Nihongo For Dummies
May 7th, 2008 by Kuwahara Yami
So you’re in Japan, but you don’t speak a word of Japanese. Fear not, here are a few essential phrases which will help you get by when you visit Japan. There are a lot of phrases that is useful to know. If you plan to go to Japan and you are not fluent, remember that it is also helpful to bring a Japanese-English dictionary to better understand what your Japanese counterparts are saying to you. One thing to remember is that the japanese have distinct ways of speaking, depending on who the speaker is addressing and the situation. Nihongo can either be formal or informal, such as when talking to friends or family the informal form is usually used. Most of the phrases here are in their informal form. When speaking in a formal event or to one’s elders, it is imperative to use the formal way of speaking.
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PLEASANTRIES
Good morning – Ohayou
Good evening – Kombanwa
Good day – Konnichiwa
Good night – Oyasumi
How do you do? – Ikaga desu ka?
Nice to meet you – Hajimemashite
I am very well – Genki desu
Thank you – Arigatou
Many thanks – Domo arigatou
Goodbye – Sayounara/ Ja ne
Best regards – Yoroshiku
By all means – Douzo
WHEN IN A TAXI OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
What is the fare? – Ryokin wa ikura desu ka
Are we almost there? – Mo sugu desu ka
Please stop – Tomete kudasai
Please hurry up – Isoide kudasai
WHEN LOOKING FOR A PLACE/VISITING SOMEONE
Will you show me the way? – Michi o oshiete kudasai
What time does the bus pass? – Itsu bus ga koko o torimasu ka
Where do i have to get off? – Doko de orimasu ka
Is [name] in? – [name]-san wa uchi desu ka?
Will he return soon? – Sugu okaeri desho ka?
AT A HOTEL
I want two rooms – Futaheya iri masu
How much is the room rate? – Kono heya nedan wa ikura desu ka?
Have you any rooms? – Heya ga arimasu ka?
Where is the bathroom? – Furo wa doko desu ka?
That room is too small – Kono heya wa semasugi masu
That room is too large – Ano heya wa okisugi masu
Give ma a quiet room – Shizuka na heya wo kudasai
AT A RESTAURANT
When can I have breakfast/lunch/dinner? – Itsu asameshi/hirumeshi/yuushoku ga deki masu ka?
Give me some [food] – [food] o sukoshi kudasai
Let me look at the menu – Menu o misete kudasai
I want [food] – [food] ga hoshii
WHEN SHOPPING
I want to buy [item] – [item] ga kakitai no desu
Let me try it on – Kabuttemasho
Please show me that – Are o misete kudasai
This is too small/large – Kore wa chiisai/ookii sugai masu
I will take this – Kore o moraimasho
I want some other color – Hoka no iro ga hoshii
NUMBERS
One – Ichi
Two – Ni
Three – San
Four – Yon/shi
Five – Go
Six – Roku
Seven – Nana
Eight – Hachi
Nine – Kyuu
Ten – Juu
Hundred – Hyaku
Thousand – Sen
Remember that other numbers are based on the numbers above. For example:
Thirteen – Juu-san
Thirty-five – Sanjuu-go
One hundred eighty three – Hyaku hachi juu-san
Also, it would be helpful to learn about the Japanese way of writing. We shall discuss the Japanese way of writing in detail next time but in the mean time, why not start memorizing the Japanese alphabet table for both Hiragana and Katakana below:
From castles to shopping malls and business districts, 
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May 7th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
the one for shopping and for public transpo is reeeeeeally important
May 8th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Hmm, I think I’ll print this out and use it as a guide if and when I visit Japan … =D
December 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
great
thanks
February 12th, 2009 at 1:14 am
This guide is horrible and on multiple counts.
Why are you spelling it nihonggo and not nihongo? You did that twice. Also, maybe you should’ve mentioned that nihongo is Japanese for “The Japanese Language.”
Second, why are you offering a phrasebook with no pronunciation guide? You realize that if people pronounce this with a normal American accent, probably no Japanese person is going to understand them, right?
Third, if someone does understand the questions listed and replies in Japanese, someone using this phrasebook won’t understand the reply.
Fourth, teaching kana syllabaries without teaching the appropriate stroke order? Come on.
Fifth, don’t give people the false expectation that kana (those two alphabets, hiragana and katakana, listed here) is all they need to learn in order to be able to read/write Japanese. You should mention that most of the language is written in kanji complemented with kana, and literary fluency requires you to learn two thousand kanji in addition to all the kana. (You can sort of get by on just two hundred fifty, though.)
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:20 am
I agree for someone who already knows japanese like myself this is quite rubish and plus you are leaving out quite a few characters on your kana and forgeting the kanji witch they use today. Kanji was adapted from the chinese language And han was made for the sole purpose of pronouncing foreign words
December 25th, 2009 at 5:51 am
thats why it says its for dummies not people who already know the language
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:09 am
hey just a percaution to all those who go japan if you see some hard dude dont make eye contact with them most the time yakuza and other misc gangsters will leave you alone but you hold your head head up then the got something to beat down lol seen it happen here and there with russian tourists
also be weary of your group when you go around at night personally shibuya can get pretty tuff at nights so i recommend roppongi and yeah there are drunkards that get on the trains mostly tipsy redfaced business men but every once in a while you get one
oh yeah when on the train leave the forward upper left seats open for seniors not to serious but its just a mannerism to remember
the reason i type this up was cuz when i was last in tokyo there some real jackoff tourists and it just bugged the shit out of me cuz im from america too but these people had no tact or style
lol brings me to clothing blazers and dress shoes for dudes while traveling and modest formal wear for the girls so you dont stick out out on the shinkansen
i hope that pointless rants help smooth your trip out and blend in a little
ps most japanese ppl know english and if you know a little japanese you can deff get around plus jr tickets can be bough in english
\(^o^)/ have fun all
February 28th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
hai!! nandayo! Kabuttemasho ja-pando…
yes!! let me try on this japanese
March 6th, 2010 at 9:25 am
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
i don’t get it~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:58 am
This is accurate and helpful…THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!
June 12th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
This is traveler’s Japanese and it is good enough for someone who’s not exposed to Japanese. 15 years ago, I memorised 20 such phrases and later it got me interested in learning Japanese. Now I can read and write kana and kanji. Beisdes, it’s alright for a complete beginner to pronounce wrongly or say with an accent. There’s got to be a start somewhere and this list is a good start.
July 13th, 2010 at 10:54 am
I know quite alot of japanese..AND I’M 11!!
this will help alot and who knows maybe there will be someone to teach japanese to people like us… yup.
^ ^
(◔ヮ◔ )
August 15th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
nice it is helpful to me since i have a japanese friend..
November 27th, 2010 at 1:48 am
this is helpfull I just started learning japanese in school and find it easy thanks to this!!!!
April 1st, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Wow this is extrememly helpful ,BUT EVEN MORE HELPFUL IF!…. you had the way it is writen in japanese too!