Essential Japanese Phrases for Travel and Daily Life (with Examples)
Going to Japan, or just starting to speak Japanese? These are the phrases you will use again and again: greetings, asking the way, ordering food, shopping, meeting people and getting help. Each phrase has romaji and a short note on when to use it.
Tip: you don’t need perfect grammar to be understood. Start with すみません (excuse me), say the phrase slowly, and smile. Japanese people are usually very happy when visitors try.
Contents
Greetings and polite words
Greetings
- おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu): Good morning
- こんにちは (konnichiwa): Hello / Good afternoon
- こんばんは (konbanwa): Good evening
- おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai): Good night (before going to bed)
- さようなら (sayounara): Goodbye. It sounds a little final, so with friends people often say じゃあ、また (jaa, mata, see you) instead.
Polite words
- ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): Thank you
- すみません (sumimasen): Excuse me / I’m sorry. The most useful word in Japan: use it to call a waiter, to get past someone, or to start a question.
- おねがいします (onegaishimasu): Please (when asking for something)
- どういたしまして (douitashimashite): You’re welcome
- はい (hai): Yes / いいえ (iie): No
Asking for directions
- 〜はどこですか？ (~ wa doko desu ka?): Where is ~?
トイレはどこですか？ (toire wa doko desu ka?) Where is the restroom? - 駅（えき）はどちらですか？ (eki wa dochira desu ka?): Which way is the station? (どちら is a polite way to say どこ)
- このバスは駅（えき）に行（い）きますか？ (kono basu wa eki ni ikimasu ka?): Does this bus go to the station?
- どうやって行（い）きますか？ (dou yatte ikimasu ka?): How do I get there?
Learn how to talk about where things are in GENKI Lesson 4: あります and います.
At a restaurant
- すみません！ (sumimasen!): Excuse me! (to call the staff. Raising your hand is fine.)
- メニューをください (menyuu o kudasai): Can I have a menu, please?
- おすすめは何（なん）ですか？ (osusume wa nan desu ka?): What do you recommend?
- これをください (kore o kudasai): I’ll have this, please. Just point at the menu.
- お会計（かいけい）をお願（ねが）いします (okaikei o onegaishimasu): The check, please
Shopping
- これはいくらですか？ (kore wa ikura desu ka?): How much is this?
- 試着（しちゃく）してもいいですか？ (shichaku shite mo ii desu ka?): Can I try this on?
- 別（べつ）のサイズはありますか？ (betsu no saizu wa arimasu ka?): Do you have another size?
- カードで払（はら）えますか？ (kaado de haraemasu ka?): Can I pay by card?
- これをください (kore o kudasai): I’ll take this, please.
これ (this), それ (that) and いくら (how much) are explained in GENKI Lesson 2.
Meeting new people
- はじめまして (hajimemashite): Nice to meet you
- 〜です (~ desu): I’m ~. For example: エマです (Ema desu).
- どこから来（き）ましたか？ (doko kara kimashita ka?): Where are you from?
- 〜から来（き）ました (~ kara kimashita): I’m from ~.
- 日本語（にほんご）が少（すこ）しわかります (nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu): I understand a little Japanese.
Want to introduce yourself properly? Start with GENKI Lesson 1: XはYです. It has quizzes you can try right on the page.
When you need help
- 英語（えいご）を話（はな）せますか？ (eigo o hanasemasu ka?): Do you speak English?
- もう一度（いちど）お願（ねが）いします (mou ichido onegaishimasu): Could you say that again, please?
- ゆっくり話（はな）してください (yukkuri hanashite kudasai): Please speak slowly.
- わかりました (wakarimashita): I understand. / Got it.
- ちょっと手伝（てつだ）ってくれますか？ (chotto tetsudatte kuremasu ka?): Could you help me a little?
In an emergency
- 助（たす）けてください (tasukete kudasai): Please help me!
- 警察（けいさつ）を呼（よ）んでください (keisatsu o yonde kudasai): Please call the police.
- 病院（びょういん）はどこですか？ (byouin wa doko desu ka?): Where is the hospital?
- 気分（きぶん）が悪（わる）いです (kibun ga warui desu): I feel sick.
In Japan, call 110 for the police and 119 for an ambulance or fire.
Many of these requests use the 〜てください pattern. Learn how to make it in GENKI Lesson 6: the te-form.
Learn travel Japanese with audio
Reading a phrase list is a good start, but in a real shop or station, you need to hear and say the words. My Travel Japanese Pack teaches the phrases travelers really use, with audio for every phrase.
- 10 short lessons: stations, restaurants, shops, hotels and more
- Illustrated PDFs and audio recordings
- Bonus lesson: Osaka dialect
Have a good trip, and がんばって！ (ganbatte, good luck!)
