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Japanese Phrases

Learning basic Japanese phrases is a great way to build your speaking and comprehension skills. Whether your ultimate goal is to become fluent in the language or you would simply like to learn enough Japanese to enhance your traveling experience, it is important to build upon your understanding of Japanese vocabulary words.

While the Japanese language may, at first, seem intimidating to learn, you are sure to find great satisfaction as you advance your skills. Basic survival phrases such as “Ohayou gozaimasu” (Good morning!) will be of great benefit when traveling in Japan or for building your speaking skills. As you become more familiar with how to pronounce the individual words in a particular Japanese phrase and learn the meaning of these words, you will be able to extend this knowledge to others phrases and lessons.

Many travelers choose to take a crash course in everyday Japanese phrases. This is a great way to show that you are making an effort to speak the native language when in Japan and to simplify your traveling experience. Write down a list of phrases that you believe you may need to use or understand, and then practice these phrases every day before your trip.

An effective way to speed up your learning process is to determine how your learning style and your purpose for learning the language. For example, if you need to quickly learn a little bit of Japanese before a business trip or a Japanese vacation, your best bet is to probably stick with learning a few basic phrases, as mentioned above. However, it you have a long-term goal of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the language, you may choose to begin with grammar lessons. This approach will improve your ability to form proper sentences.

If you choose to take the latter approach—learning grammar first—it is still a good idea to learn a few basic phrases. You will then be able to use the phrases you know to enhance your grammar lessons and better understand sentence structures.

While listening to native speakers speak Japanese is a great way to familiarize yourself with the language, don’t be surprised if you find yourself completely lost at first. By increasing your store of phrases, however, you will be able to increasingly understand what conversations are generally about.

To improve your listening skills, use a variety of tools such as a Japanese podcast that includes lessons for non-native speakers. Using various methods for learning the language will help you take on a much more comprehensive, effective approach that enhances your learning process.

The following are a few common Japanese phrases that you can get started with:
Yaa – Hi!
Ogenki desuka? – How are you?
Watashi wa genki desu. Arigato! – I’m fine, thanks!
Anatawa? – And you?
Ohayou gozaimasu – Good morning!
Konbanw – Good evening!
Arigatou! – Thank you (very much)!
Mata atode aimashou! – See you later!
Sayonara! – Goodbye!
Namae wa nandesu ka! – What’s your name?
Watashi no namae wa … - My name is …
Hajimemashite! – Nice to meet you!
Nihon ha subarashii kuni desu. – Japan is a wonderful country.

An effective and fun way to learn how to speak Japanese is to subscribe to Japanesepod101. This comprehensive resource provides a wide variety of tools to help you learn Japanese at your own speed and in your own learning style. Take advantage of the updated podcasts where you can listen to native Japanese speakers. You will also find all of the grammer, vocabulary and phrase lessons that you’ll need to build a strong foundation in the beautiful language of Japanese. Keep practicing using these innovative tools, and you will quickly push past one skill level after another as you become more comfortable with comprehending and speaking Japanese.