Travel
25 Japanese phrases for your first trip to Japan
The Japanese phrases that actually get used on a trip to Japan, for shops, restaurants, trains and getting help, with romaji and what people will say back.
You can travel round Japan with no Japanese at all, but a few phrases make every day smoother and warmer. People really appreciate the effort, even if you only manage a thank-you.
These are the phrases you'll actually use, grouped by situation. Each one comes with romaji, and the polite form is used throughout, which is right for talking to staff and strangers.
The five you'll use every day
すみません is the most useful word in Japanese. Use it to get someone's attention, to say sorry for bumping into someone, and even to say thank you when someone has gone out of their way for you.
だいじょうぶです ("it's fine") is a polite way to say no, thanks: when you're asked if you want a bag, a receipt or a spoon, for example.
Shopping
When you walk into a shop, staff will call out いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase, "welcome"). You don't need to reply; a smile or a small nod is perfect.
At the till you may hear ふくろ、いりますか？ (fukuro, irimasu ka?, "Do you need a bag?"). Answer おねがいします (yes, please) or だいじょうぶです (no, thanks).
Restaurants and cafés
At the door, staff will usually ask なんめいさまですか (nanmei-sama desu ka, "how many people?"). Say the number, or just hold up fingers. ひとり (hitori) is one person, ふたり (futari) two, and さんにん (sannin) three.
Before you eat, say いただきます (itadakimasu). As you leave, ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita, "thank you for the meal") always gets a smile. And don't tip: good service is simply expected in Japan, and staff may chase you to return the money.
Getting around
Swap in any place name: ホテル (hoteru, hotel), コンビニ (konbini, convenience store), or a station name such as 新宿 (Shinjuku). Showing the name of the place on your phone also works very well, especially in taxis.
When you're stuck
In an emergency in Japan, call 110 for the police and 119 for an ambulance or the fire brigade.
Getting the sounds right
Japanese pronunciation is kinder than it looks. Every vowel has one sound: a as in "father", i as in "machine", u as in "put", e as in "bed", o as in "hot". Keep each syllable even, and don't stress one part of a word the way English does. The final u in です and ます is usually so soft it almost disappears: "dess", "mass".
The best way to get it right is to hear it. Every phrase in Hitokuchi's lessons comes with audio you can play as often as you like.
Hitokuchi's first Shade Garden lessons cover greetings, introductions, numbers and ordering at a tea house, with audio for every phrase.
Keep reading
TravelKonbini Japanese: phrases for Japan's convenience storesWhat staff say at a Japanese convenience store, how to answer, and the phrases you need for heating food, bags, chopsticks and paying.
TravelHow to order food in Japanese at a restaurantEvery step of eating out in Japan, in Japanese: getting a table, ordering, asking about the menu, saying thank you and paying the bill.
BasicsJapanese greetings for every time of dayHow to say hello, good morning, goodnight and goodbye in Japanese, when to use each one, and the everyday set phrases Japanese people say at home and work.