Speak Japanese: Useful Phrases—The Complete Idiot’s Quick Guide

Speak Japanese: Useful Phrases

In This Quick Guide:: Greetings Around the Clock; At the Dining Table; Thanks, Sorry, and Excuse Me; Goodbye; Making a Request; Survival Phrases

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Japanese can be a tricky language to master, but with these useful everyday phrases, you will be speaking it in no time! The phrases in this guide are all “ritualized” or “fixed” expressions. But don’t worry about the meanings behind Japanese ritualized expressions. Instead, accept them as they are and pay attention to which phrase you need to say in a given situation. With the proper use of fixed expressions, your Japanese will sound more natural.

Greetings Around the Clock

Japanese people are particular about greetings. You must remember to use the right greeting at the appropriate time:

Good morning! Ohayō gozaimasu!

Good afternoon! KoNnichiwa!

Good evening! KoNbaNwa!

At the Dining Table

Eating is an important part of Japanese daily life. Food is considered a gift from God (or gods, in Japan), and, therefore, we express our thanks not only before we begin eating, but when we finish:

Before you eat: Itadakimasu. (“I will humbly accept [the food].”)

After you eat: Gochisōsama deshita. (“That was a feast!”)

What if your host offers you food, but you can’t eat any more? You can say either of the following:

No, thank you. Īe, kekkō-desu.

I am full. Onaka-ga ippai-desu.

And remember, it’s always nice to give the host a compliment for her or his cooking:

That was delicious! Oishi-kattadesu!

Thanks, Sorry, and Excuse Me

Here is the Japanese way of saying thanks:

Arigatō! “Thanks!”

Dōmo arigatō! “Thank you!”

In a formal setting, or if you want to sound polite, say the following:

Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu! “Thank you very much!”

In a very casual setting, simply saying dōmo is also acceptable. You might also hear saNkyū among young people—the Japanized loanword for thank you.

If someone says arigatō to you, reply to him or her by saying …

Dō itashi mashite. “You’re welcome!”

When I was learning English in Japan, my English teacher taught me that I should not say sorry unless I was acknowledging my fault. I was shocked at that comment because in Japanese, “sorry” is used in a much broader sense. The word for “sorry” in Japanese is …

(Dōmo) SumimaseN.

It might not be a good idea for me to simply translate sumimaseN as “sorry” because it can sometimes mean “thank you” as well. For example, when someone works very hard on your behalf, you should thank her or him by saying sumimaseN rather than arigatō.

Japanese people use sumimaseN when they think they are causing the other party some kind of trouble or inconvenience. Suppose that your friend spent hours fixing your kitchen sink. You think that you caused him trouble, even though he volunteered to do so. This feeling makes you say sumimaseN.

If someone says sumimaseN to you in order to apologize, reply by saying either of the following:

Ie ie or Īe! “No problem!”

On the other hand, if she or he says sumimaseN to “thank” you, reply by saying:

Dō itashi mashite! “You’re welcome!”

The borderline between “sorry” and “excuse me” is also vague in Japanese. For instance, when you must walk in a hurry through a crowd of people, you would say “excuse me” in English. In Japanese, you would use sumimaseN. Then, when should you use “excuse me”?

Here are some clear situations in which you should use “excuse me” in Japanese:

When entering a room
When leaving a room
When excusing yourself (for going to the bathroom, for example)
When saying goodbye (in a formal setting)

In these cases, you should say …

Shitsurē shimasu. “Excuse me.”

Here are typical replies to someone saying shitsurē shimasu. When someone (1) enters your room or (2) asks for permission to temporarily excuse her- or himself saying shitsurē shimasu, you should say …

Dōzo. “Please (come in/go ahead).”

When someone at work says shitsurē shimasu for “goodbye” at the end of the day, you should reply as follows:

Otsukaresama-deshita. “Goodbye.” (Lit. “You must be exhausted [due to hard work].”)

We quickly went through the words for “thanks,” “sorry,” and “excuse me.” Among these words, pay special attention to sumimaseN because the usage of this phrase is so wide.

Goodbye!

There are many ways to say “goodbye” in Japanese, and each use depends on the degree of formality and the type of parting. If parting is short and you expect to see that person soon, you could say any of the following, ranging from a formal to a casual style:

Shitsurē shimasu. [formal]

Soredewa.

Sorejā.

Jā! or Jāne! [casual]

If you are going to see this person tomorrow, you can attach mata ashita (“again tomorrow”) to some of the preceding expressions:

Soredewa mata ashita.

Sorejā mata ashita.

Jā mata ashita!

If you part from someone for a longer period of time, the following would be appropriate:

Mata oai shimashō. “I will see you again.”

Sayōnara or Sayonara. “So long.”

You might know sayonara, but once you arrive in Japan, you will notice that it isn’t used as often as you might expect. It’s a rather formal and “heavy” word for parting. In a formal parting, you might want to add the following phrase to sayōnara:

Sayōnara, ogeNkide! “So long, I wish you the best!”

In daily conversation, probably the most common expression for goodbye is sorejā. It’s neither too casual nor too polite—a neutral expression that can be used on any occasion.

Making a Request

There are a number of ways to ask for a favor, but they boil down to one simple expression. The magic phrase is …

Onegai shimasu. “Please.”

This is an extremely powerful phrase. Even in the worst-case scenario, when you can’t remember any appropriate Japanese sentences, body language and using this expression might save you.