So, you’ve already mastered the beginner level in Japanese? Congratulations! That means you know how to write Hiragana, Katakana, and the basic Kanji, as well as the basic grammar rules. Now you’re ready to level up to intermediate Japanese! 

At some point during your studies, you probably heard about the JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test). This is a standardized test that evaluates the Japanese-language proficiency of non-native speakers, including their language knowledge (vocabulary/grammar), reading ability, and listening ability. Level N3 is equivalent to the intermediate level, and setting a goal for yourself to pass this level would be a good source of motivation to help you keep up your studies.

You faced the first challenge when you started learning Japanese, a language with a totally new set of characters and grammar rules from English. However, the beginner level is rewarding in that you can easily see your progress the more you study. On the other hand, the intermediate level is when things start getting hard—you need continuous effort and patience to make meaningful advances at this stage. Although the progress may seem very slow, you’ll steadily move forward as long as you don’t give up!

In this article, we’ll introduce a list of frequently used intermediate Japanese words, including larger numbers, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and even conjunctions and Japanese particles. Let’s start the journey toward conquering the next level here at JapanesePod101.com!

The Japanese intermediate level gets harder, but you can still have fun learning with JapanesePod101.com.

Table of Contents

1. Larger Numbers
2. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)
3. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)
4. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)
5. Adverbs – 副詞 (Fukushi)
6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)
7. Auxiliary Words and Particles – 助詞 (Joshi)
8. Conclusion

1. Larger Numbers　

Once you know the basic Japanese numbers, counting to larger numbers is fairly simple. We can easily express these numbers with Kanji using relatively few digits. 

Keep in mind, however, that we group larger numbers by every 10,000 (rather than every 1,000 like in Western counting). That said, when we do write the Arabic numbers in Japan, it’s common to use commas for every thousand just like it’s done in the West. 

Arabic Number	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
100	百	ひゃく	hyaku
1,000	千	せん	sen
10,000	万	まん	man
100,000	十万	じゅうまん	jū-man
1,000,000	百万	ひゃくまん	hyaku-man
10,000,000	千万	せんまん	sen-man
100,000,000	億	おく	oku
1,000,000,000	十億	じゅうおく	jū-oku
10,000,000,000	百億	ひゃくおく	hyaku-oku
100,000,000,000	千億	せんおく	sen-oku
1,000,000,000,000	兆	ちょう	chō

Number-related Vocabulary

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
number	数字	すうじ	sūji
calculation	計算	けいさん	keisan
arithmetic	算数	さんすう	sansū
mathematics	数学	すうがく	sūgaku
addition	足し算	たしざん	tashizan
subtraction	引き算	ひきざん	hikizan
multiplication	掛け算	かけざん	kakezan
division	割り算	わりざん	warizan

Examples:

• 私のいとこは宝くじで2億円を当てました。
  Watashi no itoko wa takarakuji de ni-oku-en o atemashita.
  “My cousin won 200 million Yen in the lottery.”

• 2020年の日本の国家予算は約103兆円です。
  Ni-sen ni-jū-nen no Nihon no kokka yosan wa yaku hyaku san-chō-en desu.
  “Japan’s national budget in 2020 was around 103 trillion Yen.”

• 私は毎日その日の利益を計算します。 
  Watashi wa mainichi sono hi no rieki o keisan shimasu.
  “I calculate the profit for the day every day.”

We can easily express larger numbers with Kanji.

2. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)

Our next set of intermediate Japanese vocabulary words will cover the most practical nouns in a range of categories. At this stage in your learning journey, picking up as many new nouns as possible will help you better express yourself and allow you to hold conversations on a greater number of topics. 

Time

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
sunrise	日の出	ひので	hinode
sunset	日没	にちぼつ	nichibotsu
instant (a very short moment)	一瞬	いっしゅん	isshun
a whole life / lifetime /  for life	一生	いっしょう	isshō
a time / while / one time	一時	いちじ	ichiji
a short period or term	短期	たんき	tanki
a medium-length period or term	中期	ちゅうき	chūki
a long period or term	長期	ちょうき	chōki
a school term / semester	学期	がっき	gakki
this time	今回	こんかい	konkai
hereafter / from now on / onward	今後	こんご	kongo

Examples:

• 夏は日の出が早く、日没が遅い。
  Natsu wa hinode ga hayaku, nichibotsu ga osoi.
  “In summer, the sunrise (time) is early and the sunset (time) is late.”

• 彼は短期目標を設定しました。
  Kare wa tanki mokuhyō o settei shimashita.
  “He has set a short-term goal.”

• 私は今後一切タバコを吸いません。 
  Watashi wa kongo issai tabako o suimasen.
  “I will never smoke cigarettes from now on.”

2. People

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
individual	個人	こじん	kojin
group	集団	しゅうだん	shūdan
citizen	市民	しみん	shimin
people (of a country) or  nation	国民	こくみん	kokumin
man / boy / male	男子	だんし	danshi
woman / girl / female	女子	じょし	joshi
infant	幼児	ようじ	yōji
young man / young people / youth	青年	せいねん	seinen
elderly	年配	ねんぱい	nenpai
old person / the aged	老人	ろうじん	rōjin
stranger / others	他人	たにん	tanin
colleague / coworker	同僚	どうりょう	dōryō
boss / superior	上司	じょうし	jōshi
subordinate	部下	ぶか	buka
employee / staff	社員	しゃいん	shain
president / head (of a company)	社長	しゃちょう	shachō

Examples:

• 国民の三大義務は、教育、労働、納税です。
  Kokumin no sandai gimu wa, kyōiku, rōdō, nōzei desu.
  “The three major duties of the people in Japan are education, labor, and paying taxes.”

• あの青年は老人介護施設で働いています。
  Ano seinen wa rōjin kaigo shisetsu de hataraite imasu.
  “That young man works at a nursing home for the elderly.”

• 私の目標は起業して社長になることです。 
  Watashi no mokuhyō wa kigyō shite shachō ni naru koto desu.
  “My goal is to start a business and become president.”

To learn more work-related vocabulary words with audio, we recommend you check out our wordlists Jobs / Work and Workplace.

昼休みに同僚と雑談する (hiruyasumi ni dōryō to zatsudan suru)
“chat with colleagues during lunch break”

3. Other Nouns

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
start / beginning	開始	かいし	kaishi
end / close / termination	終了	しゅうりょう	shūryō
stop / suspension	停止	ていし	teishi
base / fundament / standard	基本	きほん	kihon
basis / foundation	基礎	きそ	kiso
(practical) application	応用	おうよう	ōyō
input / entry / filling in / filling out	記入	きにゅう	kinyū
article	記事	きじ	kiji
right	権利	けんり	kenri
rules / regulations	規則	きそく	kisoku
law	法律	ほうりつ	hōritsu
accounting	会計	かいけい	kaikei
business / commerce	商売	しょうばい	shōbai
profit	利益	りえき	rieki
product	製品	せいひん	seihin
lack / shortage / deficiency	不足	ふそく	fusoku
income	収入	しゅうにゅう	shūnyū
documents	書類	しょるい	shorui
cooperation / collaboration	協力	きょうりょく	kyōryoku
satisfaction / contentment	満足	まんぞく	manzoku
dissatisfaction	不満	ふまん	fuman

Examples:

• 開始と終了の時間に、ベルが鳴ります。
  Kaishi to shūryō no jikan ni, beru ga narimasu.
  “The bell rings at the start and end times.”

• 法律に基づき、18歳以上の国民は投票する権利があります。
  Hōritsu ni motozuki, jū hassai ijō no kokumin wa tōhyō suru kenri ga arimasu.
  “By law, citizens over 18 years old have the right to vote.”

• パンデミックの影響で、衛生製品が不足しています。 
  Pandemikku no eikyō de, eisei seihin ga fusoku shite imasu.
  “Due to the influence of the pandemic, there is a shortage of hygiene products.”

書類に記入する (shorui ni kinyū suru)
“fill out the document”

To learn more Japanese nouns, please check out Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns on our website. 

3. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)

Verbs, like nouns, make up a huge chunk of any language’s vocabulary. At the beginner level, you picked up a number of useful action words and auxiliaries to get your point across—but as you approach the intermediate level, you may find yourself needing more advanced verbs to clearly express your thoughts. Below is a list to get you started.

General Verbs

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
to encounter / to meet / to come across	出会う	であう	deau
to remove / to undo	外す	はずす	hazusu
to like / to be pleased with	気に入る	きにいる	ki ni iru
to fall down / to fall over	転ぶ	ころぶ	korobu
to receive	受け取る	うけとる	uketoru
to take (something) out	取り出す	とりだす	toridasu
to divide / to split / to separate	分ける	わける	wakeru
to give up	諦める	あきらめる	akirameru
to lose interest in / to get tired of	飽きる	あきる	akiru
to be enough / to be sufficient	足りる	たりる	tariru
to remain / to be in excess	余る	あまる	amaru
to appear / to show up / to turn up	現れる	あらわれる	arawareru
to express / to show	表す	あらわす	arawasu
to treat / to handle / to deal with	扱う	あつかう	atsukau
to put together / to combine / to add to / to match	合わせる	あわせる	awaseru
to deposit / to consign / to entrust	預ける	あずける	azukeru
to touch	触れる	ふれる	fureru
to shake / to tremble / to vibrate / to shudder / to shiver	震える	ふるえる	furueru
to prevent / to guard against	防ぐ	ふせぐ	fusegu
to wear (trousers, skirt, shoes) / to put on	履く	はく	haku
to discuss	話し合う	はなしあう	hanashiau
to separate / to keep apart / to isolate	離す	はなす	hanasu
to release / to free / to let go	放す	はなす	hanasu
to decrease	減る	へる	heru
to pull	引く	ひく	hiku
to celebrate	祝う	いわう	iwau
to dislike	嫌がる	いやがる	iyagaru
to be concerned with / to engage in / to be related to	関わる	かかわる	kakawaru
to hide	隠す	かくす	kakusu
to earn / to make money	稼ぐ	かせぐ	kasegu
to pile up / to put on top of one another	重ねる	かさねる	kasaneru
to shine / to sparkle	輝く	かがやく	kagayaku
to repeat	繰り返す	くりかえす	kurikaesu
to stretch / to get longer / to grow	伸びる	のびる	nobiru
to remove / to get rid of / to exclude	除く	のぞく	nozoku

Examples:

• 諦めたらそこで試合は終了です。
  Akirametara soko de shiai wa shūryō desu.
  “If you give up, the game ends there.”

• あなたに預けた書類を受け取りに来ました。
  Anata ni azuketa shorui o uketori ni kimashita.
  “I came to pick up the documents I entrusted to you.”

• 彼は彼女に関わることを嫌がった。 
  Kare wa kanojo ni kakawaru koto o iyagatta.
  “He disliked getting involved with her.”

[ Noun + する (suru) ] Verbs 

This type of Japanese verb is formed by using this pattern: noun + する (suru). You may remember that する (suru) means “do,” and in this case, we use it to create verbs. For example: 

• 期待する (kitai suru) or “to expect” = 期待 (kitai) “expectation” + する (suru) “do” 

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
to go out	外出する	がいしゅつする	gaishutsu suru
to make (an) effort	努力する	どりょくする	doryoku suru
to memorize / to store data	記憶する	きおくする	kioku suru
to expect / to hope to	期待する	きたいする	kitai suru
to grow (up)	成長する	せいちょうする	seichō suru
to lack	不足する	ふそくする	fusoku suru
to match / to coincide	一致する	いっちする	itchi suru
to agree with / to support (a measure)	賛成する	さんせいする	sansei suru
to oppose / to object	反対する	はんたいする	hantai suru
to concentrate	集中する	しゅうちゅうする	shūchū suru
to import	輸入する	ゆにゅうする	yunyū suru
to export	輸出する	ゆしゅつする	yushutsu suru
to sell	販売する	はんばいする	hanbai suru
to zoom / to enlarge / to expand	拡大する	かくだいする	kakudai suru
to shrink / to reduce / to diminish	縮小する	しゅくしょうする	syukushō suru

Examples:

• 彼は彼女に会えることを期待して外出しました。 
  Kare wa kanojo ni aeru koto o kitai shite gaishutsu shimashita.
  “He went out hoping to see her.”

• この会社は日本茶を海外へ輸出して、世界中で販売しています。
  Kono kaisha wa nihoncha o kaigai e yushutsu shite, sekaijū de hanbai shite imasu.
  “This company exports Japanese tea overseas and sells it all over the world.”

• 勉強する時はテレビを消して集中しなさい。 
  Benkyō suru toki wa terebi o keshite shūchū shinasai.
  “When you study, turn off the TV and concentrate.”

To learn more about Japanese verbs, please check out our articles The 100+ Most Common Japanese Verbs and Ultimate Japanese Verb Conjugation Guide.

努力して試験に合格 (doryoku shite shiken ni gōkaku)
“passing the exam by making an effort”

4. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)

As a beginner, you probably spent most of your time memorizing nouns, verbs, and practical sentence patterns. But once you have the basics down, picking up a few common adjectives can help you enrich your conversations and add flavor to your writing. Below, we’ve listed the most useful adjectives for intermediate Japanese learners. 

i-Adjectives

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
intense / hard / violent / fierce / furious	激しい	はげしい	hageshii
nostalgic / dear	懐かしい	なつかしい	natsukashii
shameful / pitiful / miserable	情けない	なさけない	nasakenai
frightening / terrifying / fearful	恐ろしい	おそろしい	osoroshii
persistent / insistent	ー	しつこい	shitsukoi
powerful	力強い	ちからづよい	chikarazuyoi
smart / wise / clever	賢い	かしこい	kashikoi
childlike / childish / infant	幼い	おさない	osanai
hard / tough / painful / bitter	辛い	つらい	tsurai
jealous / envious	羨ましい	うらやましい	urayamashii
loose / lax	緩い	ゆるい	yurui
equal / equivalent	等しい	ひとしい	hitoshii
itchy	痒い	かゆい	kayui
noisy	騒がしい	さわがしい	sawagashii
funny	可笑しい	おかしい	okashii
empty / void / fruitless	空しい	むなしい	munashii
refreshing / refreshed	清々しい	すがすがしい	sugasugashii
menial / vulgar / greedy	卑しい	いやしい	iyashii
lovely / adorable	可愛らしい	かわいらしい	kawairashii
missed / longed for	恋しい	こいしい	koishii
smelly / stinky	臭い	くさい	kusai
tight / hard / tough	ー	きつい	kitsui
detailed	詳しい	くわしい	kuwashii
regretful / mortifying	悔しい	くやしい	kuyashii
dazzling / bright	眩しい	まぶしい	mabushii
poor	貧しい	まずしい	mazushii
gentle / mild / quiet	大人しい	おとなしい	otonashii
fortunately / luckily	幸い	さいわい	saiwai
sharp	鋭い	するどい	surudoi
dull / slow	鈍い	にぶい	nibui
rough / harsh / wild	荒い	あらい	arai

Examples:

• 台風の影響で激しい雨が降っています。 
  Taifū no eikyō de hageshii ame ga futte imasu.
  “It is raining hard due to the typhoon.”

• 公園で可愛らしい女の子が一人で遊んでいました。
  Kōen de kawairashii onnanoko ga hitori de asonde imashita.
  “The adorable girl was playing alone in the park.”

• 彼は大人しいが、鋭い洞察力を持っています。 
  Kare wa otonashii ga, surudoi dōsatsuryoku o motte imasu.
  “He is quiet but has keen insight.”

太陽が眩しい。 (Taiyō ga mabushii.)
“The sun is bright.”

na-Adjectives

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
serious / earnest	真面目	まじめ	majime
eager / zealous / ardent	熱心	ねっしん	nesshin
advantageous	有利	ゆうり	yūri
flat / even	平ら	たいら	taira
troublesome / cumbersome	厄介	やっかい	yakkai
rich / abundant / fertile	豊か	ゆたか	yutaka
luxurious	贅沢	ぜいたく	zeitaku
slight / subtle	僅か	わずか	wazuka
obstructive	邪魔	じゃま	jama
obvious	明らか	あきらか	akiraka
troublesome / annoying / unwelcome	迷惑	めいわく	meiwaku
troublesome / onerous / perplexing	面倒	めんどう	mendō

Examples:

• この箱は平らな所に置いてください。 
  Kono hako wa taira na tokoro ni oite kudasai.
  “Please place this box on a flat surface.”

• 私は僅かな可能性があれば、希望を捨てない。
  Watashi wa wazuka na kanōsei ga areba, kibō o sutenai.
  “I will not lose hope if there is a slight possibility.”

• 彼は明らかな間違いを犯しました。 
  Kare wa akiraka na machigai o okashimashita.
  “He made an obvious mistake.”

To learn more about Japanese adjectives, please check out our articles Learn the Top 100 Essential Japanese Adjectives and -I vs. -NA Adjectives in Japanese.

5. Adverbs – 副詞 (Fukushi)

While adjectives describe nouns, adverbs provide additional information about verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. At this stage in your learning journey, having a few Japanese adverbs up your sleeve will allow you to give more detailed descriptions of events and help your writing flow more smoothly. 

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
at once / immediately / promptly / right away	早速	さっそく	sassoku
as … as possible	ー	なるべく	narubeku
carelessly / thoughtlessly	ー	うっかり	ukkari
probably / presumably	恐らく	おそらく	osoraku
quite / pretty	ー	かなり	kanari
approximately / about / roughly	ー	およそ	oyoso
just like / as if	ー	まるで	marude
abruptly / suddenly	急に	きゅうに	kyū ni
rather	ー	むしろ	mushiro
kind of / sort of / fairly / reasonably	ー	なかなか	nakanaka
what is more / furthermore / moreover	更に	さらに	sara ni
already	既に	すでに	sude ni
for some time / for a while	暫く	しばらく	shibaraku
surely / definitely / indeed	確かに	たしかに	tashika ni
rather / quite a	随分	ずいぶん	zuibun
at one time / at once / all at once	一度に	いちどに	ichi-do ni
all / whole	全て	すべて	subete
desperately / frantically	必死に	ひっしに	hisshi ni
deliberately / on purpose	ー	わざと	wazato
increasingly / more and more	益々	ますます	masumasu
one after another	次々と	つぎつぎと	tsugitsugi to
anytime / at all times	ー	いつでも	itsu demo
before one is aware / before one knows	いつの間にか	いつのまにか	itsunomanika
indeed / really	実に	じつに	jitsu ni
as it is	ー	そのまま	sonomama
each / respectively	ー	それぞれ	sorezore
sometimes	時々	ときどき	tokidoki
always / at all times / constantly	常に	つねに	tsune ni
suddenly	突然	とつぜん	totsuzen
in/at the beginning	始めに	はじめに	hajime ni
early / earlier / ahead of time	早めに	はやめに	hayame ni
before long / shortly	間もなく	まもなく	mamonaku
at least	少なくとも	すくなくとも	sukunakutomo
by chance / accidentally / unintentionally	ー	たまたま	tamatama
in particular / particularly	別に	べつに	betsu ni
anyways / in any case	ー	とにかく	tonikaku
by all means	ー	どうしても	dōshitemo
again / once again	再び	ふたたび	futatabi
together	共に	ともに	tomo ni
a short while ago / a moment ago	先程	さきほど	sakihodo

Examples:

• なるべく早く返信してください。 
  Narubeku hayaku henshin shite kudasai.
  “Please reply as soon as possible.”q145

• 間もなく電車が到着します。
  Mamonaku densha ga tōchaku shimasu.
  “The train will arrive shortly.”

• 私は別にこれを欲しくない。 
  Watashi wa betsu ni kore o hoshikunai.
  “I don’t want this in particular.”

次々と良い案が浮かぶ (tsugitsugi to ii an ga ukabu)
“come up with good ideas one after another”

6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
finally / at last	遂に	ついに	tsuini
to sum up / in short / in a word	ー	つまり	tsumari
therefore / accordingly / consequently	従って	したがって	shitagatte
so / therefore / hence	ー	ゆえに	yueni
therefore / wherefore	ー	それゆえに	soreyueni
and then	ー	すると	suruto
however	ー	しかしながら	shikashinagara
and yet / but even so	ー	それなのに	sorenanoni
nevertheless / in spite of	それにも関わらず	それにもかかわらず	sorenimo kakawarazu
having said that	とは言うものの	とはいうものの	towa iumonono
and / as well as	及び	および	oyobi
besides / moreover / also	ー	かつ	katsu
and also / both…and	並びに	ならびに	narabini
first / first of all	最初に	さいしょに	saisho ni
next / secondly	次に	つぎに	tsugi ni
at last / finally	最後に	さいごに	saigo ni
moreover / besides / on top of	ー	しかも	shikamo
in addition	加えて	くわえて	kuwaete
moreover / in addition	その上で	そのうえで	sonouede
on the one hand	一方	いっぽう	ippō
conversely / contrarily	逆に	ぎゃくに	gyaku ni
while / on the other hand	反面	はんめん	hanmen
the reason why is / because	なぜかと言うと	なぜかというと	naze ka to iu to
still / yet / even	ー	なお	nao
on the condition that…	ー	ただし	tadashi
by the way	ー	ちなみに	chinamini
in truth / in fact	実は	じつは	jitsu wa
namely / that is to say	ー	すなわち	sunawachi
in short / in a word /to sum up	要するに	ようするに	yōsuruni
especially / in particular	特に	とくに	tokuni
above all / in particular	ー	とりわけ	toriwake
anyhow / in any case / either way / anyway	ー	いずれにしても	izurenishitemo
anyways / above all things	ー	ともあれ	tomoare
then / if that is the case	ー	それでは	soredewa

Examples:

• 従って、規則によりこれは無効となります。 
  Shitagatte, kisoku ni yori kore wa mukō to narimasu.
  “Therefore, this is invalid according to regulation.”

• レストランは12時に閉まります。なお、ラストオーダーは11時です。
  Resutoran wa jū ni-ji ni shimarimasu. Nao, rasuto ōdā wa jū ichi-ji desu.
  “The restaurant closes at twelve. Yet, the last order is at eleven.”

• いずれにしても、納期は守ってください。 
  Izurenishitemo, nōki wa mamotte kudasai.
  “In any case, please keep the delivery date.”

いずれにしても、来月は赤字になりそうです。
Izurenishitemo, raigetsu wa akaji ni narisō desu.
“In any case, it looks like it will be in the red next month.”

7. Auxiliary Words and Particles – 助詞 (Joshi)

Japanese particles, or 助詞 (joshi), are suffixes or short words that follow a modified noun, verb, adjective, or sentence. Particles play a very important role in Japanese grammar because even a slight difference in this regard could change the meaning/nuance of a sentence. Memorizing and becoming familiar with how to use these particles is a great way to start improving your Japanese as an intermediate learner. 

English	Hiragana	Reading
the more…the more	ば…ほど	ba…hodo
would have / should have	ば…のに	ba…noni
degree / extent	ほど	hodo
is not as…as	ほど…ない	hodo…nai
no matter how	いくら…ても	ikura…te mo
through / from [A] to [B]	[A]から[B]にかけて	[A] kara [B] ni kakete
only / just / since / after	…きり	…kiri
for sure (emphasizes the preceding word)	…こそ	…koso
if / suppose	もしも…たら	moshimo…tara
although / despite	…ながらも	…nagaramo
even if / even though / regardless of	…ても	…te mo
to / for / as far as…is concerned / regarding	…にとって	… ni totte
even / so much as / not even	さえ	sae
if only / as long as	さえ…ば	sae…ba

Examples:

• 勉強すればするほど賢くなります。 
  Benkyō sureba suru hodo kashikoku narimasu.
  “The more you study, the smarter you become.”

• もしも大金があったら、豪華客船で世界一周したい。
  Moshimo taikin ga attara, gōka kyakusen de sekai isshū shitai.
  “If I had a lot of money, I would want to go around the world on a luxury cruise ship.”

• あなたさえ良ければ、一緒に行きませんか。
  Anata sae yokereba, issho ni ikimasen ka.
  “If only you’re okay, would you like to go with us?”

いくら寝ても眠い。 (Ikura nete mo nemui.)
“(I’m) sleepy no matter how much I sleep.”

Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most frequently used intermediate Japanese words, including large numbers, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and particles—we even threw in some example sentences for you. Some Kanji are a bit harder than those you learned at the beginner level, but you’ll now be able to deal with a wider range of topics and converse in more detail.

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and culture, you’ll find a lot more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese language skills. 

If you’re at the intermediate level in your Japanese studies, you’ll find the following articles very useful: 

• Learn Japanese with Netflix
• Essential Business Japanese
• Japanese Phone Phrases

And there’s so much more! Learn Japanese faster and enjoy studying with JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if you would like to learn Japanese words related to any specific topic. We’d be glad to help, and look forward to hearing from you! 

Like many other countries, Japan is blessed with beautiful nature and all kinds of animals. 

When you start learning the Japanese language, picking up the most common Japanese animal names will be an inevitable part of the process! Animals play a central role in our lives, so learning what to call them is important. Doing so will not only allow you to talk about your pets or favorite animals with native speakers, but also help you understand Japanese idioms and stories related to them. 

The good news is that learning Japanese animal names is actually very easy! Do you know why? It’s because animal names in Japanese are often short and simple, and we also use plenty of loanwords from other languages (usually English) to label foreign animals.

While the Kanji for many Japanese animal names is difficult, don’t let this worry you. Even ordinary Japanese people don’t know how to write or read them, so the much simpler Hiragana and Katakana are more commonly used. 

In this article from JapanesePod101.com, you’ll learn popular animal names in Japanese, from pets and farm animals to sea animals and insects. We’ll also introduce animal sounds in Japanese and animal-related Japanese proverbs.

Ready to boost your vocabulary and cultural knowledge? Let’s go!

Table of Contents

1. Pets
2. Farm Animals
3. Wild Animals
4. Sea Animals
5. Bugs and Insects
6. Birds
7. Reptiles
8. Animal Body Parts
9. Animal Sounds
10. Animal-Related Proverbs
11. Conclusion

1. Pets

The Japanese word for “animal” is 動物 (dōbutsu). Literally, this breaks down to 動 (“moving”) + 物 (“thing”). 

Japanese does not distinguish between singular and plural nouns, so the word 動物 (dōbutsu) and all of the animals listed in this article can refer to one animal or many.

To talk about baby animals in Japanese, we add the word for “child” to the beginning of the animal name in question: 子 こ (ko).

• うさぎ (usagi) – “rabbit” → 子うさぎ (kousagi) – “baby bunny”

The most common Japanese counter word for animals is 匹 ひき (hiki), which we place after the number. Or, if we’re counting larger animals, we can use the word 頭 とう (tō), meaning “head.” 

For example:

• 私は犬を２匹飼っています。
  Watashi wa inu o ni-hiki katte imasu.
  “I have two dogs.”

To learn more about numbers in Japanese, please check out our article Japanese Numbers: Let’s Master the Basic Japanese Numbers!

Following is a list of popular pet animals in Japan.

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“dog”	犬	いぬ	inu
“puppy”	子犬	こいぬ	koinu
“cat”	猫	ねこ	neko
“kitten”	子猫	こねこ	koneko
“rabbit”	兎	うさぎ	usagi
“hamster”	ー	ハムスター	hamusutā
“mouse” / “rat”	鼠	ねずみ	nezumi
“budgerigar”	ー	インコ	inko
“parrot”	ー	オウム	ōmu
“goldfish”	金魚	きんぎょ	kingyo
“hedgehog”	ー	ハリネズミ	harinezumi * literally “needle mouse” in Japanese.

* The Kanji for “rabbit” (兎) and “mouse” (鼠) are difficult and uncommon. We normally use Hiragana or Katakana for these words.

Like many other countries, dogs and cats are popular pets in Japan.

2. Farm Animals

Popular farm animals in Japan include cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and horses. Ducks and swans are commonly seen in the countryside. 

In addition to the counter words 匹 ひき (hiki) and 頭 とう(tō), meaning “head,” there’s also a counter used for birds: 羽 わ (wa), meaning “feather.”

For example:

• この農場には馬が４頭います。
  Kono nōjō ni wa uma ga yon-tō imasu.
  “There are four horses on this farm.”

• この湖には白鳥が10羽います。
  Kono mizūmi ni wa hakuchō ga jū-wa imasu.
  “There are ten swans in this lake.”

Here’s a list of animals in Japanese you’re likely to find on a farm or in the countryside: 

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“cow”	牛	うし	ushi
“calf”	子牛	こうし	koushi
“pig”	豚	ぶた	buta
“piglet”	子豚	こぶた	kobuta
“horse”	馬	うま	uma
“foal”	子馬	こうま	kouma
“sheep”	羊	ひつじ	hitsuji
“baby sheep”	子羊	こひつじ	kohitsuji
“goat”	山羊	やぎ	yagi
“donkey”	ー	ロバ	roba
“chicken”	鶏	にわとり	niwatori*literally “garden bird” in Japanese.
“chick”	ー	ひよこ	hiyoko
“duck”	鴨	かも	kamo
“goose”	ー	ガチョウ	gachō
“swan”	白鳥	はくちょう	hakuchō* literally: “white bird” in Japanese

You can also hear the pronunciation of these words on our Animal Names vocabulary list.

Sheep farms are famous in Hokkaido.

3. Wild Animals

Now that we’ve looked at a few domesticated creatures, it’s time to learn the names of different wild animals in Japanese. Below, you’ll also find some interesting facts about indigenous animals in Japan and how mythology influenced our naming of the giraffe! 

A- In the Forest

Did you know that Japan is actually a country of forests, despite the image foreigners often have of a sushi-eating island country surrounded by the sea? Around 73% of the land in Japan is mountainous, 66% of which is forested.

This means there are a lot of forest animals! Some of you might have seen pictures of Japanese monkeys enjoying natural hot springs (温泉 Onsen) in the snowy weather, for example. 

Forest animals often appear in Japanese folktales, idioms, and proverbs. Monkeys are considered clever and are thought to be the closest animal to humans. Raccoon dogs and foxes are often seen as animals that have mysterious powers and the ability to play tricks on humans.

Since many of the following forest animals are indigenous to Japan, they have original names in Japanese (including their own Kanji). 

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“deer”	鹿	しか	shika
“bear”	熊	くま	kuma
“monkey”	猿	さる	saru
“wild boar”	猪	いのしし	inoshishi
“raccoon dog”	狸	たぬき	tanuki
“fox”	狐	きつね	kitsune
“squirrel”	栗鼠 *	りす	risu
“wolf”	狼	おおかみ	ōkami

* The Kanji for “squirrel” (栗鼠) is difficult and uncommon. We normally use Hiragana or Katakana instead.

Japanese monkeys love Onsen hot springs.

B- Safari Animals (and Others)

There is no Kanji for animals that originate from places that are very far away from Japan, such as safari animals or those from Oceania. They’re typically expressed in Katakana as loanwords or named in Japanese after their characteristics.

Some animals—such as elephants, tigers, and leopards—have Kanji because they’re indigenous to Asian countries (China, India, etc.), and they became known to Japan through trading. Such Kanji were directly imported from the Chinese language, but the names (phonetic readings) are original to Japanese.

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“elephant”	象	ゾウ	zō
“giraffe”	ー	キリン	kirin
“lion”	ー	ライオン	raion
“tiger”	虎	トラ	tora
“panda bear”	ー	パンダ	panda
“zebra”	ー	シマウマ	shimauma*literally “striped horse” in Japanese.
“hippopotamus”	ー	カバ	kaba
“rhinoceros”	ー	サイ	sai
“ostrich”	ー	ダチョウ	dachō*It means “camel bird” in Japanese.
“baboon”	ー	ヒヒ	hihi
“hyena”	ー	ハイエナ	haiena
“cheetah”	ー	チーター	chītā
“leopard”	豹	ヒョウ	hyō
“koala bear”	ー	コアラ	koara
“kangaroo”	ー	カンガルー	kangarū
“camel”	ー	ラクダ	rakuda

The キリン (kirin), or “giraffe,” was named after the Chinese dragon-like mythical animal called 麒麟 (qílín).　

4. Sea Animals

A recent study revealed that there are about 34,000 species of sea animals living in the oceans near Japan, including everything from plankton to mammals. This means that about 13.5% of all confirmed marine life abound in less than 1% of the world’s ocean. 

As a country blessed with lots of ocean, Japan has an abundance of words related to fish, called 魚 さかな (sakan), and sea animals. However, most of their Kanji are difficult, so Hiragana and Katakana are more commonly used to express their names.

Again, loanwords are used for sea animals that are not indigenous to Japan, such as ペンギン (pengin), or “penguin.”

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“whale”	鯨	くじら	kujira
“dolphin”	海豚	イルカ	iruka
“shark”	鮫	サメ	same
“seal”	海豹	アザラシ	azarashi
“sealion”	海馬	トド	todo
“penguin”	ー	ペンギン	pengin
“sea turtle”	海亀	うみがめ	umigame *literally “sea turtle” in Japanese
“jellyfish”	海月	くらげ	kurage
“pufferfish”	河豚	ふぐ	fugu
“octopus”	蛸	たこ	tako
“squid”	烏賊	いか	ika
“crab”	蟹	かに	kani
“shrimp” / “prawn”	海老	えび	ebi
“shell”	貝	かい	kai
“starfish”	人手	ヒトデ	hitode * literally “human hand” in Japanese

You can also hear the pronunciation of these words (and more) in our vocabulary list Marine Animals & Fish.

鮫 サメ (same) – “shark”

5. Bugs and Insects

As with sea animals, there is a lot of vocabulary related to bugs and insects in Japan. Most of their Kanji are very difficult, so Hiragana and Katakana are more commonly used to express their names. 

Considering the abundance of mountains and forests in Japan, it’s said that there could be as many as 100,000 insect species in the country. It’s possible that only about 10,000 of these species have been published in books.

Below are the names of some well-known bugs and insects that are commonly seen in Japan.

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“bugs” / “insects”	虫	むし	mushi
“bee”	蜂	ハチ	hachi
“fly”	蠅	ハエ	hae
“mosquito”	蚊	カ	ka
“butterfly”	蝶	チョウ	chō
“moth”	蛾	ガ	ga
“cicada”	蝉	セミ	semi
“dragonfly”	蜻蛉	トンボ	tonbo
“ant”	蟻	アリ	ari
“spider”	蜘蛛	クモ	kumo
“ladybug”	天道虫	てんとうむし	tentōmushi
“beetle”	甲虫	かぶとむし	kabutomushi
“grasshopper”	飛蝗	バッタ	batta
“mantis”	蟷螂	カマキリ	kamakiri

てんとう虫 (tentōmushi) – “ladybug”

6. Birds 

Thanks to the wealth of nature in Japan, the country is home to a diverse range of birds. There are 658 species of birds here, 22 of which are foreign.

Despite the rich variety of birds in Japan, the ones we see most often are pigeons, crows, sparrows, and swallows. In Japan, swallows are said to be “summer birds.” This is because seeing them is a sign that summer is coming, as swallows spend winter in the warmer southern areas (such as Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia) before flying back to Japan in spring to raise their chicks.

There are also Japanese superstitions related to birds. For example, it’s believed that sparrows bring good luck and that crows bring bad luck. 

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“bird”	鳥	とり	tori
“small (baby) bird”	小鳥	ことり	kotori
“pigeon”	鳩	はと	hato
“crow”	烏	からす	karasu
“sparrow”	雀	すずめ	suzume
“swallow”	燕	つばめ	tsubame
“seagull”	ー	かもめ	kamome
“eagle”	鷲	わし	washi
“crane”	鶴	つる	tsuru
“owl”	梟	ふくろう	fukurō

The フクロウ (fukurō), or “owl,” is considered an animal of good omen.

7. Reptiles

In Japanese, reptiles are called 爬虫類 はちゅうるい (hachūrui). 

There are 142 reptile species in Japan (19 species of newt, 39 species of frog, 10 species of turtle, 32 species of lizard, and 42 species of snake). Some reptiles, such as turtles and snakes, are popular as pets in Japan. 

Reptiles are normally expressed in Katakana, even though most of them have Kanji. 

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“turtle”	亀	カメ	kame
“crocodile” / “alligator”	鰐	ワニ	wani
“snake”	蛇	ヘビ	hebi
“frog”	蛙	カエル	kaeru
“lizard”	蜥蜴	トカゲ	tokage
“chameleon”	ー	カメレオン	kamereon

ワニ (wani) – “crocodile” / “alligator”

8. Animal Body Parts  

Now that you’ve learned the names of several different animals in Japanese, you should take some time to study the words for animal body parts. Keep in mind that many of the basic body parts listed below are the same for humans and animals. You can learn even more useful words, along with their pronunciation, on our vocabulary list Body Parts in Japanese! 

English	Kanji	Hiragana / Katakana	Reading
“horn”	角	つの	tsuno
“beak”	口ばし	くちばし	kuchibashi
“wing” (birds)	翼	つばさ	tsubasa
“wing” (insects) / “feather”	羽	はね	hane
“tusk”	牙	きば	kiba
“mane”	立て髪	たてがみ	tategami
“fur”	毛皮	けがわ	kegawa
“claw”	鉤爪	かぎつめ	kagitsume
“tail”	尾　/ 尻尾	お / しっぽ	o / shippo
“hoof”	蹄	ひづめ	hizume
“fin”	鰭	ひれ	hire
“gill”	鰓	えら	era
“scale”	鱗	うろこ	uroko

角 つの (tsuno) – “horn”

9. Animal Sounds

The Japanese language has a wide range of onomatopoeia, and animal sounds are one of the most common 擬声語 (gisei-go), or “animate phonomimes” we use. 

Here are the sounds animals make in Japanese:

Animal	Katakana	Reading
dog	ワンワン	wanwan
cat	ニャーニャー	nyānyā
mouse	チューチュー	chūchū
pig	ブーブー	būbū
sheep	メーメー	mēmē
cow	モーモー	mōmō
horse	ヒヒーン	hihīn
small bird	チュンチュン	chunchun
crow	カーカー	kākā
chicken	コケコッコー	kokekokkō
pigeon	ポッポー	poppō
owl	ホーホー	hōhō
lion	ガオー	gaō
elephant	パオーン	paōn
cicada	ミーンミーン	mīnmīn

Lions say ガオー (Gaō) in Japanese.

10. Animal-Related Proverbs

There are many Japanese proverbs and sayings that mention animals. Here are some of the most common ones: 

•  猿も木から落ちる。  
  Saru mo ki kara ochiru.
  “Even monkeys fall off trees.”
  
  Meaning: Even Homer sometimes nods. / Even someone who is the best at what they do can make mistakes.
  
  Example:
  
  気にすることないよ。猿も木から落ちると言うし、誰でも失敗することがあるよ。
  Ki ni suru koto nai yo. Saru mo ki kara ochiru to iu shi, dare de mo shippai suru koto ga aru yo.
  “Don’t worry. It says ‘Even monkeys fall off trees,’ and anyone can make mistakes.”

• 飼い犬に手を噛まれる
  Kaiinu ni te o kamareru
  “To have one’s hand bitten by one’s own dog”
  
  Meaning: To be betrayed by one’s trusted follower
  
  Example: 
  
  ずっと面倒をみていた部下に裏切られて、飼い犬に手を噛まれた気分だ！
  Zutto mendō o mite ita buka ni uragirarete, kaiinu ni te o kamareta kibun da!
  “I feel like I got my hand bitten by my dog, as my subordinate, whom I have been taking care of, betrayed me!”

• 猫の手も借りたい  
  Neko no te mo karitai
  “Wanting even the help of a cat”
  
  Meaning: Being extremely busy, so that you need every little bit of help you can get
  
  Example:
  
  昨日は猫の手も借りたいほど、とても忙しかったです。
  Kinō wa neko no te mo karitai hodo, totemo isogashikatta desu.
  “Yesterday was so busy that I even wanted to get help from a cat.”

• 捕らぬ狸の皮算用  
  Toranu tanuki no kawazanyō
  “Counting fur of raccoon dogs which you haven’t caught yet”
  
  Meaning: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. / Do not count on something that has not yet happened. / Do not expect all your hopes to come true.
  
  Example:
  
  昇給とボーナスを期待して家を買うのは、捕らぬ狸の皮算用だよ。
  Shōkyū to bōnasu o kitai shite ie o kau no wa, toranu tanuki no kawazanyō da yo.
  “Buying a house because you expect a pay-raise and a bonus is like counting the fur of raccoon dogs which you haven’t caught yet.”

To learn more Japanese proverbs, please visit our blog post Japanese Proverbs – Gain Japanese Wisdom and Insight.

捕らぬ狸の皮算用
Toranu tanuki no kawazanyō 
“counting fur of raccoon dogs which you haven’t caught yet” = “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

11. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced Japanese animal words for a number of categories: 

• Pets
• Farm animals
• Wild animals
• Sea animals
• Birds
• Insects
• Reptiles

In addition, we covered the most important animal body parts, Japanese animal sounds, and proverbs related to animals. If you happen to know of any other animal words, sounds, or idioms we didn’t include, please share them in the comments! 

Do you want to continue learning about the Japanese language and culture? Then create your free lifetime account on JapanesePod101.com today! We provide a variety of free lessons designed to help improve your Japanese language skills. Also, with our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, you’ll have personal 1-on-1 coaching with your own private teacher.

If you want to increase your Japanese vocabulary even further, you’ll find the following articles quite useful:  

• Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns
• Learn the Top 100 Essential Japanese Adjectives
• The 100+ Most Common Japanese Verbs

And there’s so much more! Learn Japanese faster (and enjoy every second of it) at JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there are any topics or situations you’d like to learn Japanese words for! We’d be glad to help, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Speaking on the phone can be stressful enough in your own language, let alone in a foreign language! 

Even after you’re able to have face-to-face conversations with native speakers, you’ll find that communicating over the phone is rather difficult. Phone calls are different from in-person conversations in that you can’t rely on body gestures or facial expressions to help get your point across or to understand what the other person is trying to say. 

Talking on the phone in Japanese may be especially difficult. You’ll need to memorize a specific set of Japanese phone phrases, as we use Honorific language, or 敬語 (Keigo), for most of our phone conversations. The exception is when we’re just having a casual chat with friends or family.

But don’t worry! There are only a few patterns to learn and you’ll see them all in this article from JapanesePod101.com.

Let’s learn some useful Japanese phone call phrases!

Table of Contents

1. Picking up the Phone
2. Introducing Yourself
3. Stating the Reason for Your Call
4. Asking to Speak to Someone
5. Responding to the Caller / Asking Someone to Wait
6. Leaving a Message
7. Asking for Clarification
8. Ending the Phone Call
9. Sample Phone Conversations
10. Conclusion

1. Picking up the Phone

First impressions are critical! Let’s start by looking at some Japanese phone call phrases you could use to answer the phone. 

1. もしもし。 

Romanization: Moshimoshi.
English: “Hello.”

This is the most common way to answer a phone call in Japanese.

もし もし (moshimoshi) comes from the word 申す もうす (mōsu), which is “to say” in a humble manner. You can also add the word はい (hai), meaning “yes,” in front:

• はい、もしもし。 (Hai, moshimoshi.) – “Yes, hello.”

Moshimoshi is typically used by the receiver to answer the phone, but the caller may also say moshimoshi before continuing in order to make sure the other person can hear.

2. はい、___です。 

Romanization: Hai, ___ desu.
English: “Yes, this is ___.” [Polite]

When you pick up the phone, you say はい (hai), meaning “yes,” and then state who is speaking. 

To give your name, make sure to place the general and polite predicate -です (-desu) at the end. Keep in mind that you should normally give your family name (as opposed to only your first name) when answering the phone in Japanese. 

3. はい、___でございます。

Romanization: Hai, ___ de gozaimasu.
English: “Yes, this is ___.” [Very polite]

This phrase is very polite and often used in business contexts, such as when answering a company phone. 

4. どちら様でしょうか。 

Romanization: Dochira-sama deshō ka.
English: “Who is this?” [Very polite]

This phrase can be used later on when you want to know who’s calling, but some people ask this when they first receive a call. You can make the phrase even more polite by placing this in front:

• 失礼ですが… (Shitsurei desu ga…) – “Excuse me, but…” 

Examples

• はい、もしもし、田中です。 
  Hai, moshimoshi, Tanaka desu.
  “Yes, hello, Tanaka is speaking.”

• はい、ABC株式会社でございます。
  Hai, ABC kabushikigaisha de gozaimasu.
  “Yes, this is ABC company.”

• もしもし、鈴木です。どちら様でしょうか。
  Moshimoshi, Suzuki desu. Dochira-sama deshō ka.
  “Hello, this is Suzuki. Who’s calling?”

もしもし　(moshimoshi) – “hello” on the phone

2. Introducing Yourself

When you make a phone call in Japanese, it’s expected that you introduce yourself by stating your name and/or the company you’re representing. 

1. いつもお世話になっております。 

Romanization: Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu.
English: “Thank you for always being favorable.” / “It has always been a pleasure to work with you.”
Literally: “You always take care of me.”

This is a common Japanese phrase that does not translate well into other languages. It’s most often used in business communications, and it can be said by either the caller or the receiver. 

→ To learn more untranslatable Japanese words, please see our article Untranslatable Japanese Words: Let’s Talk Like a Native!

2. 私は___です。

Romanization: Watashi wa ___ desu. 
English: “This is ___.” [Polite]

This phrase literally means, “I am ___.” It’s a general and polite way to introduce yourself over the phone. 

If you’re calling a close friend or family member, you can say:

•  ___ だよ。 (___ da yo.) – “It’s ___.”

In this case, you can omit the subject (私 watashi).

3. 私は___と申します。

Romanization: Watashi wa ___ to mōshimasu.
English: “This is ___.” [Very polite]

This is a formal expression that denotes humbleness and respect. It’s often used in business situations and other official contexts. 

4. 私は___の___です/と申します。

Romanization: Watashi wa ___ no ___ desu / to mōshimasu.
English: “I am ___ from ___.”

This is the phrase you would use if you were calling as a business person or staff member of a company/organization. In Japanese culture, the group is often considered more important than the individual (collectivism) and a business person or staff member is seen as a representative of their company. Thus, telling where you belong is important.

Examples

• いつもお世話になっております。本田です。 
  Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu. Honda desu.
  “Thank you for your continued support. This is Honda.”

• もしもし、私だよ。
  Moshimoshi, watashi da yo.
  “Hello, it’s me.” [Very casual]

• 私はXYZ株式会社の山本と申します。
  Watashi wa XYZ kabushikigaisha no Yamamoto to mōshimasu.
  “This is Yamamoto from XYZ company.”

3. Stating the Reason for Your Call

Once the greetings and introductions are over, it’s time to let the other person know why you’re calling. Below are some phone phrases in Japanese for making reservations, asking for information, and more! 

1. ___ の予約をしたくて電話しました。

Romanization: ___ no yoyaku o shitakute denwa shimashita. 
English: “I’m calling because I’d like to make a reservation for ___.”

This Japanese phone call phrase is useful for booking a table at a restaurant, hair salon, etc. 

Vocabulary:

• 予約をする (yoyaku o suru) – “to book” / “to make a reservation”
• 電話する (denwa suru) – “to call”

2. ___について確認したくて電話しました。

Romanization: ___ni tsuite kakunin shitakute denwa shimashita.
English: “I’m calling because I’d like to confirm about ___.”

You can use this phrase when you want to check something. For example, you might say this while calling customer service to see if you can return an item or while calling a restaurant to see if you can change your reservation. 

Vocabulary

• 確認する (kakunin suru) – “to check” / “to confirm”

3. ___のサポートが必要なので電話しました。

Romanization: ___ no sapōto ga hitsuyō na node denwa shimashita.
English: “I’m calling because I need support for ___.”

This phrase is useful for situations where you need some support. You might say this when calling a help center for software services or talking with a customer service representative for info on setting up a gadget.

4. 着信があったので折り返し電話しました。

Romanization: Chakushin ga atta node orikaeshi denwa shimashita. 
English: “I received an incoming call, so I called back.”

When you call someone back, just give your name and use this phrase.

Vocabulary

• 着信 (chakushin) – “incoming call”
• 折り返し電話する (orikaeshi denwa suru) – “call back”

Examples

• もしもし、マッサージの予約をしたくて電話しました。
  Moshimoshi, massāji no yoyaku o shitakute denwa shimashita.
  “Hello, I’m calling because I’d like to make a booking for a massage.”

• 自然災害によるキャンセル料について確認したくて電話しました。
  Shizen saigai ni yoru kyanseruryō ni tsuite kakunin shitakute denwa shimashita.
  “I’m calling because I’d like to check about a cancelation fee due to a natural disaster.”

• 着信があったので折り返し電話したよ。何だった？
  Chakushin ga atta node orikaeshi denwa shita yo. Nan datta?
  “I received an incoming call and I’m calling you back. What was it?” [Very casual]

着信があったので折り返し電話しました。(Chakushin ga atta node orikaeshi denwa shimashita.)
“I received an incoming call, so I called back.”

4. Asking to Speak to Someone

What if the person who answers the phone is not who you intended to call? You can use the following phrases to ask if you can be transferred to the right person. 

1. ___ さんをお願いします。 

Romanization: ___-san o onegai shimasu. 
English: “Mr./Ms. ___, please.”

This is a useful phrase that’s simple yet still polite. By stating the name of the person you want to speak to, it implies to the receiver that you’d like to be connected to him/her. 

さん (san) is a general and polite Japanese honorific (敬称 keishō) that is placed after one’s name. It’s normally used after a family name (苗字 myōji / 姓 sei) in formal settings, but it can also be used after a given name (名 mei). 

If we’re calling someone of a higher rank than us or just want to show more respect, we use 様 (sama). For example, we might use this when calling customers, clients, or guests. 

2. ___ さんはいますか。 

Romanization: ___-san wa imasu ka.
English: “Is Mr./Ms. ___ there?” [Polite]

This is a very simple and casually polite phrase.  

3. ___ さんはいらっしゃいますか。

Romanization: ___-san wa irasshaimasu ka.
English: “Is Mr./Ms. ___ there?” [Very polite]

This phrase is even more polite and respectful, which makes it ideal for use in formal situations. Use this phrase if you’re calling someone who is superior to you or deserving of great respect.

4. ___ さんにつないでいただけますか。 

Romanization: ___-san ni tsunaide itadakemasu ka.
English: “Could you connect with Mr./Ms. ___?”

This is another polite way you can ask to speak to someone.

Examples

• 吉田と申します。原田様はいらっしゃいますか。
  Yoshida to mōshimasu. Harada-sama wa irasshaimasu ka.
  “I am Yoshida. Is Mr. Harada there?” [Very polite and respectful]

• もしもし、お父さん？お母さんいる？
  Moshimoshi, o-tō-san? O-kā-san iru?
  “Hello, Dad? Is Mom there?” [Very casual]

•  人事部の中田さんにつないでいただけますか。
  Jinjibu no Nakata-san ni tsunaide itadakemasu ka.
  “Could you please connect me with Mr. Nakata of the Human Resources Department?”

5. Responding to the Caller / Asking Someone to Wait 

If you’re the receiver and have been asked to connect someone, you may need to put the caller on hold for a moment and inform them if the person they’re inquiring after is not available. Here are some phrases you can use to do so politely: 

1. 申し訳ございません、___はただ今外出中です。

Romanization: Mōshiwake gozaimasen, ___ wa tadaima gaishutsuchū desu.
English: “I’m sorry, ___ is out of office now.”

This phrase is often used in business situations. It is proper Japanese phone call etiquette to apologize to the caller when the person they’re asking for is not in office.

In Japanese business settings, you don’t use honorifics (such as さん san) when saying a colleague’s name.

2. ___は本日お休みをいただいております。

Romanization: ___ wa honjitsu o-yasumi o itadaite orimasu. 
English: “___ is off today.” [Very polite]

This is a humbly respectful and very polite expression to use when the person they want is absent.

3. 確認いたします、少々お待ちください。

Romanization: Kakunin itashimasu, shōshō o-machi kudasai.
English: “I will check, please hold for a moment.”

When you need to check something and want the caller to wait for a moment, you can use this polite phrase. 

4. ___へおつなぎいたしますので、少々お待ちくださいませ。

Romanization: ___ e o-tsunagi itashimasu node,  shōshō o-machi kudasai mase.
English: “I will put you through to ___, please hold for a moment.”

You would use this phrase before transferring the caller to someone. 

Examples

• 申し訳ございません、山田は本日お休みをいただいております。
  Mōshiwake gozaimasen, Yamada wa honjitsu o-yasumi o itadaite orimasu.
  “I’m sorry, Yamada is off today.”

• 確認するね、ちょっと待って。
  Kakunin suru ne, chotto matte.
  “I’ll check, one moment.” [Very casual]

• 上田へおつなぎいたしますので、少々お待ちくださいませ。
  Ueda e o-tsunagi itashimasu node, shōshō o-machi kudasai mase.
  “I will transfer you to Ueda, please hold for a moment.”

少々お待ちください。  (Shōshō o-machi kudasai) – “Please wait a moment.”

6. Leaving a Message

Especially during a business phone call, you might need to leave a message if the person you’re trying to reach is unavailable. Below are a few different ways you could do this. 

1. 伝言をお願いできますか。

Romanization: Dengon o onegai dekimasu ka.
English: “Can I leave a message?”

Use this simple phrase when you want to leave a message.

Vocabulary

• 伝言 (dengon) – “a message”

2. ___さんに、私から電話があったと伝えていただけますか。

Romanization: ___-san ni, watashi kara denwa ga atta to tsutaete itadakemasu ka.
English: “Could you please tell Mr./Ms. ___ that I called?”

When you just want to let the person know that you have called, this phrase is useful and polite.

3. ___さんに、私へ折り返し電話するようお伝えいただけますか。

Romanization: ___-san ni, watashi e orikaeshi denwa suru yō o-tsutae itadakemasu ka.
English: “Could you please tell Mr./Ms. ___ to call me back?”

This is a polite way to ask for a call back.

Examples

• 山口さんへ伝言をお願いできますか。
  Yamaguchi-san e dengon o onegai dekimasu ka.
  “Could you give a message to Mr. Yamaguchi?”

• まゆみに、私から電話があったと伝えておいてね。
  Mayumi ni, watashi kara denwa ga atta to tsutaete oite ne.
  “Can you tell Mayumi that I called?” [Very casual]

• 中村さんに、明日私へ折り返し電話するようお伝えいただけますか。
  Nakamura-san ni, ashita watashi e orikaeshi denwa suru yō o-tsutae itadakemasu ka.
  “Could you please tell Mr. Nakamura to call me back tomorrow?”

7. Asking for Clarification

As a non-native speaker, you might need to ask for clarification at some point during your Japanese phone call conversation. There are a few polite phrases you can use. 

1. すみません、もう一度言ってください。

Romanization: Sumimasen, mō ichi-do itte kudasai.
English: “I’m sorry, could you repeat again?”

If you can’t hear what the other person is saying, you can use this phrase to ask them to repeat.

Vocabulary

• すみません (sumimasen) – “sorry” / “excuse me”
• もう一度 (mō ichi-do) – “once again”

2. すみません、聞こえにくいです。

Romanization: Sumimasen, kikoenikui desu.
English: “I’m sorry, but it’s hard to hear you.”

You can use this phrase to tell the other person that you’re not hearing them well.

3. 電波が悪いようです。

Romanization: Denpa ga warui yō desu.
English: “It seems there is a bad signal.”

If you’re experiencing a bad connection, you can use this phrase to inform the other person. 

Vocabulary

• 電波 (denpa) – “electric wave,” but it usually refers to a cell phone signal

4. もう一度ゆっくりおっしゃってくださいますか。 

Romanization: Mō ichi-do yukkuri osshatte kudasaimasu ka.
English: “Could you please say it again slowly?”

This is a very polite phrase you can use if you need them to repeat what they said more slowly. 

Vocabulary

• おっしゃる (ossharu) – the respectful version of 言う (iu), meaning “say”

5. 確認のため繰り返しますと、…　

Romanization: Kakunin no tame kurikaeshimasu to, …
English: “Let me repeat it to double check…”

Use this phrase when you want to double check something, or to make sure you or the receiver understand things correctly.

Vocabulary

• 確認 (kakunin) – “check” / “conform”
• 繰り返す (kurikaesu) – “repeat”

Examples

• すみません、聞こえにくいです。もう一度言ってください。
  Sumimasen, kikoenikui desu. Mō ichi-do itte kudasai.
  “I’m sorry, but it’s hard to hear you. Could you say that again?”

• ごめん、聞こえなかった。もう一度ゆっくり言ってくれる？
  Gomen, kikoenakatta. Mō ichi-do yukkuri itte kureru?
  “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Can you say that again slowly?” [Very casual]

• 確認のため繰り返しますと、私の電話番号は012334567です。
  Kakunin no tame kurikaeshimasu to, watashi no denwa bangō wa 012334567 desu.
  “Let me repeat it to double check…my phone number is 012334567.”

もう一度言ってください。  (Mō ichi-do itte kudasai.) – “Please repeat again.”

8. Ending the Phone Call

Finally, let’s go over a few different ways of ending a phone call in Japanese. 

1. はい、わかりました。 

Romanization: Hai, wakarimashita. 
English: “Yes, I understood.”

This phrase can be used during the conversation, but saying it at the end shows that you understood the conversation as a whole. In casual conversations, you can replace はい (hai) with: 

• うん (un) – “yeah”

2. かしこまりました。

Romanization: Kashikomarimashita.
English: “Understood.” / “Certainly.”

This phrase is a humble and very polite version of わかりました (wakarimashita). It’s often used in business situations as well as in communications toward customers and guests.

3. よろしくお願いいたします。 

Romanization: Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

This is one of the most frequently used untranslatable Japanese phrases. We often use it in business settings, especially when closing a conversation or ending an email. 

It literally translates as “Suitable favor please,” but it can have various meanings depending on the situation. For example: 

• “Nice to meet you” 
• “Best regards” 
• “Favorably please” 
• “Please take care of me”

In phone conversations, it’s used as a final greeting.

4. 失礼します。

Romanization: Shitsurei shimasu. 

This is another common untranslatable Japanese phrase used in formal situations. 

The literal translation is: “I do rude/impolite.” But when ending a phone call or leaving an office/meeting room, it means: “May I be excused.”

失礼いたします(shitsurei itashimasu) is even more polite.

Examples

• かしこまりました。では、失礼いたします。
  Kashikomarimashita. Dewa, shitsurei itashimasu.
  “Certainly. Please excuse me now.”

• うん、わかったよ。じゃあね。
  Un, wakatta yo. Jā ne.
  “Yeah, understood. Bye then.” [Very casual]

• 明日の会議の件かしこまりました。よろしくお願いいたします。
  Ashita no kaigi no ken kashikomarimashita. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
  “I understood about the meeting tomorrow. Favorably please.”

9. Sample Phone Conversations

Now that we’ve introduced you to several useful phone call phrases, it’s time to see them in action. Below, you’ll find two sample phone conversations: one casual and one formal. 

1 – Casual Conversation (Two Friends)

A: 
もしもし、まりこ？
Moshimoshi, Mariko?
“Hello, Mariko?”

B:
もしもし、かなちゃん! どうしたの?
Moshimoshi, Kana-chan! Dō shita no?
“Hello, Kana! What’s up?”

A: 
今週の土曜日空いてる?
Konshū no do-yōbi aite ru?
“Are you free on Saturday this weekend?”

B: 
うん、午後からなら暇だよ。
Un, gogo kara nara hima da yo.
“Yeah, I’m free from the afternoon.”

A: 
___の映画の無料券もらったから、一緒に行きたいと思って。どうかな?
___ no eiga no muryōken moratta kara, issho ni ikitai to omotte. Dō ka na?
“I got the free movie tickets for ___ and I’d like to go with you. What do you think?”

B: 
ありがとう。いいね、見に行こう！
Arigatō. Ii ne, mi ni ikō!
“Thank you. That’s nice, let’s go watch!”

A: 
じゃあ、2時に新宿駅東口で待ち合わせしよう。
Jā, ni-ji ni Shinjuku Eki higashiguchi de machiawase shiyō.
“Well, then let’s meet at the east exit of Shinjuku Station at two o’clock.”

B: 
うん、わかった。土曜日の2時に新宿駅ね。
Un, wakatta. Do-yōbi no ni-ji ni Shinjuku Eki ne.
“Okay, noted. At Shinjuku Station at two o’clock on Saturday.”

A: 
じゃあ土曜日にね。バイバイ。
Jā do-yōbi ni ne. Baibai.
“See you on Saturday, then. Bye.”

B: 
うん、よろしくね。バイバイ。
Un, yoroshiku ne. Baibai.
“Yeah, thank you. Bye.”

2 – Formal Conversation (Calling a Client’s Office)

A:
はい、XYZ株式会社でございます。
Hai, XYZ kabushikigaisha de gozaimasu.
“Hello, this is XYZ company.”

B: 
もしもし、いつもお世話になっております。私はABC株式会社の田中と申します。
Moshimoshi, itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu. Watashi wa ABC kabushikigaisha no Tanaka to mōshimasu.
“Hello, it’s always a pleasure to work with you. I am Tanaka from ABC company.”

A: 
いつもお世話になっております。ご用件は何でしょうか。
Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu. Go-yōken wa nan deshō ka.
“Thank you for your continued support, too. How can I help you?”

B: 
国際部の上野さんにつないでいただけますか。
Kokusaibu no Ueno-san ni tsunaide itadakemasu ka.
“Could you connect me with Mr. Ueno of the International Department?”

A: 
確認いたします、少々お待ちくださいませ。
Kakunin itashimasu, shōshō o-machi kudasai mase.
“I will check, please hold for a moment.”

— a minute later —

A: 
申し訳ございません、上野はただ今外出中です。ご伝言を承りましょうか。
Mōshiwake gozaimasen, Ueno wa tadaima gaishutsuchū desu. Go-dengon o uketamawarimashō ka.
“I’m sorry, Ueno is out of office now. Would you like to leave a message?”

B:
はい、お願いします。送り状の件について確認したくて電話しました。上野さんに、明日私へ折り返し電話するようお伝えいただけますか。
Hai, onegai shimasu. Okurijō no ken ni tsuite kakunin shitakute denwa shimashita. Ueno-san ni, ashita watashi e orikaeshi denwa suru yō o-tsutae itadakemasu ka.
“Yes, please. I called because I’d like to check about the invoice. Could you please tell Mr. Ueno to call me back tomorrow?”

A: 
かしこまりました。上野へ田中様からのご伝言をお伝えいたします。
Kashikomarimashita. Ueno e Tanaka-sama kara no go-dengon o o-tsutae itashimasu.
“Certainly. I will send the message from Mr. Tanaka to Ueno.”

B: 
ありがごうございます。よろしくお願いいたします。では、失礼いたします。
Arigatō gozaimasu. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. Dewa, shitsurei itashimasu.
“Thank you. Please do so. May I be excused now?”

A:
お電話ありがとうございました。失礼いたします。
O-denwa arigatō gozaimashita. Shitsurei itashimasu.
“Thank you for calling. Goodbye.”

10. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most useful and frequently used Japanese phone call phrases. Once you master this list of polite expressions, you can make or receive your next call in Japanese with confidence—whether you’re chatting with a friend or getting info from a customer service rep.

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and pick up additional Japanese phrases for different situations, you’ll find a lot of helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons designed to help improve your Japanese language skills. 

Not sure where to start? Check out these articles: 

• The 10 Most Useful Japanese Sentence Patterns
• Essential Business Japanese: Learn the Most Useful Phrases
• The 10 Most Useful Japanese Questions and Answers

And there’s so much more! Learn faster and enjoy studying Japanese at JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in a future article. What words, phrases, or cultural topics would you like to learn more about? We’d be glad to help, and we look forward to hearing from you!

You’ve just started studying Japanese? Then you should build a solid foundation by learning the easiest and most frequently used Japanese words for beginners! 

Japanese dictionaries list anywhere from 55,000 to 82,000 words, though the number of words used per day by ordinary Japanese adults is said to be around 800-900 (or 1000-1200 words for university students). 

Some linguists state that Japanese is one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) has labeled Japanese a Category IV language, which is the most difficult level. 

However, there are a few things about Japanese that English speakers find easy. While it can take forever to master the Kanji system for reading and writing, learning how to listen and speak in daily conversations isn’t as difficult as you may think! You don’t have to worry about whether to use singular or plural forms, which article to add before a noun, or how to conjugate verbs (I am / she is / they are). These concepts do not exist in the Japanese language!

In this article, JapanesePod101.com will introduce the most useful Japanese beginner words that are used in everyday situations.

日本語の初級単語を学ぼう。
Nihon-go no shokyū tango o manabō.
“Let’s learn Japanese beginner words.”

Table of Contents

1. Pronouns – 代名詞 (Daimeishi)
2. Numbers – 数字 (Sūji)
3. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)
4. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)
5. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)
6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)
7. Other – その他 (Sonota)
8. Conclusion

1. Pronouns – 代名詞 (Daimeishi)

Pronouns are a major component of Japanese vocabulary, so learning them early on in your studies is a great idea. To give you a headstart, here’s a list of the most important pronouns in Japanese. 

Personal Pronouns – 人称代名詞 (Ninshō daimeishi)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
I  (female/casual; unisex/formal)	私	わたし	watashi
I  (male/casual)	僕	ぼく	boku
you  (general)	ー	あなた	anata
you  (casual)	君	きみ	kimi
he	彼	かれ	kare
she	彼女	かのじょ	kanojo
they	彼ら	かれら	kare-ra

Examples:

• 彼と彼女は同じ大学の学生です。
  Kare to kanojo wa onaji daigaku no gakusei desu.
  “He and she are students of the same university.”

• これは私からあなたへのプレゼントです。
  Kore wa watashi kara anata e no purezento desu.
  “This is a present for you from me.”

• 君と僕は同い年だ。
  Kimi to boku wa onaidoshi da.
  “You and I are the same age.”

Demonstrative Pronouns – 指示代名詞 (Shiji daimeishi)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
this  (close to the speaker)	ー	これ	kore
it / that  (close to the listener)	ー	それ	sore
that (far from both the speaker and the listener)	ー	あれ	are
these  (close to the speaker)	ー	これら	kore-ra
they / those  (close to the listener)	ー	それら	sore-ra
those  (far from both the speaker and the listener)	ー	あれら	are-ra

Examples:

• それを取ってください。そう、それです。
  Sore o totte kudasai. Sō, sore desu.
  “Please pass me that [close to the listener]. Yes, that’s it.”

• これは私のです。あれはあなたのです。
  Kore wa watashi no desu. Are wa anata no desu.
  “This is mine. That is yours.”

• これらの作品をどう思いますか。 
  Kore-ra no sakuhin o dō omoimasu ka.
  “What do you think about these works?””What do you think about these works?”

For more details about Japanese pronouns, please see Your Ultimate Guide to Japanese Pronouns.

これは私の本です。
Kore wa watashi no hon desu.
“This is my book.”

Interrogative Pronouns – 疑問詞 (Gimonshi)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
what	何	なに	nani
who	誰	だれ	dare
where	ー	どこ	doko
which	ー	どの	dono
why	ー	なぜ／どうして	naze / dōshite
when	ー	いつ	itsu
how much	ー	いくら	ikura
how many	ー	いくつ	ikutsu
how	ー	どうやって	dō yatte

Examples:

• これは何ですか。これとあれは何が違いますか。
  Kore wa nan desu ka. Kore to are wa nani ga chigaimasu ka.
  “What is this? What is the difference between this and that?”

• 誰とどこに行くの？いつ帰る？
  Dare to doko ni iku no? Itsu kaeru?
  “With whom and where are you going? When will you come back?”

• あれはいくらですか。いくつ買えば割引になりますか。 
  Are wa ikura desu ka. Ikutsu kaeba waribiki ni narimasu ka.
  “How much is that? How many should I buy to get a discount?”

For more information about asking and answering questions in Japanese, check out The 10 Most Useful Japanese Questions and Answers.

一番近い地下鉄の駅はどこですか。
Ichi-ban chikai chikatetsu no eki wa doko desu ka.
“Where is the nearest subway station?”

2. Numbers – 数字 (Sūji)

Japanese numbers are very simple. 

The names of all numbers in Japanese consist of the ten basic numbers shown below, except for certain units such as: hundred (百 hyaku), thousand (千 sen), ten-thousand (万 man), etc. There are no particular names like “eleven,” “twelve,” “thirty,” or “fifty.”

For example:

• Eleven in Japanese is read as jū-ichi, which is literally “ten-one.”
• Fifteen in Japanese is read as jū-go, which is literally “ten-five.”
• Thirty-five in Japanese is read as san-jū go, which is literally “three-ten-five.”

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
one	一	いち	ichi
two	二	に	ni
three	三	さん	san
four	四	し/ よん	shi / yon
five	五	ご	go
six	六	ろく	roku
seven	七	しち / なな	shichi / nana
eight	八	はち	hachi
nine	九	く / きゅう	ku / kyū
ten	十	じゅう	jū

Examples:

• 彼は今年27才になります。
  Kare wa kotoshi ni-jū nana-sai ni narimasu.
  “He will be 27 years old this year.”

• このペンは95円で、そのえんぴつは70円です。 
  Kono pen wa kyū-jū go-en de, sono enpitsu wa nana-jū-en desu.
  “This pen is ninety-five yen and the pencil is seventy yen.”

• 私は英語を5年、イタリア語を1年勉強しています。 
  Watashi wa Eigo o go-nen, Itaria-go o ichi-nen benkyō shite imasu.
  “I have been studying English for five years and Italian for one year.”

To learn more about counting in Japanese, please check out Japanese Numbers: Let’s Master the Basic Japanese Numbers!

There are several variations of Japanese counters, each one used according to what’s being counted.
Birds = 1羽 (ichi-wa)、2羽(ni-wa), Books = 1冊(issatsu)、2冊(ni-satsu), Shoes = 1足(issoku)、2足(ni-soku)

3. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)

Our next set of basic Japanese words consists of frequently used nouns. When used together with verbs, nouns allow you to form complete sentences and effectively express yourself—in a pinch, you can even use them alone in order to convey a basic idea! 

Time

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
time	時間	じかん	jikan
minute	分	ふん / ぷん	fun / pun
o’clock	時	じ	ji
day	日	にち / ひ / び	nichi / hi / bi
month	月	つき / げつ / がつ	tsuki / getsu / gatsu
year	年	ねん	nen
morning time (until noon)	午前	ごぜん	gozen
afternoon	午後	ごご	gogo
morning	朝	あさ	asa
noon / noontime / daytime	昼	ひる	hiru
early evening	夕方	ゆうがた	yūgata
evening / night	夜	よる	yoru
Monday	月曜日	げつようび	getsu-yōbi
Tuesday	火曜日	かようび	ka-yōbi
Wednesday	水曜日	すいようび	sui-yōbi
Thursday	木曜日	もくようび	moku-yōbi
Friday	金曜日	きんようび	kin-yōbi
Saturday	土曜日	どようび	do-yōbi
Sunday	日曜日	にちようび	nichi-yōbi

Examples:

• 私は月曜日から金曜日は朝6時に起きます。
  Watashi wa getsu-yōbi kara kin-yōbi wa asa roku-ji ni okimasu.
  “I get up at six o’clock from Monday to Friday.”

• 彼は1年に3ヶ月仕事で海外へ行きます。 
  Kare wa ichi-nen ni san-kagetsu shigoto de kaigai e ikimasu.
  “He goes abroad for three months a year for work.”

• 彼女は夜遅くに寝ますが、朝は早く起きます。 
  Kanojo wa yoru osoku ni nemasu ga, asa wa hayaku okimasu.
  “She goes to bed late at night, but gets up early in the morning.”

People

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
parent	親	おや	oya
parents	両親	りょうしん	ryōshin
father / dad	父 / お父さん	ちち / おとうさん	chichi / o-tō-san
mother / mom	母 / お母さん	はは / おかあさん	haha / o-kā-san
older brother	兄	あに	ani
older sister	姉	あね	ane
younger brother	弟	おとうと	otōto
younger sister	妹	いもうと	imōto
grandfather / grandpa	祖父 / お爺ちゃん	そふ / おじいちゃん	sofu / o-jii-chan
grandmother / grandma	祖母 / お婆ちゃん	そぼ / おばあちゃん	sobo /o-bā-chan
uncle	伯父（叔父）	おじ	oji
aunt	伯母（叔母）	おば	oba
cousin	従兄弟	いとこ	itoko
grandchild	孫	まご	mago
Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.(put after a name to refer to a person politely)	ー	さん	-san
Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.(put after a name to refer to a person respectfully)	様	さま	-sama
work	仕事	しごと	shigoto
employee of a company	会社員	かいしゃいん	kaishain
doctor	医者	いしゃ	isha
lawyer	弁護士	べんごし	bengoshi
teacher	先生 / 教師	せんせい / きょうし	sensei / kyōshi
student	生徒 / 学生	せいと / がくせい	seito / gakusei

Examples:

• 私の父は弁護士で、母は高校の教師です。
  Watashi no chichi wa bengoshi de, haha wa kōkō no kyōshi desu.
  “My father is a lawyer and my mother is a highschool teacher.”

• 彼には兄と妹がいます。 
  Kare ni wa ani to imōto ga imasu.
  “He has an older brother and a younger sister.”

• 彼女の両親は大企業で会社員をしています。 
  Kanojo no ryōshin wa daikigyō de kaishain o shite imasu.
  “Her parents are employees of a large company.” / “Her parents work for a large company.”

Places Around Town

English	Kanji	Hiragana/Katakana	Reading
town / city	町 / 街	まち	machi
hospital	病院	びょういん	byōin
school	学校	がっこう	gakkō
supermarket	ー	スーパーマーケット	sūpāmāketto
store	店	みせ	mise
post office	郵便局	ゆうびんきょく	yūbinkyoku
city/town hall	（市/区）役所	(し/く)やくしょ	(shi / ku) yakusho
station	駅	えき	eki

Examples:

• 私の町には、駅のとなりに大きな病院があります。
  Watashi no machi ni wa, eki no tonari ni ōkina byōin ga arimasu.
  “There is a big hospital next to the station in my town.”

• この道をまっすぐ行くと市役所があります。
  Kono michi o massugu iku to shiyakusho ga arimasu.
  “Go straight on this road and you will find the city hall.”

• 日曜日は、郵便局は休みです。 
  Nichi-yōbi wa, yūbinkyoku wa yasumi desu.
  “The post office is closed on Sundays.”

School / Office Essentials

English	Kanji	Hiragana/Katakana	Reading
pen	ー	ペン	pen
pencil	鉛筆	えんぴつ	enpitsu
eraser	消しゴム	けしゴム	keshigomu
notebook	ー	ノート	nōto
textbook	教科書	きょうかしょ	kyōkasho
computer	ー	コンピューター	konpyūtā
internet	ー	インターネット	intānetto
wi-fi	ー	ワイファイ	waifai

Examples:

• ワイファイのパスワードは何ですか。
  Waifai no pasuwādo wa nan desu ka.
  “What is the wi-fi password?”

• 彼の学校は紙の教科書を使わずコンピューターを使います。
  Kare no gakkō wa kami no kyōkasho o tsukawazu konpyūtā o tsukaimasu.
  “His school does not use paper textbooks, but computers.”

• 試験では、鉛筆と消しゴムのみ使用できます。 
  Shiken de wa, enpitsu to keshigomu nomi shiyō dekimasu.
  “Only pencils and erasers can be used in the exam.”

Body Parts 

English	Kanji	Hiragana/Katakana	Reading
head	頭	あたま	atama
face	顔	かお	kao
eye	目	め	me
nose	鼻	はな	hana
mouth	口	くち	kuchi
ear	耳	みみ	mimi
neck	首	くび	kubi
body	体	からだ	karada
shoulder	肩	かた	kata
back	背中	せなか	senaka
chest / breast	胸	むね	mune
belly / abdomen	腹 / お腹	はら / おなか	hara / onaka
arm	腕	うで	ude
hand	手	て	te
finger	指	ゆび	yubi
leg	足	あし	ashi

Examples:

• 目と鼻は顔の重要な部位です。
  Me to hana wa kao no jūyō na bui desu.
  “The eyes and nose are important parts of the face.”

• 彼は事故で足を骨折しました。
  Kare wa jiko de ashi o kossetsu shimashita.
  “He broke his leg in the accident.”

• 今日は朝からお腹が痛い。 
  Kyō wa asa kara onaka ga itai.
  “I have abdominal pain from the morning today.”

6. Food

English	Kanji	Hiragana/Katakana	Reading
meat	肉	にく	niku
vegetable	野菜	やさい	yasai
fruit	果物	くだもの	kudamono
fish	魚	さかな	sakana
egg	卵	たまご	tamago
milk	牛乳	ぎゅうにゅう	gyūnyū
rice	米	こめ	kome
cooked rice / meal	ご飯	ごはん	gohan
noodle	麺	めん	men

Examples:

• 私は肉と卵を食べません。
  Watashi wa niku to tamago o tabemasen.
  “I don’t eat meat or eggs.”

• 彼は牛乳のアレルギーがあります。
  Kare wa gyūnyū no arerugī ga arimasu.
  “He is allergic to milk.”

• 日本の主食はお米です。
  Nihon no shushoku wa o-kome desu.
  “The staple food in Japan is rice.”

To learn even more Japanese nouns for beginners, please check out Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns.

日本の平均的な家族は、両親と子供2人です。
Nihon no heikinteki na kazoku wa, ryōshin to kodomo futari desu.
“The average Japanese family has parents and two children.”

4. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)

Verbs are used with nouns to form a complete thought. Learning the most common Japanese verbs will help you communicate more effectively with native speakers and provide a solid vocabulary base to build on. 

Daily Activities

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
wake up / get up	起きる	おきる	okiru
sleep	寝る	ねる	neru
see / watch / look	見る	みる	miru
hear / listen	聞く	きく	kiku
say	言う	いう	iu
eat	食べる	たべる	taberu
drink	飲む	のむ	nomu
go	行く	いく	iku
come	来る	くる	kuru
walk	歩く	あるく	aruku
run	走る	はしる	hashiru
enter	入る	はいる	hairu
go out / come out	出る	でる	deru
push	押す	おす	osu
pull	引く	ひく	hiku

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
change	変える	かえる	kaeru
read	読む	よむ	yomu
write	書く	かく	kaku
do	ー	する	suru
work	仕事する	しごとする	shigoto suru
study	勉強する	べんきょうする	benkyō suru
drive	運転する	うんてんする	unten suru
cook	料理する	りょうりする	ryōri suru
stand	立つ	たつ	tatsu
sit	座る	すわる	suwaru
get on	乗る	のる	noru
get off	降りる	おりる	oriru

Examples:

• 私は甘いものを食べるのが好きです。
  Watashi wa amai mono o taberu no ga suki desu.
  “I like to eat sweets.”

• 何度も言うように、どこに行くか決まったら教えて。
  Nando mo iu yō ni, doko ni iku ka kimattara oshiete.
  “As I’ve said many times, let me know when you decide where to go.”

• このボタンを押して降りてください。
  Kono botan o oshite orite kudasai.
  “Please push this button to get off.”

Other Common Verbs

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
have / hold	持つ	もつ	motsu
give	ー	あげる	ageru
take	取る	とる	toru
make	作る	つくる	tsukuru
let	ー	させる	saseru
think	思う	おもう	omou
meet	会う	あう	au
find	見つける	みつける	mitsukeru
lose	失くす	なくす	nakusu
wait	待つ	まつ	matsu
start / begin	始める	はじめる	hajimeru
finish	終える	おえる	oeru
be / exist (living thing)	居る	いる	iru
be / exist (non-living thing)	在る	ある	aru
laugh / smile	笑う	わらう	warau
get angry	怒る	おこる	okoru
become sad	悲しむ	かなしむ	kanashimu
enjoy	楽しむ	たのしむ	tanoshimu
love	愛する	あいする	aisuru
forget	忘れる	わすれる	wasureru
apologize	謝る	あやまる	ayamaru
rest	休む	やすむ	yasumu

Examples:

• 私が失くした財布を弟が見つけた。
  Watashi ga nakushita saifu o otōto ga mitsuketa.
  “My younger brother found the wallet that I lost.”

• 彼は両親を悲しませないために大学へ行く。
  Kare wa ryōshin o kanashimasenai tame ni daigaku e iku.
  “He goes to university in order not to make his parents sad.”

• 何があっても笑うことと愛することを忘れないでください。
  Nani ga atte mo warau koto to aisuru koto o wasurenaide kudasai.
  “No matter what happens, please do not forget to smile and love.”

To learn more about Japanese verbs, please check out The 100+ Most Common Japanese Verbs and Japanese Tenses: Simple Yet Unique.

カラオケで楽しむ 
Karaoke de tanoshimu
“Enjoy at karaoke”

5. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)

As you know, adjectives are used to describe nouns. Learning the most common Japanese words for describing things will allow you to add spice to your conversations and flair to your writing, so pay close attention! 

Describing Objects

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
big / large	大きい	おおきい	ōkii
small / little	小さい	ちいさい	chiisai
long	長い	ながい	nagai
short	短い	みじかい	mijikai
round	丸い	まるい	marui
square	四角い	しかくい	shikakui
hard / stiff	固い	かたい	katai
soft / flexible	柔らかい	やわらかい	yawarakai
hot*	熱い	あつい	atsui
cold (to the touch)**	冷たい	つめたい	tsumetai

* “hot” is 暑い (atsui) when referring to the weather.
** “cold” is 寒い (samui) when referring to the weather.

Examples:

• 熱いお茶と冷たいジュース、どちらが好きですか。
  Atsui o-cha to tsumetai jūsu, dochira ga suki desu ka.
  “Which do you prefer, hot tea or cold juice?”

• このパンは思ったよりも固い。
  Kono pan wa omotta yori mo katai.
  “This bread is harder than I thought.”

• 私は次のバスが来るまで長い時間待ちました。
  Watashi wa tsugi no basu ga kuru made nagai jikan machimashita.
  “I waited a long time until the next bus arrived.”

Describing People and Emotions

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
tall / high	高い	たかい	takai
short / low	低い	ひくい	hikui
thin / skinny / slim	痩せた	やせた	yaseta
fat	太った	ふとった	futotta
cute / pretty	可愛い	かわいい	kawaii
beautiful	美しい	うつくしい	utsukushii
handsome / cool	格好良い	かっこいい	kakkoii
kind / gentle	優しい	やさしい	yasashii
difficult	難しい	むずかしい	muzukashii
scary	怖い	こわい	kowai
fun / interesting	面白い	おもしろい	omoshiroi
happy	嬉しい	うれしい	ureshii
sad	悲しい	かなしい	kanashii
fun / enjoyable	楽しい	たのしい	tanoshii
sleepy	眠い	ねむい	nemui

Examples:

• 私は背が低いが、兄は背が高い。
  Watashi wa se ga hikui ga, ani wa se ga takai.
  “I’m short but my brother is tall.”

• 彼女は可愛いのに難しい性格です。
  Kanojo wa kawaii noni muzukashii seikaku desu.
  “She is pretty but has a difficult personality.”

• 怖い映画は嫌いです。
  Kowai eiga wa kirai desu.
  “I don’t like scary movies.”

Describing Weather

Technically, there is no one-word adjective to describe the weather in Japanese; weather is usually described using a weather noun and a particle, which together function like an adjective. 

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
sunny	晴れの	はれの	hare no
rainy	雨の	あめの	ame no
cloudy	曇りの	くもりの	kumori no
windy	風の(ある/強い)	かぜの(ある/つよい）	kaze no aru / tsuyoi
snowy	雪の	ゆきの	yuki no

Examples:

•  風の強い日はよく電車が止まる。
  Kaze no tsuyoi hi wa yoku densha ga tomaru.
  “Trains often stop on windy days.”

• 雨の日は学校に行きたくない気分になります。
  Ame no hi wa gakkō ni ikitakunai kibun ni narimasu.
  “I feel like I don’t want to go to school on a rainy day.”

• 秋は晴れの日が多いです。
  Aki wa hare no hi ga ōi desu.
  “There are many sunny days in autumn.”

To learn more about Japanese adjectives, please check out our article Learn the Top 100 Essential Japanese Adjectives and -I vs. -NA Adjectives in Japanese.

晴れの日は楽しい 
hare no hi wa tanoshii
“sunny days are fun”

6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Reading
and / then	ー	そして	soshite
because / therefore / thus	ー	だから	dakara
but	ー	だが	daga
however / on the contrary	ー	ところが	tokoroga
also	ー	また	mata
or	又は	または	matawa
by the way	ー	ところで	tokorode
moreover / furthermore	ー	さらに	sarani
for example	例えば	たとえば	tatoeba

Examples:

• 彼は学校へ行き、そして試験を受けた。
  “He went to school, and took an exam.”
  Kare wa gakkō e iki, soshite shiken o uketa.

• 朝はとても寒かった。ところが、午後はとても暑くなった。
  Asa wa totemo samukatta. Tokoroga, gogo wa totemo atsuku natta.
  “It was very cold in the morning. However, it became very hot in the afternoon.”

• お寿司またはラーメンを食べたいです。
  O-sushi matawa rāmen o tabetai desu.
  “I want to eat Sushi or Rāmen.”

For more information about Japanese conjunctions, please see Japanese Conjunctions: Learn Japanese Linking Words.

7. Other – その他 (Sonota)

Particles, or 助詞 (joshi), play a crucial role in Japanese grammar. Japanese particles are postpositional and they’re placed after nouns, verbs, and adjectives. In the table below are the most common beginner-level particles, as well as the basic predicates.

English	Hiragana	Reading
Case marker: topic, theme, and subject	は *	wa
Case marker: topic, theme, and subject (emphasizing)	が	ga
too	も	mo
of	の	no
in / at / to	に	ni
by	で	de
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence (present tense / casual)	だ	da
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence (present tense / polite)	です	desu
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence(past tense / casual)	だった	datta
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence(past tense / polite)	でした	deshita

* As a case marker particle, Hiragana “は” is read as “wa” instead of “ha.“

Examples:

• 彼も学生でした。
  Kare mo gakusei deshita.
  “He was a student, too.”

• 荷物は11月の第１週目に届きました。
  Nimotsu wa jū-ichi-gatsu no dai isshū-me ni todokimashita.
  “The package arrived in the first week of November.”

• 彼女は今学校にいます。
  Kanojo wa ima gakkō ni imasu.
  “She is at school now.”

Feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point? To learn more about the Japanese language in a simplified manner, please check out An Easy Guide to Japanese Grammar.

Particles play a very important role in Japanese grammar.

8. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most common Japanese beginner words, including pronouns, numbers, nouns, verbs, adjectives, conjunctions, and particles. Once you master this list, you’ll be able to understand quite a bit during your daily Japanese conversations in everyday situations!

If you would like to learn even more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese language skills. 

If you’re a beginner, the following articles will be quite useful:  

• Japanese Language Overview: All the Facts You Need to Know 
• Japanese Sentence Structure & Word Order
• The 10 Most Useful Japanese Sentence Patterns

And there’s so much more! Learn faster and enjoy studying Japanese at JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there are Japanese words in any category you still want to know! We’d be glad to help and look forward to hearing from you! 

When learning a foreign language, one studies the phrases and grammar rules laid out in their textbook or taught in the classroom. But once a language student begins to practice what they’ve learned in the real world, it’s not long until they encounter a number of unfamiliar expressions in the spoken language.

Filler words are a great example of this. 

Japanese filler words are small words or sounds often used to fill pauses in conversation, emphasize a point, soften a statement, and so on. 

Once you master Japanese filler words and start using them in conversations, you’ll begin to sound more and more like a native speaker. But while filler words can help your speech sound more natural, overusing them can be annoying or leave an undesirable impression of you on others. The key is to use them naturally and effectively. 

In this article, we’ll introduce the top 10 Japanese filler words, explain the characteristics and functions of each, and discuss the pros and cons of using them.

→ If you’re looking for more ways to make your Japanese sound more natural, why not learn a few Japanese idioms or funny Japanese expressions?

ええと・・・ (eeto…) – “umm…” You can use this Japanese filler when you’re thinking.

Table of Contents

1. What are filler words?
2. Top 10 Japanese Filler Words
3. Pros and Cons of Filler Words
4. Conclusion

1. What are filler words? 

Filler words are short words or sounds used to fill pauses in conversations, usually to let the other party know you’re not done speaking yet. In English, commonly used filler words and sounds include: 

• “Uh…”
• “Um…” 
• “Er…”
• “Well…”
• “So…”
• “You know…”
• “I mean…”
• “Like…” 

Although filler words and sounds add no particular meaning to the speaker’s statement, they do have a function in speech. As mentioned, filler words are most often used to let the other party know that you’re thinking about what to say next and that you’re not finished speaking. This signals to the other party that they should keep listening rather than take their turn to speak. 

Fillers can also be used for a variety of other purposes, depending on the context. For example, they can be used to… 

• …speak more indirectly in order to be polite.
• …approach a delicate topic gently.
• …emphasize an idea.
• …provide clues about the speaker’s emotions or behaviors.
• …communicate uncertainty.

Filler words are used to fill the little pauses in conversations.

How are they used in Japanese?

Filler words in Japanese are used in almost the same way as those in English.

Most Japanese filler words are casual. That said, some of them—such as あの (ano) and その (sono)—can also be used in formal/official situations. Others are only used by young people or thoughtless adults and are referred to as 若者言葉 (wakamono kotoba) or “young people’s words.” Fillers that fall into this category include てゆーか (te yū ka) and てかさー (teka sā).

In the following section, we’ll go into more detail about the usage of each commonly used Japanese filler word.

The most frequently used Japanese filler words are あのー (anō), meaning “um…” / “er…,” and ええと (eeto…), meaning “well…”

2. Top 10 Japanese Filler Words

#1 ええと (eeto) / えっと (etto) / えー (ē) 

English Equivalents: “er” / “err” / “uh” / “um”

This is one of the most common Japanese filler words. You can use it to indicate that you’re pausing to think or to precede something that you’re hesitant to say. 

While ええと (eeto) and えー (ē) can be used both casually and in formal situations—such as in an official speech or a business presentation—えっと (etto) should only be used casually. These filler words may be used multiple times in one sentence.

Examples

• ええと、何を言おうとしていたんだっけ・・
  Eeto, nani o iō to shite ita n dakke…
  “Err, what I was trying to say…”

• えっと、今から授業が始まるから、後でね。
  Etto, ima kara jugyō ga hajimaru kara, ato de ne.
  “Um, maybe later because the class is starting now.”

• えー、先ほども述べた通り、えー、今期の営業利益はマイナスです。
  Ē, sakihodo mo nobeta tōri, ē, konki no eigyō rieki wa mainasu desu.
  “Uh, as I mentioned before, um, the operating profit of this period is negative.”

#2 あの (ano) / あのー (anō)

English Equivalents: “well” / “uh” / “um”

This is another frequently used Japanese filler word that can be used in both casual and formal situations. It’s very similar to ええと(eeto) and えー (ē), but this one can also be used to get the listener’s attention.

Examples

• あの、ちょっといいですか、あの、言いたいことがあります。
  Ano, chotto ii desu ka, ano, iitai koto ga arimasu.
  “Err, can I have a minute, um, I have something to say.”

• ええと、ここに問題があります。あのー、ようするに流通の問題です。
  Eeto, koko ni mondai ga arimasu. Anō, yōsuruni, ryūtsū no mondai desu.
  “Um, the problem lies here. Well, in a word, the distribution problem.”

田中さん、あの、ランチ一緒に行きませんか。
Tanaka-san, ano, ranchi issho ni ikimasen ka.
“Ms. Tanaka, um, would you like to have lunch together?”

#3 その (sono) / そのー (sonō)

English Equivalents: “well” / “uh” / “um” 

These are similar to あの (ano) and あのー (anō). They’re used to pause a little so you can think of what to say next, or before talking about a delicate subject.

Examples

• 私は、その、これが良い案とは思いません。
  Watashi wa, sono, kore ga ii an to wa omoimasen.
  “I, uh, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

• そのー、いわゆる、それはザイアンス効果によるものです。
  Sonō, iwayuru, sore wa Zaiansu kōka ni yoru mono desu.
  “Well, so to speak, it is due to the mere-exposure effect.”

#4 うーん (ūn) / うーんと (ūnto) 

English Equivalent: “umm”

This is the Japanese version of “umm.” It’s an example of 擬態語 (Gitaigo), or “onomatopoeia,” used to describe a state of “thinking.” You can use this filler to let the other person know you’re gathering your thoughts, or to precede something that you’re hesitant to say. 

Examples

• うーん、どっちにしようかな。 うーん、この二つから決めるのは難しい。
  Ūn, dotchi ni shiyō ka na. Ūn, kono futatsu kara kimeru no wa muzukashii.
  “Umm, which one should I choose? Ummm, it’s hard to decide between these two.”

• うーんと、今週の土曜日なら大丈夫です。
  Ūnto, konshū no do-yōbi nara daijōbu desu.
  “Umm, it’s okay on this Saturday.”

うーん、それはちょっと難しいです。
Ūn, sore wa chotto muzukashii desu.
“Umm, that’s a bit difficult.”

#5 なんか (nanka)

English Equivalents: “like” / “you know”

As a casual filler word, なんか (nanka) is similar to the English word “like,” but it has a nuance that’s more like saying “hey” or “wait” after noticing or discovering something that you want to share with another party. 

Examples

• なんか、私にとってはどっちでもいいって感じ。
  Nanka, watashi ni totte wa dotchi demo ii tte kanji.
  “Like, I don’t care whichever.”

• なんか、今日はいつもより道が混んでるよ。
  Nanka, kyō wa itsumo yori michi ga konde ru yo.
  “Hey, it seems there is more traffic today than usual.”

#6 ていうか (te iu ka) 

English Equivalents: “I mean” / “you know”

This Japanese filler word is very casual and it’s often used to express disagreement with something in a softer way.

There are a few variations of this filler, including:

• なんていうか (nante iu ka) – “what do I say…” / “let me see..” 
  • This variation can also be used in formal situations.
• てゆーか (te yū ka) – “I mean” / “you know” 
  • This one is very casual, and used primarily among young people.
• てかさ (teka sa) – “I mean” / “you know”  
  • This one is very casual, and used primarily among young people. 

Examples

• ていうか、むしろ彼に感謝したほうがいいよ。
  Te iu ka, mushiro, kare ni kansha shita hō ga ii yo.
  “I mean, you should rather thank him.”

• ええと、なんていうか、この計画は見直しが必要だと思います。
  Eeto, nante iu ka, kono keikaku wa minaoshi ga hitsuyō da to omoimasu.
  “Er, I mean, I think this plan needs to be reviewed.”

• てかさ、前にも言ったけど、勝手に私の部屋に入らないで。
  Teka sa, mae ni mo itta kedo, katte ni watashi no heya ni hairanaide.
  “You know, as I said before, don’t enter my room without asking me.”

#7 まぁ・・(mā)

English Equivalent: “well”

This filler word is used to express hesitance or to mildly approach a delicate topic.

For reference, the sound ま (ma) has different nuances depending on how it’s said. For example:

• まぁ！(mā!) – “Wow!” / “Oh!”
  • In this variation, there is an accent over the a in ma. It’s often expressed with a small Hiragana “あ.”
• まぁ まぁ (mā mā) – “so-so” 
  • When the long mā is repeated, it means “so-so.”

Examples

• まぁ、別に私はいいけど、他の人にも意見を聞いた方がいいと思う。
  Mā, betsu ni watashi wa ii kedo, hoka no hito ni mo iken o kiita hō ga ii to omou.
  

“Well, I don’t mind, but I think it’s better to ask other people their opinions.”

• まぁ、仕方ないです。誰も天気をコントロールできないですから。
  
  

Mā, shikatanai desu. Dare mo tenki o contorōru dekinai desu kara.

“Well, it can’t be helped, because nobody can control the weather.”

#8 それで (sorede) 

English Equivalents: “so” / “and then”

This Japanese filler is typically used at the beginning of a sentence to start a new topic in the conversation or to ask for additional information. It can also be used to explain something involving a series of events. 

The short version of それで  (sorede) is just で (de), which is used very casually.

Examples

• それで、週末に釣りに行く計画はどうなったんですか。
  
  

Sorede, shūmatsu ni tsuri ni iku keikaku wa dō natta n desu ka.

“So, what happened to the plan to go fishing on the weekend?”

• で、何が言いたいの？
  
  

De, nani ga iitai no?

“So, what do you want to say?”

それで、第２話はどんな展開になったの?

Sorede, dai-ni-wa wa donna tenkai ni natta no?

“So, what happened in the second episode?”

#9 そうか (sōka) 

English Equivalents: “is that so” / “I see” / “oh”

You could use this filler word to indicate that you’ve finally realized or understood something. 

.

There are two other variations you could use: 

1. そっか (sokka) – the very casual version 

2. そうですか (sō desu ka) – the most polite version using 敬語 (Keigo), or honorifics 

Examples

• そうか、その形には重要な意味があったのか。
  
  

Sōka, sono katachi ni wa jūyō na imi ga atta no ka.

“I see, there is an important meaning for that shape.”

• そっか、わかった！やっと謎が解けたよ。
  
  

Sokka, wakatta! Yatto nazo ga toketa yo.

“Oh, I understand it. Finally the mystery is solved.”

#10 そうそう (sō sō)

English Equivalent: “yes, yes” / “that’s right”

This filler word is used to affirm something or agree with someone.

Examples

• そうそう! まさにこれが欲しかったんです！ありがとう。
  
  

Sō sō! Masani kore ga hoshikatta n desu! Arigatō.

“Yes, yes! This is exactly what I wanted! Thank you.”

• そうそう、そういうこと！
  
  

Sō sō, sō iu koto!

“Yes, yes, that’s what I’m talking about!”

3. Pros and Cons of Filler Words

Japanese people use a variety of filler words in their daily conversations. As these words are short and often found at the beginning of a sentence, you may easily pick them up while watching Japanese anime or TV shows, for example. 

But even though they’re simple to pick up, there are some tips to keep in mind regarding how to use Japanese filler words effectively and wisely!

1 – Pro: Using filler words makes you sound like a local.

Every language learner would appreciate the obvious benefit of using filler words: it instantly makes you sound more natural and “like-native” in everyday conversations. 

For beginners and intermediate learners, filler words can serve two key functions: 

1) Helping you avoid the awkward sentence examples sometimes found in textbooks

2) Giving you a simple way to gain time in a conversation to conjure up vocab words and construct sentences

If you have an advanced level of fluency, learning the differences in nuance and usage of similar Japanese conversation fillers can help you sound like a native speaker. Using them in the right contexts will impress locals and give the impression that you’re truly fluent.

Using filler words in conversations makes it sound natural.

2 – Con: Overusing them can leave a bad impression.

Here’s the tricky part of using filler words. 

Overuse can create the impression that you’re indecisive and lack confidence. In addition, there are variations of Japanese filler words for different levels of formality; if you use overly casual ones all the time, people might think you’re childish or even stupid.

Especially in formal settings—such as when you’re giving a public speech, a business presentation, or an interview—it’s wise to avoid using filler words. This is because they will distract your listener(s) from the point you’re trying to make. It’s often pointed out that poor speakers frequently use えー (ē), あのー (anō), and そのー (sonō) in their speech.

In order to avoid overusing filler words in your important speech, and to give the impression that you’re a confident and smart professional, please consider the following tips. 

(1) Use short sentences.

You probably use filler words unconsciously, especially when saying a long sentence or when you have a lot to say. To avoid this, make the important points clear and state them in short sentences. This will keep you from needing to pause often or connect your ideas with filler words. Stating things clearly also makes a confident and crisp impression.

(2) Don’t be afraid to pause. 

Some people hate awkward silences in conversations. However, when giving a public speech or business presentation, you are the sole speaker. As such, you shouldn’t be afraid of long pauses or moments of silence. 

While many people feel that they must continue speaking and rush to find their next words, a short pause is actually an effective way to draw the audience’s attention. In addition, it gives the listeners more time to follow along with and understand the content of the speech. 

For these reasons, it’s better to pause every once in a while rather than filling that pause with unnecessary words.

The repetition of filler words like あのー (anō…) and ええと (eeto…) in a presentation does not give a good impression.

4. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the top 10 Japanese filler words. We also outlined the pros and cons of using them in your speech and gave you tips on how to limit their use. How many of these Japanese filler words did you already know, and did you find any new useful ones?   

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases, you’ll find lots of helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese language skills. 

To learn more everyday Japanese, make sure to see our article The 10 Most Useful Japanese Questions and Answers. Or, if you’re curious how to pick up the language even faster, you’ll enjoy reading The Top 10 Japanese YouTube Channels to Improve Your Japanese.

And there’s so much more! Learn the language faster and enjoy studying Japanese at JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there are any not-in-the-textbooks spoken Japanese phrases you still want to know! We’d be glad to help, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Love phrases are often very romantic…

“My sweet love.”
“Your eyes are very beautiful.”
“You’re my dream girl.”

But keep in mind that Japanese love phrases are usually mild in comparison to those above. People could view you as a player or sleazy flirt if you use such artificial romantic words in Japan!

There are some things to consider before expressing your love in Japanese.

Japanese people are usually shy compared to Western people when it comes to expressing love. For example, while hugs and kisses are a common greeting between couples or good friends in Western culture, this is not common in Japan—even between couples. In Japan, thoughtfulness (気遣い [kizukai]) and caring behavior (思いやりのある行動 [omoiyari no aru kōdō]) are much preferred over very amorous words in romantic relationships. 

With such characteristics in mind, we’ll introduce natural and practical Japanese love phrases you can use at each stage of your romantic endeavors: first contact, your first date, taking your relationship to the next level, and even proposing marriage! At the end of this article, we’ll also show you some inspirational Japanese love quotes.

Learn Japanese love phrases here at JapanesePod101.com and win the heart of someone special!

Table of Contents

1. First Contact / Show Your Interest: Pick-Up Lines
2. Get Closer: Phrases to Use While Dating
3. Fall in Deeper: “I Love You,” and More
4. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More
5. Japanese Love Quotes
6. How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

Learn some romantic Japanese love phrases that touch his/her heart.

1. First Contact / Show Your Interest: Pick-Up Lines 

When someone catches your interest at a bar, during an event, or even on the street, the following phrases are useful. For your first contact with this person, using the formal form (polite honorific) would be nice; it will give them the impression that you’re a polite and decent person. Unless you’re a teenager, talking to someone for the first time in the informal/casual form may sound like flirting. Nonetheless, we’ve included the casual form for each phrase as well. 

1 – 今ちょっといいですか。

Reading: Ima chotto ii desu ka.
Meaning: Is it okay to talk for a second? / Can I talk to you now?
Informal / Casual Form: 今ちょっといい？ (Ima chotto ii?)

Example:

A:
すみません、今ちょっといいですか。
Sumimasen, ima chotto ii desu ka.
“Excuse me, can I talk to you?”

B:
はい、なんですか。
Hai, nan desu ka.
“Yes, what is it?”

2 – ここによく来るんですか。

Reading: Koko ni yoku kuru n desu ka.
Meaning: Do you come here often?
Informal / Casual Form: ここによく来るの？ (Koko ni yoku kuru no?)

Example:

A:
このバー、今年オープンしたんですよね。ここによく来るんですか。
Kono bā, kotoshi ōpun shita n desu yo ne. Koko ni yoku kuru n desu ka.
“This bar seems to have opened this year. Do you come here often?”

B:
いいえ、初めて来ました。
Iie, hajimete kimashita.
“No, I came here for the first time.”

3 – 名前はなんて言うんですか。

Reading: Namae wa nan te iu n desu ka.
Meaning: What is your name?
Informal / Casual Form: 名前はなんて言うの？ (Namae wa nan te iu no?)

Example:

A:
名前はなんて言うんですか。聞いてもいいですか。
Namae wa nan te iu n desu ka. Kiite mo ii desu ka.
“What is your name? Can I ask?”

B:
ええと、、さとみです。
Ēto…Satomi desu.
“Well…I’m Satomi.”

4 – 友達 / 彼氏 / 彼女と来たんですか。

Reading: Tomodachi / kareshi / kanojo to kita n desu ka.
Meaning: Did you come with your friend(s) / boyfriend / girlfriend?
Informal / Casual Form: 友達 / 彼氏 / 彼女と来たの？ (Tomodachi / kareshi / kanojo to kita no?)

Example:

A:
今日はここに友達と来たんですか。
Kyō wa koko ni tomodachi to kita n desu ka.
“Did you come here with your friend(s) today?”

B:
はい、友達と来ました。あそこにいるのが私の友達です。
Hai, tomodachi to kimashita. Asoko ni iru no ga watashi no tomodachi desu.
“Yes, I came with my friend. My friend is over there.”

5 – 連絡先を聞いてもいいですか。

Reading: Renrakusaki o kiite mo ii desu ka.
Meaning: Can I ask for your contact information?
Informal / Casual Form: 連絡先を聞いてもいい？ (Renrakusaki o kiite mo ii?)

Example:

A:
連絡先を聞いてもいいですか。ライン使ってますか。
Renrakusaki o kiite mo ii desu ka. Rain tsukatte masu ka.
“Can I ask for your contact information? Do you use LINE?”

B:
はい、いいですよ。私のラインIDは____です。
Hai, ii desu yo. Watashi no rain ID wa ____ desu.
“Yes, it’s okay. My LINE ID is ____.”

6 – また会いたいです。

Reading: Mata aitai desu.
Meaning: I’d like to see you again.
Informal / Casual Form: また会いたいな。(Mata aitai na.)

Example:

A:
もっとゆっくり話したいので、また会いたいです。
Motto yukkuri hanashitai node, mata aitai desu.
“I’d like to see you again because I want to talk more when we have more time.”

B:
そうですね。ここは少しうるさいので、今度はどこか静かなところで話しましょう。
Sō desu ne. Koko wa sukoshi urusai node, kondo wa dokoka shizuka na tokoro de hanashimashō.
“I agree, it’s a bit noisy here, so let’s talk somewhere quiet next time.”

7 – 今度一緒に食事でもどうですか。

Reading: Kondo issho ni shokuji demo dō desu ka. 
Meaning: How about dining out together next time?
Informal / Casual Form: 今度一緒に食事でもどう？ (Kondo issho ni shokuji demo dō?)

Example:

A:
今度一緒に食事でもどうですか。
Kondo issho ni shokuji demo dō desu ka.
“How about dining out together next time?”

B:
いいですね。平日は忙しいですが、週末なら大丈夫です。
Ii desu ne. Heijitsu wa isogashii desu ga, shūmatsu nara daijōbu desu.
“Sounds good. I’m busy on weekdays but weekends are okay.”

今度一緒に食事でもどうですか。 (Kondo issho ni shokuji demo dō desu ka.) – “How about dining out together next time?”

2. Get Closer: Phrases to Use While Dating

After the first meeting and maybe a few message exchanges, you may think you’re getting to know the person better and feel closer to them. At this point, it’s okay to use the informal/casual form if you’re in the same age group as her/him and if you feel comfortable enough to talk casually. If the other person is much older than you, or if you still feel like you don’t know her/him very much, then talking in the formal register would be better.

8 – また会えて嬉しいです。 

Reading: Mata aete ureshii desu. 
Meaning: I’m happy to see you again.
Informal / Casual Form: また会えて嬉しいよ。 (Mata aete ureshii yo.)

Example:

A:
来てくれてありがとう、また会えて嬉しいよ！
Kite kurete arigatō, mata aete ureshii yo!
“Thank you for coming, I’m happy to see you again!”

B:
こちらこそ、誘ってくれてありがとう。
Kochira koso, sasotte kurete arigatō.
“Likewise, thank you for asking me out.”

9 – 手をつないでもいいですか。

Reading: Te o tsunaide mo ii desu ka.
Meaning: Can I hold your hand?
Informal / Casual Form: 手をつないでもいい？ (Te o tsunaide mo ii?)

Example:

A:
手をつないでもいい？
Te o tsunaide mo ii?
“Can I hold your hand?”

B:
うん、いいよ。
Un, ii yo.
“Yeah, it’s okay.”

10 – ___ は 優しい / かわいい / かっこいい / 面白い ですね。　

Reading: ___ wa yasashii / kawaii / kakkoii / omoshiroi  desu ne. 
Meaning: ___ (insert their name*) is thoughtful / cute / handsome / fun. **
Informal / Casual Form: ___ は 優しい ね。 (___ wa yasashii ne.)

*Add さん (san) after their name when using the formal form. This gives a polite impression.
**In Japanese, calling someone by their name is more common than saying “you are…” (あなたは [anata wa]).

Example:

A:
仕事で表彰されたんですか、けんじさんはかっこいいですね！
Shigoto de hyōshō sareta n desu ka, Kenji-san wa kakkoii desu ne!
“You got awarded at work? Kenaji-san, you are cool!”

B:
ありがとう、褒めてくれて嬉しいよ。
Arigatō, homete kurete ureshii yo.
“Thank you, I’m happy you gave me a compliment.”

11 – 今日はとても楽しかったです。

Reading: Kyō wa totemo tanoshikatta desu.
Meaning: Today was really fun. / I enjoyed today very much.
Informal / Casual Form: 今日はとても楽しかったよ。 (Kyō wa totemo tanoshikatta yo.)

Example:

A:
一緒に過ごせて、今日はとても楽しかったです。
Issho ni sugosete, kyō wa totemo tanoshikatta desu.
“It was really fun today to spend time together with you.”

B:
私も楽しかったです。
Watashi mo tanoshikatta desu.
“I enjoyed it, too.”

12 – 彼氏 / 彼女 になってほしいです。

Reading: Kareshi / kanojo ni natte hoshii desu.
Meaning: I want you to be my boyfriend / girlfriend.
Informal / Casual Form: 彼氏 / 彼女になってほしいな。 (Kareshi / kanojo ni natte hoshii na.)

Example:

A:
僕の彼女になってほしいな。
Boku no kanojo ni natte hoshii na.
“I want you to be my girlfriend.”

B:
嬉しい、私も同じこと考えていたよ!
Ureshii, watashi mo onaji koto kangaete ita yo!
“I’m happy to hear that, I was thinking the same!”

13 – 私 / 僕 と付き合ってください。

Reading: Watashi / boku to tsukiatte kudasai.*
Meaning: Please go out / go steady with me.
Informal / Casual Form:  私 / 僕 と付き合って。(Watashi / boku to tsukiatte.)

*私 (watashi), which is “I” in neutral, is normally used by females; 僕 (boku), which is “I” in mild masculine, is used by males.

In Japan, 告白 (kokuhaku), which is a “confession” of one’s romantic feelings, is very common before becoming boyfriend-girlfriend in order to make it clear.

Example:

A:
はるかちゃん、僕と付き合ってください。
Haruka-chan, boku to tsukiatte kudasai.
“Haruka-chan, please go steady with me.”

B:
嬉しいけど、もっとお互いを知るために友達から始めよう。
Ureshii kedo, motto otagai o shiru tame ni tomodachi kara hajimeyō.
“I’m glad, but let’s start from friends to know each other more.”

君と一緒にいると楽しいよ。 (Kimo to issho ni iru to tanoshii yo.) – “It’s fun to be with you.”

3. Fall in Deeper: “I Love You,” and More

Once you’ve been seeing each other for a while, you might want to start expressing your deeper feelings for the other person. Here are a few romantic Japanese phrases commonly used among couples—feel free to try them out yourself, keeping in mind that they’re typically used in the informal/casual form. 

14 – 好きだよ。 

Reading: Suki da yo. 
Meaning: I like you.

This is the most common way to express your affection in Japan. When used toward someone special, the Japanese word 好き (suki), meaning “like,” conveys a more affectionate nuance than the English word “like.”

Example:

A:
好きだよ、早く会いたい。
Suki da yo, hayaku aitai.
“I like you, I want to see you soon.”

B:
私も、週末が待ち遠しい！
Watashi mo, shūmatsu ga machidōshii!
“Me too, I can’t wait for the weekend!”

15 – 大好きだよ。 

Reading: Daisuki da yo. 
Meaning: I like you very much.

This phrase is similar in nuance to “I love you,” in English. This is the most common phrase to express love toward a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Example:

A:
はるき、大好きだよ！
Haruki, daisuki da yo!
“Haruki, I like you very much!”

B:
何、いきなり。僕もだよ。
Nani, ikinari. Boku mo da yo.
“What is it suddenly? Me, too.”

16 – 愛してる（よ）。　

Reading: Aishite ru (yo).
Meaning: I love you.

This phrase is used when you really want to express that you love someone. It conveys a profound nuance, so it might sound cheesy if you were to use it too often.

Example:

A:
亡くなった妻の最後の言葉は「愛してるよ」でした。
Nakunatta tsuma no saigo no kotoba wa “aishite ru yo” deshita.
“The last word of my wife who passed away was, ‘I love you’. ”

B:
彼女はとても愛していたんですね。
Kanojo wa totemo aishite ita n desu ne.
“She must have loved very much.”

17 – XXXがいないと寂しいよ。

Reading: ___ ga inai to samishii yo.
Meaning: I feel lonely without ___ (insert their name). / I miss you.

Example:

A:
たかしがいないと寂しいよ。いつ出張から帰ってくるの？
Takashi ga inai to samishii yo. Itsu shucchō kara kaette kuru no?
“I feel lonely without you, Takashi. When do you come back from your business trip?”

B:
来週の金曜日だよ。
Raishū no kin-yōbi da yo.
“Friday next week.”

18 – 次はいつ会える？

Reading: Tsugi wa itsu aeru?
Meaning: When can we see/meet next?

Example:

A:
寂しいな。次はいつ会える？
Samishii na. Tsugi wa itsu aeru?
“I miss you. When can we meet next?”

B:
土曜日はどう？
Do-yōbi wa dō?
“How about Saturday?”

19 – 泊まりに行ってもいい？

Reading: Tomari ni itte mo ii?
Meaning: Can I come to stay over (at your place)?

Example:

A:
今すぐ会いたい！今日泊まりに行ってもいい？
Ima sugu aitai! Kyō tomari ni itte mo ii?
“I want to see you right away! Can I come to stay over tonight?”

B:
ごめん、明日は朝早く起きるから無理。
Gomen, ashita wa asa hayaku okiru kara muri.
“Sorry, you can’t because I have to get up early tomorrow morning.”

大好きだよ。(Daisuki da yo.) – “I like you very much.”

愛してるよ。(Aishite ru yo.) – “I love you.”

4. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More

Are you ready to commit? Do you look forward to spending the rest of your life with this person? Below are several love phrases in Japanese you can use to let your boyfriend or girlfriend know that you want to take your relationship to the next level. 

20 – 一緒に住もう。 

Reading: Issho ni sumō. 
Meaning: Let’s live together.

Example:

A:
一緒に住もう！どうかな？　
Issho ni sumō! Dō ka na?
“Let’s live together! What do you think?”

21 – ずっと一緒にいたい。

Reading: Zutto issho ni itai.
Meaning: I want to be with you forever.

Example:

A:
これから先、ずっと一緒にいたい！
Kore kara saki, zutto issho ni itai!
“From now on, I want to be with you forever.”

B:
うん、一生一緒だよ。
Un, ishhō issho da yo.
“Yeah, we will be together for the rest of our lives.”

22 – ___ がいない人生は考えられないよ。　

Reading: ___ ga inai jinsei wa kangaerarenai yo.
Meaning: I can’t think of my life without you / ___ (insert their name).

Example:

A:
ゆかがいない人生は考えられないよ。
Yuka ga inai jinsei wa kangaerarenai yo.
“I can’t think of my life without you, Yuka.”

B:
私もだよ。
Watashi mo da yo.
“Me, too.”

23 – 一生 幸せ / 大事 にするよ。

Reading: Isshō shiawase / daiji  ni suru yo. 
Meaning: I will make you happy for the rest of my life.

Example:

A:
愛してる。一生幸せにするよ。
Aishite ru. Isshō shiawase ni suru yo.
“I love you. I will make you happy for the rest of my life.”

B:
嬉しい！私も愛してる。
Ureshii! Watashi mo aishite ru.
“I’m happy to hear that! I love you, too.”

24 – 私 / 僕 の両親に紹介したい。

Reading: Watashi / boku no ryōshin ni shōkai shitai.
Meaning: I want to introduce you to my parents.

Example:

A:
私の両親に紹介したいんだけど、いつがいい？
Watashi no ryōshin ni shōkai shitai n da kedo, itsu ga ii?
“I want to introduce you to my parents, when is good for you?”

B:
僕はいつでもいいよ。
Boku wa itsu demo ii yo.
“Anytime is okay for me.”

25 – 結婚しよう。

Reading: Kekkon shiyō.
Meaning: Let’s get married.

Example:

A:
大好きだよ、結婚しよう！
Daisuki da yo, kekkon shiyō!
“I like you very much (I love you), let’s get married!”

B:
え？これはプロポーズってこと？
E? Kore wa puropōzu tte koto?
E? Kore wa puropōzu tte koto?

26 – 私 / 僕 と結婚してください。

Reading: Watashi / boku to kekkon shite kudasai. 
Meaning: Will you marry me? [In a polite/official way.]

Example:

A:
僕と結婚してください！
Boku to kekkon shite kudasai!
“Will you marry me?”

B:
はい、喜んで。
Hai, yorokonde.
“Yes, I’d love to.”

27 – 一緒に幸せな家庭を作ろう。

Reading: Issho ni shiawase na katei o tsukurō.
Meaning: Let’s make a happy family together.

Example:

A:
結婚しよう、一緒に幸せな家庭を作ろう！
Kekkon shiyō, issho ni shiawase na katei o tsukurō!
“Let’s get married and let’s make a happy family together!”

B:
嬉しくて泣きそう。
Ureshikute nakisō.
“I’m about to cry with joy.”

一生幸せにするよ。(Isshō shiawase ni suru yo.) – “I will make you happy for the rest of my life.”

5. Japanese Love Quotes

A quote is a concise and comprehensible statement of a general principle that often expresses the truth of things. Here are some words of wisdom about love by well-known Japanese people.

自分に誠実でないものは、決して他人に誠実であり得ない。

[ by Japanese novelist 夏目漱石 (Sōseki Natsume) ]

Reading: Jibun ni seijitsu de nai mono wa, kesshite tanin ni seijitsu de arienai.
Meaning: Anyone who is not honest with oneself can never be honest with others.

Sōseki Natsume is a famous novelist and literary person, whose portrait is printed on the Japanese 1000 yen note. 

This quote is a famous line from one of his novels. It’s an enlightening phrase that tells us we need to be honest with ourselves before dealing with others.

恋愛は、チャンスではないと思う。私はそれを意志だと思う。

[ by Japanese novelist 太宰修 (Osamu Dazai) ]

Reading: Ren’ai wa, chansu de wa nai to omou. Watashi wa sore o ishi da to omou.
Meaning: Love is not a chance. I think it is a will.

Osamu Dazai was a talented but distressed famous author who left behind many well-known novels. Though he completed many written works, he also had many romantic relationships throughout his agonized life; he eventually decided his own fate (and that of his lover at the time) by committing a double suicide. 

His words are compelling, telling us that loving someone does not always occur by chance; we can also make the choice to love someone. 

本当の愛は見返りを求めない無償の愛。

 [ by Japanese singer, actor, director, composer, and author 美輪明宏 (Akihiro Miwa) ]

Reading: Hontō no ai wa mikaeri o motomenai mushō no ai.
Meaning: True love is love that asks nothing in return.

Akihiro Miwa is a famous entertainer who survived the atomic bombings of Nagasaki when he was young and has led a life full of ups and downs. Being viewed as a unique and unusual character back in the day, he went through a lot of difficult times. Considering his life experiences, his message is persuasive and resonates with many people’s hearts. 

そのときの出会いが人生を根底から変えることがあるよき出会いを。

[ by Japanese poet 相田みつを (Mitsuo Aida) ]

Reading: Sono toki no deai ga jinsei o kontei kara kaeru koto ga aru yoki deai o.
Meaning: Have a good encounter that can change your life from the ground up.

Mitsuo Aida was a famous Japanese calligrapher and poet who had studied Buddhism and zen when he was young. His poetry conveys messages about humanity and life, written in his unique style of calligraphy. 

This message tells us that an encounter with someone may completely change our lives thereafter, so it’s important to have good encounters.

→ To learn more Japanese quotes, please take a look at our article Japanese Quotes That Will Enrich Your Life.

愛の格言 (Ai no kakugen) – “love quotes”

How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

In this article, we introduced Japanese love phrases you can use at various stages of your romantic relationship. We also covered a few famous Japanese quotes about love to inspire and encourage you to act on your crush! 

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find even more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons to help you improve your Japanese language skills. To get you started, here are some more Japanese love vocabulary lists and inspiring Japanese quotes for language learners: 

• Fall in Love 
• Japanese Quotes About Love
• Top 10 Inspirational Quotes

And we have so much more to offer you!

For instance, you’ll gain access to our personal 1-on-1 coaching service, MyTeacher, when you sign up for a Premium PLUS membership. Your private teacher will help you practice your pronunciation and offer you personalized feedback and advice to ensure effective learning. 

Learn Japanese in the fastest and easiest way possible with JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments which of these Japanese love phrases is your favorite, and why! We look forward to hearing from you.

When learning a language, negation is an essential part of grammar that should be mastered as early on as possible. This skill allows us to answer “no” to questions and form negative sentences, which in turn improves our communication with others. 

Japanese negation is not very complicated, but there are some points to note. 

As is often said, a language reflects the culture surrounding it. In Japanese culture, where people are expected to be polite and respect others, saying “no” directly is often considered to be rough and rude as it may offend others’ feelings. In order to avoid conflict and maintain 和 (wa), or “harmony,” Japanese people have particular ways of saying “no.”

In this article, we’ll introduce the Japanese negative forms and show you how to answer “no.” You’ll learn frequently used phrases that make polite impressions, in addition to other Japanese negating words and double negative expressions.

Ready to master Japanese negation with JapanesePod101.com?

Negation is an essential topic to master when learning a new language.

Table of Contents

1. Negate a Statement
2. Giving a Negative Response to a Question
3. Other Japanese Negating Words and Phrases
4. Double Negatives
5. Conclusion

1. Negate a Statement

In order to make a sentence or phrase negative, you must negate the verb. There are two types of expressions used for Japanese verb negation: Informal (Plain / Casual) and Formal (Polite). In the following sections, we’ll show you how to conjugate verbs to the negative form for both informal and formal expressions, as well as in both present tense and past tense.

Before learning verb conjugations in the negative form, however, you first need to know the classification of Japanese verbs. All Japanese verbs are categorized into three classes: 

• Ru-verbs
• U-verbs
• Irregular verbs 

Note that there are only two irregular verbs in the positive form (する [suru] – “do” // くる [kuru] – “come”) and three for the negative form (the previous two, with the addition of ある [aru] – “be” for the existence of non-living things). 

While Ru-verbs end in る (ru), U-verbs can end in various Hiragana with u-vowel sounds. These include る (ru), う (u), く (ku), す (su), つ (tsu), む (mu), る (ru), ぶ (bu), etc. 

Please check the Japanese Alphabet page on our website as well as our Japanese Verb Conjugation article for more details.

1. Informal Negative Form (Present Tense)

For the informal/plain negative form in the present tense, verbs in different classes conjugate in the following ways. 

• Ru-verbs

Add ない (nai) instead of る (ru) after the verb stem. Let’s look at the Japanese verb for “to eat” as an example:

食べる (taberu) → 食べない  (tabenai)

Here, 食べ/ たべ (tabe) is the verb stem. 

English	Verb(Informal/Plain)	Hiragana	Reading	Negative Form(Informal/Plain)	Reading
see / look / watch	見る	みる	miru	見ない	mi-nai
eat	食べる	たべる	taberu	食べない	tabe-nai
sleep	寝る	ねる	neru	寝ない	ne-nai
change	変える	かえる	kaeru	変えない	kae-nai
think	考える	かんがえる	kangaeru	考えない	kangae-nai

Examples:

私は朝ごはんを食べない。
Watashi wa asagohan o tabenai.
“I don’t eat breakfast.”

かな子は夜テレビを見ない。
Kanako wa yoru terebi o minai.
“Kanako does not watch TV at night.”

彼はよく考えない。
Kare wa yoku kangaenai.
“He does not think well.”

• U-verbs

To conjugate U-verbs in the informal negative form, conjugate the Hiragana after the verb stem into あ段 (a-dan), which is the line in the Hiragana chart with vowel sound “a,” and add ない (nai).

Let’s look at an example using the Japanese verb for “talk” or “speak.”

話す (hanasu) → 話さない (hanasa nai)

As you can see, はな (hana) is the verb stem, and we changed the す(su) into さ (sa). 

English	Verb(Informal/Plain)	Hiragana	Reading	Negative Form(Informal/Plain)	Reading
talk / speak	話す	はなす	hanasu	話さない	hana-sa–nai
go	行く	いく	iku	行かない	i-ka–nai
wait	待つ	まつ	matsu	待たない	ma-ta–nai
buy	買う	かう	kau	買わない	ka-wa–nai
listen / hear	聞く	きく	kiku	聞かない	ki-ka–nai

*For U-verbs that end in う (u), replace う (u) with わ (wa).

Examples:

夏休みの間、子供たちは学校へ行かない。
Natsuyasumi no aida, kodomo-tachi wa gakkō e ikanai.
“Children don’t go to school during the summer vacation.”

彼は親の言うことを聞かない。
Kare wa oya no iu koto o kikanai.
“He does not listen to what his parents say.”

彼女は安い服を買わない。
Kanojo wa yasui fuku o kawanai.
“She does not buy cheap clothes.”

• Irregular Verbs

There are only three exceptions to the conjugation rules above, as shown in this table: 

English	Verb(Informal/Plain)	Hiragana	Reading	Negative Form(Informal/Plain)	Reading
do	する	する	suru	しない	shi-nai
come	来る	くる	kuru	来ない	ko-nai
be(existence of non-living thing)	ある	ある	aru	ない	nai

Examples:

私は休日に何もしない。
Watashi wa kyūjitsu ni nani mo shinai.
“I don’t do anything on a day off.”

バスが時間通りに来ない。
Basu ga jikandōri ni konai.
“The bus does not come on time.”

銀行口座にお金がない。
Ginkō kōza ni o-kane ga nai.
“There is no money in the bank account.”

2. Formal Negative Form (Present Tense)

• Ru-verbs

For Ru-verbs, change ない (nai) to ません (masen).

So, for the verb “to eat,” this would look like:

食べない (tabe-nai)  → 食べません (tabe-masen)

Negative Form    (Formal / Polite)	Reading
見ません	mi-masen
食べません	tabe-masen
寝ません	ne-masen
変えません	kae-masen
考えません	kangae-masen

Examples:

私は朝ごはんを食べません。
Watashi wa asagohan o tabemasen.
“I don’t eat breakfast.”

かな子は夜テレビを見ません。
Kanako wa yoru terebi o mimasen.
“Kanako does not watch TV at night.”

彼はよく考えません。
Kare wa yoku kangaemasen.
“He does not think well.”

• U-verbs

Conjugate the Hiragana after the verb stem into い段 (i-dan), which is the line in the Hiragana chart with vowel sound “i,” and add ません (masen):

話さない (hanasa nai) →  話しません (hana shi masen)

As you can see, we changed さ (sa) into し (shi). 

Negative Form    (Formal / Polite)	Reading
話しません	hana-shi–masen
行きません	i-ki–masen
待ちません	ma-chi–masen
買いません	ka-i–masen
聞きません	ki-ki–masen

Examples:

夏休みの間、子供たちは学校へ行きません。
Natsuyasumi no aida, kodomo-tachi wa gakkō e ikimasen.
“Children don’t go to school during the summer vacation.”

彼は親の言うことを聞きません。
Kare wa oya no iu koto o kikimasen.
“He does not listen to what his parents say.”

彼女は安い服を買いません。
Kanojo wa yasui fuku o kaimasen.
“She does not buy cheap clothes.”

• Irregular Verbs

In the formal negative form, irregular verbs change as follows:

Negative Form    (Formal / Polite)	Reading
しません	shi-masen
来ません	ki-masen
ありません	ari-masen

Examples:

私は休日に何もしません。
Watashi wa kyūjitsu ni nani mo shimasen.
“I don’t do anything on a day off.”

バスが時間通りに来ません。
Basu ga jikandōri ni kimasen.
“The bus does not come on time.”

銀行口座にお金がありません。
Ginkō kōza ni o-kane ga arimasen.
“There is no money in the bank account.”

3. Informal Negative Form (Past Tense)

In the past tense of the informal/plain negative form, change the ない (nai) of the present tense informal/plain form to なかった (nakatta). This is done for all Ru-verbs, U-verbs, and irregular verbs.

• Ru-Verbs

Negative Form    (Informal / Past)	Reading
見なかった	mi-nakatta
食べなかった	tabe-nakatta
寝なかった	ne-nakatta
変えなかった	kae-nakatta
考えなかった	kangae-nakatta

Examples:

私は朝ごはんを食べなかった。
Watashi wa asagohan o tabenakatta.
“I didn’t eat breakfast.”

かな子は夜テレビを見なかった。
Kanako wa yoru terebi o minakatta.
“Kanako did not watch TV at night.”

彼はよく考えなかった。
Kare wa yoku kangaenakatta.
“He did not think well.”

• U-Verbs

Negative Form              (Informal / Past)	Reading
話さなかった	hana-sa-nakatta
行かなかった	i-ka-nakatta
待たなかった	ma-ta-nakatta
買わなかった	ka-wa-nakatta
聞かなかった	ki-ka-nakatta

Examples:

夏休みの間、子供たちは学校へ行かなかった。
Natsuyasumi no aida, kodomo-tachi wa gakkō e ikanakatta.
“Children didn’t go to school during the summer vacation.”

彼は親の言うことを聞かなかった。
Kare wa oya no iu koto o kikanakatta.
“He did not listen to what his parents said.”

彼女は安い服を買わなかった。
Kanojo wa yasui fuku o kawanakatta.
“She did not buy cheap clothes.”

• Irregular Verbs

Negative Form    (Informal / Past)	Reading
しなかった	shi-nakatta
来なかった	ko-nakatta
なかった	nakatta

Examples:

私は休日に何もしなかった。
Watashi wa kyūjitsu ni nani mo shinakatta.
“I didn’t do anything on a day off.”

バスが時間通りに来なかった。
Basu ga jikandōri ni konakatta.
“The bus did not come on time.”

銀行口座にお金がなかった。
Ginkō kōza ni o-kane ga nakatta.
“There was no money in the bank account.”

4. Formal Negative Form (Past Tense)

In the past tense of the formal/polite negative form, add the expression でした (deshita) after the present tense formal/polite form for all Ru-verbs, U-verbs, and irregular verbs.

• Ru-Verbs

Negative Form    (Formal / Past)	Reading
見ませんでした	mi-masen deshita
食べませんでした	tabe-masen deshita
寝ませんでした	ne-masen deshita
変えませんでした	kae-masen deshita
考えませんでした	kangae-masen deshita

Examples:

私は朝ごはんを食べませんでした。
Watashi wa asagohan o tabemasen deshita.
“I didn’t eat breakfast.”

かな子は夜テレビを見ませんでした。
Kanako wa yoru terebi o mimasen deshita.
“Kanako did not watch TV at night.”

彼はよく考えませんでした。
Kare wa yoku kangaemasen deshita.
“He did not think well.”

• U-Verbs

Negative Form    (Formal / Past)	Reading
話しませんでした	hana-shi-masen deshita
行きませんでした	i-ki-masen deshita
待ちませんでした	ma-chi-masen deshita
買いませんでした	ka-i-masen deshita
聞きませんでした	ki-ki-masen deshita

Examples:

夏休みの間、子供たちは学校へ行きませんでした。
Natsuyasumi no aida, kodomo-tachi wa gakkō e ikimasen deshita.
“Children didn’t go to school during the summer vacation.”

彼は親の言うことを聞きませんでした。
Kare wa oya no iu koto o kikimasen deshita.
“He did not listen to what his parents said.”

彼女は安い服を買いませんでした。
Kanojo wa yasui fuku o kaimasen deshita.
“She did not buy cheap clothes.”

• Irregular Verbs

Negative Form    (Formal / Past)	Reading
しませんでした	shi-masen deshita
来ませんでした	ki-masen deshita
ありませんでした	ari-masen deshita

Examples:

私は休日に何もしませんでした。
Watashi wa kyūjitsu ni nani mo shimasen deshita.
“I didn’t do anything on a day off.”

バスが時間通りに来ませんでした。
Basu ga jikandōri ni kimasen deshita.
“The bus did not come on time.”

銀行口座にお金がありませんでした。
Ginkō kōza ni o-kane ga arimasen deshita.
“There was no money in the bank account.”

彼は肉を食べません。でも、魚は食べます。
Kare wa niku o tabemasen. Demo, sakana wa tabemasu.
“He does not eat meat. However, he eats fish.”

2. Giving a Negative Response to a Question

There are a few different Japanese negative forms and set phrases used to answer questions in the negative. Remember that saying “no” directly is often considered impolite, so this is reflected in how Japanese speakers give negative responses as well.

1. How to Say “No” to a Question

When you’re asked a yes-or-no question and want to reply “no,” typical answers are as follows:

With verb:

いいえ (iie) – “no” 、+  — Negative Form

Without verb:

いいえ (iie) – “no”、 +  —では ない              — de wa nai  [Informal]     いいえ (iie) – “no”、 +  —では ありません   —de wa arimasen  [Formal]

では (de wa) can be substituted with じゃ (ja), which is typically used in spoken conversations.

Examples:

[With verb]

Q: お肉を食べますか。(O-niku o tabemasu ka.) – “Do you eat meat?”
A: いいえ、食べません。(Iie, tabemasen.) – “No, I don’t eat it.”

Q: 普段運動をしますか。(Fudan undō o shimasu ka.) – “Do you usually do exercise?”
A: いいえ、日常的な運動はしません。(Iie, nichijōteki na undō wa Iie.) – “No, I don’t do daily exercise.”

[Without verb]

Q: この本はあなたのですか。(Kono hon wa anata no desu ka.) – “Is this book yours?”
A: いいえ、それは私の本ではありせん。(Iie, sore wa watashi no hon de wa arimasen.) – “No, it’s not my book.”

Q: 映画館の入り口はここですか。(Eigakan no iriguchi wa koko desu ka.) – “Is the entrance to the cinema here?”
A: いいえ、入り口はここではありません。(Iie, iriguchi wa koko de wa arimasen.) – “No, the entrance is not here.”

→ To learn more about Japanese questions and answers, please visit our article The 10 Most Useful Japanese Questions and Answers.

いいえ、お肉は食べません。
Iie, o-niku wa tabemasen.
“No, I don’t eat meat.”

2. Polite Expressions for Saying No in Japanese

Japanese people are expected to be polite and respectful to others, and they tend to avoid saying “no” directly because it sounds rough and rude. In order to say “no” without sounding rude, we often use クッション言葉 (kusshon kotoba), literally “cushion words,” or words to soften awkward topics, when rejecting an unwanted offer or invitation.

Following is a list of frequently used kusshon kotoba for saying “no” politely.

3. 残念ですが ___。(Zannen desu ga ___.)  – “I’m afraid but ___.”

Example:

A:
ビールをどうぞ。
Bīru o dōzo.
“Please have a beer.”

B:
残念ですが、私はお酒を飲めません。
Zannen desu ga, watashi wa o-sake o nomemasen.
“I’m afraid but I cannot drink alcohol.”

4. せっかくですが ___。 (Sekkaku desu ga ___.) – “Unfortunately ___.”

Example:

A:
無料券があるので、明日一緒に映画を見に行きませんか。
Muryōken ga aru node, ashita issho ni eiga o mi ni ikimasen ka.
“I have a free ticket, would you like to go see a movie together tomorrow?”

B:
せっかくですが、明日は予定があるのでご一緒できません。
Sekkaku desu ga, ashita wa yotei ga aru node go-issho dekimasen.
“Unfortunately I have a plan tomorrow and we can’t go together.”

5. 申し訳ないのですが ___。(Mōshiwake nai no desu ga ___.) – “I’m so sorry but ___.”

Example:

A:
来週末にホームパーティをやるので来ませんか。
Raishūmatsu ni hōmu pātī o yaru node kimasen ka.
“I will have a home party next weekend and would you like to come?”

B:
申し訳ないのですが、来週末は兄の結婚式があるので行けません。
Mōshiwake nai no desu ga, raishūmatsu wa ani no kekkonshiki ga aru node ikemasen.
“I’m so sorry, but I can’t go because there’s my brother’s wedding on that weekend.”

6. お気持ちは嬉しいのですが ___。(O-kimochi wa ureshii no desu ga ___.) – “I’m glad for your thoughtfulness but ___.”

Example:

A:
クッキーをたくさん焼いたので食べませんか。
Kukkī o takusan yaita node tabemasen ka.
“I baked a lot of cookies, would you like to have some?”

B:
お気持ちは嬉しいのですが、小麦アレルギーなので食べられません。
O-kimochi wa ureshii no desu ga, komugi arerugī na node taberaremasen.
“I’m glad for your kindness, but I’m allergic to wheat and I can’t eat them.”

Saying “no” directly sounds a bit too strong, or even rude, in Japanese.

3. Other Japanese Negating Words and Phrases

The basic Japanese negation forms are ない (nai) [Informal / Plain] and ません (masen) [Formal / Polite]. However, there are other negation expressions, such as those for partial negation, emphatic negation, and the imperative form.

Negation in Japanese can take the following forms:

Partial Negation   決して (kesshite)   ほとんど (hotondo)   これ以上 (kore ijō)	[Verb] (ない [nai] / ません [masen])
	[Noun] + ではない (de wa nai)
	[な na-adjective] + ではない (de wa nai)
	[い i-adjective] + いくない (kunai)

1. 決して ___ない (kesshite ___nai) – “never ___”

Examples:

同じ日は決して来ない。 
Onaji hi wa kesshite konai.
“The same day will never come.”

彼は決して嘘をつきません。 
Kare wa kesshite uso o tsukimasen.
“He never lies.”

その部屋へ防護服なしに決して入ってはいけません。
Sono heya e bōgofuku nashi ni kesshite haitte wa ikemasen.
“Never enter that room without protective suits.”

2. ほとんど ___ない (hotondo ___nai) – “barely/hardly ___”

Examples:

この公園にはほとんど人がいない。 
Kono kōen ni wa hotondo hito ga inai
“There are barely even a few people in this park.”

Mサイズはほとんど残っていません。 
Emu saizu wa hotondo nokotte imasen.
“There is hardly/almost no M size left.”

商店街のお店はほとんど開いていません。
Shōtengai no o-mise wa hotondo hiraite imasen.
“Most of the shops in the shopping district are not open.”

3. これ以上 ___ない (kore ijō ___nai) – “no more/no longer/anymore ___”

Examples:

その子は怖くて、これ以上目を開けていられない。
Sono ko wa kowakute, kore ijō me o akete irarenai.
“The kid is scared and can’t open his eyes anymore.”

これ以上の幸せはありません。 
Kore ijō no shiawase wa arimasen.
“There is no more happiness than this.”

今日はこれ以上勉強したくない。
Kyō wa kore ijō benkyō shitakunai.
“I don’t want to study anymore today.”

4. 誰もいない (dare mo inai) – “nobody”

Examples:

ここには誰もいない。 
Koko ni wa dare mo inai.
“There is nobody here.”

この映画を見たい人は誰もいません。 
Kono eiga o mitai hito wa dare mo imasen.
“There is no one who wants to watch this movie.”

その試験に合格した人は誰もいませんでした。
Sono shiken ni gōkaku shita hito wa dare mo imasen deshita.
“There is no one who passed the exam.”

5. どこにもない (doko ni mo nai) – “nowhere”

Examples:

完全に自由になれる場所はどこにもない。 
Kanzen ni jiyū ni nareru basho wa doko ni mo nai.
“There is nowhere you can be completely free.”

靴下の片方がどこにも見つからない。 
Kutsushita no katahō ga doko ni mo mitsukaranai.
“I can’t find one of my socks anywhere.”

金のなる木はどこにもありません。
Kane no naru ki wa doko ni mo arimasen.
“There is no tree that money grows on anywhere.”

6. どちらも ___ない (dochira mo ___nai) – “neither ___ nor ___”

Examples:

りんごもみかんも、どちらも食べたくない。 
Ringo mo mikan mo, dochira mo tabetakunai.
“I don’t want to eat either apples or oranges.”

桜もひまわりも、どちらも咲いていません。 
Sakura mo himawari mo, dochira mo saite imasen.
“Neither cherry blossoms nor sunflowers are in bloom.”

どちらも大したことはありません。
Dochira mo taishita koto wa arimasen.
“Neither of them is a big deal.”

7. [Imperative Form] (“Do not ___.”)

 [casual/strong] ___(する)な              ___(suru) na 
 [polite/mild] 　 ___ないでください   ___naide kudasai 

Examples:

壁に落書きするな。 
Kabe ni rakugaki suru na.
“Don’t scribble / do graffiti on the wall.”

ここで子供を遊ばせないでください。 
Koko de kodomo o asobasenaide kudasai.
“Please don’t let children play here.”

この危険区域に立ち入らないでください。
Kono kiken kuiki ni tachiiranaide kudasai.
“Please do not enter this dangerous area.”

私は決してお酒を飲みません。
Watashi wa kesshite o-sake o nomimasen.
“I never drink Sake/alcohol.”

4. Double Negatives

When negative forms are used twice in the same sentence, it’s called a double negative. While some double negative expressions intensify the negation, most double negatives cancel each other out and produce a positive. 

Keep in mind that when a double negative constructs a positive meaning, the nuance is not the same as that of a normal positive sentence. Rather, its meaning is closer to that of a negative sentence. Such expressions often lose their nuance when translated into English.

There are various double negative expressions in Japanese, but it’s recommended not to use them often (especially in business contexts), because using double negatives is not straight to the point and is a bit difficult to understand.

1. ___ないはずがない (___nai hazu ga nai) – “can’t be ___”

Examples:

彼がお酒を飲まないはずがない。 
Kare ga o-sake o nomanai hazu ga nai.
“It can’t be true that he doesn’t drink.”
[He definitely drinks.]

ここに置いた財布がないはずがない。 
Koko ni oita saifu ga nai hazu ga nai.
“The wallet I put here can’t be gone.”
[The wallet I put here should be here.]

天気予報によると、明日は晴れないはずがない。 
Tenki yohō ni yoru to, ashita wa harenai hazu ga nai.
“According to the weather, it can’t be not sunny tomorrow.”
[It must be sunny tomorrow.]

2. ___ないとも限らない (___nai to mo kagiranai) – “may possibly ___” / “perhaps it might be ___”

Examples:

いつも上手くいくからといって、次は失敗しないとも限らない。 
Itsumo umaku iku kara to itte, tsugi wa shippai shinai to mo kagiranai.
“Just because it always works well doesn’t mean it won’t fail next time.”
[It may possibly fail.]

その件について親が反対しないとも限らない。 
Sono ken ni tsuite oya ga hantai shinai to mo kagiranai.
“It is not always the case that parents do not object to the matter.”
[Parents may possibly object.]

努力すれば必ず夢が叶うわけではないが、叶わないとも限らない。 
Doryoku sureba kanarazu yume ga kanau wake de wa nai ga, kanawanai to mo kagiranai.
“Although making efforts does not mean a dream will definitely come true, it may not be the case that the dream won’t come true.”
[The dream may possibly come true.]

3. ___ ないことはない (___ nai koto wa nai) – “There is nothing ___ not do.”

Examples:

期限内に完了できないことはない。 
Kigennai ni kanryō dekinai koto wa nai.
“There is nothing I cannot complete within the deadline.”
[I am probably able to complete everything within the deadline.”

彼が知らないことは何もない。 
Kare ga shiranai koto wa nani mo nai.
“There is nothing at all that he doesn’t know.”
[He knows everything.]

強い意志と努力があれば、あなたは難関試験に合格できないことはない。
Tsuyoi ishi to doryoku ga areba, anata wa nankan shiken ni gōkaku dekinai koto wa nai.
“With a strong will and effort, there is no way you cannot pass the difficult exam.”
[You may be able to pass the difficult exam.]

4 ___なしには ___ない (___nashi ni wa ___nai) – “There is no / can’t ___ without ___.”

Examples:

この話は、涙なしには語れない。 
Kono hanashi wa namida nashi ni wa katarenai.
“(I) can’t tell this story without tears.”

ここは許可なしには通れません。 
Koko wa kyoka nashi ni wa tōremasen.
“You cannot pass here without permission.”

バナナケーキはバターなしには美味しく作れません。 
Banana kēki wa batā nashi ni wa oishiku tsukuremasen.
“Banana cakes cannot be made delicious without butter.”

今日は雨が降らないとも限らない。
Kyō wa ame ga furanai to mo kagiranai.
(“It might rain today.” / “It wouldn’t be that it won’t rain today.”)

5. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced Japanese negation and discussed a number of relevant topics: 

• negative expressions for answering “no” to questions 
• being polite when rejecting an invitation
• using partial negation
• double negatives

Although Japanese has informal and formal forms to remember, Japanese negation is easy to handle once you learn the patterns! 

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases for any situation, you’ll find more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons to help you improve your Japanese language skills. 

To learn more about Japanese grammar and syntax, check out the following blog posts: 

• The 10 Most Useful Japanese Sentence Patterns
• Japanese Sentence Structure & Word Order

And there’s so much more! Learn Japanese faster and truly enjoy studying the language at JapanesePod101.com!

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there are any Japanese grammatical rules you still want to know! We’d be glad to help, and we look forward to hearing from you!