from someone of a lower rank than you. Take a look at the following phrases:

• Mō yamete kudasai (もう やめて くだ さい ) - Please stop
• Chotto matte kudasai (ちょっと 待って くだ さい) - Wait a minute, please
• Kutsu o nuide kudasai (靴を脱いで くだ さい) - Please remove your shoes
• Shio o watashite kudasai ( 塩を渡して くだ さい) - Pass the salt, please

If you are speaking to a teacher, elder, or boss in Japan and don't understand something, you can ask: Mou ichido onegai shimasu (もう一度お願いします) - Could you repeat that, please?

As well as language, gestures also play a part in formality and respect in Japanese culture. One such gesture is the bow, and it matters how deep you bend!

A short bow at 15° is appropriate for a casual greeting. A 30° bow is good for greeting strangers and bosses, while a 45° bow conveys deep respect or an apology.

10 Food & Drink Basic Phrases in Japanese

• Menyū (メニュー) - Menu
• O-sake (お酒) – General term for alcohol (not to be confused with the below)
• Nihonshu (日本酒) – Japanese saké (rice wine)
• Bīru (ビール) - Beer
• Mizu (水) - Water
• Gohan (ご飯) - Rice
• Misoshiru (みそ汁) - Miso Soup
• Sushi (すし) - Sushi
• Mochi (餅 ) - Mochi (a traditional Japanese glutinous rice cake)
• ___ o Kudasai ( をください) – I would like __, please ___ o onegai shimasu (を お願い し ます) - I would like ___ please

In addition to food and drink, you might want to know how to ask for other specific services in a Japanese restaurant.

• Kin'en seki (禁煙席) - Non-smoking seat
• Kurejittokādo wa tsukaemasu ka? (クレジットカードは使えますか) - Do you accept credit cards?

Japanese Restaurant Etiquette

It is not enough simply to know a few polite phrases in Japanese. You will also need to understand a bit about restaurant etiquette.

In many Japanese restaurants, there are low tables with cushions, rather than or in addition to western-style tables and chairs.

Cushions will be placed on tatami floors, which are a traditional kind of mat flooring in Japanese restaurants. You should never wear shoes or slippers on tatami flooring, and avoid stepping on anyone's cushion except your own.

Japanese Restaurant Vocabulary in Context

When the food comes, it is customary to wait for everyone's meals to arrive, then say:

• Itadakimasu (いただきます) - "I gratefully receive (this meal)"

You should say this before starting to eat. This is similar to the French "bon appetit".

However, if a dish is best eaten hot and it arrives before the others, the following phrase can be used:

• Osaki ni douzo (お先 に どうぞ) - "Please go ahead"

Other useful Japanese resturant phrases include:

• Daijyoubu Desu (だいじょうぶです) - "I'm fine now" (this is a polite way to decline something from a waiter offering you more water or food).

You can conclude the meal by saying the phrase:

• Gochisousama deshita (ごちそうさま でした) - "Thank you for the feast."

This expresses gratitude to the chef and for the ingredients of the meal.

At the end of your meal, you should use the following:

• Okaikei wo onegaishimasu (お会計 を お願いします) - "The check, please."

Manners in Convenience Stores

The following piece of vocaulary will be useful:

• Konbini (コンビニ) - Convenience store

In Japan, simple things like unfolding your bills before you hand them over to the cashier and not throwing down your coins are considered polite as they make the worker's job easier.

Customer service in Japan is famously excellent, so treat the clerk with respect and kindness, as you should in any other foreign country.

10 Transportation-Related Phrases to Get Around Japan

• ___wa doko desu ka ( は どこ です か) – Where is __?
• Eki (駅) - Train station eg. Eki wa doko desu ka (駅 は どこ です か) - Where is the train station?
• Basu noriba (バスのりば) - Bus stop
• Dono Densha (どの電車)/ Dono basu (どのバス) – Which train?/ Which bus?
• (Tōkyō) ni ikitai ( ([東京) に行きたい) – I want to go to (Tokyo)
• Kippu (切符) – Ticket
• Katamichi kippu (片道切符)/ Kaeri no kippu (帰りの切符) - One-way ticket/ return ticket
• Hoteru (ホテル) - hotel
• Toire ( = トイレ) - Bathroom / toilet
• Ikura desu ka (いくら です 化) - How much is it?

Japanese travel phrases in context

Now, you can start to put some of the words we have learned together to create a proper phrase.

• Hiroshima e no kaeri no kippu o onegai shimasu, ikura desu ka (広島への帰りの切符をお願いします、いくらですか) - "I would like a return ticket to Hiroshima, how much is it?"

These essential Japanese travel phrases will come in handy when visiting Japan, as an estimated 70% of the population does not speak English.

You'll find more people with some level of English in the top destinations, such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, while you might hit a language barrier in smaller towns.

Basic Japanese Phrases and Pronunciation in Japanese

An important phrase you will likely say a lot is desu ka ( です か).

This indicates a question when placed at the end of a sentence. So, let's make sure you can say it correctly, as it may not be pronounced as you'd expect.

You want to pronounce desu like “dess.” Remember, the “u” sound at the end is dropped.

This happens a lot with words that end with “u” sounds, including:

• Arigatou Gozaimasu (ありがとう ご ざ い) - "thank you" (which is pronounced "arigatou gozaimas").

We have already seen desu ka in the phrase ikura desu ka, " how much is it?", and wa doko desu ka , "where is it?".

It is also used in the following key Japanese phrases:

• O genki desu ka (お元気 です 化) - How are you? (Pronounced "o genki dess ka").
• Nani desu ka (何ですか なにですか) - (polite) What?
• Sou desu ka (そうですか) - Is that so?/ Really? The response, Sou desu (そうです), pronounced "so dess", means "that is so" or "yes, really".
• Kore wa na ndesu ka (これ わ なん です か) - What is this?

You can create many more Japanese phrases for asking questions by using desu ka , so try to remember this pronunciation as it will get you a long way.

Basic Greetings Tourists Should Know in Japan

If you only have a short time before your trip to Japan, at the very least learn these simple greetings and make sure you know the dos and don'ts of public affection.

• Kon'nichiwa, watashinonamaeha ___ (こんにちは、私の名前は) - "Good afternoon, my name is ___"
• Konbanwa, hajimemashite (こんばんは、はじめまして) - "Good evening, nice to meet you."
• Namae wa nandesu ka? (名前はなん です か) - "What is your name?"

Making Friends in Japan

Now that you know how to greet Japanese people appropriately, you can start to build a relationship with them.

Generally, when you meet people while traveling abroad, you ask:

• Eigo o hanashimasu ka? (英語を話せますか) - "Can you speak English?"
• Anata wa doko no kuni no shusshindesu ka (あなたはどこの国の出身 です か) - "Which country are you from?"
• Doko no shusshindesu ka? ( どこの出身 です か) - "Where are you from?" (more simple phrase).
• Anata wa doko ni sun deru nodesu ka? (あなたはどこに住んでるの です か) - "Where do you live?"

If you would like to become friends or make a date, you might want to gauge the person's interests:

• Anata wa (eiga ga) sukidesuka? (あなたは (映画が) 好き です か) - "Do you like (the cinema)?"

Travel Tips for Japan

Remember Japanese manners! This includes restaurant etiquette, limiting public displays of affection, using polite language, and respecting the culture.

You cannot expect everyone in the world to speak your language, but by using a simple Japanese phrase here and there you can show that you are willing to try and meet them halfway.

Choose the season wisely. Visit Japan in Winter for the ski season, or in Spring for unforgettable views of cherry blossoms.

Or, choose an Autumn trip to avoid tourist crowds and peak travel seasons. The same applies to Summer, though this is typhoon season, which puts a lot of tourists off.

What is Ryokou?

Ryokou (旅行) is a Japanese noun meaning "travel" or "trip".

Broken down, 旅 is the kanji character meaning "travel", "trip", or "journey", and 行 is the kanji character used to express the act of going or visiting.

Use this next phrase if you want to impress your new Japanese friends by using their local language:

• Watashi wa ryokou ga sukidesu (私は旅行が好きです) - "I love traveling".

If you're studying Japanese so you can take a trip to Japan, this is undoubtedly true!

How to Learn Japanese Naturally

If you are looking for additional resources for learning Japanese, check out Lingopie .

This is an online streaming platform that is designed to get you speaking Japanese and learning Kanji with ease through immersion in Japanese TV and movies.

Lingopie provides an authentic and natural way to learn other languages and makes learning Japanese fun.

This is a great tool for busy people who cannot sit through hours of Japanese classes every week.

Simply relax in the evening and watch half an hour of Japanese TV. Allow your brain to absorb the language naturally and pick up useful phrases and pronunciation.

And if you want to keep binge watching awesome shows check out our other Japanese articles. We listed 9 Japanese Movies on Netflix that can help your studies and we also did a guide to learning Japanese with anime ! We also recommend you to check out our free guide " Best way to learn Japanese ".

Summing up: Basic Travel phrases in Japanese

Now you can travel to Japan armed with some useful Japanese phrases and a basic understanding of the culture and mannerisms of the country.

You will be able to conduct yourself appropriately while dining, make your way around train stations, and if you speak slowly and clearly, begin to build relationships.

Remember, nobody will expect you to speak Japanese fluently, but if you can use these simple phrases, your travels will be simplified.

The average Japanese native speaker is unlikely to speak English fluently. You may hit a language barrier, but if you remember your polite gestures and restaurant etiquette, you can still do very well in Japan and impress the locals.

Hopefully, this guide has given you some travel inspiration. Have a wonderful time on your trip and good luck on your path to learning Japanese!

Lorena Macedo

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Learn Japanese for Travel

Prepare for your next trip with busuu’s japanese travel course. learn essential japanese travel vocabulary and phrases to open new doors.

If you’re planning a trip to Japan, it’s smart to learn Japanese for travel. But where to start? It can be overwhelming to tackle a whole new language!

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at why it’s important to learn basic Japanese for travel before you jet off to Tokyo, the best way to learn Japanese, and start to tackle some important Japanese words and phrases for travel.

How to learn Japanese for travel

Learning basic Japanese for travel is actually easier than you might think.

Sure, the language as a whole is considered one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn, thanks to the three Japanese writing systems and the complexity of formal Japanese and honorifics . But if you’re simply heading to an onsen in Hokkaido for a week, you’re probably not looking to do business in Japanese or read entire novels.

Instead, you can focus on Japanese phrases for travelers and other elements of basic Japanese, which is not nearly as challenging.

Discover the best way to learn Japanese for your next trip

Lessons on your schedule

Learn at your own pace with Busuu! Whether you have a free hour to study or just a few minutes, you can make progress toward your goals with bite-sized lessons designed by experts.

Tackle basic Japanese for travel first

Start learning with Japanese basics in the Complete Japanese Course or focus on the Japanese travel vocabulary you’re most likely to need first with our Japanese Travel Course.

Learn Japanese from anywhere

Study on the go with the Busuu app, and download lessons to learn offline! With Busuu Premium , you can keep learning even when your adventures take you out of WiFi range.

Why learn Japanese before you travel to Japan?

Before taking a closer look at how to learn basic Japanese, you might want to know why you should! After all, learning a language can be tough. You might be wondering what the benefits are of learning Japanese at all and whether it’s worth the bother.

Well, there are many excellent reasons to learn Japanese if you’re heading off to Japan! Learning a language makes your travel experiences so much better. Here are our top 5 reasons you should learn Japanese for travel.

1. Simplify your trip

When you take a Japanese Travel Course ( like this one! ), you’ll learn essential Japanese phrases for travel. The ability to ask for directions, buy train tickets, find a restroom, or order at a restaurant in the local language can make a huge difference in your experience of Japan. When you understand more, you can navigate new places and experiences more smoothly and with less stress.

2. Take roads less traveled

Another good reason to learn Japanese for travel? Many Japanese people simply don’t speak English. It’s not as common to learn English in Japan as it is in other countries that rely more heavily on tourism or that have had long relationships with English-speaking nations. If you don’t speak any Japanese, it may be hard to navigate the country unless you stick to more touristy locations. And what fun is that?

3. Connect with locals

In Japan, a little politeness can go a long way. Even if mastering advanced Japanese grammar isn’t in the cards for you, a few basic Japanese travel phrases – like learning to say yes and no in Japanese or understanding Japanese table manners – can help you better connect with the people you meet on your travels. Learning basic Japanese can help you learn to introduce yourself, ask other people basic questions about themselves, and so much more.

4. Understand more

If you’re heading off to Japan, one of the best things you can do to prepare is learn hiragana and katakana – two of the three Japanese writing systems. While the third system, kanji , can take years to master, hiragana and katakana alone can give you a huge boost when it comes to navigating around Japan. Reading these two syllabaries can help you sound out Japanese menus, signage, and product labels, which can be a huge help when it comes to getting around day-to-day.

5. Get a sense of accomplishment!

The simple truth is, learning to speak a new language and putting it to use can be fun!

Even if your Japanese isn’t perfect by the time the plane lands, it’s thrilling to buy a snack or check into a hotel in a new language and be understood.

Everyone needs a win sometimes! And the local Japanese folks you encounter will likely appreciate the effort you made in learning.

Pro tip : When you go into a store in Japan, you’re likely to hear someone call out, “Irasshaimase!” Find out what it means – along with 17 other Japanese greetings – right here .

In short? Learning to speak Japanese before traveling to Japan is sure to improve your experience!

There are tons of good reasons to learn a little Japanese before you go, and – since you can start learning with Busuu for free – it’s hard to find a reason not to.

Best of all? When you learn with Busuu, you can focus on learning the Japanese travel phrases you’ll need most, right from day one.

Why is Busuu the best app to learn Japanese for travel?

Busuu’s Complete Japanese Course is the perfect entry point to start learning Japanese. When you supplement it with Busuu’s Japanese Travel Course, you’ll learn the basics you need plus most useful Japanese phrases for travel. And if you want to keep learning, once the Travel Course is through, you can work on learning hiragana and katakana, or continue at your own pace from the basics all the way up to Upper Intermediate (B2) Japanese.

Actually speaking a new language out loud in the real world can be daunting! That’s why Busuu’s courses encourage you to practice speaking Japanese out loud from the first lessons. In Busuu’s Japanese courses, you’ll get exercises that challenge you not just to listen and repeat but to come up with your own answers to prompts based on what you’ve learned. That means you won’t just learn Japanese for travel – you’ll practice actually putting what you’ve learned to use.

One of the things that makes Busuu the absolute best app to learn Japanese for travel? The Conversations feature! You’ll share some of your exercises with native Japanese speakers on the app for encouragement and feedback. Learning from native speakers can help with your pronunciation, show you how the language is actually used in practice, and lift your confidence so you’re ready to say "konnichiwa" from the moment you land.

Learn Japanese phrases for travelers

Why not get started right now? Let’s take a look at some of the vocabulary and phrases you’ll learn in your first few lessons with Busuu’s Travel Course!

Pro Tip : There are many different ways to say no in Japanese – learn which one to use and when right here .

10 Essential Japanese words for travel

Learn more japanese for travel with busuu premium.

With Busuu Premium, you can set goals with a Study Plan, connect with Japanese speakers through Conversations, and so much more. Premium makes learning to use Japanese travel vocabulary a breeze, so you’ll be saying, Konnichiwa / こんにちは– “Hello!” with confidence to the people you meet on your travels!

3 Basic Japanese phrases for travel

1. Hajimemashite

Hajimemashite (始めまして) is a Japanese greeting that means “Nice to meet you”. We say this phrase when we meet someone for the first time.

2. Itadakimasu

Taken literally, itadakimasu (いただきます) means, “I humbly receive.” It’s good manners to say this before you eat and is a way to say thank you for the whole preparation of the meal.

3. Onegai shimasu

Onegai shimasu (お願いします) is a polite Japanese phrase that translates to "please" or "I humbly request." It is commonly used in various contexts to make a request or ask for a favor politely.

And now you’ve learned a few handy Japanese phrases to know when traveling!

Of course, you’ll need to learn a bit more Japanese before you can strike up a conversation in an izakaya or seamlessly order gyoza – but don’t worry, you’ll learn all that and more when you learn via Busuu’s Japanese Travel Course.

Start learning with Busuu

Don’t wait, start to learn Japanese for travel now and discover all the doors that learning Japanese can open for you.

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• Japanese pronunciation for beginners

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Learn Japanese

I want to learn Japanese!

If you follow the instructions in this over the top, step-by-step guide, you will reach your goal of Japanese fluency.

However, this journey is going to take a lot of effort and hard work on your part. Anyone who tells you learning a language is going to be easy is either misinformed or trying to sell you something. And eventually, after the honeymoon phase of learning wears off, progress feels slower. You burn out. Sh*t hits the fan. If you've ever tried learning something new, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Instead, you need to do things the hard way (i.e. the correct way) right from the start.

Just because we're doing it right doesn't mean it has to be inefficient.

This method for learning Japanese starts at the very beginning. I assume you have zero knowledge of the Japanese language and guide you through each step. I'll cover reading, writing, speaking, and listening. And we explain what you should use, when, and why.

This should be everything you need to progress, that way you don't use all of that fresh enthusiasm you're feeling on planning how to learn, and instead spend it on actual learning.

Make like those famous shoes and just do it.

Our goal is to reach Japanese fluency as directly as possible. Unlike a teacher or a textbook, we have the freedom to be ruthless in the path we take to get there.

There are no tests or quizzes to take. You don't have to move at the speed of the slowest learner in your group. All you need to do is follow each step, do the work, and progress.

Just keep in mind that because of this, some steps may seem counterintuitive. They may even seem slow compared to other methods, but everything has been carefully selected to get you to the finish line faster and more efficiently. We'll talk more about that later.

A bit of housekeeping first: This is a living document, meaning it will be updated from time to time. Check back, subscribe to our email list , or follow us on Twitter to know when these updates happen. And, if you already have experience with Japanese, I still recommend you give it a read. There's a good chance you'll find something important to help you on your own Japanese language journey.

Table of Contents

Learn to read hiragana, basic japanese pronunciation, learning to type hiragana in japanese, understanding the concept of "kanji", beginning kanji & stockpiling kanji knowledge, learn to read katakana, learning to type katakana, learning to type kanji, 1. collecting vocabulary, 2. processing, 3. adding the words to your srs, beginning japanese grammar, a beginner's japanese textbook / program, answering your japanese language questions, order of learning, fact checking / cross referencing, do the work, sometimes, you'll just get stuck, optional: finding a japanese language tutor, suggested books and resources, intermediate level japanese, zero knowledge of japanese.

Welcome to learning Japanese! This section is for the true beginner. You know little-to-no Japanese. Maybe a "konnichiwa" here and a "baka" there. These first steps you take are especially important because they're going to set a foundation you can build off of.

The more deliberate your steps, the easier everything that follows will be.

Carefully completing this section is going to be necessary if you want to avoid the thing that takes down most learners: the intermediate wall. Instead, take your time on these foundational steps. What feels slow now is actually speed later on.

Estimated Time: 1 day to 1 week

Hiragana is Japan's version of the alphabet. It is one of three Japanese writing systems you need to learn to be able to read. The other two are katakana and kanji, but hiragana is where everything starts.

The ability to read hiragana is going to be a prerequisite for most beginner Japanese textbooks and resources. It's the first thing you learn in a traditional classroom. Surprisingly, I agree with everyone else. This is a good place to start.

Most Japanese classrooms spend an entire month learning how to read and write hiragana. That's too long! Instead of writing out each hiragana character over and over to memorize them, use the guide below and you may be reading hiragana later tonight. It uses mnemonics and worksheets that are designed to help you learn and be able to recall hiragana faster than you thought possible.

Do it: Learn How to Read Hiragana

It's important to note that this guide is going to teach you how to read hiragana and not how to write it. This has a purpose! While it is important to learn how to hand write Japanese eventually, right now it will slow you down immensely with very little payoff. Typing covers 99% of modern day writing so you will learn how to type hiragana (and katakana and kanji) instead.

This, in combination with mnemonics and worksheets, will allow you to learn how to read hiragana in a day or two instead of a month.

Remember: You're not in a class. You don't have to move at the speed of the slowest 10%. There is no speed limit .

In order to complete this section and move on, you need to get to the point where you can read all of the hiragana. Even if you're slow, as long as you can recall each character, as well as the contractions, without cheating, that's enough. You're about to get plenty of practice and your reading speed will naturally increase over time as you move on.

Note: Read "Japanese Pronunciation, Part 1" (below) before you start learning hiragana.

Estimated Time: n/a

Good pronunciation starts with hiragana. While hiragana alone won't teach you everything, it is the key to understanding how and why Japanese words sound the way they do. It will also help you get the foundation you need for a native-sounding accent. At the very least, hiragana will get you 80% of the way there.

For the remaining 20%, we wrote a guide covering the basics of Japanese pronunciation. Before you begin learning how to read hiragana, you should read up to the "Japanese Sounds and Your Mouth" section.

Once you've finished learning how to read hiragana, go though that section again, but this time read about "Important Differences" as well. This section will cover all of the sounds that don't exist in English, giving you a head start. Make sure you can pronounce all of the hiragana characters correctly before moving on.

Read: Basic Japanese Pronunciation Guide

With pronunciation, it's best to put the time and work in now, at the beginning. Don't ignore it because it's hard. When things get more difficult, it's very important that you've spent time speaking and hearing these sounds so that you can learn about all the differences and exceptions headed your way.

Okay, now go ahead and get back to learning how to read hiragana . Get to the point where you can read and recall everything, then move on to the next section.

Estimated Time: 1-2 days (or less) Prerequisite: Able to read hiragana

Now that you can read and pronounce hiragana (remember, slowly is okay!) it's time to learn how to type it on your computer or smartphone.

First, you need to install a Japanese keyboard. Luckily, you don't have to buy a special piece of hardware or computer to do this thanks to a type of software called an IME (input method editor). You can add an IME onto almost any kind of computer, phone, or operating system. Just follow the instructions in this guide to add them to your devices:

Read: How to Install a Japanese Keyboard

After you’re done installing, it’s time to learn how to actually type. Use the following guide, and only focus on the hiragana portion (since that’s all you know how to read right now):

Read: How to Type in Japanese

Assuming you are able to read hiragana, typing in hiragana is surprisingly straightforward. Once you feel confident in your typing abilities, including trickier things like contractions, small tsu, and dakuten, move on to the next section. It's time to talk about the elephant in every Japanese learner's room: kanji.

In our Japanese learning method, you're going to learn to read kanji characters very early. As soon as you can read and type hiragana it's time to start tackling kanji.

Here is our reasoning:

The most difficult thing about learning Japanese is kanji. At least, that's what people say. But trying to save it or brush it off until later isn't going to help you learn Japanese. Almost everything uses kanji, making it one of the most important aspects of learning this language. Your learning quality of life will drop drastically if you choose to ignore it.

A lot of a beginner’s time when using a textbook is spent looking up kanji and vocabulary. This takes your focus away from the grammar you're trying to learn and makes progression slow and frustrating. Learning (some) kanji and vocabulary first makes learning grammar a lot faster and, more importantly, easier. Think of it this way: you're losing a little time now to save a ton of time later.

Kanji leads to vocabulary, vocabulary aids communication, and grammar is like the glue that holds vocabulary together. Without vocabulary there's nothing for the grammar glue to stick to and everything gets messy. It makes grammar abstract and difficult to learn, when it doesn't have to be.

Like hiragana, we have a way for you to learn kanji that's way more effective than the traditional methodology (rote memorization). Thanks to that, it won't be as difficult as everyone says. It may even *gasp* be a pleasure to learn! Maybe.

This kanji-vocabulary-first route will get you to the point where you can use Japanese quickly. It feels slow at first, but soon you will rocket past your fellow Japanese learning compatriots. You'll also be able to get over that "intermediate wall" easier and quicker than if you were to use a traditional method. This lowers your chances of burnout and giving up all together.

If you're on board with this philosophy, you need to start at the very beginning: understanding what kanji is and how it's used. For that, we have another guide for you to read:

Read: On’yomi vs. Kun’yomi: What’s the Difference?

Once you understand how Japanese kanji readings work, you’ll be ready to learn some actual kanji.

Estimated Time: 1-3 months

Important note about this section: You should start to learn katakana (the next section) at the same time as this step. "Beginning Kanji & Stockpiling Kanji Knowledge" will take 1-3 months. In fact, you can complete all of the steps up to "The Beginner of Japanese" while you work on this one!

Okay, so it's time to actually learn kanji. Let's define what "learn kanji" means before you get started. That way you know what is expected of you.

When I say "learn kanji" I mean learn the kanji’s most important (English) meaning(s), and their most important (Japanese) reading(s). As you know from reading about on'yomi and kun'yomi, some kanji have a lot of readings. And, unfortunately, English meanings are just translations and can't always match the Japanese meaning one-to-one. That means there can be many correct English meanings for a single kanji that you'll need to deal with. We'll narrow those down so you only learn the most important meanings and readings first—the ones used 80-90% of the time. The remaining meanings and readings will come via vocabulary and other practice.

As you learn kanji you will also learn vocabulary that use those kanji. Not only will this help solidify those kanji concepts in your mind, but it will also be where you learn the remaining kanji readings. Plus, as you know, this vocabulary will be used to give you something to glue together with grammar later.

By the end of this guide, your goal is to know around 2,000 of the most important kanji as well as 6-7000 vocabulary words that use them. With this groundwork you should be able to read almost anything—or at least have the tools to easily decipher the rest on your own.

Your goal should be to learn 20-30 kanji and ~100 vocabulary words that use those kanji (and only those kanji) each week. If that seems like a lot, don't worry: there is a method for memorization that will speed things up considerably. Please read up on the Radicals Mnemonic Method. As a bonus, you will learn some important foundational knowledge about how kanji works in here as well.

Read: Learn kanji with the radicals mnemonic method

In this guide you will learn how to narrow down kanji meanings and readings to the most important ones. You will learn how to use radicals and mnemonics and how to create an effective routine.

You should be able to use these techniques to create a weekly study plan on your own for free, as long as you put in the work. But, if you would like all of the above (and then some) in one, complete package, we recommend the kanji learning program, WaniKani .

We'll be referencing it going forward, but just know that creating your own content and schedule is totally fine and doable. You'll just need to make sure you maintain your pace to keep up. Or, for some of you, make sure you slow down so you don't burn out!

Once you begin learning vocabulary in WaniKani (or your own system) read the Basic Japanese Pronunciation Guide from the Pronouncing Vocabulary section all the way through to the end. You will learn about long and short vowel sounds, double consonants, dropping sounds (all common stumbling blocks for beginners), and more. You will also learn about pitch accent. Although it may be difficult now, just knowing pitch accent exists and how it works in Japanese will give you a leg up.

Okay! Make sure you get started now. Do the work, don't just plan to do it! Sitting down and starting is the hardest part.

Estimated Time: 2 days to 2 weeks Prerequisite: Able to read hiragana

Learning katakana is about the same as learning hiragana, with a few Shyamalanian twists. We have yet another mnemonic-based guide for you, and chances are you'll be able to read katakana within the next few days if you're willing to put in the work.

You should get to the point where you can read all of the katakana, however slowly, by the time you start unlocking vocabulary in WaniKani (or by the time you start vocabulary in your own kanji method). Although katakana words won't show up a lot right from the start, there are enough to make it worthwhile. It's also a good way to spend your extra time while the number of kanji you're learning is still quite low.

Do it: Learn to Read Katakana

Note: Katakana tends to give learners more trouble than hiragana. This is because it seems to be used less than hiragana and kanji, especially at the beginning stages. Later on, katakana will appear more frequently, but for now simply being able to read katakana is enough. There will be plenty of opportunities to get better at it—just know that reading katakana may not come as quickly as it did with hiragana. And that's okay. Hiragana and kanji are just more useful right now, so spend your limited time and energy there.

Once you can read each katakana character—no matter how slowly—move on to the next section about typing katakana.

Estimated Time: 1-2 hours Prerequisites: Able to type hiragana, able to read katakana

Katakana is similar to hiragana in many ways, and thanks to this, learning how to type it should be fairly easy. There are a few differences to figure out, but you will be able to apply your hiragana knowledge to it and progress quickly. Jump to the katakana section of our typing guide and get started.

Read: How to Type Katakana

Note: Make sure you keep working on your kanji! If you’re using WaniKani, just do your reviews as they become available. It's important to make this a habit. Because WaniKani is a spaced repetition system there must be spaces between reviews. Longer and longer ones, in fact (though it will depend on how well you're doing). Do your reviews on time and you’ll get through this initial "slow" phase in a week or two. That's a drop in the bucket compared to your entire Japanese-learning career, so try to be patient. The waiting time is critical to testing your ability to recall information.

Estimated Time: 1-2 hours Prerequisite: Able to read 20-30 kanji

Before starting this step, make sure you can read a handful of kanji. Twenty or thirty will do just fine. If you're using WaniKani, this is when you start unlocking vocabulary or are around level 2.

Okay, are you done?

Typing in kanji is a little more complicated than typing in hiragana or katakana, but it still follows similar rules. Learn how to type in kanji using the kanji section of our guide then read to the end. There are some additional tips and tricks in there (punctuation, symbols, etc.) that may come in handy.

Read: How to type kanji

Now you know how to type everything there is to type in Japanese (that is, unless you count kaomoji )! If you can type in English, typing in Japanese is surprisingly easy. With practice, you'll be able to type it as naturally as you type in your native language.

To continue using this typing knowledge, you'll need to know more kanji and vocabulary. Once you get there though, you'll be ready for "The Beginner of Japanese" section!

Before moving on, you should reach level 10 on WaniKani (or around 300 kanji and 1,000 vocabulary words using your own method).

This is an important time in terms of pronunciation too. Make sure you consciously mimic the vocabulary audio. Think about pitch accent as you do it. This work will prepare you for sentences later.

With this kanji knowledge (and good pronunciation, to boot!), grammar is going to come quickly to you. You won't be spending your grammar study time looking up every other word. Instead, you'll be able to focus solely on grammar, and you'll know the contents of 80% of every sentence you see for the first time. When you say these sentences out loud, you won't be tripping over your tongue because you'll already be intimately familiar with Japanese sounds and pronunciation. The time you put into kanji, vocabulary, and pronunciation will begin to pay off.

Put your head down, trust in this, and do the work each day.

Go on, get to it, and come back here when you're done.

The Beginner of Japanese

Being a beginner of anything is great. Everything is new, everything feels like real, tangible progress, and even if you're bad at something, you can't really tell because you don't know enough yet anyway.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

At this point, you have a strong base of kanji and vocabulary. If you are using WaniKani , you should be at level 10 or above. If you are doing kanji on your own, or using another resource, you should know the most common meaning and reading of around 300 kanji and 1,000 vocabulary words. If you are using a resource that only teaches you the meaning of a kanji (and not how to read it), that doesn't count . You need to be able to do the whole thing, not just the easiest 20%.

With this assumption about your knowledge in place, we're going to go through some options for how you can learn Japanese grammar. This includes using a textbook as well as creating your own grammar program from scratch. We offer some of our own material as well. Most likely, you'll end up doing a hybrid of the above. No matter what you choose, your foundation of kanji, vocabulary, and pronunciation will make everything much easier. Without it, even the best Japanese textbook will be a frustrating experience.

Using a Spaced Repetition System For Vocabulary

Estimated Time: 2-4 hours + ongoing

You will learn a lot of vocabulary purely from your kanji studies. As long as you have a good kanji system in place, you shouldn't worry too much. However, you will definitely need to learn all of the words that do not use kanji too. In the beginning, this will largely be grammatical things, and words that don't use kanji, from your textbook. Later it will be vocabulary you pick up from signs, manga, and other real life sources.

It's time to learn how and when to introduce vocabulary words from outside your kanji studies into your study routine. The most important thing is to have a good system in place.

You need to be able to record and store these words so that you can study them later. You also need a good system to handle and process these words. It's a waste if you record them once and never look at them again.

At your currently level, most of the new words you encounter will probably be hiragana or katakana-only words. Once you start reading more and more Japanese, the number of new words you encounter will increase, so being able to keep track and add these to your routine becomes even more important. For now though, your goal is to develop a habit of collecting, processing, and studying vocabulary that is unfamiliar to you. This should become second nature.

Most likely, you will find most of the vocabulary that you want to learn in your Japanese textbook (we'll cover that really soon!). As I mentioned earlier, these might be words that don't have kanji, or maybe they're words that you didn't learn in WaniKani. There are a lot of words out there and no one resource will teach you all of them.

Once you've found some words that you want to learn you need to collect them. How you do this doesn't matter as much as actually doing it. Put them in a spreadsheet, a tool like Evernote or OneNote, or just write them down on a piece of paper. Make sure wherever you put these new words is easily accessible and make a trigger for yourself that essentially says " if I see a vocabulary word I want to learn, then I add it to my list."

There are plenty of list-apps and pieces of paper out there, so it's going to be difficult for me to say what you should use. I'm partial to Evernote and have my own processes built up there. And Airtable is a great spreadsheet app for people who don't think in math. But maybe you like physical pocket-sized notebooks, to-do lists, your smartphone camera (with a special folder for future processing), or something else.

Whatever you use, make sure it's easy for you . Figure out what makes sense and make it work. If this step doesn't happen, everything else will fall apart.

The next step is processing. I'd recommend you create a habit where every day, week, or month (it depends on how much new vocabulary you want to introduce to your routine) you go through this list and put them into your SRS of choice. What is an SRS? I'm glad you asked.

If you've been using WaniKani, you've been using a "Spaced Repetition System" (a.k.a. SRS) this whole time! But you'll want to use something else for the vocabulary you find out in the wild. For this, we wrote a guide. In it you'll learn how to collect vocabulary and add them to your SRS.

Read: Spaced Repetition and Japanese: The Definitive Guide

One additional piece of reading I'd recommend is this article on Keyword Mnemonics. For the non-kanji vocabulary you want to learn this is a surprisingly simple (and effective) mnemonic method which will allow you to learn more vocabulary in one sitting, and be able to recall it for longer.

Read: Keyword Mnemonic Method for Learning Japanese Vocabulary

As I said earlier, you won't be working with a ton of vocabulary at the start. For now, let your kanji studies give you most of your vocabulary. Then, when stray street vocabulary does start coming up, send it through the vocabulary process you've built.

Make this a habit.

Habit generally means 3-6 weeks of doing something regularly. And you should start now, because in six weeks you'll be needing to utilize this habit a lot more.

Estimated Time: It's a mystery

It’s (finally!) time to start learning grammar. If you followed this guide to the letter, you’re probably 2-4+ months into your Japanese studies. If it's more than that, don't worry about it. We all go at our own speeds and the important thing is that you kept moving forward. You should know around 300 kanji and 1,000 Japanese vocabulary words, and your pronunciation should be getting better, or at least you're being conscious about improving it. Now it’s time to kick Japanese grammar's butt.

Let's start by internalizing a philosophy. Carry this with you for the rest of your life:

When learning something new, you should already know 80% of it.

This means that each new thing you learn should be a 20% (or smaller) incremental step. A +1 from where you are, rather than a +20 or +100.

Most people go into a textbook with zero knowledge and wind up spending a large chunk of their time looking up words they don't know. How much of a sentence is vocabulary? Depending on the length, it's easy to answer "more than 80%."

So when you're learning grammar with a textbook, coming into it with prior vocabulary knowledge brings you to that 80%. Leaving you just the grammar, which you can then point your laser-like focus towards. Instead of constantly flipping to the index to look up a word or kanji and deal with context switching when you finally get back to the lesson, all you have to worry about is learning the grammar and nothing else.

That's the +1 we're talking about.

Let's assume for a moment that your Japanese vocabulary knowledge doesn't get you to 80% (or more). If that's the case, there are a few possible reasons:

You don't know enough vocabulary: If you don't know a lot of the words in a sentence before studying with it, then you don't understand 80% of the sentence before you start. In this case, go back to your kanji/vocabulary studies for a while and reconsider the level of the resource you're using. Another solution would be to pull the vocabulary from the resource, study them with your SRS method, and then come back once you've learned them.

You don't know enough grammar: Imagine you're looking at a sentence that contains three separate grammar points. If you're being taught one of the three, but you don't know the other two, you're dipping way below that ideal 80%.

The sentence is very short: If a phrase only has three parts (ex. "[vocabulary] + [particle] + [vocabulary]"), and you don't know one of them, you're going to be at 66%. In cases like this, you can make an exception. Knowing 66% of a three piece phrase, or 75% of a four piece phrase is acceptable. This will be very common in the beginning.

That's the philosophy we're working off of going forward, so double-check that you have that base of kanji and vocab before continuing with this guide. Your failure rate increases dramatically if this foundation is weak!

It's time to take our philosophy and apply it to a beginner textbook. All the things that would have normally tripped you up (the things teachers and textbooks have a tough time explaining, due to the curse of knowledge ) should now be less difficult to deal with. And with kanji and vocabulary already in your tool belt, learning grammar should be much more interesting. You won't be spending 90% of your time and energy on looking up kanji and vocabulary you don't know. Instead, you'll just be doing it.

With this base knowledge, choosing a specific textbook or program to follow becomes less important, but there are still many "good" textbooks and many "bad" textbooks out there. Most will teach you the same content one way or another, so pick one that you feel fits your learning style.

To help you with this choice, we wrote a guide:

Read: The Best Japanese Textbooks for Beginners

Whatever you end up choosing, get started right away. It's so easy for people to get trapped in a "preparation loop" where they spend all of their time planning and getting ready, only to stop before any actual work gets done.

At this point you will focus on working through your textbook of choice. Try to progress through the entire thing from beginning to end. Doing this will create a strong foundation of Japanese inside of you, something you can use to base other knowledge off of.

Once all of the basic, foundational grammar is in place you'll be able to really accelerate and work toward fluency.

It will take around 2-6 months to get through most beginner Japanese textbooks. Though, this does depend on how much time you have to spend on your studies and what grammar method you choose. You can even go through a couple different textbooks at the same time, if you want. What one textbook doesn't teach well, another probably does. That being said, if you don't feel like you understand a concept, or you want to know more, there's plenty of ways to get your questions answered. I recommend not skipping questions—instead, follow your curiosity! Learning is supposed to be fun, though school may have "taught" you otherwise.

Read the next section as you start your textbook studies. You'll eventually run into something you don't know that your textbook doesn't explain. You might as well be ready for it.

As you're going through your textbook, you're going to run into things you don't understand. Or, you'll find you don't know 80% anymore. It's not necessarily a failure of your textbook, it's just that many of them were designed for teachers to use in a classroom. They expect someone to be there to answer questions for you. Or, there just isn't enough paper in the world to cover everything.

Not to worry. When you run into something you don't understand you can look it up. No matter what kind of question you're asking or answer you're searching for, we wrote up a guide that will tell you how to find anything Japanese language related:

Read: How to Answer your Japanese Language Questions

Note: You should continue to use WaniKani (or whatever kanji learning method you chose) as you continue on. You should keep going until you finish, and/or you reach the end of this guide. It is important to keep your kanji-vocabulary knowledge ahead of your grammar knowledge at all times. If you don't, that 80% ratio will tick down until your studies no longer feel sustainable or fun.

Alternative: Learning Japanese Grammar On Your Own

By gathering all that kanji and vocabulary knowledge you’re making it possible to learn grammar on your own. Learning grammar is easy comparatively. That being said, if you decide not to use a Japanese textbook as your main resource, there are some things you'll want to consider:

This is a topic we'll be writing a big guide on. But, it's quite complicated so I haven't gotten around to it yet. We'll fill in this section with that guide in the near future, but for now don't use my slowness as an excuse. Just get started. If you do, ordering will, for the most part, naturally fall into place if you follow the "know 80% of all new things" philosophy.

Don't just trust any ol' thing you read on the internet. The same goes for textbooks and teachers, too. When you learn a new piece of Japanese grammar, make sure to read explanations from multiple sources. Some will be complicated with hard linguistic language while others will be overly simplified. And a few here and there will be just right! Making a habit out of using multiple explanations and resources for one thing will feel like it's slowing you down at first, but it's much faster overall. We'll list some really good reference books at the end of the Beginning Japanese section, so make sure to take a look.

If you're studying Japanese grammar on your own, it's even more important to do the work . It's not hard to study and use what you've learned. It's hard to sit down and start . Even more so than a class or textbook, you'll need to make sure you actually sit down and make progress. Measurable progress, preferably, though you'll have to figure out just how to measure it.

With a textbook, you can just say, "I could answer all the questions," or, "I made it through twelve pages this week." Doing grammar on your own makes it harder to see and feel yourself moving forward. You are, but it's a bit hidden.

If this is happening a lot—and no amount of research gets you through it—you might want to consider finding a professional to help. Speaking of professionals…

This may be the time to consider finding a Japanese language tutor, especially if you feel like you're not able to answer your questions about Japanese on your own. With a foundation of kanji and vocabulary already in place, you will be able to focus on the things that a tutor can help you with the most: speaking, listening, and answering questions.

Keep in mind that focusing on kanji and vocabulary with a tutor tends to be a poor use of this time. Most teachers don't have any idea how to teach kanji (it's just, "go learn these kanji and vocab by next week") and many tutors try to promote rote memorization because that's how they learned as a child.

When using a tutor it's important to focus on things only a tutor will be able to help you with. Those include their ability to speak, think, and explain nuances that haven't been written about or studied (yet).

You're not required to get a tutor or a teacher at this point, but if you were really looking forward to this part, now is the appropriate time to do it. Everything from here on out won't rely on your having access to a teacher, tutor, or native speaker, so you can still progress without needing to complete this step.

As you're moving along, there's always going to be more to learn. Don't be afraid to stop moving forward to indulge your curiosity. These "slowdowns" will speed you up as you strengthen past knowledge and make connections between them.

For times like this, reference books are quite good. If you're only going to buy one, I'd recommend the "Basic" book from the Dictionary of Japanese Grammar series . It is the best Japanese language reference book out there, in my opinion.

Other than that, look through the "Reference Books" section of our Beginner Japanese Textbooks, Reference Books, and Dictionaries article. There are quite a few good ones!

Read: The Best Japanese Reference Books & Dictionaries

Note: With any skill, it's important that you focus on the things you're worst at. "Raise the floor, not the ceiling," so to speak. If you do that, you'll find everything else gets elevated, and you'll be less frustrated overall. You'll have more data to reference in your brain as more unknown ideas and concepts pop up. For example, if you're bad at verbs, pick up The Handbook of Japanese Verbs and just read through it. It might take you an afternoon, but every verb you see from that day on won't be a detriment to your progress. Instead, it will positively affect all other aspects of your Japanese.

Raise the floor, because no matter how high your ceiling, you'll still be down on the ground.

The "intermediate" level of Japanese is by far the worst. Most of the people who ultimately give up on learning do it here (assuming they made it past the first few weeks).

Available resources begin to dry up, in both number and quality, and learners get stuck or plateau. Without guidance, it can feel like progressing is an impossible task.

This is the intermediate wall.

The thing that makes the intermediate level the hardest, though, is what got you here: your competence.

The beginner section was your unconscious incompetence stage. That is, you didn't realize you were incompetent, so you never felt discouraged, overly embarrassed, or stupid. But now you know a thing or two, and it's just enough to know you're not actually amazing at this thing called the Japanese language. It hurts and it's because you are now consciously incompetent, which is no fun at all.

Thankfully, a lot of the pain most learners feel at this stage comes from poor learning or teaching methods from the beginner stages. Things that you, hopefully, avoided. And although everyone will experience conscious incompetence to some degree, some people can get through it quickly and some get trapped here for years. Most, unfortunately, can't make it through at all and give up.

Be the type of person that gets through this stage quickly.

The other side of this wall is extremely fun and rewarding, so don't give up and don't let your conscious incompetence get you down.

Here's how you do it:

Recognize this stage exists and know that you're supposed to feel these uncomfortable feelings. This helps a surprising amount. You don't have to feel dumb because you know that everyone goes through this exact same situation. It's all a part of the process and if other people made it out, you can too.

You've already been preparing for this moment. This guide has prepped you to get through this fairly quickly. You're at an advantage! Most people wallow in the conscious incompetence stage for a long time because they lack two things: kanji and vocabulary. But by this point, you know more kanji and vocabulary than any intermediate level Japanese language student ought to. This is why you spent so much time on WaniKani (or one of its alternatives). It slows you down in the beginning so that you can blast through this wall.

With all that in mind, it’s time to start on some intermediate material. Make sure you are good on 100% of the previous sections before moving on. This is, by far, the most difficult portion of your Japanese education. You must have a good foundation to jump off of. When you're ready, you can start browsing our Japanese articles and Grammar pages . Good luck! 💪🏻

100 Essential Japanese Phrases and Words You WILL Use

These 100 Japanese phrases are a great starting point for communicating with people from Japan. Knowing these common phrases can help you while traveling, working, or even making friends in Japan. Even advanced students of Japanese may pick up a thing or two from this list!

Self-Introduction Key Phrases

Common ways to get someone’s attention, common ways to apologize, common phrases for shopping, common phrases for restaurants, common phrases when visiting someone at their home, phrases for traveling in japan, common japanese phrases for the workplace, common phrases for visiting someone who is not feeling well, useful words to agree/disagree , commonly used adjectives, basic japanese greetings .

If you work or go to school in Japan, you will 100% be asked to do a self-introduction of yourself at some point. These phrases are great for covering the basics.

 1. はじめまして。 (Hajimemashite . ): Nice to meet you.

A standard phrase for meeting someone for the first time. Usually, you’ll say phrases #2 and #3 after saying はじめまして ( hajimemashite ).

2. 私の名前は (Name) といいます。 (Watashi no namae wa (name) to iimasu.): My name is …

If you are a woman, a girl, or a mature person, 私 ( watashi ) will sound natural. If you are a boy, 僕 ( boku ) sounds better: 僕の名前は … といいます ( boku no namae wa … to ii masu )

3 . (Name) と申します。 ( (Name) to mōshimasu.): I am (name).

A humble and polite way to introduce yourself.  

4. どうぞよろしく。 (Dōzo yoroshiku . ): Pleased to meet you.

The nuance of this phrase is closer to “Please take care of me.” This is because you are “asking for their favor” (to become friends, for their help, etc.) in the future.  

どうぞよろしく ( dōzo yoroshiku ) is casual; どうぞよろしくお願いします ( dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu ) is more polite and formal.

よろしく ( yoroshiku ) is a very commonly used word that means “please” or “please treat me favorably.” A polite version of this, よろしくお願いします ( yoroshiku onegai shimasu ) , is often said when you ask someone for help, work together with someone, or meeting someone for the first time. See #74 on this list for more details. 

5.   (Place) から来ました。   ( (Place) kara kimashita.): I’m from (place).

You can use this to say which country you’re from, your company name, or even an area you previously lived in.  

6.   (Hometown/School) 出身です。( (Hometown/school) shusshin desu.): I’m from …. (hometown/school)

出身 ( shusshin ) describes your place of origin. This can be the country, city, or town you’re from, or it can be a school you graduated from.

7. お会いできて光栄です。(Oai dekite kōei desu.): I’m honored to meet you.

This phrase is formal and usually used in business situations. Children would never use this phrase. When adults use it, it does sound formal, but elegant.

 8. 今後ともどうぞよろしく。(Kongo tomo dōzo yoroshiku.): I look forward to working with you/getting to know you.

At the end of a conversation, Japanese people often say 今後ともどうぞよろしく( Kongo tomo dōzo yoroshiku ) or the more formal 今後ともどうぞよろしくお願いします ( Kongo tomo dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu ) in business settings (to business partners or customers).

The nuance of this statement is something like, “Please treat me favorably from now on.” which implies that you plan on getting to know them more in the future. This makes it a natural way to end your introduction.  

Here are some words you can use to gain someone’s attention or to gently break into a conversation with someone.

9. あの。。。 (Ano…): Excuse me…  

When you want to get someone’s attention, you may start with あの ( ano ). It has a nuance of saying “hello” before asking someone for something (as in, “Hello. I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to the station.”)

 10. ちょっと。 (Chotto): Excuse me./Hey.

ちょっと ( chotto ) is also a very common term to start a conversation. However, unlike あの ( ano ) described above, ちょっと is better used when you already have someone’s attention. 

Using ちょっと can also be seen as strong or even rude. Sometimes Japanese people say this word twice: ちょっとちょっと ( chotto chotto ). This can be a frank and slightly suspicious way of saying, “Excuse me?” Or it can be said when you’re frustrated with someone and want to say, “Give me a break already.”

11. ちょっといいですか？ (Chotto ii desu ka?): Can you help me?

This phrase is often used when you want to ask someone for help. ちょっと ( chotto ) “little” or “just a bit.” So the nuance is similar to “Could I have a second of your time?”

12. すみません。(Sumimasen.): Excuse me./I’m Sorry./Thank You.

You may have heard すみません ( sumimasen ) means “I apologize.” However, this term is also used to get someone’s attention (Excuse me.). 

It can even mean “Thank you” in certain situations. If you want to learn all about すみません ( sumimasen ), check out our guide here: What Does Sumimasen Mean?

13. 申し訳ありませんが 。。。 (Mōshi wake arimasen ga…): I’m sorry, but…

If you have a question or request that will take up someone’s time or effort (i.e., bother or cause trouble to someone) 申し訳ありませんが … ( m ō shi wake arimasen ga… ) is a polite way to ease into your request. 

If you happen to make a mistake or want to express that you are sorry , these phrases will help you out.

14. ごめんなさい。 (Gomennasai.): I’m sorry.

Along with すみません ( sumimasen ) listed above, ごめんなさい ( gomennasai ) is a very common way to apologize to someone. You can use it in most situations ranging from accidently bumping into someone while walking or making a mistake a work. A more casual version is ごめん ( gomen ), which also means “I’m sorry” but should only be used in casual situations.

15. 申し訳ありません。 (Mōshi wake arimasen.) : I am sorry.

Along with すみません ( sumimasen ) and ごめんなさい ( gomennasai ), 申し訳ありません ( mōshi wake arimasen ) also means “I’m sorry.” However, 申し訳ありません is much more formal and apologetic.  It has a nuance of “I’m very sorry.  It’s inexcusable.”  You can use phrases #15 and #16 below after saying 申し訳ありません to expresses more sincerity. 

16. 私のせいです。 (Watashi no sei desu.): It’s my fault.

Boys can use 僕 ( boku ) instead of 私 ( watashi ).  This phrase is used to take responsibility for something that you did.  It is often said after saying an apology ( sumimasen , gomennasai , or mōshi wake arimasen listed above).  After saying this phrase, you could also follow it up with 反省してます ( hansei shitemasu ), which means “I regret (realize) my mistake.”

If you make a mistake in Japan, you should do 反省 ( hansei ). 反省する ( hansei suru ) means to contemplate or reflect on what you did wrong so that you won’t make that mistake again.   

Japanese has so many cool, delicious, and interesting things to buy, so be sure to remember all of these phrases for your next shopping spree!

17. これをください。 (Kore o kudasai.): Please give it to me.

これをください is the full, grammatical phrase, but it is very common to drop the particle を ( o ) and just say これください (kore kudasai).  When you’re at a store, you can point to an item you want and say これください ( kore kudasai ) to buy it.  

18. こちらでよろしいですか？ (Kochira de yoroshii desu ka?): Is this item okay?

The sales clerk may ask you this question when paying for an item. This is to confirm that the item you’re buying is the right one or to check if this item is okay with you.  

19. おいくらですか？ (Oikura desu ka?): How much is this?

The casual form of this phrase is いくらですか？ ( Ikura desu ka? ). Adding the “o” in front of いくら ( ikura ) makes it more polite. We recommend using the polite version, as it sounds much nicer when speaking to people you don’t know well.   

20. クレジットカードは使えますか？ (Kurejitto kādo wa tsukaemasu ka?): Can I use my credit card?

If the store only accepts cash, there may be signs that say, “現金のみ ( genkin nomi ), meaning “cash only.” Just to be sure, you can use this phrase to check if they take credit cards.  

If you want to ask the sales clerk about using a credit card from a specific country, you can put use this phrase:  

{Country name} のクレジットカードは使えますか？ {Country name} no kurejitto kādo wa tsukaemasu ka?

アメリカのクレジットカードは使えますか？ (Amerika no kurejitto kādo wa tsukaemasu ka? ) Can I use an American credit card?

21. レシートください。(Reshīto kudasai.): Please give me a receipt.

In Japan, there are two types of receipts you might come across.  The first, and by far the most common, is a receipt that a cash register or credit card machine prints out as proof of your payment.  You’ll get this type of receipt when you buy things from the store, go to restaurants, or stay at modern hotels.  

The second type of receipt in Japan is called 領収書をください ( ryōsyūsho ).  This is also proof of payment, but it is much more formal and is often written by hand.  It also has your name or organization on it and is commonly used for claiming expenses.  

If you are casually shopping, eating at restaurants, or paying for services in Japan, you most likely will need a simple レシート ( reshīto ) and not a 領収書 ( ryōsyūsho ).

Master these phrases so you can use them to try amazing foods in Japan! Check out our “ How to Order Food in Japanese ” guide to learn how to navigate Japanese restaurants in more detail.

22. 空いてますか？ (Aitemasu ka?): Is (this seat) available?

If you’re at a food court or somewhere else with public seating, you can use the phrase, “空いてますか？ ( aitemasu ka? )” to ask someone if the seat next to them is available.  

Even though the word “seat” (席 – seki ) is not in this phrase, its meaning is implied.  

Note: If you want to ask if a restaurant (or store) is open for business, you can use the same phrase (same words and pronunciation). However, the kanji used for this meaning will change to “開いてますか？ ( aitemasu ka? ) = Are you open?”

23. 何名様ですか？ (Nanmei sama desu ka?): How many people in your party?

A standard question that you will be asked when you enter a restaurant. If you are unsure how to answer this question, you can use your fingers to show how many people are in your party. If you want to learn more about numbers and how to count in Japanese, check out our “ How to Count in Japanese ” guide.  

 24. 少々お待ちください。 (Shōshou omachi kudasai.): Please wait a second.

This is a common phrase in any customer service-related business. You may have already heard the expression, “ ちょっと待って ( chotto matte ) ,” which means “hold on a second.” 

少々お待ちください ( Sh ō shou omachi kudasai ) is a much politer way to ask someone to wait. You’ll hear it all the time in stores and restaurants.  

25. お決まりですか？ (Okimari desu ka?): Have you decided (on your order)?

A waiter or waitress may use this phrase to ask you if you are ready to order.  

If you need more time to decide, you can say, まだです ( mada desu ), which means “not yet.”

26. かしこまりました。 (Kashikomarimashita.): Understood.

When you give your order to the server, they often say this. This is a polite way to say, “Understood/Got it.”

27. お待たせしました。 (Omatase shimashita): Thank you for waiting.

お待たせしました ( omatase shimashita ) literally means, “I’ve kept you waiting.” However, it is said using polite language, so the nuance comes off as “sorry to have kept you waiting” or “thank you for waiting.”

28. いただきます。 (Itadakimasu): I’ll humbly receive this meal.

いただきます is the humble verb that means “to receive.” This word is said before starting every meal to show appreciation for all the work and ingredients that went into making it. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating in a 3-star Michelin restaurant or if you are sharing a bag of potato chips with your friend. 

Check out our guide on Itadakimasu to learn more.  

29. ご馳走様でした。 (Gochisō sama deshita): Thank you very much (for the food).

When you finish eating, you should say, ご馳走様でした ( gochis ō sama deshita ) to show your appreciation to the person who cooked and even to the nature that provided the food for you. This is also used when someone buys or gives you food.  

Note: If someone brings you lunch or food, you can also use this phrase in the present tense to show you appreciation: ご馳走様です ( gochis ō sama desu ).

30. おいしかったです。 (Oishikatta desu): It was delicious.

Using the copula です ( desu ) shows your politeness. Children or close friends often just say, おいしかった ( oishikatta ). It’s a very common word to say at the end of a meal.  

31. おかわりしたいです。 (Okawari shitai desu.): I would love seconds/another helping. 

おかわり( okawari ) means “refill” or “another helping.” A casual way to say this phrase would be to say, おかわり！ ( okawari! ): I want more!

32.   ~ は食べられません。 (~wa taberaremasen): I cannot eat ~

If you have any foods you don’t like or can’t eat, you can use this phrase.

If you have any food allergies, you can say アレルギーがあるので ( arerugī ga aru node ) before this phrase:  

アレルギーがあるので~は食べられません。 ( Arerugī ga aru node ~ wa taberaremasen. ) I have allergies, so I can’t eat ~.

33.   ~ は大好物です。 (~ wa daikōbutsu desu.): ~ is my favorite food.

The most common way to use 大好物 ( daikōbutsu ) is with food, but this term is also used to describe your favorite things.

34 . ~ は苦手です。 (~ wa nigate desu.): I’m not good at ~.

When talking about food, “ ~ は苦手です ( ~ wa nigate desu )” is an indirect way to say, “好きじゃありません ( suki ja arimasen ),” I don’t like it.

35. お会計お願いします。 (Okaikei onegai shimasu.): Check, please.

When you’re done with your meal, you say this phrase when you want the check. In most casual restaurants in Japan, the wait staff will leave your check on your table, which you take to the register near the entrance of the restaurant. Some restaurants will not leave the check on the table unless you ask for it.  

You can also use this phrase in stores.  

These phrases can generally be used in most situations where you enter someone’s private space. This could include places like someone’s apartment, room, or office.

36. お邪魔します。 (Ojama shimasu.): Pardon my intrusion.

You’ll say this phrase before entering someone’s house, office, or room. It is even used when you need to interrupt someone’s conversation.

Saying お邪魔します is considered polite and something you should say before entering into someone’s personal space.  

37. 素敵な~ですね。 (Suteki na ~ desu ne.): ~ {thing} looks so nice.

Japanese people often compliment something when entering someone’s house or room.  

38. つまらないものですが。 (Tsumaranai mono desu ga.): This is not much, but…

When Japanese people visit someone’s house, they often bring a gift called お土産 ( omiyage ) .  When they hand their gift to someone, they often say this phrase. つまらない ( tsumaranai ) means “boring” or “insignificant” while もの ( mono ) means “thing.” So this phrase has a nuance of, “This is an insignificant thing, but I hope you’ll like it.”

This is one of the traditional humble ways to show your appreciation in Japan.

39. 楽しかったです。 (Tanoshikatta desu.): It was fun.

This is a very common phrase used at the end of your visit or event (like a date). Just like in English-speaking countries, people sometimes say it even if they were bored, just to be polite.  

40. では、失礼します。 (Dewa shitsurei shimasu.): I’ll be on my way.

This is a polite, business-style way to say goodbye.  

Note: In a business situation, people use 失礼します ( shitsurei shimasu ) to enter the room. In this case, it means “Sorry for the intrusion/ interrupting/bothering/disturbing you.”

These are simple phrases to use when you’re exploring Japan and might need some help with directions.

41. お先にどうぞ。 (Osaki ni dōzo.): Please go ahead.

When you want someone to go ahead of you (when you are waiting in line, boarding the train, etc.), this is the phrase you’ll want to say.  

42.   ~ はどこですか？ (~ wa doko desu ka?): Where is ~?

This phrase can be used when you want to ask someone where a particular building, store, or train station is (or anything really).  

If you’re asking a random stranger on the street, going up to them and asking, “where is the station?” might be too straightforward. To be more polite, you can use this phrase:

すみません。~はどこにあるかご存知でしょうか？ ( Sumimasen. ~ wa doko ni aru ka gozonji deshō ka? ) Excuse me. Would you happen to know where ~ is?

43. ~への行き方を教えてください。 (~ e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai.): Please tell me how to get to ~.

A useful phrase that you can use to ask train station/information booth employees when you’re lost. For example:

USJへの行き方を教えてください。 ( USJ e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai. ) Please tell me how to get to USJ (Universal Studios Japan).

If you work in Japan , these are some of the phrases you’ll be sure to hear (and use).

44. 今日はバタバタしてます。 (Kyō wa batabata shite imasu.): I have many things to do today.

When someone is very busy, Japanese people use the word バタバタ ( bata bata ), which is an onomatopoeia for a flapping (like a bird’s wings) sound. When people are extremely busy, it’s like they are flapping their wings wildly like birds.  

45. 行ってきます。 (Itte kimasu): I’m heading out now (and I’ll be back).

When people leave their office, home, or anywhere, they say 行ってきます ( itte kimasu ) . This literally means “I’m going and coming back.” It’s like saying “see you later” in English. In response to this, you can say 行ってらっしゃい ( itterasshai ), which means “see you” or “have a good day.”  

46. ただいま戻りました。 (Tadaima modorimashita.): I’m back now.

This is a polite way to say, “I’m back.” The more casual (and common) way is to say “ ただいま ( tadaima ) ,” which means “I’m back.”  

47. 残業します。 (Zangyō shimasu.): I’ll work overtime.  

残業 ( zangy ō), or working overtime, is very common in Japan. If you are working off the clock and not being paid, people call this unpaid overtime サービス残業 ( sābisu zangy ō).

48. お先に失礼します。 (Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.): I’m going home (excuse me for leaving early).  

When you’re leaving your workplace to go home , you say this phrase to the other people who are still working. This phrase means, “I’m leaving now, so pardon me for leaving before you.”

49. お疲れ様でした。 (Otsukare sama deshita.): Thank you for your (hard) work.

You say this phrase at work when someone leaves. You can say this in response to お先に失礼します ( Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu ). This phrase is supposed to be used by someone of higher status (aka your boss) to people of lower status. However, it is usually said by everyone in the workplace, regardless of status. Just keep in mind that some people care about social status/rules more than others. You could also say, また明日 ( mata ashita ), see you tomorrow.

If someone you know gets sick or has an injury , you may want to visit them at the hospital or at their home. These are common phrases used in this situation.

50. お加減いかがですか？   (Okagen ikaga desu ka?): How are you feeling?

This phrase is typically used to start a conversation with someone who hasn’t been feeling well.  

51. お陰様でなんとか。 (Okage sama de nantoka.): I’m feeling alright, thanks.

One of the common answers to the question above: お加減いかがですか？   ( Okagen ikaga desu ka? ).  

The nuance of this phrase is similar to “I’m getting by, thanks.”  

52. 痛い。 (Itai): It hurts.

Said when you feel physical pain.  

53. 苦しい。 (Kurushii): It’s tough.

苦しい ( kurushii ) can mean that your situation is difficult or that something is physically painful or mentally straining/tough.  

54. 気分がよくなりました。 (Kibun ga yoku narimashita.): I feel much better.

This phrase describes how you feel emotionally (mood) more than your physical condition. However, when you recover from an illness, you feel great, making this a common expression to use when you’re feeling better.  

55. すっかり治りました。 (Sukkari naorimashita): I made a complete recovery.

When talking about your physical body being cured or healing, the kanji above is used 治る ( naoru ): to be cured, to recover. However, the same word is also used to describe fixing things or repairing inanimate objects (like a TV, computer, etc.). To talk about an inanimate object being fixed or repaired, a different kanji is used – 直る ( naoru ): to be repaired, to be fixed.

56. 早く良くなるといいですね。 (Hayaku yoku naru to ii desu ne.): I hope you feel better soon.

A standard phrase to say to someone who doesn’t feel well.  

Another super common expression is お大事に ( odaiji ni ), which means “take care of yourself.”

57. 無理しないでください。 (Muri shinai de kudasai): Don’t push yourself too hard.

This is also a common phrase to tell someone to “take it easy.” It is commonly used when people are not feeling well or are working too hard.  

These are some of the simplest words in Japanese but the most useful. You will hear and use these words multiple times a day, especially if you work or go to school in Japan.

58. はい。 (Hai.): Yes.

The standard and formal way to say “yes.”

59. そうです。 (Sou desu.): That’s right.

A super common phrase to give confirmation to someone. This phrase literally means “It/That is so.”  In conversation, it means “That’s right” or “That’s correct.”

60. ええ。 (Ee.): Yes.

This is another way to say “yes” in Japanese. ええ ( ee ) is neither formal nor extremely casual (but more casual than はい ( hai ) listed above). ええ is often used in business circumstances or between people who don’t know each other well.  

61. わかりました。 (Wakarimashita.): I understand.

This is a must-know word used everywhere: at the workplace, in stores, with strangers, etc. It is said when you want to confirm that you understand a situation or information that someone told you.  

62. 了解しました。 (Ryōkai shimashita.): I got it. / Roger

This is more businesslike than わかりました ( wakarimashita ) listed above.  

63. いいですね。 (Ii desu ne.): Sounds good. / It looks good.

This phrase is typically said when agreeing with someone. For example, if someone comes up with a good idea that you like, you can say いいですね。- Hey, that sounds good!  

64. いいえ。 (Iie.): No.

This is the textbook word for “no” in Japanese. You usually learn this word the first day you start studying Japanese. However, due to its formal and direct nature, saying いいえ ( iie ) is pretty rare . Using いいえ to disagree with someone, or even just to answer a simple yes/no question, sounds too strong. It can even come off as a little rude. いいえ is mainly reserved for very formal settings.

65. 違います。 (Chigaimasu.): That’s not right/incorrect.

違います (c higaimasu ) is a much more natural way to tell someone “no” or that something isn’t correct. For example, if you are sitting on the train and someone approaches you to ask, “Excuse me, are you John’s brother?”  

Since you are not John’s brother, you can simply say 違います to mean, “No, I’m not.”  

66. いや。 (Iya): Oh well. / No.

When people point out that something is wrong or disagree with things, they often start the sentence with いや ( iya ), such as いや、違います ( iya, chigaimasu ). This reinforces the meaning of “no, that is not correct” without sounding too harsh. 

However, いや can also mean “disagreement.” Little kids often say “いやいや！” when they are throwing a temper tantrum. As an adult, you can say いや when you want to say that you don’t like something directly (see #67 below for more details).

67. 嫌です。 (Iya desu.): I don’t want to do it. / I don’t like it.  

Saying 嫌です ( iya desu ) directly tells someone that you don’t like (or hate) something. For example, if your friend wants you to go out on a date with someone you really can’t stand, you can tell them, いやだよ ( iya dayo )！” to mean, “No way! I don’t want to!”

68. やります。 (Yarimasu.): I’ll do it.

This word can be used when you want to say that you’ll do something. For example, imagine you are at work. Your boss asks for volunteers to help with a new project. If you want to step up and help, you can tell your boss, “やります。” The negative form of this word is やりません ( yarimasen ), which means “I won’t do.”

69. できます。 (Dekimasu.): I can do it.

It is used when you want to say that you are able to do something.  

For example:

Boss: “Can you finish this report by 5 pm today?” You: はい、できます。 ( Hai, dekimasu. ) Yes, I can.  

The negative form of this word is できません ( dekimasen ), which means “I can’t do it.” 

70. 大丈夫。 (Daijōbu.): (It’s) okay.

This is another must-know word in Japanese. You can use it to say that you are okay or a situation is under control. If you trip and fall, people might ask you if you are okay. You can tell them “大丈夫 ( daijōbu )” to let them know you are okay.  

It can also be used to decline things. For example, if you’re at the supermarket and the cashier asks you if you need a bag, you can say “いや大丈夫です” ( iya daijōbu desu ) to say that you don’t need one.  

大丈夫 ( daijōbu ) is used to describe both a situation or your physical condition.

71. 平気です。 (Heiki desu.): I’m okay. / It’s all good.  

This usually describes your mental condition or feeling. For example, if you’re at a theme park and someone asks how you feel about roller coasters, you can say 平気です ( heiki desu ) if you have no problem riding them.  

Or, if you’re calm in a stressful situation (like evacuating a building that’s on fire), you can tell someone 平気です to say that you are cool as a cucumber.  

72. 無理です。 (Muri desu.): That’s impossible/unreasonable.  

When someone asks you for something that you don’t want or can’t do, you can tell them 無理です ( muri desu ).  

For example, if a guy goes up to a girl to ask her for her number, she can say “無理です” to reject him. This phrase is not rude if said in a normal, “matter-of-fact” way. Instead, it lets someone know that you cannot accept their request. It would be similar to saying “I can’t” in English.  

Of course, if you said it forcefully, as in “無理です！” this changes the nuance to something like “no way!” in English.  

73. 問題ありません。 (Mondai arimasen.): No problem.

If someone asks you something that you don’t have any problems with, you can tell them 問題ありません ( mondai arimasen ). This phrase is also used when talking about the status of things. For example, if your boss asks you if you can complete the project by next week, you can tell them 問題ありません to say that it’s no problem at all .  

Here are some polite phrases when you need to ask someone to do something.

74. お願いします。 (Onegai shimasu.): Please.

Whenever you ask someone to do something, saying お願いします ( onegai shimasu ) is polite and natural. You’ll also hear this phrase being said between people who will start to work with each other. In this case, お願いします is a shortened version of よろしくお願いします ( yoroshiku onegai shimasu – #4 on this list) .  

75. お願いできますか？   (Onegai dekimasu ka?): Could you do this for me?

This is a gentle and polite way to ask a favor from someone. A more friendly/casual way to ask this is, “やってくれる？ ( yatte kureru? ).”

76. 頼みます。 (Tanomimasu.): I’ll ask you to do it.

頼みます ( tanomimasu ) means “to request” or “to rely on.” When you tell someone 頼みます, you are relying on them to do something for you. It’s like saying “I’ll count on you (to do it)” in English.

77. 急いでください。 (Isoide kudasai.): Please hurry up.

This is a polite way to ask someone to hurry up and do something more quickly.  

78. やめてください。 (Yamete kudasai.):  Please stop it.  

This phrase is useful in many situations.  If someone is bothering you, or doing something that you want them to stop, you can say  やめてください ( yamete kudasai ).  やめて ( yamete ) comes from the verb やめる ( yameru ), which can mean “to stop, to quit, to cancel, or to be sick.”  There are different kanji characters for each meaning of やめる as show below: 

• 止める: To stop, to cancel
• 辞める: To quit, to resign
• 病める: Sick, to be ill

You’ll hear this phrase often  in movies, anime, and in conversations with native speakers.

Here are some useful adjectives for describing things and situations you may encounter.

79. うるさい (Urusai): Noisy, loud

うるさい ( urusai ) describes something that is annoyingly loud or noisy. If you say it forcefully or angrily, it can also mean “shut up!”  

Check out our guide on うるさい to learn more about it:  Urusai: Does It Really Mean Shut Up?

80. 仕方ない。 (Shikata nai.): There is no way. / Can’t be helped.

If something happens that you don’t have control over, you can say this phrase. It has a nuance of, “well, nothing can be done about it, so there’s no sense in crying over spilled milk.”

81. もったいない (Mottainai): Wasteful.

This phrase is similar to the English expression, “what a waste.” It can describe wasting material things like food or money but can also describe abstract things like talent.  

82. 大切 (Taisetsu): Precious

大切 ( taisetsu ) describes something precious and valuable or something that you cherish.  It can be used to describe people or things you love.

83. 無駄 (Muda): Meaningless

無駄 ( muda ) is used when you feel that something is pointless, meaningless, or just a waste of your time.  

A common expression using this adjective is “時間の無駄 ( jikan no muda ).” This translates to “a waste of time” and is used when you spend your time without being productive or taking more time than you should have to do a specific task. 

84. おめでとう (Omedetō): Congratulations

This is a casual way to say congratulations to someone . If you want to be more formal/polite, you can say “おめでとうございます ( omedetō gozaimasu ) instead.  

85. よかったね。 (Yokatta ne.): I’m happy for you.

The formal form of よかったね ( yokatta ne ) is よかったですね ( yokatta desu ne ). These phrases are commonly used when someone tells you good news. 

For example, if someone looks happy and says, “I got accepted to Harvard!” you can tell them, “よかったね ( yokatta ne ).” The nuance of this phrase is like saying, “That’s great!” or “I’m happy for you!” in English.  

86. 嬉しい (Ureshii.): (I’m) happy

嬉しい ( ureshii ) usually means that you are happy/delighted that something good happened. For example, if someone brings doughnuts for everyone in your office, you can say うれしい！ to show how happy you are about it. Since you are talking about emotions, うれしい is only used to describe human feelings.  

Another word for happy in Japanese is 幸せ ( shiawase ). This word usually describes the state of being happy (happiness). For example, you finally save up enough money to take a vacation in Hawaii. When you’re on the beach sipping a Mai Tai, you can say “幸せ” to describe how the situation you are in is the definition of happiness.  

幸せ can also be used to describe inanimate things as well. For example, 幸せなライフスタイル ( shiawase na raifusutairu ): A happy lifestyle (i.e., a lifestyle that makes you happy). 

87. 楽しい (Tanoshii): Fun/enjoyable.  

When you’re having fun, you can say 楽しい ( tanoshii ) to let other people know you are enjoying yourself! It can also be used to describe fun things, like 楽しいゲーム (tanoshii gēmu): fun games.

See #39 on this list, 楽しかったです ( tanoshikatta desu ), to see how this adjective is used in the past tense.  

 88. 大好き。 (Daisuki.): I love (it).

You may have learned that 好き ( suki ) means “like” and that 大 ( dai ) means “large.” Put these two words together, and you have “a large like,” or in other words, “love.”  

You can use 大好き ( daisuki ) to talk about both things or people that you love.  

Last, but not least, here are basic Japanese grettings that you’ll use over and over in Japan.

89. おはよう。 (Ohayō): Good morning.

おはよう ( ohayō ) is the casual way to say good morning in Japanese. If you want to be more formal (like greeting people in a business environment or talking to someone with a higher social status than you), saying おはようございます ( ohayō gozaimasu ) is more appropriate.  

90. こんにちは。 (Konnichiwa.): Good afternoon.

 こんにちは ( konnichiwa ) is used to say “hello” to people from the late morning until the early evening. This word is “socially friendly,” meaning that you can use it with anyone. It doesn’t matter if someone has a lower or higher social status than you.  

91. こんばんは。 (Konbanwa.): Good evening.  

 こんばんは ( konbanwa ) is used as a greeting during the nighttime. This word can also be used with anyone in any social situation (although it is a bit formal to say it to close friends).  

If you want to say “good night,” as in, “I’m going to bed,” you use the word おやすみなさい ( oyasuminasai ) or the more casual おやすみ ( oyasumi ).  

92. 元気？ (Genki?): How are you?

This is the casual version of asking someone how they are doing. This is commonly used with people you are close to or those with an equal or lower social status than you.  

The more polite phrase, お元気ですか？ ( ogenki desu ka? ) should be used when speaking to people with a higher social status than you.  

93. お久しぶりです。 (Ohisashiburi desu.): Long time no see.

 Between close friends, you can omit お ( o ) and say, 久しぶり ( hisashiburi ).

It is a set phrase that everyone uses when they meet someone they have seen in a long time.  

94. お変わりありませんか？ ( Okaw a ri arimasen ka? ): How have you been?

 While お変わりありませんか ( okawari arimasen ka? ) translates to “Have there been any changes (with you),” the nuance when using this phrase is “How have you been. I hope you are still doing well.”

95. ご無沙汰してます。 (Gobusata shite imasu.): It’s been a long time.

This phrase is used when you haven’t been in contact with someone for a long time. It usually refers to a lack of contact by letter, email, or phone.  

96. 元気でね。 (Genki de ne.): Take care.

元気でね ( genki de ne ) is mainly used when people say goodbye to friends or family who they will not see again for a while. So the meaning of “take care” in this case means “take care until we (if) meet again.”

Another phrase, 気を付けて ( ki o tsukete ), can also be translated to “take care.” However, the nuance of this phrase means to “be careful” and take care of yourself. 気を付けて is often used when someone is going on a trip or telling kids to be careful when walking home from school. 

97. またね。 (Mata ne.): See you later.

 This is a very casual way to say goodbye to someone. A similar expression in English would be, “see ya.” Because this phrase is so casual, you would never say it to someone of higher social status (your boss, business partners, etc.)  

98. じゃあね。 (Jā ne.): See ya.

This is another very casual way to say bye to some. It shares the same nuance as またね ( mata ne ) explained above. You would not use this in formal situations or with people who have a higher social status than you.  

99. バイバイ。 (Bai bai.): Bye-bye.

 This is yet another very casual way to say bye in Japanese. Just like with またね ( mata ne ) and じゃあね ( Jā ne ) explained above, you would not use this in formal situations or with people of high social status.  

バイバイ ( bai bai ) does have a cute right to it, which makes it more popular among young people.  

100. さようなら。 (Sayōnara.): Good bye.

さようなら ( sayōnara ) is the textbook word for “goodbye” in Japanese.  Sayōnara can work in many situations, but it can be too formal or strong in casual situations .  

The nuance of saying さようなら is either formal or serious.  

It is formal because you would not use it with close friends or family. It is used at schools in Japan, where students and teachers say さようなら when they part ways.  

さようなら can also be used to say “farewell,” as in “I’m leaving and not sure if I’ll come back.” You might see characters in movies saying さようなら to each other as a final goodbye.  

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Japanese Common Words: What to say while travelling in Japan

Are you planning on traveling Japan soon , but you don’t know any Japanese?  Or are you looking to learn some Japanese common words that can help you get around in Japan?

Then this blog is right up your alley, with some simple Japanese travel words as well as some transportation related phrases to help you get around Japan!

In this article, we will review the basic travel Japanese phrases Nakamura sensei teaches in the video below.

Beginner Japanese Travel Phrases – Basic Vocabulary

Before getting into some more difficult phrases, let’s take a look at some basic travel Japanese words in the appropriate context.  You may already be familiar with this vocabulary.

However Japanese words often carry slightly different meanings in different contexts.

So let’s look at some vocabulary!

大丈夫／だいじょうぶ／Daijoubu

The video below depicts a traveling Nakamura-sensei searching for their passport.

“Daijoubu” meaning “ok” or “fine”.   This extremely handy phrase is used in all sorts of situations in Japan!  And travel scenarios are no exception.

だいじょうぶですか？ Daijoubu desu ka? Is everything ok/Are you ok?

はい、だいじょうぶです！ Hai, daijoubu desu! Yes, I’m fine/Everything is fine!

すみません・すいません／Sumimasen ・ suimasen

“Sumimasen” meaning “please excuse me” or “pardon me”.  Another common phrase heard in various contexts in Japan!

Nakamura-sensei almost forgot her passport – but luckily the attendant got her attention with “sumimasen”. すみません、お客様！ Sumimasen, okyaku sama! Excuse me, miss! And how did Nakamura-sensei respond?

ありがとうございます／Arigatou gozaimasu

“Arigatou gozaimasu” meaning “thank you” – this is a polite expression of gratitude.  The casual form shortens to “arigatou”.

え？　あー、すいません、ありがとうございます！ Eh? Ah-, suimasen, arigatou gozaimasu! Hm? Oh, excuse me, thank you!

Perhaps a direct translation of this exchange into English sounds a bit rigid or stiff – but that’s part of what makes polite Japanese – or keigo language – polite.

どうぞ・おさきにどうぞ／ Douzo ・ O saki ni douzo

“Douzo” meaning “please” – to offer someone a favor.  “O saki ni douzo” is a way to say “after you”, and is an appropriate phrase to use with strangers.

“O saki ni” roughly translates to “first”. So it’s a little bit like saying “you first”! Now that we have reviewed these basic words, let’s dig into some phrases!

Simple Travel Japanese Phrases

タクシーのりばはどこですか？ Where is the taxi platform?

To understand how to use this phrase, let’s first break it down. タクシー (takushii) of course means “taxi”, and のりば (noriba) is a “terminal” or “platform”.  So タクシーのりば is a taxi stop or taxi platform. 

は (wa) is the grammar particle identifying the taxi stop as the subject of the sentence.  You can read more about は in this blog post about Japanese grammar particles !

〜はどこですか？ Where is~?

〜はどこですか (doko desu ka) is a useful question ending that simply means “where is~?”  “Doko” means where and “desu ka” is the to be verb.  The か (ka) indicates it is a question.

This phrase can be used with all sorts of other places or items, travel-related or otherwise.  Below is a short vocabulary list of some travel-related words you can use with 〜はどこですか？

バスのりば – basu noriba – bus stop 駅（えき） – eki – train station トイレ – toire – washroom, bathroom 3番線 （さんばんせん）- san ban sen – platform number 3

You can replace 3番線 with any number necessary to refer to whichever platform you need. That’s all for today’s blog!  Remember to watch the video and subscribe 🙂

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