Japanese is an East Asian language spoken by about 128 million people, primarily in Japan, where it is the national language. It is a member of the Japonic (or Japanese-Ryukyuan) language family. The writing system is comprised of three types of scripts: kanji (Chinese characters), hiragana, and katakana. Japanese sentence structure follows the pattern of Subject-Object-Verb but can be flexible in terms of order due to the particles that mark the grammatical functions of words.

When traveling to Japan, familiarizing yourself with some common words and phrases can make your experience more enriching and enjoyable. Below is a primer with pronunciation guides to help you get started:

Greetings

  • Ohayō gozaimasu (おはようございます) – Good morning. Pronunciation: oh-hah-yoh goh-zai-mas
  • Konnichiwa (こんにちは) – Good afternoon or hello. Pronunciation: kohn-nee-chee-wah
  • Konbanwa (こんばんは) – Good evening. Pronunciation: kohn-bahn-wah
  • Oyasuminasai (おやすみなさい) – Good night. Pronunciation: oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sai
  • Sayōnara (さようなら) – Goodbye. Pronunciation: sah-yoh-nah-rah
  • Arigatō gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) – Thank you. Pronunciation: ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zai-mas

Food

  • Itadakimasu (いただきます) – Said before eating, similar to "Let's eat" or "Bon appétit." Pronunciation: ee-tah-dah-kee-mas
  • Gochisōsama deshita (ごちそうさまでした) – Said after eating, expressing thanks for the meal. Pronunciation: goh-chee-soh-sah-mah deh-shee-tah
  • Oishii (おいしい) – Delicious. Pronunciation: oh-ee-shee
  • Tabemono (食べ物) – Food. Pronunciation: tah-beh-moh-noh
  • Nomimono (飲み物) – Drink. Pronunciation: noh-mee-moh-noh
  • Mizu (水) – Water. Pronunciation: mee-zoo

Transportation

  • Eki (駅) – Station. Pronunciation: eh-kee
  • Densha (電車) – Train. Pronunciation: den-shah
  • Basu (バス) – Bus. Pronunciation: bah-soo
  • Takushī (タクシー) – Taxi. Pronunciation: tah-koo-shee
  • Kippu (切符) – Ticket. Pronunciation: kee-poo
  • Doko desu ka? (どこですか?) – Where is...? Pronunciation: doh-koh dess kah?

Restaurants and Accommodation

Japanese Phrase or Word Pronunciation English Meaning
Shokudō shoh-koo-doh Cafeteria or dining hall
Ryokan ree-oh-kahn Traditional Japanese inn
Hōteru ho-teh-roo Hotel
Chūmon shimasu choo-mon shee-mas I would like to order.
Kore wa nan desu ka? koh-reh wah nahn dess kah? What is this?
Kudasai koo-dah-sai Please (used when requesting something)
Otearai wa doko desu ka? oh-teh-ah-rai wah doh-koh dess kah? Where is the bathroom?
Yoyaku yoh-yah-koo Reservation
Hepburn-ryū rōmaji. he-bun-roo roh-mah-jee. Romanization system for writing Japanese.

Note that in Japan, non-verbal communication is also very important. Bowing is a common way to say thank you, apologize, or greet someone. Additionally, it's customary to be polite and respectful at all times, and learning these phrases will show your effort to honor the local customs and language.

If you need assistance with anything during your trip to Japan, don't hesitate to reach out to us at Travel with Terrin, and we'll be more than happy to help you with your travel needs.