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- 幽玄 – Yūgen. “Profound and mysterious beauty.” This beautiful Japanese word is used in the context of a deep emotional response to a piece of art, like a Jackson Pollock painting, or nature.
- 懐かしい – Natsukashii. “Bringing forth happy, poignant memories of the past.” Natsukashii is used in the context of an object, sense, or scene bringing back sentimental memories of the past that illicit a warm, poignant feeling within.
- 金継ぎ – Kintsugi. “The art of broken things.” Kintsugi is used in the context of a broken object, like pottery, repaired with (traditionally) gold lacquer.
- 侘寂 – Wabi-sabi. “Imperfect beauty.” In terms of Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a central concept to both the language and traditional philosophy. It comes from the teachings of Buddhism, Japan’s most popular religion alongside Shinto, about the transient, imperfect nature of life itself.
- Japanese Words For Beginners: An Essential List
- Getting Started Speaking Japanese
- Japanese Greetings For Everyday
- Other Aisatsu (Greetings) in Daily Life
- Basic Japanese Words and Phrases For All Situations
- Japanese Questions to Boost Your Conversation
- Bonus: Some Cute and Cool Japanese Words to Level Up Your Speech
- Japanese Words and Phrases to Speak Now!
Japanese Greetings:
1. Yes: はい (hai) 2. No: いいえ (iie) 3. Hello: こんにちは (konnichiwa) 4. Goodbye: じゃね (ja ne) 5. Thank you: ありがとう (arigatou) 6. I’m Sorry: ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) 7. Excuse me: すみません (sumimasen) Learn more: Japanese Greetings: 17 Ways to Say “Hello” in Japanese
Japanese Pronouns:
1. I: 私 (watashi) 2. You: あなた (anata) 3. This: これ (kore) 4. That: それ (sore) 5. He: 彼 (kare) 6. She: 彼女 (kanojo) 7. They: 彼ら (karera) Learn more: Japanese Honorifics: How to Show Respect in Japanese
Japanese Numbers:
1. One: いち (ichi) 2. Two: に (ni) 3. Three: さん (san) 4. Four: し (shi) or よん (yon) 5. Five: ご (go) 6. Six: ろく (roku) 7. Seven: なな (nana) or しち (shichi) 8. Eight: はち (hachi) 9. Nine: く (ku) or きゅう (kyuu) 10. Ten: じゅう (juu) Learn more: Japanese Numbers: Counting in Japanese from 1 – 100+
Even though I speak often now with Japanese language exchange partners, it wasn’t always that way. I found it hard to speak Japanese at first, too. It can be a bit intimidating to know where to begin. Any time you learn a new language, especially one where the writing system is very different, it can become difficult to make the connections between...
おはようございます！
A formal way to greet someone in the morning, you’ll use this with co-workers, strangers, or superiors. With friends and family, you can shorten it by saying おはよう！(Ohayou, “‘Morning!”)
こんにちは
This is a formal greeting, and not usually how you greet friends and family. It’s used for strangers or formal situations. But it’s the most standard greeting for hello.
あー、＿＿＿さん。
Although it may sound strange to speakers in English, greeting someone with “Ah!” like you’re surprised to see someone is most common. You greet them with this exclamation and their name, followed by the appropriate suffix (“-san” is standard and good to use for most people). You follow it with a question, like asking about the weather. Speaking of which…
ただいまー
When someone comes home, or you arrive home, you announce it with this phrase. Then, whoever is home replies…
おかえりなさい
You can also use these two phrases to greet a coworker if they’ve returned back to work from somewhere else, like a business meeting or trip.
失礼します
When you leave ahead of someone else, you say this as an apology for leaving before them. Especially at work, you always want to say this before leaving because you’re leaving them to finish the work for the day.
ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): “Thank you”ごめんなさい (gomen nasai): “I’m sorry”はい or うん (Hhai or un): “Yes” (formal and informal)いいえ or ううん (iie or uun): “No” (formal and informal)With any question word, you can use a raised inflection at the last syllable to express that it’s a question. But, more formally, you can add the Japanese equivalent of a question mark: ですか (desu ka). Let’s start with the basics: 1. 誰 (dare): “Who?” 2. 何 (nani or nan): “What?” 3. いつ (itsu): “When?” 4. どこ (doko): “Where?” 5. どうして (doushite): “Why?” ...
What are some cool Japanese words? I’m glad you asked! Use these Japanese slang words to sound cool in Japanese.
How will you use these phrases to start speaking Japanese now? If you’re looking for a Japanese language exchange partner, learn how you can find one in your area or check out Preply (our review is here). And finally… One of the best ways to learn a new language is with podcasts. Read more about how to use podcasts to learn a language.
- Greetings and Starters 1. ohayou gozaimasu ( おはようございます ) — Good morning. The casual version of this greeting is ohayou ( おはよう ). In a workplace, someone greeting a colleague for the first time that day might use this phrase even if the clock reads 7 p.m.
- Basic Conversation 7. o namae wa nan desu ka? ( お名前は何ですか？ ) — What’s your name? This is a polite way to ask someone for their name. The more informal version is O namae wa?
- Japanese Pronouns. Japanese has a wide variety of pronouns you can use, helping you make your sentences more direct when you’re referring to yourself, your friend or your friend’s boyfriend.
- Saying “Yes” and “No” 33. hai ( はい ) — Yes. Even if you only have a passing familiarity with Japanese, chances are you’ve heard this monosyllabic affirmation before.
- 自業自得 – Jigou jitoku. Literal translation: One’s act, one’s profit. Meaning: This Japanese idiom means that eventually, you will face the consequences of your actions.
- 十人十色 (じゅうにんといろ) Literal translation: Ten men, ten colours. Meaning: People have different tastes and preferences and are free to like different things. English equivalent: To each his own.
- 起死回生 (きしかいせい) – Kishikaisei. Literal translation: Wake from death and return to life. Resuscitation. Meaning: To turn a negative situation into a positive one.
- 我田引水. Literal translation: Drawing water to one’s own rice paddy fields. Meaning: To do or say something for your own benefit. English equivalent: Take advantage of.
Jul 3, 2024 · This guide lists essential words and basic Japanese phrases you can use on your trip, as well as helpful tips for communicating in Japan.
Mar 26, 2024 · Essential phrases and words. Knowing a few basic Japanese sentences is a must, especially if you stray away from a main tourist area. Here are some basic Japanese words you could use. Hai (はい): Yes. Iie (いいえ): No. Namae wa nan des ka ( 名前はなんですか): What is your name? Watashi wa ~ des ( 私は〜です): I am ~
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May 19, 2022 · These 100 Japanese phrases are a great starting point for communicating with people from Japan. Knowing these common phrases can help you while traveling, working, or even making friends in Japan. Even advanced students of Japanese may pick up a thing or two from this list!
