Japan has four beautiful seasons, and every season has its own unique characteristics and weather. Whether you want to know the weather in Japan in April to visit the pretty 桜 (Sakura) or “cherry blossoms,” or research the weather in Kyoto, Japan for world heritage sightseeing, there are some useful words and phrases to know regarding weather in Japan!

Weather is one of the most useful topics for conversation and is also an essential topic in everyday life. When you know how to talk about the weather in Japanese, it will expand both your communication skills and vocabulary skills in Japanese, as there’s a variety of expressions relating to Japanese weather.

Let’s get started! By the time we get done, you’ll be talking about weather in Japanese like it’s nothing!

Table of Contents

1. Japanese Weather Vocabulary: The Basics
2. Japanese Weather Words - Temperature and Seasons
3. The Most Common Sentence Patterns to Talk about the Weather
4. Phrases and Patterns Used in the Japan Weather Forecast
5. The Most Common Ways to Comment on the Weather in Japanese
6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Japanese Weather Vocabulary: The Basics

Ready to learn Japanese weather vocabulary? The Japanese have a rich array of words and phrases to describe a variety of weather conditions, so let’s take a look.

1- General Terms for Weather Conditions in Japanese

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	Tenki	天気	てんき	weather
2	Tenkō	天候	てんこう	climate
3	Kishō jōkyō	気象状況	きしょうじょうきょう	weather condition
4	Soramoyō	空模様	そらもよう	the look of the sky

There’s a wide range of variation to express weather conditions in Japanese.

2- Weather Adjectives in Japanese & More Weather Phrases

As you can see in the vocabulary chart below, there’s many ways to express “rain” in Japanese compared to other weather conditions. This is because Japan has a rainy season, and it also rains often throughout the year with different characteristics according to the season and weather conditions.

In addition, the sky is considered supernal and unreachable by humans according to Japanese tradition, and the weather is also thought to be controlled by supreme beings. For example, “lightning” in Japanese is Kaminari, and by adding the respectful honorific sama, we call the god of lightning Kaminari sama. Ancient people believed that when thunder roared in the sky, it meant the god of lightning was angry.

With this context in mind, here are a few more common ways of how to describe the weather in Japanese!

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	Hare	晴れ	はれ	sunny, clear weather
2	Kaisei	快晴	かいせい	clear weather without clouds
3	Kumori	曇り	くもり	cloudy
4	Kumo	雲	くも	cloud
5	Ame	雨	あめ	rain
6	Kosame	小雨	こさめ	light rain / drizzle
7	Kirisame	霧雨	きりさめ	misty rain / light drizzle
8	Ōame	大雨	おおあめ	heavy rain
9	Tōriame	通り雨	とおりあめ	passing shower
10	Harusame	春雨	はるさめ	spring rain
11	Tenkiame	天気雨	てんきあめ	temporary rainfall in the sunshine
12	Gōu	豪雨	ごうう	downpour
13	Bōfūu	暴風雨	ぼうふうう	rainstorm
14	Raiu	雷雨	らいう	thunder-rainstorm
15	Yuki	雪	ゆき	snow
16	Ōyuki	大雪	おおゆき	heavy snow
17	Fubuki	吹雪	ふぶき	snowstorm / blizzard
18	Arare	霰	あられ	hailstone / falling iceball
19	Mizore	霙	みぞれ	sleet / snow with rain
20	Hyō	雹	ひょう	hail
21	Kaze	風	かぜ	wind
22	Soyokaze	そよ風	そよかぜ	breeze
23	Kyōfū	強風	きょうふう	strong wind
24	Bōfū	暴風	ぼうふう	windstorm
25	Taifū	台風	たいふう	typhoon
26	Kisetsufū	季節風	きせつふう	monsoon / seasonal wind
27	Kaminari	雷	かみなり	thunder / lightning
28	Kiri	霧	きり	fog / mist
29	Nōmu	濃霧	のうむ	heavy fog / dense mist

Please visit our vocabulary list about Weather and Learn the Top 15 Weather Conditions to listen to the actual Japanese pronunciation of these words.

2. Japanese Weather Words - Temperature and Seasons

It’s also useful to know the vocabulary used to express temperatures and seasons, which are often used in daily conversations and weather news. Below are common words and phrases for discussing the weather in Japanese!

1- Basic Terms

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	Kion	気温	きおん	temperature
2	Shitsudo	湿度	しつど	level of humidity
3	Kiatsu	気圧	きあつ	atmospheric pressure
4	Kisetsu	季節	きせつ	season
5	Shiki	四季	しき	four seasons
6	Haru	春	はる	spring
7	Natsu	夏	なつ	summer
8	Aki	秋	あき	autumn
9	Fuyu	冬	ふゆ	winter
10	Uki	雨季	うき	rainy season
11	Tsuyu / Baiu	梅雨	つゆ / ばいう	rainy season (especially in Japan)
12	Kanki	乾季	かんき	dry season

Please also check out Tsuyu: The Rainy Season in Japan on our website for Japanese audio.

2- Seasons in Japan - General Information

春 (Haru) : Spring

Spring in Japan is from March to May. Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons to visit Japan.

When it comes to Japanese weather in spring, temperatures gradually increase to a moderate and comfortable level. Although it’s spring, March has mostly cold days, while May has many sunny days with a clear sky and warm—or sometimes hot—temperatures. April is the most amazing month as cherry blossoms bloom fully, bringing beautiful notice of spring throughout Japan. Weather in Japan in April is literally the symbol of Japanese spring.

In addition, spring is a season full of new meetings, events, and liveliness, because April is the beginning month of both the school year and the business year in Japan. As the temperature becomes warmer, people become more active and it’s considered a good season to start something new.

夏 (Natsu) : Summer

Summer in Japan is from June to August. It starts with the rainy season, called 梅雨 (Tsuyu) which is usually in June and July. During the rainy season, most days are heavily rainy and the amount of precipitation is at its highest point of the year.

The full-blown summer starts after the rain, and once temperatures go up as high as above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Japanese weather in summer, particularly in the months of July and August, can be quite uncomfortable due to hot temperatures and the high level of humidity. You can be standing in the shade, and still be sweating so much that you feel gross and sticky.

Summer heat makes people more energetic, making summer a season for many activities, and matsuri or Japanese festivals. Going to beaches, BBQing outside, fireworks, beer gardens, camping, and more, are popular summer activities in Japan.

秋 (Aki) : Autumn

Autumn, from September to November, is another beautiful season in Japan. Cooled down from the uncomfortable summer temperature, Japanese weather in autumn is pleasant. We have a word called 秋晴れ (akibare) which means “clear autumnal weather,” and most autumn days are delightfully sunny.

About 73% of the land in Japan is mountainous, and Japanese people appreciate the spectacular views of mountains which change colors in gradation of yellow, orange, and red. Visiting Kyoto in autumn will amaze you with views of traditional and historical buildings, surrounded by colorful nature. It’s just breathtaking.

Additionally, autumn is also the season of harvest and there’s a variety of tasty foods to indulge in during this time of year.

冬 (Fuyu) : Winter

Winter, from December to February, is a season of fun in Japan, especially if you like winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and skating. As for the Japanese weather in winter, the temperature in some of the northern and mountain regions go down below zero and it can get really cold. Mountains get a lot of snowfall.

Also, the Japanese onsen (hot springs) are essential in winter. They make you warm and relaxed after enjoying winter sports outside in the cold weather.

As an example of the weather in Tokyo, it’s quite rare to have snow in December. But when you research Japan weather in December, you’ll notice that northern regions already have snowy weather in December. Even though winter temperatures in Japan can get very cold, there are also many days of sunny weather in Tokyo.

3- Seasons in Japan - Information by Region

The land of Japan is stretching from the south to the north and the weather and climate vary according to regions.

The types of weather in Japanese regions varies based on factors such as latitude, with northern areas being colder and southern ones warmer. Learn more about this in the following sections.

Hokkaido / Tohoku

Hokkaido, the rhombus-shaped island in the northernmost part of Japan, and the Tohoku region are known for being cold and snowy, especially in winter. Temperatures go as low as -20, or even -30, degrees Celsius in some areas of Hokkaido. Further, due to the heavy snowfall, Hokkaido is one of the most popular destinations for skiing and snowboarding.

In summer, on the other hand, the climate is comfortable and nice as it doesn’t get as hot as it does in other parts of Japan. It’s also a popular place for summer vacations in order to avoid unbearable heat.

Kanto / Chubu / Kansai

The Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions are located in the main island of Japan, and Tokyo is within the Kanto region. Although the characteristics of the climate in each region vary in detail depending on its latitude and geography, these regions have typical Japanese weather in general.

Spring and autumn have comfortable and moderate weather conditions, summer is very hot and humid, and winter has some snowy days (though there are also sunny days, even with cold temperatures).

Kyushu / Okinawa

Kyushu is the most southwest of the four main islands, and Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture of Japan, which is 300km (about 186 miles) further southbound from Kyūshū. These regions are located in the southern part of Japan, and so it doesn’t get severely cold in winter. Due to its geography, summertime is longer and wintertime is shorter than in other regions of Japan.

Okinawa, the southern island surrounded by coral reefs, is the best summer resort destination for beautiful beaches and marine sports, such as scuba diving. Okinawa has a tropical climate and it’s beautiful in the summertime. However, keep in mind that it’s also often struck by typhoons near the end of summer. (There can be some extreme weather in Japanese regions near here!)

3. The Most Common Sentence Patterns to Talk about the Weather

Here are some common terms and sentences to talk about Japanese weather and climate, to enhance your conversation skills. Studying these lists will make you a master of describing the weather in Japanese!

1- Basic Terms for Describing Weather in Japanese

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	Atsui	暑い	あつい	hot
2	Atatakai	暖かい	あたたかい	warm
3	Samui	寒い	さむい	cold
4	Suzushii	涼しい	すずしい	cool / chilly
5	Jimejime shita	–	じめじめした	humid
6	Mushiatsui	蒸し暑い	むしあつい	humid and hot
7	Kansō shita	乾燥した	かんそうした	dry

The weather forecast is an essential part of everyday news.

2- Common Sentences to Talk about the Weather and Climate

Here, you’ll find some practical information on asking about weather in Japanese, and how to talk about weather in Japanese!

Questions for asking about the weather in Japanese:

• 今日の天気はどうですか。
  Kyō no tenki wa dō desu ka.
  How’s the weather today?
• 気温は何度ですか。
  Kion wa nan-do desu ka.
  What is the temperature?
• 外はどうですか。
  Soto wa dō desu ka.
  What’s it like outside?
• 今日は寒いですか。
  Kyō wa samui desu ka.
  Is today cold?

Answers for talking about the weather in Japanese

You can state not only the weather condition, but also how it feels.

• 曇りです。
  Kumori desu.
  It’s cloudy.
• 良い天気です。
  Ii tenki desu.
  It’s nice weather.
• 晴れですが風が強いです。
  Hare desu ga kaze ga tsuyoi desu.
  It’s sunny, but there’s a strong wind.
• 大雨でじめじめしています。
  Ōame de jimejime shite imasu.
  It’s raining heavily and humid.
• 今日は晴れで暑いです。
  Kyō wa hare de atsui desu.
  Today is sunny and it’s hot.
• 外は雪が降っていて寒いです。
  Soto wa yuki ga futte ite samui desu.
  It’s snowing outside and it’s cold.
• 今の気温は20度です。
  Ima no kion wa ni-jū-do desu.
  The temperature is 20 degrees now.
• 気温は1度でとても寒いです。
  Kion wa ichi-do de totemo samui desu.
  The temperature is very cold at one degree.

4. Phrases and Patterns Used in the Japan Weather Forecast

There are particular phrases and expressions which are often used in the weather forecast and news. Here are useful weather expressions in Japanese to help you out!

1- Vocabulary

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	Tenki yohō	天気予報	てんきよほう	weather forecast
2	Saitei kion	最低気温	さいていきおん	minimum temperature
3	Saikō kion	最高気温	さいこうきおん	maximum temperature
4	Kiatsu	気圧	きあつ	atmospheric pressure
5	Teikiatsu	低気圧	ていきあつ	low atmospheric pressure
6	Kōkiatsu	高気圧	こうきあつ	high atmospheric pressure
7	Zensen	前線	ぜんせん	weather front
8	Baiu zensen	梅雨前線	ばいうぜんせん	seasonal rain front
9	Tsuyu iri	梅雨入り	つゆいり	start of rainy season
10	Harō	波浪	はろう	ocean waves
11	Kōzui	洪水	こうずい	flood
12	Tsunami	津波	つなみ	tsunami / tidal wave
13	Taifū	台風	たいふう	typhoon
14	Chūihō	注意報	ちゅういほう	advisory
15	Keihō	警報	けいほう	warning
16	Hijō keihō	非常警報	ひじょうけいほう	emergency warning
17	Hinan kankoku	避難勧告	ひなんかんこく	evacuation advisory

Also check out our Typhoon Season vocabulary list so you can listen to relevant Japanese audio.

1. Terms to Express Weather Change Trends and Time Segments

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	Ichiji	一時	いちじ	at one point (in time)
2	Tokidoki	時々	ときどき	occasionally
3	Nochi	後	のち	subsequently / after
4	Shidai ni	次第に	しだいに	gradually

Japan uses Celsius for the measurement of temperature.

2- Phrases and Patterns Used in the Japanese Weather Forecast

• 今週から梅雨入りとなります。
  Konshū kara tsuyu iri to narimasu.
  The rainy season starts this week.
• 今日の最低気温は７度で、最高気温は15度です。
  Kyō no saitei kion wa nana-do de, saikō kion wa jū-go-do desu.
  Today’s minimum temperature is 7 degrees and the maximum temperature is 15 degrees.
• 東京の天気予報は晴れのち曇りです。
  Tokyō no tenki yohō wa hare nochi kumori desu.
  The weather forecast of Tokyo is sunny and subsequently cloudy.
• 明日は曇り時々雨が降る見込みです。
  Ashita wa kumori tokidoki ame ga furu mikomi desu.
  It is likely to be cloudy with occasional rain tomorrow.
• 午後から雨が降り、一時雪になる予測です。
  Gogo kara ame ga furi, ichiji yuki ni naru yosoku desu.
  It is going to rain from the afternoon, and it is estimated to snow at one point.
• 台風６号が近づいています。波浪警報に注意してください。
  Taifū roku-gō ga chikazuite imasu. Harō keihō ni chūi shite kudasai.
  Typhoon No. 6 is approaching, please be aware of high wave warning.

5. The Most Common Ways to Comment on the Weather in Japanese

Weather talk is the best conversation starter. Here are some common ways to talk and comment about the weather according to season.

1- Spring

• 暖かくなってきましたね。もうすぐ桜が咲きそうです。
  Atatakaku natte kimashita ne. Mō sugu sakura ga sakisō desu.
  It’s becoming warmer. Cherry blossoms seem to bloom soon.
• 気温が上ってきたので、ピクニックに最適な季節ですね。
  Kion ga agatte kita node, pikunikku ni saiteki na kisetsu desu ne.
  The temperature is getting warmer and it’s the best season for a picnic, isn’t it?

2- Summer

• 気温が高く日差しが強いので、熱中症に気をつけてください。
  Kion ga takaku hizashi ga tsuyoi node, necchūshō ni ki o tsukete kudasai.
  The temperature is high and the sunlight is strong, so please be careful of heat stroke.
• すごく蒸し暑いですね。冷たいビールが飲みたいです。
  Sugoku mushiatsui desu ne. Tsumetai bīru ga nomitai desu.
  It’s very humid and hot; I want to drink cold beer.

3- Autumn

• 暑さが落ち着いて涼しくなりましたね。
  Atsusa ga ochitsuite suzushiku narimashita ne.
  The heat has let up and it’s become cool, hasn’t it?
• 秋晴れで紅葉がとてもきれいです。
  Akibare de kōyō ga totemo kirei desu.
  The leaves changing color is very beautiful with the fine autumn weather.

4- Winter

• 外は寒いので暖かくしてください。
  Soto wa samui node atatakaku shite kudasai.
  It’s cold outside, please stay warm.
• 最近はとても寒く風邪が流行っているので、気をつけてください。
  Saikin wa totemo samuku kaze ga hayatte iru node, ki o tsukete kudasai.
  It’s very cold these days and a cold is going around, so please take care.

6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this article about Japanese weather is helpful and makes your communication with Japanese people more enjoyable! Do you feel prepared to start talking about Japanese weather? Let us know!

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills. For example, Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations to practice your Japanese with audio.

If you’re traveling to Japan, the following lessons are also helpful: 8 Tips for a Solo Japan Trip, How to Say Hello in Japanese: Practical Japanese Greetings, and The 5 Best Cities to Visit in Japan & Things to Do.

Know that your hard work will pay off. With enough practice, you’ll be speaking like a native in no time!

Do you realize how many adjectives you use when you describe or express something, such as feeling, personality, weather conditions, and the size and color of things? Adjectives in Japanese are various and rich in expression, so learning the top 100 Japanese adjectives will greatly improve your conversation skills in Japanese!

It’s not very difficult to learn Japanese adjectives rules, as they work in mostly the same way as they do in English grammar. Before we move onto our list, though, it’s prudent to go over Japanese adjectives rules to give you context.

So first things first: Where do Japanese adjectives go?

For example, a Japanese adjective is placed before a noun: 親切な人 (shinsetsu na hito), meaning “kind person.” Or they can follow the noun + be verb + adjective pattern: 外は寒い (soto wa samui), meaning “outside is cold.”

Most Japanese adjectives end with the sound of either Hiragana い (i) or な (na), unless it’s not in past form. An adjective consists of a stem, such as 親切 (shinsetsu), which never changes, and a suffix, such as な (na), which can change.

Ready to expand your Japanese adjectives vocabulary? You’ll enjoy speaking Japanese a lot more once you know the variety of Japanese adjectives! Here’s our top 100 Japanese adjectives list at JapanesePod101.com!

Table of Contents

1. Describing Dimension, Size, Distance & Number
2. Describing Value
3. Describing Sense
4. Japanese Adjectives for Personality & Feelings
5. Describing Speed, Difficulty, Importance, etc.
6. Describing Colors
7. Describing Shapes
8. Describing Weather
9. Japanese Adjectives for Food: Describing Taste
10. Describing Situations
11. Describing Physical Traits or Physical Conditions
12. Describing Appearance and Condition
13. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Describing Dimension, Size, Distance & Number

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
1	ōkii	大きい	おおきい	big
2	chiisai	小さい	ちいさい	small
3	hiroi	広い	ひろい	wide
4	semai	狭い	せまい	narrow
5	takai	高い	たかい	tall
6	hikui	低い	ひくい	short; low
7	omoi	重い	おもい	heavy
8	karui	軽い	かるい	light
9	chikai	近い	ちかい	close
10	tōi	遠い	とおい	far
11	ōi	多い	おおい	many
12	sukunai	少ない	すくない	few

2- Example Sentences

• 部屋に大きいベッドと小さい椅子があります。
  Heya ni ōkii beddo to chiisai isu ga arimasu.
  There is a big bed and a small chair in the room.
• このカバンは重いです。
  Kono kaban wa omoi desu.
  This bag is heavy.
• 駅はここから遠いです。
  Eki wa koko kara tōi desu.
  The station is far from here.
• あそこに高いビルがあります。
  Asoko ni takai biru ga arimasu.
  There is a tall building there.

2. Describing Value

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
13	yoi	良い	よい	good
14	warui	悪い	わるい	bad
15	subarashii	素晴らしい	すばらしい	great
16	hidoi	ひどい	ひどい	awful; terrible
17	utsukushii	美しい	うつくしい	beautiful
18	minikui	醜い	みにくい	ugly
19	kōka na	高価な	こうかな	expensive
20	yasui	安い	やすい	cheap

2- Example Sentences

• 私はテストで良い結果を出した。
  Watashi wa tesuto de yoi kekka wo dashita.
  I got a good result on the test.
• そこから素晴らしい眺めが見えます。
  Soko kara subarashii nagame ga miemasu.
  You can see a great view from there.
• あの女性はとても美しいです。
  Ano josei wa totemo utsukushii desu.
  That lady is very beautiful.
• この安いカメラはすぐに壊れました。
  Kono yasui kamera wa sugu ni kowaremashita.
  This cheap camera broke instantly.

3. Describing Sense

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
21	yawarakai	柔らかい	やわらかい	soft
22	katai	硬い・固い	かたい	hard
23	tsuyoi	強い	つよい	strong
24	yowai	弱い	よわい	weak
25	nameraka na	滑らかな	なめらかな	smooth
26	arai	荒い	あらい	rough
27	fukuzatsu na	複雑な	ふくざつな	complicated

2- Example Sentences

• この西陣織は柔らかい素材です。
  Kono Nishijin-ori wa yawarakai sozai desu.
  This Nishijin-ori is soft material.
• 彼女は強い男性が好きです。
  Kanojo wa tsuyoi dansei ga suki desu.
  She likes strong men.
• ダイヤモンドは硬い石です。
  Daiyamondo wa katai ishi desu.
  Diamond is a hard stone.
• その問題は複雑です。
  Sono mondai wa fukuzatsu desu.
  The problem is complicated.

4. Japanese Adjectives for Personality & Feelings

Looking for Japanese adjectives to describe a person? Here are the best Japanese adjectives to describe someone’s personality or feelings.

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
28	omoshiroi	面白い	おもしろい	funny; interesting
29	shitashimiyasui	親しみやすい	したしみやすい	friendly
30	otonashii	大人しい	おとなしい	quiet
31	ganko na	頑固な	がんこな	stubborn
32	yasashii	優しい	やさしい	amiable; thoughtful
33	ureshii	嬉しい	うれしい	happy
34	kanashii	悲しい	かなしい	sad
35	shakōteki na	社交的な	しゃこうてきな	sociable
36	kodoku na	孤独な	こどくな	lonely
37	okotta	怒った	おこった	angry

Also visit “Which Adjective Describes Your Personality Best?” to check Japanese pronunciation, and see some more related vocabulary.

2- Example Sentences

• 彼女は頑固な人です。
  Kanojo wa ganko na hito desu.
  She is a stubborn person.
• 私は面白い人が大好きです。
  Watashi wa omoshiroi hito ga daisuki desu.
  I really like a funny person.
• 試験に合格したので嬉しいです。
  Shiken ni gōkaku shita node ureshii desu.
  I am happy because I passed the exam.
• 彼は社交的な学生です。
  Kare wa shakōteki na gakusei desu.
  He is a sociable student.

To learn more about Personalities and Feelings, please read this article.

5. Describing Speed, Difficulty, Importance, etc.

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
38	hayai	速い	はやい	fast
39	osoi	遅い	おそい	slow
40	kantan na	簡単な	かんたんな	easy
41	muzukashii	難しい	むずかしい	difficult
42	jyūyō na	重要な	じゅうような	important
43	atarashii	新しい	あたらしい	new
44	furui	古い	ふるい	old
45	majime na	真面目な	まじめな	serious

2- Example Sentences

• インターネットが遅いのでビデオ電話ができません。
  Intānetto ga osoi node bideo-denwa ga dekimasen.
  I can’t make a video-call because the internet is slow.
• これは簡単な問題です。
  Kore wa kantan na mondai desu.
  This is an easy problem.
• 私は新しい携帯電話が欲しいです。
  Watashi wa atarashii keitai denwa ga hoshii desu.
  I want a new mobile phone.
• 彼は真面目な会議で笑い出しました。
  Kare wa majime na kaigi de waraidashimashita.
  He started laughing at a serious meeting.

6. Describing Colors

1- Vocabulary

“Color” is iro in Japanese.
　

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
46	akai	赤い	あかい	red
47	aoi	青い	あおい	blue
48	midori no	緑の	みどりの	green
49	kiiroi	黄色い	きいろい	yellow
50	kuroi	黒い	くろい	black
51	shiroi	白い	しろい	white
52	kurai	暗い	くらい	dark
53	akarui	明るい	あかるい	light; bright
54	azayaka na	鮮やかな	あざやかな	vivid
55	bon’yari shita	−	ぼんやりした	dull

2- Example Sentences

• りんごは赤い種類と緑の種類があります。
  Ringo wa akai shurui to midori no shurui ga arimasu.
  Apples have a red kind and a green kind.
• 白いライオンを見たことがありますか。
  Shiroi raion o mita koto ga arimasu ka.
  Have you seen white lions?
• 私は暗い色の服が好きです。
  Watashi wa kurai iro no fuku ga suki desu.
  I like clothes with dark colors.
• その浴衣は鮮やかな色が特徴です。
  Sono yukata wa azayaka na iro ga tokuchō desu.
  That Yukata is characterized by vivid colors.

7. Describing Shapes

1- Vocabulary

“Shape” is katachi in Japanese.

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
56	marui	丸い・円い	まるい	round
57	shikakui	四角い	しかくい	square
58	sankaku no	三角の	さんかくの	triangular
59	chōhōkei no	長方形の	ちょうほうけいの	rectangular
60	kyūtai no	球体の	きゅうたいの	spherical
61	rippōtai no	立方体の	りっぽうたいの	cubic

2- Example Sentences

• その丸い鏡を見てください。
  Sono marui kagami o mite kudasai.
  Please look at the round mirror.
• ゴミはあの四角い箱に入れてください。
  Gomi wa ano shikakui hako ni irete kudasai.
  Please put trash in that square garbage bin.
• 地球は球体の形をしています。
  Chikyū wa kyūtai no katachi o shite imasu.
  The earth has a spherical shape.
• この建築は立方体の形が有名です。
  Kono kenchiku wa rippōtai no katachi ga yūmei desu.
  This architecture is famous for its cubic shape.

8. Describing Weather

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
62	atsui	暑い	あつい	hot
63	samui	寒い	さむい	cold
64	mushimushi shita	蒸し蒸しした	むしむしした	humid
65	atatakai	暖かい	あたたかい	warm
66	hadazamui	肌寒い	はだざむい	chilly

Also, check out our lesson Learn the Top 15 Weather Conditions to learn how to express even more weather conditions in Japanese.

2- Example Sentences

• 今日は寒いので手袋を持って行ってください。
  Kyō wa samui node tebukuro o motte itte kudasai.
  Please take gloves with you because today is cold.
• 夏は30度を超える暑い日が続きます。
  Natsu wa 30-do o koeru atsui hi ga tsuzukimasu.
  Hot days with over 30 degrees continue in summer.
• 春は暖かい気候で花見ができます。
  Haru wa atatakai kikō de hanami ga dekimasu.
  Spring has a warm climate, and flowers bloom.
• 昨日は肌寒い日でした。
  Kinō wa hadazamui hi deshita.
  Yesterday was chilly.

To learn more about weather, please visit our article all about Japanese Weather.

9. Japanese Adjectives for Food: Describing Taste

Here are the most common and important Japanese adjectives for describing food and taste!

1- Vocabulary

　

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
67	amai	甘い	あまい	sweet
68	shiokarai	塩辛い	しおからい	salty
69	suppai	酸っぱい	すっぱい	sour
70	nigai	苦い	にがい	bitter
71	karai	辛い	からい	spicy; hot
72	oishii	美味しい	おいしい	delicious; tasty
73	mazui	不味い	まずい	tastes bad

2- Example Sentences

• 私は甘いものが大好きです。
  Watashi wa amai mono ga daisuki desu.
  I like sweets very much.
• この梅干しは塩辛いので食べられません。
  Kono umeboshi wa shiokarai node taberaremasen.
  I can’t eat this Umeboshi because it’s salty.
• 彼は苦いコーヒーが好きです。
  Kare wa nigai kōhī ga suki desu.
  He likes bitter coffee.
• 明日は記念日なので美味しいものを食べたい。
  Ashita wa kinenbi na node oishii mono o tabetai.
  I want to eat something delicious because tomorrow is an anniversary.

10. Describing Situations

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
74	tanoshii	楽しい	たのしい	fun
75	tsumaranai	−	つまらない	boring
76	anzen na	安全な	あんぜんな	safe; secure
77	kiken na	危険な	きけんな	dangerous
78	kinkyū no	緊急の	きんきゅうの	urgent
79	ochitsuita	落ち着いた	おちついた	calm
80	tadashii	正しい	ただしい	correct; right
81	ayamatta	誤った	あやまった	wrong

2- Example Sentences

• これは安全な調理器具です。
  Kore wa anzen na chōri kigu desu.
  This is safe cooking equipment.
• 私はつまらない映画で寝落ちしました。
  Watashi wa tsumaranai eiga de neochi shimashita.
  I fell asleep during the boring movie.
• 彼は危険な橋を渡りました。
  Kare wa kiken na hashi o watarimashita.
  He crossed a dangerous bridge.
• いつも正しい行いをしなさい。
  Itsumo tadashii okonai o shinasai.
  Always do the right things.

11. Describing Physical Traits or Physical Conditions

1- Vocabulary

　

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
82	wakai	若い	わかい	young
83	toshioita	年老いた	としおいた	old
84	genki na	元気な	げんきな	lively
85	byōki no	病気の	びょうきの	sick
86	kirei na	綺麗な	きれいな	clean; beautiful
87	kitanai	汚い	きたない	dirty
88	suteki na	素敵な	すてきな	nice
89	hen na	変な	へんな	strange; odd
90	seijō na	正常な	せいじょうな	normal
91	ijō na	異常な	いじょうな	abnormal

2- Example Sentences

• 「若い時の苦労は買ってでもせよ」ということわざがある。
  “Wakai toki no kurō wa katte demo seyo” to iu kotowaza ga aru.
  There is a proverb saying “Heavy work in youth is quiet in old age.”
• 彼女の部屋はいつも綺麗です。
  Kanojo no heya wa itsumo kirei desu.
  Her room is always clean.
• あの女性は素敵な靴を履いています。
  Ano josei wa suteki na kutsu o haite imasu.
  That lady wears nice shoes.
• 異常な症状が出たらすぐに電話してください。
  Ijō na shōjō ga detara sugu ni denwa shite kudasai.
  If abnormal symptoms appear, please call me immediately.

12. Describing Appearance and Condition

1- Vocabulary

　

	Reading	Kanji	Hiragana	English
92	kawaii	可愛い	かわいい	pretty; cute
93	kichin to shita	−	きちんとした	neat
94	miryokuteki na	魅力的な	みりょくてきな	attractive
95	miryoku no nai	魅力のない	みりょくのない	unattractive
96	futotta	太った	ふとった	fat
97	yaseta	痩せた	やせた	lean; thin
98	okanemochi na	お金持ちな	おかねもちな	rich
99	mazushii	貧しい	まずしい	poor
100	heikinteki na	平均的な	へいきんてきな	average

2- Example Sentences

• 彼女はいつもきちんとした服を着ています。
  Kanojo wa itsumo kichin to shita fuku o kite imasu.
  She always wears neat clothes.
• 私は平均的な家出身です。
  Watashi wa heikinteki na ie shusshin desu.
  I am from an average family.
• 貧しい子供達のために募金をしてください。
  Mazushii kodomo-tachi no tame ni bokin o shite kudasai.
  Please donate for poor children.

13. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

In this Japanese adjectives lesson, we introduced the top 100 Japanese adjectives with examples. We hope this article is helpful for you, and has given you more footing to improve your Japanese vocabulary! Do you feel prepared to describe your personality and feelings?

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find a lot more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills. For more Japanese adjectives practice, Most Common Adjectives and Words and Phrases to Help You Describe Your Feelings are useful to help you learn pronunciation with audio. Further, Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations and Top 10 Conversational Phrases are essential for your conversation practice.

Know that your hard work will pay off; with enough practice, you’ll be speaking like a native in no time with JapanesePod101.com!

It’s wonderful if you can learn Japanese and have entertainment at the same time. Yes, it is possible with online streaming services! One of the most famous and popular is Netflix, which nowadays offers a wide range of Japanese shows and movies. A lot of Japanese movies on Netflix are available with subtitles in both Japanese and English, so it’s ideal to learn by listening to actual pronunciation, reading what words mean, and/or checking vocabulary and spelling. In terms of understanding Japanese culture, Netflix can also be a great source for this.

When it comes to learning and entertainment, watching Japanese shows on Netflix is much easier and useful than watching them on TV or at actual movie theaters. Watching Japanese shows on Netflix doesn’t require traveling to theaters, you don’t need to bother checking schedules, and you don’t need to remember to record. Most of all, you can repeat lines at any time, and as many times as you like, with subtitles so that you can learn Japanese more efficiently.

Whether you just want to enjoy watching Japanese movies on Netflix casually, or you want to try learning conversational Japanese, Netflix is one of the best options for you. Either way, watching Netflix Japanese shows will boost your Japanese skills and allow you to see Japanese culture in action.

So what’s on Japanese Netflix? Here’s JapanesePod101’s list of recommended Japanese Netflix titles for an enjoyable Japanese learning experience!

Table of Contents

1. Midnight Dining / 深夜食堂 (Shin’ya Shokudō)
2. Hibana: Spark / 火花
3. Terrace House / テラスハウス
4. Ainori Love Wagon / あいのり
5. Atelier / アンダーウェア
6. Solitary Gourmet / 孤独のグルメ
7. Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman / さぼリーマン甘太朗
8. Million Yen Women / 100万円の女たち
9. Dad of Light / ファイナルファンタジーXIV 光のお父さん
10. Jiro Dreams of Sushi / 二郎は鮨の夢を見る
11. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Midnight Dining / 深夜食堂 (Shin’ya Shokudō)

Midnight Diner is a Japanese TV series, based on the manga of the same title: 深夜食堂 (Shin’ya Shokudō). This Japanese show is currently one of the best Japanese Netflix shows. This drama is mainly about a diner which operates at midnight, and follows the owner’s interactions with his customers.

The setting of the show is a small Izakaya named “Meshiya” in Shinjuku, the big city that never sleeps in Tokyo. As Shinjuku is busy with its nightlife, there are always customers who visit this midnight diner (open from midnight to seven o’clock in the morning). Customers come to the diner for delicious traditional Japanese food and relaxing conversation with the master chef after their stressful day. What’s interesting is that each customer has a unique and touching story.

You’ll learn about how Japanese people talk about their lives, dreams, and love lives, and get a taste of Japanese traditional night foods and drinks. When it comes to the language they use, it may be a bit difficult for beginners, as the characters speak in a very casual style (sometimes with slang), which is far from using the structured formal language. However, this can be useful learning material for grasping colloquial Japanese.

You’ll probably hear Japanese curse words in some episodes, but here’s a tip for you: Japanese Curse Words You Should Never Use.

2. Hibana: Spark / 火花

Hibana, the Japanese word meaning “spark,” is a Japanese Netflix show based on the award-winning novel written by a Japanese comedian. Inspired in part by the author’s real life, the story is about two young manzai comedians and their struggles as they try to become big stand-up comedians. This show has ten episodes, and each episode focuses on one year of their lives, totaling a span of ten years.

This Japanese Netflix show attracts viewers’ attention and draws them into the story as it depicts human drama with stark reality, both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. The drama is well-filmed to show human relationships and the reality of competitiveness in the comedy industry.

For Japanese learners, it’s useful to know how people use conversational Japanese around close friends, seniors, and juniors, using both the formal and informal language. For this reason, we recommend this show for intermediate-level Japanese learners. This show also gives insight into the culture and industry of Japanese comedy.

Many Japanese comedians are from the Kansai area, and they speak Kansai dialect. For more information on this topic, check out our Japanese Dialects guide!

3. Terrace House / テラスハウス

This Netflix Japanese show is based on the reality TV show that aired on Japanese Fuji TV with five series, and now they’ve made a Netflix original series. This reality show follows the lives of young Japanese strangers—three girls and three guys—living together in one posh house. Viewers get to see how different people get to know each other and form human relationships (and sometimes romance) over time.

This show doesn’t have a particular story, nor dramatic turn of events. However, this is a good way to know how the younger Japanese generations interact with each other in everyday life. Although they share their lives under one roof, each member still engages in their own work or study outside the house, and they’re free to enter and leave. This setting makes the show more realistic and interesting.

If you want to make new Japanese friends and speak natural Japanese (which normal textbooks don’t teach), this can be the ideal show to watch. You can learn how to speak when you’re getting to know someone new, and how to start conversations.

This Japanese Netflix show is recommended for Japanese learners at the intermediate level. The conversations are mostly informal and spoken among young people, without structured or formal language.

4. Ainori Love Wagon / あいのり

This Japanese show on Netflix is originally from the popular Japanese TV program which was first aired two decades ago. The Japanese word Ainori means “ride together,” and can also mean “love ride,” based on how it’s read. This reality show follows seven young, single Japanese participants who go on a road trip to foreign countries in a pink van. The goal of participants is to find real love and become a couple with another participant while on the budget-type trip. They’ll then finish traveling and return to Japan together.

Ainori is an interesting love reality show which also introduces foreign countries and cultures during the participants’ travels. Each participant has a unique personality, and as you keep watching, you may find some favorite characters whom you want to support and see them happily form a couple. Unlike Terrace House, which features fancy people and a posh house, Ainori has more events, adventure, and drama as the participants travel to foreign lands.

We recommend this show for intermediate Japanese learners. Similarly to Terrace House, conversations are informal, without structured or formal language. It’s good for learning how young Japanese people talk and communicate with each other.

If you want to learn more about love phrases, check out Romance and Love in Japanese here!

5. Atelier / アンダーウェア

Atelier (the title of the original Japanese version is アンダーウェア meaning “Underwear” ) is a Netflix Japanese drama produced by Fuji TV for Netflix. It has thirteen episodes, and the real and famous lingerie company sponsors and supports this drama, making it more realistic in detail.

This show centers on a girl who has started her career at a high-end lingerie company and struggles to do well there. Through all the happenings, the story focuses on her interactions and relationship with her boss and the owner of the company. The character settings remind viewers of Anna Wintour and Miranda Priestly.

This Japanese Netflix drama provides viewers with a chance to learn some business conversation in Japanese for the office setting, and gives viewers insight into the daily life of a young employee. It’s good for intermediate-level learners.

6. Solitary Gourmet / 孤独のグルメ

Looking for good Japanese Netflix shows about food?

Solitary Gourmet is based on the original Japanese comic of the same name, and it has been produced as a Japanese TV drama series. It’s now available on Netflix.

This show is about nothing but Japanese cuisine, and it’s great for Japanese food lovers. The story follows a Japanese salesman who travels to different places across Japan for business, and visits various restaurants. He has a great passion for food, and he feels ultimate happiness when he indulges in eating delicious food.

It may sound boring, as it’s about a businessman eating alone, but this show actually offers something more and can be very addictive. In each episode, the main character tries out new restaurants and bars, and he enjoys every detail of speciality food. It’s intriguing how he tastes food and describes it to himself (in his head) in detail.

This is recommended for Japanese food fans and those who are interested in the Japanese food culture. You’ll learn a lot more about Japanese cuisine than just sushi and ramen. Also, watching this show is a great way to improve your vocabulary, especially in terms of adjectives.

7. Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman / さぼリーマン甘太朗

This is another one of the top Japanese Netflix shows which is based on the manga comics featuring food, but this one is about sweets. What’s interesting and attractive about this series is that the featured cafes, patisserie, and sweets and desserts are real, although the story itself is fiction.

The story of this Japanese Netflix series centers on a salaryman, Kantaro, who is considered a go‐getter and hardworking businessman. However, his seemingly fast and efficient work is actually motivated by his endless passion for sweets and desserts. He manages his work in such a way that he can sneak out to eat sweets in various places across Tokyo. Each episode focuses on a particular kind of sweet.

This show is good for Japanese learners, especially those who love sweets. If you live in Tokyo or have a chance to visit Tokyo, you can actually try the sweets featured in this show! If that’s possible, try to learn what Kantaro says to describe sweets; you’ll be able to practice those phrases while tasting yummy sweets. This show also offers a great chance to learn formal business Japanese.

8. Million Yen Women / 100万円の女たち

This Japanese show on Netflix is also based on a manga, and the series was co-produced by TV Tokyo and Netflix into a live-action drama.

This mysterious plot features a young novelist, and five beautiful women who suddenly moved in with him to pay him a crazy one-million yen per month to help his living. Each of the five women has unique characteristics and background stories, making the story more attractive.

He wonders why these women came to his place to offer him such crazy help, but it’s forbidden to ask them questions. However, through living with them, a small piece of the mystery is revealed little by little in each episode.

This is one of the most fascinating Japanese Netflix programs today. This show is very amusing as the story is shrouded in curious mystery and viewers are pulled into its unique world to discover the secret. You can simply enjoy watching it, but it can also be good material to learn conversational Japanese. It’s recommended for beginner- and intermediate-level learners.

9. Dad of Light / ファイナルファンタジーXIV 光のお父さん

This was originally a TV drama based on a true story from a blog, and is the first live-action series to commercialize the game Final Fantasy XIV.

The story focuses on a father and his son as they reconnect by playing the online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV. The son, who feels distant from his father after years of little conversation, tries to break the ice. He remembered that he and his father played Final Fantasy III together when he was a kid, and they had a good bond through the game. He hopes that this passion for FFXIV will help them reconnect and he plans to become friends with his father in the online game without telling him who he really is. Over time, through playing and working together in-game, he tries to understand and communicate with his father better.

This Japanese Netflix TV series would be very interesting for gamers, particularly those who already have some knowledge about Final Fantasy. This show features a lot of game-related vocabulary, and is recommended for beginner- and intermediate-level learners.

10. Jiro Dreams of Sushi / 二郎は鮨の夢を見る

If you couldn’t tell, Japanese Netflix TV shows about food are quite popular. This one also features food, but is different from the others on this list because it’s a documentary film. The film was directed by David Gelb, and the documentary focuses on Jiro Ono (小野 二郎 Ono Jirō), who is an eighty-five-year-old sushi master.

The film features the legendary Jiro’s renowned restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro which has three Michelin stars. His restaurant, located in the middle of Ginza, one of the most expensive districts in Tokyo, has merely ten seats, but the minimum price per person is from ¥30,000. The documentary also focuses on Jiro’s relationship with his two sons, both of whom are also sushi chefs (and one of them is his eventual heir).

This documentary gives insight into the ultimate Japanese craftsmanship and pursuit in the art of food. The Japanese spoken in this film isn’t a perfect tool for learning, but it still helps you to deepen your knowledge of Japanese.

11. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this Japanese Netflix list of the best shows on Netflix to learn Japanese is helpful, and that it makes your Japanese studies more enjoyable! By now, you should have a better idea of how to use Japanese Netflix content to make learning fun and efficient.

Ready to watch Japanese Netflix? Which of these Japanese Netflix programs are you most interested in? Let us know!

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills. For example, Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations to practice your Japanese with audio. If you’re a fan of Japanese anime, How to Learn Japanese with Anime? and 76 Must-Know Japanese Onomatopoeia Words are helpful. If you’re planning to visit Japan, check out 3 Reasons to Learn Japanese Before Traveling!

Know that your hard work will pay off; with enough practice, you’ll be speaking like a native in no time!

If you’re learning Japanese grammar, you may be surprised by how many variations there are of Japanese conjunctions and Japanese connective particles, and how they vary depending on the use of sentences.

When you think about speaking your mother tongue, the flow of your sentences is very natural, without redundancy or lack of words. This is because you can use conjunctions effectively and naturally to connect sentences.

In this way, in Japanese grammar, conjunctions are one of the most essential parts of speech. When you master Japanese conjunctions, you’ll be able to speak Japanese quite fluently!

By the end of this article, you should have a better idea about Japanese conjunctions meaning, how to use Japanese conjunctions, and have an increased Japanese conjunction vocabulary!

Here are some of the most basic and useful Japanese conjunctions and connectives. Let’s enjoy learning here at JapanesePod101.com!

Table of Contents

1. What is a Conjunction?
2. Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts
3. Conjunctions to Express Condition
4. Conjunctions to Express Cause
5. Conjunctions to Express Opposition
6. Conjunctions to Express Choices
7. Other Useful Japanese Conjunctions
8. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. What is a Conjunction?

Conjunctions are words that connect and conjoin phrases, clauses, or sentences together. A conjunction word doesn’t have a meaning itself, much like prepositions. Conjunctions in Japanese function similarly to how they do in English.

The conjunction in Japanese is usually a particle or postposition that’s usually used at the end of the dependent clause(s), determining the relationship of the conjoined clauses. Examples of these relationships include copulative, disjunctive, adversative, and conclusive.

For example, here are the most common Japanese conjunctions by type:

• Copulative Conjunctions: The conjunctive relation of units that expresses the addition and/or connection of meanings.

  And:
  と、(to)
  や、 (ya)
  そして (soshite)

  Also:
  も、(mo)
  もまた (mo mata)

  Then:
  そして、 (soshite)
  それから (sorekara)

  Or:
  または、(mata wa)
  また (mata)

• Disjunctive Conjunctions: The conjunctive relation of units that expresses the disjunction of their meanings.

  -or, -or : -ka, -ka ‥か、‥か
  -and, -and : -ya, -ya ‥や、‥や

• Adversative Conjunctions: The conjunctive relation of units that expresses the opposition of their meanings.

  But:
  しかし、(shikashi)
  が、(ga)
  けど (kedo)
  けれども (keredomo)
  なのに (nanoni)
  でも (demo)

  However:
  しかしながら、 (shikashinagara)
  ところが (tokoroga)
  　
  Despite:
  にもかかわらず (nimokakawarazu)

• Conclusive Conjunctions

  So:
  それで、(sorede)
  なので (nanode)

  And then:
  それから、(sorekara)
  その後 (sonogo)

  Therefore:　
  それゆえに、(soreyue ni)
  だから、(dakara)
  したがって (shitagatte)

  Thus:
  ゆえに、(yue ni)
  したがって (shitagatte)

There are exceptions where Japanese language conjunctions can’t be used to connect equivalent clauses or sentences. However, we’ll explain the basic and most important Japanese conjunctions in this article.

Japanese conjunctions have a wide range of variations

2. Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts

Here are the commonly used Japanese conjunctions which connect clauses/sentences with a function of addition.

1- と (to)

• Meaning: This word means “and.” It simply adds one thing to another.
• Usage:と(to) is used when you list everything that’s applicable. と (to) can only be used to connect nouns.
• Example:

  テーブルの上にりんごとみかんとバナナがあります。
  Tēburu no ue ni ringo to mikan to banana ga arimasu.
  There are apples, oranges, and bananas on the table.

  • In this case, there are only apples, oranges, and bananas on the table.

2- や (ya)

• Meaning: This word means “and.” It adds one thing to another.
• Usage: や (ya) is similar to と (to), but it’s used when you list only some parts of a whole, which are applicable. や (ya) can only be used to connect nouns.
• Example:

  テーブルの上にりんごやみかんがあります。
  Tēburu no ue ni ringo ya mikan ga arimasu.
  There are apples and oranges on the table.

  • The translation in English is the same as that for the example for と (to). In this case, however, it implies that there are things besides the apple and orange on the table.

3- そして (soshite)

• Meaning: This word means “and.” It adds things to each other, like the last words. It can also mean “thus” and “and then.”
• Usage: そして (soshite) is used to add noun(s), or to explain an action that follows.
• Example:

  テーブルの上にりんごとみかん、そしてバナナがあります。
  Tēburu no ue ni ringo to mikan, soshite banana ga arimasu.
  There are apples, oranges, and bananas on the table.

  私はりんごを食べます。そしてみかんも食べます。
  Watashi wa ringo o tabemasu. Soshite mikan mo tabemasu.
  I’ll eat an apple. And then I’ll eat an orange, too.

3. Conjunctions to Express Condition

There are several variations of Japanese conjunctions which are used to introduce a conditional clause.

1- もし (moshi)

• Meaning: It means simply “if,” but it can also mean “in case” and “supposing.”
• Usage: When using もし (moshi), the end of a sentence should be conjugated to the conditional form, such as: たら (-tara), なら (-nara), ならば (-naraba), or すると (-suruto).

  When the conditional form is emphasized, it’s possible to omit もし (moshi) and the sentence still keeps the expression of condition.

• Example:

  もし明日雨が降るなら、ピクニックは中止です。
  Moshi ashita ame ga furu nara, pikunikku wa chūshi desu.
  If it rains tomorrow, the picnic will be cancelled.

2- たら (tara)

• Meaning: This word means “if,” and it denotes a condition.
• Usage: As mentioned above, たら (-tara) is used at the end of a clause/sentence, along withもし (moshi) at the beginning. It’s usually used to express a relationship of assumption, as well as a specific and one-time consequence.
• Example:

  もし時間があったら、映画を見たいです。
  Moshi jikan ga attara, eiga o mitai desu.
  If I have time, I want to watch a movie.

3- なら (nara)

• Meaning: This word means “if,” and it denotes a condition.
• Usage: なら (-nara) is also used at the end of a clause/sentence, along withもし (moshi) at the beginning.

  Unlike たら (-tara), なら (-nara) is usually used to express a speaker’s decision, order, hope, or opinion of assumption when assuming a certain thing.

• Example:

  京都へ行くなら、新幹線で行きたいです。
  Kyōto e iku nara, Shinkansen de ikitai desu.
  If I go to Kyoto, I want to go by Shinkansen.

4- すると (suruto)

• Meaning: This word means “if,” and it denotes a condition.すると (suruto) can also mean “then.”
• Usage: When using すると (suruto) as a conditional conjunction, と (to) or だと (da to) usually come in front of it. It expresses a relationship of assumption and a consequence.
• Example:

  彼が間に合わないとすると、私たちは会議を始められません。
  Kare ga maniawanai to suruto, watashi-tachi wa kaigi o hajimeraremasen.
  If he can’t come in time, we can’t start a meeting.

When you use conjunctions effectively, conversations will go smoothly.

4. Conjunctions to Express Cause

There’s also a number of Japanese conjunctions which are used to express cause. Combining two clauses/sentences with the following conjunctions denotes a reason and result. In Japanese grammar, note that the clause/sentence that states the reason comes first.

1- だから (da kara) / から (kara)

• Meaning: This word can mean “so,” “therefore,” or “thus.”
• Usage: だから (da kara) and から (kara) are very similar. However, a noun usually comes in front of だから (da kara), and an adjective or verb comes before から (kara).
• Example:

  明日は日曜日だから 仕事はしません。
  Ashita wa nichi-yōbi da kara shigoto wa shimasen.
  Tomorrow is Sunday, so I don’t work.

  太るからケーキは食べません。
  Futoru kara kēki wa tabemasen.
  I will get fat, so I don’t eat cakes.

When considering the word order in Japanese grammar, it’s easier to remember the meaning as “so” rather than “because,” to match the order in English grammar.

2- ので (node)

• Meaning: This word means “so” or “thus.”
• Usage: ので (node) is used the same way as から (kara), but ので (node) is somewhat more polite.
• Example:

  辛いので食べられません。
  Karai node taberaremasen.
  It is spicy, so I can’t eat it.

3- ため (tame) / のため (no tame)

• Meaning: This word can mean “because (of) …” or “as a consequence of …”
• Usage: Both ため (tame) and のため (no tame) have the same meaning, but an adjective or verb usually comes before ため (tame), and a noun comes in front of のため (no tame).
• Example:

  宝くじが当たったため、私は車を買いました。
  Takarakuji ga atatta tame, watashi wa kuruma o kaimashita.
  I bought a car because I won the lottery.

  雪のため電車は遅れました。
  Yuki no tame densha wa okuremashita.
  Because of the snow, the train was delayed.

4- なぜなら (nazenara)

• Meaning: This word means “because.”
• Usage: When you use なぜなら (nazenara), please remember that a sentence of a particular situation comes before なぜなら (nazenara), and a sentence to explain why follows it. It often comes with だから (da kara) or から (kara) to explain why.
• Example:

  彼女は怒って帰りました。なぜなら彼氏が浮気したのを知ったからです。
  Kanojo wa okotte kaerimashita. Nazenara kareshi ga uwaki shita no o shitta kara desu.
  She got angry and left, because she came to know her boyfriend had cheated on her.

In order to learn which conjunction is appropriate to use and in what situation, try to listen to how Japanese people use Japanese conjunctions in various situations.

5. Conjunctions to Express Opposition

Here are several examples of Japanese conjunctions which are used to denote contrast.

1- しかし (shikashi) / でも (demo)

• Meaning: This word means “but” or “however.”
• Usage: Both しかし (shikashi) and でも (demo) are the most commonly used conjunctions to express opposition. They usually come at the beginning of a sentence and refer to the statement which was mentioned before. しかし (shikashi) is often used in formal situations, while でも (demo) is more casual and colloquial.
• Example:

  気温は低く寒いです。しかし、 花が咲きました。
  Kion wa hikuku samui desu. Shikashi, hana ga sakimashita.
  The temperature is low and it’s cold. However, flowers bloom.

  外は暖かい。でも、風は冷たい。
  Soto wa atatakai. Demo, kaze wa tsumetai.
  It is warm outside. But the wind is cold.

2- が (ga) / だが (daga)

• Meaning: This word means “but” or “however.”
• Usage: が (ga) and だが (daga) are almost the same, but が (ga) is used to conjoin separate sentences with a comma, and だが (daga) is often used at the beginning of a sentence.
• Example:

  お金はあるが、旅行する時間がない。
  O-kane wa aru ga, ryokō suru jikan ga nai.
  I have money, but I don’t have time to travel.

  春は好きです。だが、夏は好きではないです。
  Haru wa suki desu. Daga, natsu wa suki de wa nai desu.
  I like spring. But I don’t like summer.

3- ところが (tokoroga) / なのに (nanoni)

• Meaning: This word means “but” or “however.”
• Usage: ところが (tokoroga) and なのに (nanoni) have similar meanings which express reverse conditions. They have a nuance of surprise, or sometimes complaint, which contrasts the expectation. ところが (tokoroga) is more formal, while なのに (nanoni) is used in a casual way and in colloquial speech.
• Example:

  彼女は勉強をしなかった。とことろが、試験に受かった。
  Kanojo wa benkyō o shinakatta. Tokoroga, shiken ni ukatta.
  She did not study. But she passed the examination.

  彼は先生だ。なのに、英語を話せない。
  Kare wa sensei da. Nanoni, eigo o hanasenai.
  He is a teacher. But he can’t speak English.

4- けど (kedo) / けれども (keredomo)

• Meaning: This word can mean “but,” “however,” “though,” and “although.”
• Usage: While しかし (shikashi) and でも (demo) are often used at the beginning of a sentence with a comma, けど (kedo) and けれども (keredomo) are used to conjoin two separate sentences to express reverse conditions.

  けど (kedo) and けれどもけど (keredomo) are almost the same. However, けれども (keredomo) is slightly more formal and polite, while けど (kedo) is often used in a casual way and in colloquial speech.

• Example:

  外は暖かいけど、風は冷たい。
  Soto wa atatakai kedo, kaze wa tsumetai.
  It is warm outside, but the wind is cold.

  私は1ヶ月お菓子を食べなかったけれども、痩せなかった。
  Watashi wa ikkagetsu o-kashi o tabenakatta keredomo, yasenakatta.
  Although I didn’t eat snacks for a month, I didn’t lose weight.

6. Conjunctions to Express Choices

Here are some basic Japanese conjunctions which are used to express choices and alternatives.

1- または (matawa) / もしくは (moshikuwa)

• Meaning: This word means “or” or “otherwise.”
• Usage: These conjunctions are used when you want to show options for something. または (matawa) and もしくは (moshikuwa) are very similar, and there’s not much difference in their meaning and usage. または (matawa) is more common and is used more often than もしくは (moshikuwa).
• Example:

  電車またはバスで行きます。
  Densha matawa basu de ikimasu.
  I will go by train or bus.

  クレジットカードもしくは、電子決済でお支払いください。
  Kurejitto cādo moshikuwa, denshi kessai de o-shiharai kudasai.
  Please pay by credit card or through an electric payment.

2- か (ka)

• Meaning: This word means “or,” or “whether…or.”
• Usage: か (ka) is almost the same in meaning as the English word “or.” With this meaning, か (ka) is usually used twice in a sentence to indicate alternatives.
• Example:

  今レストランは開いているか、 閉まっているか、知っていますか。
  Ima resutoran wa aite iru ka, shimatte iru ka, shitte imasu ka.
  Do you know if the restaurant is open or closed now?

3- あるいは (aruiwa)

• Meaning: This word means “or” or “alternatively.”
• Usage: あるいは (aruiwa) is another Japanese conjunction to express a choice between A or B. This is often used to show things which are of the same or similar kind. It has a nuance of “alternatively.”
• Example:

  私は来年大阪あるいは名古屋へ転勤になります。
  Watashi wa rainen Ōsaka aruiwa Nagoya e tenkin ni narimasu.
  I will be transferred to Osaka or Nagoya next year.

Some Japanese conjunctions are only used in colloquial speech, and some are mostly used in formal settings.

7. Other Useful Japanese Conjunctions

It is good to know other useful Japanese conjunctions to improve your conversation skills. Here are some commonly used expressions.

1- ところで (tokorode)

• Meaning: This word means “by the way.”
• Usage: This phrase is often used when you change the topic in a conversation, and it’s generally used before asking a question.
• Example:

  ところで、今週末は何か予定ありますか。
  Tokorode, konshūmatsu wa nani ka yotei arimasu ka.
  By the way, do you have any plans for this weekend?

2- 一方で (ippō de)

• Meaning: This phrase can mean “on the other hand,” “while,” or “meanwhile.”
• Usage: 一方で (ippō de) is used to indicate that the following sentence will be in a direction different from the previous sentence. The following sentence doesn’t necessarily have to be completely opposite from the previous one. 一方で (ippō de) can be also be used to mean “while” or “meanwhile.”
• Example:

  彼女は寿司が好きです。一方で彼はピザが好きです。
  Kanojo wa sushi ga suki desu. Ippō de kare wa piza ga suki desu.
  She likes sushi. On the other hand, he likes pizza.

3- 例えば (tatoeba)

• Meaning: This means “for example.”
• Usage: This phrase can be used exactly the same as “for example” in English. It’s used when you want to give examples.
• Example:

  私の趣味はスポーツです。例えば、水泳とテニスが好きです。
  Watashi no shumi wa supōtsu desu. Tatoeba, suiei to tenisu ga suki desu.
  My hobby is sports. For example, I like swimming and tennis.

4- さらに (sarani) / その上 (sonoue)

• Meaning: These words can mean “in addition” and “moreover.”
• Usage: Bothさらに (sarani) and その上 (sonoue) are used when you want to add something. その上 (sonoue) has a slightly stronger emphasis thanさらに (sarani).その上 (sonoue) is literally translated as “on top of that.”
• Example:

  日曜日に買い物へ行き、さらにジムへ行きました。
  Nichi-yōbi ni kaimono e iki, sarani jimu e ikimashita.
  I went shopping, and moreover, I went to the gym on Sunday.

  日曜日に買い物へ行き、さらにジムへ行きました。その上、夜は映画を見に行きました。
  Nichi-yōbi ni kaimono e iki, sarani jimu e ikimashita. Sonoue, yoru wa eiga o mi ni ikimashita.
  I went shopping, and in addition, I went to the gym on Sunday. Moreover, I went to see the movie.

Please see our article on Must-Know Adverbs and Phrases for Connecting Thoughts for more examples with audio.

8. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this Japanese conjunctions list is helpful for your Japanese language studies. By learning Japanese conjunctions, your conversation skills will improve a lot, and you can enjoy speaking Japanese much more!

Which conjunctions do you plan on using soon? Which ones are you still struggling with? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re keen on learning more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a plethora of free lessons for you to help you boost your Japanese language skills, regardless of your current skill level:

• Themed vocabulary lists
• More insightful blog posts like this one
• Mobile apps to learn Japanese anywhere
• A MyTeacher program for Premium Plus members
• Much, much more!

All of your studying and practice will pay off, and soon you’ll be speaking and writing in Japanese like a native! And SpanishPod101 will be here throughout your language-learning journey with support and effective lesson materials!

Best wishes, and happy learning!

What is Japanese etiquette?

Japanese culture is well-known for its politeness and unique features, and what is thought to be normal in other countries isn’t always common in Japan. Many foreign tourists wonder what exactly the DO’s and DON’Ts in Japan are when traveling to Japan for the first time.

Japanese people are warm and welcoming to travelers, and they understand if foreign travelers don’t know all the Japanese customs. However, it’s always good to know the basic Japanese etiquette and manners in advance to make your trip more smooth and enjoyable. It’s also a part of experiencing and exploring the Japanese culture.

Here’s our guide to Japanese manners and etiquette, especially for travelers. Here, you’ll find all the Japanese etiquette tips, Japanese customs, and other Japanese etiquette for foreigners you need to know!

Table of Contents

1. Basic Japanese Etiquette
2. Japanese Table Etiquette & Manners
3. Japanese Etiquette for Sightseeing
4. Japanese Etiquette for Greeting
5. Japanese House Guest Etiquette
6. Japanese Business Etiquette
7. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Basic Japanese Etiquette

The DO’s and DON’Ts in this first section are very basic, and they’re common in most important occasions in Japan.

1- DO’s

• Be Polite

  Politeness may be the basis for other Japanese etiquette rules. It’s noted that Japanese etiquette is greatly influenced by the concept of collectivism, which is characterized by fairness among people and prioritization of interests of the social group over individuals. It also emphasizes on maximizing the benefits and goodness of the group through each individual’s effort and thoughtfulness. This means that being polite and kind to others is for everyone’s convenience and happiness.

• Respect

  Respect is another very essential value when it comes to Japanese manners and customs. In order to add to everyone’s happiness, you should respect others’ rights, interests, convenience, and so on. In addition, influenced by Confucianism, respecting elders is also important; please help elders cross the street, walk up stairs with luggage, and so on.

• Be Punctual, Even Early

  Keeping time is imperative in Japanese culture social etiquette. This is a way of respecting others and not wasting their valuable time. Japanese trains arrive on time, and Japanese people usually arrive five to ten minutes before the meeting time. If it’s an interview at a company, it’s not good enough to arrive just on time; you’re expected to arrive earlier than the appointment time. Definitely keep this in mind if you’re serious about learning Japanese business etiquette.

• Keep in Order

  To be fair to everyone and respect others, Japanese people naturally queue up even if there’s no instruction to do so. For instance, they may keep from rushing into an activity if they see that there are already too many people doing it. You’ll see Japanese people queuing neatly aside the opening doors of the train on crowded weekday mornings.

Keep public places clean and do not litter.

2- DON’Ts

• Don’t Bother Others

  Prioritization of the group’s interests also means that bothering and annoying others is considered very bad manners in Japan. Even if you’re starving or don’t have enough time, please refrain from eating smelly foods (such as fast food) on the train, or putting on makeup during the ride.

• Don’t Litter

  Streets are not your own room, so don’t litter on the streets. Usually, you don’t find many trash bins along the streets in Japan, but you’ll notice that the ground is free from rubbish. It’s common courtesy according to modern Japanese etiquette to keep your trash with you until you find a bin or arrive home.

• Don’t be Loud

  Another important Japanese etiquette rule: In public places, you’re expected not to make loud noises. Especially on a train, keep your conversation voice soft and quiet. Talking loudly or talking on the phone will make surrounding Japanese people feel uncomfortable. Please don’t forget to set your mobile phone to silent when you’re on a public transportation.

2. Japanese Table Etiquette & Manners

There are quite different table manners and etiquette in Japan compared to other countries. Don’t be surprised; when in Japan, do as the Japanese do!

1- Greet Before/After Eating

This is one of the most basic Japanese greeting etiquette rules, and Japanese people do this for every meal.

According to Japanese etiquette table manners, you should say いただきます (Itadakimasu) before eating. The phrase Itadakimasu doesn’t have a direct translation in English, but it means “I’m thankful for this food and I will start eating.”

Also, say ごちそうさまでした (Gochisō-sama deshita) after you’ve finished eating. This phrase means “It was delicious,” and it shows appreciation for the meal.

2- Use Chopsticks Properly: Chopstick Etiquette in Japan

When you’re an adult, you’re expected to know how to use chopsticks properly as this is good Japanese etiquette when eating. So when you’re eating at a Japanese cuisine restaurant, try to use chopsticks. If you don’t have the confidence to use chopsticks well, you can still ask a waiter for forks and knives.

However, don’t play with your chopsticks. It’s considered rude behavior, as well as childish, if you hold one stick with one hand and the other stick with the other hand, poking food around or pointing to something with your chopsticks, etc.

In addition, never stick them vertically in your rice bowl and never use your chopsticks to pass a piece of food to someone else’s chopsticks directly. These actions are associated with funeral rituals and the deceased, and are considered the worst possible chopstick behavior.

3- Make Noise While Eating Soup Noodles

According to Japanese manners and etiquette, making noise while you’re eating is considered bad manners. The only exception is for soup noodles such as ramen, udon, and soba, when it comes to slurping soup and noodles. Slurping shows that you’re enjoying your food. However, making chewing noises isn’t appropriate, and it’s considered rude and is associated with poor education. Close your mouth while you’re chewing food.

Slurping is ok only for soup noodles in Japan.

4- Do Not Pour Your Own Drink When You’re with Someone

This is another typical Japanese etiquette rule when dining. When you dine out with your friends, colleagues, or your boss, it’s rude to pour your own drink yourself. You pour drinks for everyone else first, and then they will pour your drink in return.

Usually, those who are youngest or in the lowest position of a hierarchy should be the one to pour elders drinks first. This is especially true for work-related occasions.

Even among friends, pouring drinks for each other is considered nice, and it shows your mutual thoughtfulness toward a good friendship.

5- Do Not Pay a Tip

Good news for everyone! According to Japanese etiquette, money shouldn’t be given as a tip. This bit of Japanese etiquette when visiting may surprise you, but don’t leave a tip on the table. Otherwise, the waiter/ess will run after you to let you know that you forgot your money. If you try to hand a tip to them, the staff member will wonder what the money’s for and won’t know what to do with it.

So, just keep your change in your pocket, even if you’re impressed by nice Japanese services. Instead, tell a staff member that you really liked their food or services with a smile.

Make sure you use chopsticks properly, especially at proper Sushi and Japanese restaurants.

3. Japanese Etiquette for Sightseeing

In this section, we’ll go over etiquette in Japan you need to keep in mind while sightseeing! This is just simple Japanese etiquette to ensure you’re polite and respectful wherever you are.

1- At Shrines and Temples

There are numerous 神社 (jinja) or “Shintō shrines” and お寺 (o-tera) or “Buddhist temples” across Japan. Foreign tourists are welcome to visit them, but there are particular manners and etiquette rules for sightseeing.

Shrines and temples are considered sacred places, and you should behave quietly with respect. Smoking is not allowed inside of the precincts. Take off your hat and don’t dress too casually when you enter buildings (for example, don’t wear beach sandals).

When arriving at the main building, throw a coin into an offering box in front of the sacred object. Then, make a short prayer with your palms together in front of your chest.

When entering Shrines, you need to do a purification ritual. There’s a water source usually located near the main 鳥居 (Torii) gate and you need to purify your body before proceeding further into the Shrine.

Take a provided ladle to scoop up water and pour it over both of your hands to rinse them. Then pour a bit of water in your hand and use it to rinse your mouth. Do not swallow the water, but spit it out on the ground. Put the ladle back to where it was.

2- Taxi Doors

More often than not, Japanese taxi doors are automatic! So note this tip on Japanese cultural etiquette for taxis.

When you stop a taxi, the driver will pull the lever and open the door (usually for the back seat) for you. After you get in a taxi, the door will close automatically. So don’t try to open or close the taxi door by yourself.

Japanese taxi calculates fee by meters.

3- Onsen and Swimming Pools

温泉 (Onsen), or hot springs, is one of the most popular things to do in Japan, especially during the cold seasons. If you have large tattoos on your body, however, you have to be checked to see if you’re allowed to use Onsen or the public swimming pool.

This essential Japanese etiquette rule may seem strange, so let us explain.

Traditionally, most Japanese onsen and public pools ban people with tattoos from using the facilities. This is because they intend to keep out Yakuza and members of crime gangs, who are associated with having body tattoos.

However, due to the growing demand of foreign tourists with tattoos, the number of tattoo-friendly facilities is increasing. Some facilities provide cover-up tape to allow those with tattoos access to the facilities. Be sure to check the availability in advance if you have visible tattoos on your body.

When you use Onsen, Japanese etiquette requires that users wash their bodies before entering a pool. Onsen is shared with others and it must be kept clean and hygienic. Even if you’re very excited to experience Onsen, don’t rush straight into a pool; clean yourself first.

Japanese Onsen is usually gender-separated and you can’t wear swimsuits.

4. Japanese Etiquette for Greeting

As you learn Japanese etiquette, knowing how to greet is essential. Greeting is imperative to the Japanese etiquette and manners, as politeness and respect start from the greeting.

1- Bowing

Bowing is one of the most important common Japanese body language gestures for both formal and informal occasions. People bow to greet, nod, thank, and apologize.

There are variations of how to bow, depending on the depth, duration, and seriousness, but foreign tourists aren’t expected to understand all of it. Japanese people won’t be offended if visitors don’t bow correctly.

Bow politely; bend your head and back in a straight line when you meet someone, thank someone, or say goodbye. Bowing can be a bit awkward for you at first if you’re used to shaking hands, but follow and imitate how Japanese people bow. When someone bows to you as a greeting, it’s usually sufficient to do the same in return.

Bowing properly and politely is one of the most important business manners.

2- Shaking Hands but No Hugging/Kissing

Japanese people also shake hands when they greet often, such as in a work-related setting. However, the Japanese don’t hug or kiss as a greeting. Japanese people prefer to keep personal space, and traditionally avoid intimate physical body contact in public.

Hugging as a greeting can be done by Japanese people only in special cases, such as meeting someone you know well after quite a long time, or when a person is extremely emotional with joy or in mourning. Ordinary Japanese people never kiss as a greeting. If you try to hug or kiss a Japanese person whom you just met, they will get startled and feel offended.

So, when you greet Japanese people, just bow or shake hands. Do not hug or kiss.

5. Japanese House Guest Etiquette

1- Remove Your Shoes

Japanese people never wear shoes inside of a house. Every house has 玄関 (genkan) or a sunken-foyer entrance inside of the door where you remove your shoes before you actually enter the main section of the home.

You also have to remove your shoes when entering Japanese traditional accommodations which are called 民宿 (minshuku) or 旅館 (ryokan), temple halls, some restaurants, and buildings with 畳 (tatami) areas. Tatami is a type of mat made of grass used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms.

It’s very rude and offensive if you enter places with your shoes on where you’re supposed to take them off, so please be aware!

2- Bring a Gift

One of the essential Japanese etiquette rules when visiting someone’s house is to bring a little お土産 (o-miyage), or a gift, for the host in return for their hospitality. It’s common courtesy to give a nicely wrapped gift to the host to show your appreciation for their invitation. Common gifts include sweets or drinks that they can share and enjoy while you’re visiting.

It’s rude to visit without a gift, especially when you know that the host will cook meals for you. So, when you’re invited to your friend’s place, buy cakes or a bottle of wine, and arrive on time.

A bottle of wine or Champagne would be a good choice to take for a dinner invitation.

3- Slippers

If you’re invited to someone’s home as a guest, you may be offered a pair of slippers at the genkan for walking around inside. Slippers are okay on wooden or smooth flooring, but don’t wear slippers on tatami flooring. Remove your slippers before entering a Japanese tatami room.

In addition, some households have toilet slippers. You should change out of your original slippers into toilet slippers when you enter the restroom, and never step outside the restroom wearing toilet slippers. Some hotels and restaurants also have such separated slippers in the restroom.

To learn more, please watch our YouTube video about How to Visit Someone’s House.

6. Japanese Business Etiquette

Now, it’s time for our Japanese business etiquette guide. Be mindful of all the Japanese business etiquette dos and don’ts here, because they can make or break your first impression.

1- Greeting and Introduction

According to Japanese business etiquette rules, when you meet someone in a business-related occasion, it’s considered good manners to greet them with a decent bow. You should also introduce yourself briefly with your business card.

As for bowing, stand straight first, put your hands in line with the sides of your body, and bend your upper body forward. You shouldn’t bow too quickly, and don’t just bend your head nor arch your back.

Japanese people usually talk about themselves with their name, which company they work for, what job position they’re in, and sometimes how long they’ve worked for their company or industry. Telling or asking for detailed personal information is usually inappropriate.

To learn more about bowing, please see How to Bow in Japan & Manners.

2- Exchanging Business Cards

When you meet someone, exchanging 名刺 (meishi), or business cards, is a must-do business custom in Japan in formal settings. Treat a business card with care, as Japanese people regard it as one’s face.

Make sure you give or receive a business card with both hands when exchanging cards. Handing a card with just one hand is considered very rude. Further, read a card you were given carefully, and ask some questions or offer comments; this is a good way to start a conversation.

Japanese businessmen often bow when they exchange business cards.

3- Dining in Business Settings

Whether you’re dining with colleagues, your boss, or your clients, the seating position is important in business settings.

The seat in the deepest part of the room and the furthest place from the door is considered the best seat, and it should be offered to the most respected person (such as the person in the highest job position, or the oldest person). Further, clients are prioritized above your colleagues, even your boss. The seat closest to the door is considered the least important position, and this is usually used by the youngest person.

Also, the youngest person (or the person in the lowest job position) should usually take everyone’s drink order and tell it to the waiter or waitress. The most respected or important person often gives a small speech and gives a Kanpai toast.

Dining in a business setting in Japan is very hierarchical, and roles at the dining table are implicitly allocated and performed according to the participants’ attributes.

To learn more, our video about How to Attend a Japanese Company Drinking Party is useful.

7. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

We hope this article about Japanese etiquette and manners is helpful, and that you’ll have a more enjoyable experience when you visit Japan!

If you’d like to learn about the Japanese language, you’ll find very useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills.

We also have a YouTube channel where you can enjoy learning the Japanese language by watching videos and listening to actual Japanese pronunciation. Learning Japanese gestures is also very helpful when it comes to understanding Japanese etiquette and culture.

When you plan to visit Japan, don’t forget to check out the following content: Learn the Top 25 Must-Know Japanese Phrases!, Top 20 Travel Phrases You Should Know in Japanese, Best Traveling Tips and Places to Visit in Japan!, and much more.

Before you go, be sure to let us know in the comments what you thought about our Japanese etiquette guide. Do you feel more confident now, or is there still a situation or topic you need information about? We look forward to hearing from you!

Learning how to read dates is one of the most basic things when learning a new language, and it’s essential in everyday life. For instance, you use dates when making appointments, buying tickets for a particular day, asking for someone’s birthday, etc.

Expressing the date in Japanese isn’t very complicated. The date in Japanese mostly follows the counter system, with just a few exceptions; English, on the other hand, has different names for the months and days of the week.

You’ll be able to learn dates in Japanese much easier once you know Japanese numbers. If you’re not yet familiar with numbers in Japanese, please visit Japanese Numbers on our website.

Table of Contents

1. How are Dates Usually Expressed in Japanese?
2. How to Say the Years in Japanese
3. How to Say the Months in Japanese
4. How to Say the Days in Japanese
5. How to Say the Days of the Week in Japanese
6. Practical Phrases to Talk about Dates in Japanese
7. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. How are Dates Usually Expressed in Japanese?

How to say dates in Japanese is very simple. Dates in Japanese writing start with the year, then the month, and finally the day. The only exception is when there’s a particular instruction to write it a different way, such as on an entry form.

1- How to Write Dates in Japanese

1. April 30, 2019 is written as follows:

2019年4月30日　or 2019/04/30 　

• 年 (nen) : year
• 月 (gatsu) : month
• 日(nichi) : day

2. With the days of the week, Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 is written as follows:

2019年4月30日 (火曜)　or 2019年4月30日 (火)

• The days of the week are usually indicated in a round bracket ( ) and placed after the day.
• The name of the day is expressed in a short form.

Tuesday is 火曜日（ka-yōbi), but when it’s expressed in a written form, it usually becomes 火曜 (ka-yō) or just 火 (ka).

2- How to Read Dates in Japanese

2019年4月30日 (火曜) is read as follows:

Ni-sen jū-kyū / nen / shi / gatsu / san-jū / nichi / ka-yō

Literally translated as:
Two-thousand ten nine / year / four / month / three ten / day / Tuesday

To listen to the pronunciation of basic Japanese numbers, please visit Numbers on our website.

3- Examples

• 今日は2019年1月13日です。
  Kyō wa ni-sen jū kyū-nen ichi-gatsu jū-san-nichi desu.
  Today is January 13th, 2019.
• 私は1990年5月1日生まれです。
  Watashi wa sen kyū-hyaku kyū-jū-nen go-gatsu tsuitachi umare desu.
  I was born on May 1st, 1990.
• 試験は2019年8月30日です。
  Shiken wa ni-sen jū kyū-nen hachi-gatsu san-jū-nichi desu.
  The examination is on August 30th, 2019.

In Japan, keeping the date and time for appointments is very important. Please don’t mix up months and dates!

2. How to Say the Years in Japanese

1- Gregorian Calendar

The Gregorian calendar is very common in Japan to express the years.

Just say the year and then add “nen (年)” which is a year counter meaning ‘year’.

• 1575年 : sen go-hyaku nana-jū go-nen
• 1998年：sen kyū-hyaku kyū-jū hachi-nen
• 2003年：ni-sen san-nen

In some cases, numbers can be expressed with the last two digits as a short version.

For example, 1998 is 98年 (kyū-jū hachi-nen).

2- Japanese Era Calendar

Did you know that there’s also a Japanese calendar?

The Japanese people use 和暦 (Wareki), or the Japanese era calendar, which is based on the reigns of Japanese emperors. The previous era was called 平成 (Heisei), which started on January 8, 1989, when the previous Emperor, Akihito, acceded to the throne following the death of his father. The current era is called 令和 (Reiwa), which started on May 1, 2019, when the current Emperor, Naruhito, acceded to the throne following the abdication of his father.

2019 is the first year of the Reiwa era. It’s written as 令和1年 and read as Reiwa ichi-nen.

This traditional Japanese era calendar is often used for official occasions and in written form, such as in official documents used for public services at a city hall.

3- Vocabulary for Describing Relative Years

• 今年 ことし (Kotoshi) : This year
• 去年　きょねん (Kyonen) : Last year
• 一昨年　おととし (Ototoshi) : The year before last year
• 来年　らいねん (Rainen) : Next year
• 再来年　さらいねん (Sarainen) : The year after next year
• 閏年　うるうどし (Urūdoshi) : Leap year
• 毎年 まいとし (Maitoshi) : Every year

4- Examples

• 今年は2019年です。
  Kotoshi wa ni-sen jū kyū-nen desu.
  This year is 2019.
• 来年の2020年はうるう年です。
  Rainen no ni-sen ni-jū-nen wa urūdoshi desu.
  The next year of 2020 is a leap year.
• 2005年は平成17年です。
  Ni-sen go-nen wa Heisei jū nana-nen desu.
  2005 was year seventeen of the Heisei era.
• 私は2012年に結婚しました。
  Watashi wa ni-sen jū ni-nen ni kekkon shimashita.　
  I got married in 2012.

3. How to Say the Months in Japanese

1- Saying the Month in Japanese: Japanese Months

Using months and dates in Japanese is very simple. It follows this simple pattern, without exception:

Name a number (1-12) of the month, and then just add 月 (gatsu), which is a month counter meaning “month.”

　

	English	Kanji	Hiragana	How to read
1	January	一月	いちがつ	ichi-gatsu
2	February	二月	にがつ	ni-gatsu
3	March	三月	さんがつ	san-gatsu
4	April	四月	しがつ	shi-gatsu
5	May	五月	ごがつ	go-gatsu
6	June	六月	ろくがつ	roku-gatsu
7	July	七月	しちがつ	shichi-gatsu
8	August	八月	はちがつ	hachi-gatsu
9	September	九月	くがつ	ku-gatsu
10	October	十月	じゅうがつ	jū-gatsu
11	November	十一月	じゅういちがつ	jū ichi-gatsu
12	December	十二月	じゅうにがつ	jū ni-gatsu

In order to listen to the pronunciation of the months in Japanese, please visit Talking about Months on our website.

2- Relative Vocabulary for the Month in Japanese

• 今月 こんげつ (Kongetsu) : This month
• 先月 せんげつ (Sengetsu) : Last month
• 先々月 せんせんげつ (Sensengetsu) : Month before last month
• 来月 らいげつ (Raigetsu) : Next month
• 再来月 さらいげつ (Saraigetsu) : Next next month
• 毎月 まいつき (Maitsuki) : Every month

3- Examples

• 私は六月生まれです。
  Watashi wa roku-gatsu umare desu.
  I was born in June.
• 日本では四月に学校が始まります。
  Nihon de wa shi-gatsu ni gakkō ga hajimarimasu.
  School starts in April in Japan.
• 私の誕生日は先月でした。
  Watashi no tanjōbi wa sengetsu deshita.
  My birthday was last month.
• 今月は仕事が忙しいです。
  Kongetsu wa shigoto ga isogashii desu.
  This month is busy with work.

4. How to Say the Days in Japanese

1- Days

How to say the days of the month in Japanese is a bit more complicated.

The basic pattern for days and dates in Japanese is number + 日 (nichi), which is a day counter meaning “day.”

All the dates are written in this pattern. However, when it comes to reading, there are some exceptions and irregularities, indicated in blue in the chart below.

The days, especially those from one to ten, have a unique reading which is very different from ordinary Japanese Numbers. After eleven, it’s basically read with regular numbers and 日 (nichi), except for fourteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-four, and twenty-nine.

It’s very common to use Arabic numerals to express dates, together with the kanji 日 (nichi). For example: 1日, 24日, 30日, etc.

Dates are also often written in Kanji, especially in official documents and vertical writing scripts.　

English	Kanji	Hiragana	How to read
1st	一日	ついたち	tsuitachi
2nd	二日	ふつ・か	futsuka
3rd	三日	みっ・か	mikka
4th	四日	よっ・か	yokka
5th	五日	いつ・か	vitsuka
6th	六日	むい・か	muika
7th	七日	なの・か	nanoka
8th	八日	よう・か	yōka
9th	九日	ここの・か	kokonoka
10th	十日	とお・か	tōka
11th	十一日	じゅう・いち・にち	jū ichi-nichi
12th	十二日	じゅう・に・にち	jū ni-nichi
13th	十三日	じゅう・さん・にち	jū san-nichi
14th	十四日	じゅう・よっ・か	jū yokka
15th	十五日	じゅう・ご・にち	jū go-nichi
16th	十六日	じゅう・ろく・にち	jū roku-nichi
17th	十七日	じゅう・しち・にち	jū shichi-nichi
18th	十八日	じゅう・はち・にち	jū hachi-nichi
19th	十九日	じゅう・く・にち	jū ku-nichi
20th	二十日	はつ・か	hatsuka
21st	二十一日	に・じゅう・いち・にち	ni-jū ichi-nichi
22nd	二十二日	に・じゅう・に・にち	ni-jū ni-nichi
23rd	二十三日	に・じゅう・さん・にち	ni-jū san-nichi
24th	二十四日	に・じゅう・よっ・か	ni-jū yokka
25th	二十五日	に・じゅう・ご・にち	ni-jū go-nichi
26th	二十六日	に・じゅう・ろく・にち	ni-jū roku-nichi
27th	二十七日	に・じゅう・しち・にち	nijū shichi-nichi
28th	二十八日	に・じゅう・はち・にち	ni-jū hachi-nichi
29th	二十九日	に・じゅう・く・にち	ni-jū ku-nichi
30th	三十日	さん・じゅう・にち	san-jū-nichi
31st	三十一日	さん・じゅう・いち・にち	san-jū ichi-nichi

2- Relative Vocabulary for Days

• 今日 きょう (Kyō) : Today
• 昨日 きのう (Kinō) : Yesterday
• 一昨日 おととい (Ototoi) : The day before yesterday
• 明日 あした (Ashita) : Tomorrow
• 明後日 あさって (Asatte) : The day after tomorrow
• 毎日 まいにち (Mainichi) : Everyday

3- Examples

• 今日は六月一日です。
  Kyō wa roku-gatsu tsuitachi desu.
  Today is June 1st.
• 五月五日は子供の日で、祝日です。
  Go-gatsu itsuka wa kodomo no hi de, shukujistu desu.
  May 5th is Children’s Day and it is a national holiday.
• 私の誕生日は二月二十日です。
  Watashi no tanjōbi wa ni-gatsu hatsuka desu.
  My birthday is February 20th.
• 4月24日の天気予報は雨です。
  Shi-gatsu ni-jū yokka no tenki yohō wa ame desu. 　
  The weather forecast on April 24th is rain.

The Japanese calendar often starts on Sunday.

5. How to Say the Days of the Week in Japanese

1- Days of the Week

How to say the days of the week in Japanese is simple. All of them are named after elements and nature, and they all end with 曜日(yōbi) which denotes a day of the week.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	How to read	Meaning
Monday	月曜日	げつ ようび	gets-yōbi	月 means “moon”
Tuesday	火曜日	か ようび	ka-yōbi	火 means “fire”
Wednesday	水曜日	すい ようび	su- yōbi	水 means “water”
Thursday	木曜日	もく ようび	moku-yōbi	木 means “wood”
Friday	金曜日	きん ようび	kin-yōbi	金 means “gold”
Saturday	土曜日	ど ようび	do-yōbi	土 means “earth”
Sunday	日曜日	にち ようび	nichi-yōbi	日 means “sun”

In order to listen to the pronunciation of the days of the week in Japanese, please visit Talking about Days on our website.

2- Relative Vocabularies of Week

“Week” in Japanese is 週 (shū).

• 平日 へいじつ (Heijitsu) : Weekday
• 週末 しゅうまつ (Shūmatsu) : Weekend
• 今週 こんしゅう (Konshū) : This week
• 先週 せんしゅう (Senshū) : Last week
• 先々週 せんせんしゅう (Sensenshū) : Week before last week
• 来週 らいしゅう (Raishū) : Next week
• 再来週 さらいしゅう (Saraishū) : Next next week
• 毎週 まいしゅう (Maishū) : Every week

3- Examples

• 今週は金曜日が休みです。
  Konshū wa kin-yōbi ga yasumi desu.
  Friday is off this week.
• 2月4日は月曜日です。
  Ni-gatsu yokka wa getsu-yōbi desu.
  February 4th is Monday.
• 来週の土曜日は結婚記念日です。
  Raishū no do-yōbi wa kekkon kinenbi desu.
  Saturday of next week is a marriage anniversary.
• 月曜日から金曜日まで仕事で忙しいです。
  Getsu-yōbi kara kin-yōbi made shigoto de isogashii desu.
  I am busy with work from Monday to Friday.

Saturdays and Sundays are usually off at work and school in Japan, but some schools have classes on Saturdays and some people work on weekends.

6. Practical Phrases to Talk about Dates in Japanese

1- Appointments / Reservations

• 2月14日は何か予定ありますか。
  Ni-gatsu jū-yokka wa nani ka yotei arimasu ka.
  Do you have any plans for February 14th?
• 土曜日と日曜日の週末なら空いています。
  Do-yōbi to nichi-yōbi no shūmatsu nara aite imasu.
  I am free on weekends, Saturday and Sunday.
• 12月25日に予約は取れますか。
  Jū ni-gatsu ni-jū go-nichi ni yoyaku wa toremasu ka.
  Can I make a reservation for December 25th?
• 7月13日に予約をお願いします。
  Shichi-gatsu jū san-nichi ni yoyaku o onegai shimasu.
  Please make a reservation for July 13th.

When you make an appointment or reservation, make sure you mention the date in addition to the day of the week.

2- Asking / Answering Questions

• 今日は何日の何曜日ですか。
  Kyō wa nan-nichi no nan-yōbi desu ka.
  What day is it today?

  今日は3月10日の日曜日です。
  Kyō wa san-gatsu tōka no nichi-yōbi desu.
  Today is March 10th and Sunday.

• あなたの誕生日はいつですか。
  Anata no tanjōbi wa itsu desu ka.
  When is your birthday?

  私の誕生日は8月7日です。
  Watashi no tanjōbi wa hachi-gatsu nanoka desu.
  My birthday is August 7th.

• いつから学校が始まりますか。
  Itsu kara gakkō ga hajimarimasu ka.
  When does your school start?

  私の学校は4月1日に始まります。
  Watashi no gakkō wa shi-gatsu tsuitachi ni hajimarimasu.
  My school starts on April 1st.

7. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this article about reading dates in Japanese is helpful for you to improve your Japanese. The date is one of the most important counters when it comes to numbers. There are a variety of Japanese counter words for each object, action, or event that you should also learn.

If you’d like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills.

On our YouTube channel, you’ll enjoy learning the Japanese language by watching videos and listening to actual Japanese pronunciation.

Before you go, let us know in the comments how you feel about reading dates in Japanese now! Do you feel like you know your way around Japanese calendar dates and saying dates in Japanese? Why not practice telling dates in Japanese by dropping us a comment with today’s date?

We always look forward to hearing from you!

Learning a foreign language isn’t only about the language itself, but also about its culture, customs, and society. Family is the minimum unit of a social group, and it’s important to understand its characteristics as this is closely related to culture and customs.

When you learn how to explain your family in Japanese, it helps to expand your vocabulary and improve your communication skills in Japanese.

Compared to English, there are many more words to describe family members in Japanese. These words are according to age and the style (formal and informal). For example, what is a Japanese father-in-law called?

Let’s learn how to describe family in Japanese at JapanesePod101.com. Here’s our list of the most useful Japanese words and family member terms, as well as important information about family in Japan.

Table of Contents

1. Family in Japan - Cultural Perspective
2. Basic Family Terms
3. Terms of Relatives
4. Family Terms as a Married Person
5. Endearment Terms
6. How to Describe Family and Ask Question about Family in Japanese
7. Conclusion: How Japanesepod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Family in Japan - Cultural Perspective

Before we move onto the actual family vocabulary, it’s important that we go over family roles in Japanese culture, family values in Japanese society, and the importance of family in Japanese culture. This will give you a better idea of what to expect from Japanese families, and give more context to the Japanese family vocabulary and phrases you’re going to learn!

1- Traditional and Modern Family in Japan

The traditional Japanese family is characterized by the 家 (Ie) or family system, which is literally translated as “household.” It refers to a home and family’s lineage, which bestows importance of kinship and loyalty to their family.

Each member of a family is expected to serve their family’s interests (rather than the individual’s) as a priority. The Japanese family is traditionally patriarchal and a household usually consists of grandparents, their son, his wife, and their children. The eldest son is expected to inherit the household assets, and he’s responsible for taking care of his parents when they get old.

In the modern Japanese family, however, the influence of the traditional ie system isn’t as strong as it used to be. A 核家族 (kaku kazoku) or “nuclear family” is very common nowadays, and consists of two parents and their children, typically centering on a married couple.

While a married couple is expected to live together with a husband’s parents in the traditional Japanese family, grandparents don’t live with a kaku kazoku in a modern Japanese family (although they are visited often).

2- Becoming a Family in Japan (Marriage)

In Japan, the 戸籍 (Koseki) or “family registration system” is mandatory to all households. It requires that the family records all changes in family composition and identity, such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces, acknowledgements of paternity, adoptions, and disrupted adoptions.

It’s required to register one person as the head of a household, and the rest of the members in a household must have the same surname as that of the head. Once a couple gets married, spouses are obligated to have the same surname, and registration of different surnames is not allowed.

Due to the traditional system and the importance of kinship as custom, marriage isn’t only a matter of the bride and groom, but also of their extended family. It’s expected that extended families from both sides are going to have a “family relationship” once a couple gets married in Japan. As such, relationships with one’s in-laws become important.

3- Expressions of Family in Japan

There are various words to name family members in Japanese.

Japanese vocabulary words to describe family count age difference, and there are particular names related to age. This is because age is regarded as one of the most important attributions in the Japanese society, which is greatly influenced by the concept of Confucianism that states seniority is highly respected.

As relationships with in-laws are also culturally important, there are particular names for them as well.

In addition, there are variations of how to express family members, ranging from very casual to formal. Which ones to use depend on the occasion.

Let’s dive into the details in the following sections, and get you started with common family words in Japanese.

2. Basic Family Terms

Now, it’s time to learn some basic Japanese words for family members. These are the words you’ll most often hear and use!

1- Basic Family Vocabularies

The formal terms are usually used for official occasions and in written form, while the informal terms are commonly used in casual situations (orally) as well as when calling a family member.

　

English	Formal	Informal
I / me	私（わたし	-
	watashi
father	父（ちち	お父さん
	chichi	o-tō-san
mother	母（はは）	お母さん
	haha	o-kā-san
older sister	姉（あね）	お姉さん / お姉ちゃん
	ane	o-nee-san / o-nee-chan
younger sister	妹（いもうと）	-
	imōto
older brother	兄（あに）	お兄さん / お兄ちゃん
	ani	o-nii-san / o-nii-chan
younger brother	弟（おとうと）	-
	otōto
grandfather	祖父（そふ）	おじいさん / おじいちゃん
	sofu	o-jii-san / o-jii-chan
grandmother	祖母（そぼ）	おばあさん / おばあちゃん
	sobo	o-bā-san / o-bā-chan
great grandfather	曽祖父 （そうそふ）	ひいおじいさん/ ひいおじいちゃん
	sōsofu	hii-o-jii-san / hii-o-jii-chan
great grandmother	曽祖母（そうそぼ）	ひいおばあさん/ ひいおばあちゃん
	sobo	hii-o-bā-san / hii-o-bā-chan
grandchild(ren)	孫 （まご）	ー
	mago
great grandchild(ren)	ひ孫（ひまご）	ー
	himago

　

Average modern Japanese families usually have 1 or 2 children.

2- More Vocabulary

• 家族 かぞく (Kazoku) : family
• 両親 りょうしん (Ryōshin) : parents (father & mother)
• 親 おや (Oya) : parent(s)
• 子供 こども (Kodomo) : child(ren)
• 兄弟 きょうだい (Kyōdai) : brothers
• 姉妹しまい (Shimai) : sisters

3- Examples

Here are some examples of Japanese phrases for family, so you have a better idea how to use the vocabulary above.

• 私の家族は、お母さん、お父さん、私、弟の4人家族です。
  Watashi no kazoku wa, o-kā-san, o-tō-san, watashi, otōto no yo-nin kazoku desu.
  My family has four members: mother, father, me, and my younger brother.
• 私は姉と妹がいる3姉妹です。
  Watashi wa ane to imōto ga iru san-shimai desu.
  I have an older sister and a younger sister, and we are three sisters.
• 私は兄と姉がいます。
  Watashi wa ani to ane ga imasu.
  I have an older brother and an older sister.
• 私は祖父と祖母が大好きです。
  Watashi wa sofu to sobo ga daisuki desu.
  I like my grandfather and grandmother very much.

To listen to the pronunciation of basic family terms, please visit Must-Know Terms for Family Members on our website.

Also, if you would like to know more about Japanese numbers, please visit our Japanese Numbers article.

The bond between a mother and a daughter is often very strong.

3. Terms of Relatives

1- Vocabulary for Relatives

• 親戚　しんせき (Shinseki) : relatives
• 叔父　おじ (Oji) : uncle
• 叔母　おば (Oba) : aunt
• 甥　おい (Oi) : nephew
• 姪　めい (Mei) : niece
• いとこ (Itoko) : cousin

2- Examples

• 私の親戚は全員東京に住んでいます。
  Watashi no shinseki wa zen’in Tōkyō ni sunde imasu.
  All my relatives live in Tokyo.
• 私は5人いとこがいます。
  Watashi wa go-nin itoko ga imasu.
  I have five cousins.
• 私の叔父と叔母は教師です。
  Watashi no oji to oba wa kyōshi desu.
  My uncle and my aunt are teachers.
• 私の姪は5歳で、甥は2歳です。
  Watashi no mei wa go-sai de, oi wa ni-sai desu.
  My niece is five years old and my nephew is two years old.

4. Family Terms as a Married Person

1- Vocabulary to Know as a Married Person

• 結婚 けっこん (Kekkon) : marriage
• 既婚 きこん (Kikon) : married
• 未婚　みこん (Mikon) : unmarried
• 離婚　りこん (Rikon) : divorce
• 夫 おっと (Otto) : husband
• 妻 つま (Tsuma) : wife
• 息子　むすこ (Musuko) : son
• 娘　むすめ (Musume) : daughter
• 義理の ぎりの (Giri no) : in-law

In order to express “XXX in-law,” add 義理の (Giri no) in front of XXX (the family member).

For example:

• 義理の両親 (Giri no ryōshin) : parents-in-law
• 義理の父 (Giri no chichi) : father-in-law
• 義理の母 (Giri no haha) : mother-in-law
• 義理の兄 (Giri no ani) : older brother-in-law
• 義理の弟 (Giri no otōto) : younger brother-in-law
• 義理の姉 (Giri no ane) : older sister-in-law
• 義理の妹 (Giri no imōto) : younger sister-in-law

2- Examples

• 私は夫と娘が1人います。
  Watashi wa otto to musume ga hitori imasu.
  I have a husband and one daughter.
• 私の義理の父と母は大阪に住んでいます。
  Watashi no giri no chichi to haha wa Ōsaka ni sunde imasu.
  My father and mother in-law live in Osaka.
• 私は既婚者で子供が2人います。
  Watashi wa kikonsha de kodomo ga futari imasu.
  I am married and I have two children.
• 私の義理の両親は、私の息子におもちゃを買いました。
  Watashi no giri no ryōshin wa, watashi no musuko ni omocha o kaimashita.
  My parents-in-law bought a toy for my son.

5. Endearment Terms

In addition to the formal and informal terms for family, there are also more casual vocabulary words that you can call family members. It may vary from household to household, or on what kind of relationships there are between family members, but here are some examples. Just note that these are typically used in Japanese family relationships that are close.

1- Father

• パパ (Papa) : papa

Like in English, “papa” is a common name to call a father in Japan, especially when children are very small. However, most Japanese people don’t use papa as they grow up.

• 父ちゃん (Tō-chan) : dad

This term includes a nuance of cute and comical affection.

• おやじ (Oyaji) : dad

This term is usually used by sons who are post-adolescent age. When they become adults, they often feel embarrassed to call their father papa or o-tō-san. This term also indicates a nuance of close affection.

2- Mother

• ママ (Mama) : mama

Just like papa, mama is used especially when children are still small.

• 母ちゃん (Kā-chan) : mom

This is the version of tō-chan used for mothers.

• お袋 (Ofukuro) : mom

This is the mother version of oyaji.

3- Grandfather

• じじ (Jiji) : grandpa

Grandchildren and their parents usually call a grandfather by this term when the grandchildren are still small. It indicates a nuance of cute affection.

• じーじ (Jīji) : grandpa

This is very similar to jiji, but the first ji is pronounced longer.

4- Grandmother

• ばば (Baba) : grandma

This is the grandmother version of jiji.

• ばーば (Bāba) : grandma

This is the grandmother version of jīji.

Grandparents often have endearing nicknames when they have grandchildren.

6. How to Describe Family and Ask Question about Family in Japanese

Most of the time, there’s no problem with talking about family and relatives. When it comes to marital status and children, however, it can be a delicate matter. It can sometimes be inappropriate to ask someone about his/her marital status or if they have children, unless he/she is open and willing to talk. This is especially true for a woman in her 30s.

Here are some example questions and answers related to family.

Q:
何人家族ですか。
Nan-nin kazoku desu ka.
How many family members do you have?

A:
お父さん、お母さん、お姉ちゃん、私の4人家族です。
O-tō-san, o-kā-san, o-nee-chan, watashi no yo-nin kazoku desu.
I have four family members: father, mother, older sister, and me.

—–

Q:
兄弟はいますか。
Kyōdai wa imasu ka.
Do you have brothers and sisters?

*When asking a question, kyōdai can also refer to sisters.

A:
私は姉と弟がいます。
Watashi wa ane to otōto ga imasu.
I have an older sister and a younger brother.

—–

Q:
結婚していますか。
Kekkon shite imasu ka.
Are you married?

A:
はい、妻と子供が2人います。
Hai, tsuma to kodomo ga futari imasu.
Yes, I have a wife and two children.

—–

Q:
孫はいますか。
Mago wa imasu ka.
Do you have grandchildren?

A:
はい、私は孫が6人います。
Hai, watashi wa mago ga roku-nin imasu.
Yes, I have six grandchildren.

—–

Q:
ご両親はお元気ですか。
Go-ryōshin wa o-genki desu ka.
How are your parents?

*It’s polite to put go in front of ryōshin when you talk about someone’s parents.

A:
はい、私の父と母は元気です。
Hai, watashi no chichi to haha wa genki desu.
Yes, my father and mother are doing well.

—–

For more about self-introductions, please visit Introducing Yourself in Japanese on our website.

7. Conclusion: How Japanesepod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this article about family in Japanese culture is useful and that it helps to improve your Japanese communication skills.

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills. For example, Must-Know Terms for Family Members is helpful if you want to practice family terms in Japanese with audio.

We also have YouTube channel: JapanesePod101. It’s always fun to learn Japanese by watching videos and listening to actual Japanese pronunciation.

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there are any family terms you still want to know! And to practice, write a short paragraph about your family in basic Japanese. We look forward to hearing from you!

Are you traveling to Japan and want to learn practical Japanese travel phrases? This article is designed to help you learn the most useful Japanese words for travel.

It’s always good to learn basic words when you travel to a foreign country. Not only does it make getting around easier, but it also allows you to enjoy communicating with the locals.

In general, Japanese people are not so good at speaking English, free wifi services aren’t very prevalent (especially outside of the central cities), and Japan is still more of a cash-based society than you may think. However, Japanese people are very kind; they’ll listen to you patiently and do their best to help. So just use these basic Japanese travel phrases to talk to Japanese people when you want to ask something.

When you speak even a little bit of Japanese, locals will appreciate your effort and will be more friendly. Here’s JapanesePod101’s list of practical Japanese travel phrases for your travels to Japan!

Table of Contents

1. Greeting/Communication
2. Asking for Directions
3. Shopping
4. Restaurants
5. When You Need Help
6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Greeting/Communication

To begin our list of essential Japanese travel phrases, we’ll go over greetings and basic travel phrases in Japanese for solid communication. These simple Japanese travel phrases can make a world of difference in your conversations and overall experience in Japan.

1- こんにちは

• Romanization: Kon’nichiwa
• English Translation: Hello

In terms of must-know Japanese travel phrases, you probably already know that this is the most common Japanese greeting word. You can say this to anybody for any occasion during the daytime.

2- はい/いいえ

• Romanization: Hai / Iie
• English Translation: Yes / No

Hai is “Yes” and it’s pronounced like the English word “Hi.” In Japan, saying yes also means that you understand. Iie is “No” and it’s pronounced ‘EE-eh.’

3- ありがとうございます

• Romanization: Arigatō gozaimasu
• English Translation: Thank you

Arigatō gozaimasu is the polite way to say “Thank you” in Japanese, and you can use this for any occasion. In case of a casual situation, you can just say Arigatō, or even more casually, Dōmo (どうも) which means “Thanks.”

4- いいえ、いりません

• Romanization: Iie, irimasen
• English Translation: No, thank you.

It literally means “No, I don’t need it,” in Japanese. At a restaurant, say this phrase when a waiter offers to fill your glass of water and you don’t want more.

5- すみません

• Romanization: Sumimasen
• English Translation: I’m sorry / Excuse me

This word is usually used to say “sorry'’ or “excuse me”. Say this when you bump into someone in a crowd or when you ask someone for directions. Japanese people also use this to mean “thank you,” in some cases, such as when someone picks up something you dropped.

6- お願いします

• Romanization: Onegai shimasu
• English Translation: Please

When you request something, it’s polite to say Onegai shimasu. When someone offers you something and says please, she/he would say Dōzo (どうぞ) in Japanese.

7- 私はXXです

• Romanization: Watashi wa XX desu.
• English Translation: I am XX.

Watashi is “I,” wa is “am/is/are,” and desu is a present-tense word that links subjects and predicates; it’s placed at the end of a sentence. You can put your name, or your nationality, such as: Watashi wa Amerika-jin desu (私はアメリカ人です) which means “I am American.”　　

8- 私は日本語がわかりません

• Romanization: Watashi wa nihongo ga wakarimasen.
• English Translation: I don’t understand Japanese.

Nihongo is stands for the Japanese language, and Wakarimasen means “I don’t understand.” If you don’t know something, you can just say Wakarimasen meaning “I don’t know.”

9- 英語を話せますか

• Romanization: Eigo o hanasemasu ka
• English Translation: Can you speak English?

This is one of the most useful Japanese phrases for travelers. Eigo means “English,” Hanasemasu is a polite way to say “I speak,” and ka is a word that you add to the end of a complete sentence to make a question.

10- 英語でお願いします

• Romanization: Eigo de onegai shimasu
• English Translation: English, please.

This is another important Japanese travel phrase. De is the particle, and in this case it means “by” or “by means of.” The phrase literally translates as “English by please.” You can also say M saizu de onegai shimasu (Mサイズでお願いします) which means “Medium size, please.”

2. Asking for Directions

One of the most important Japanese travel phrases you should know are directions. Here are some useful vocabulary words and two Japanese language travel phrases you need to know!

1- Vocabulary

• 駅 (Eki) : Station
• 地下鉄 (Chikatetsu) : Subway/Metro
• トイレ (Toire) : Toilet
• 銀行 (Ginkō) : Bank
• 切符売り場 (Kippu uriba) : Ticket machine/Office
• 観光案内所 (Kankō annaijo) : Tourist information office
• 入口 (Iriguchi) : Entrance
• 出口 (Deguchi) : Exit
• 右 (Migi) : Right
• 左 (Hidari) : Left
• まっすぐ (Massugu) : Straight
• 曲がる (Magaru) : Turn
• 交差点 (Kōsaten) : Intersection
• 角 (Kado) : Corner

2- XXはどこですか

• Romanization: XX wa doko desu ka
• English Translation: Where is XX?

Doko means “where” and you replace XX with the name of where you want to go.

For example

• Toire wa doko desu ka (Where is the toilet?)
• Deguchi wa doko desu ka (Where is an exit?)

3- XX e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka (XXへはどう行けばいいですか) : How can I go to XX?

• Romanization: XX e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka
• English Translation: How can I go to XX?

Dō is “how,” e is “to,” and ikeba ii can be translated as “good to go.” When you want to know how you can get somewhere, replace XX with where you want to go.

For example:

• Eki e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka (How can I go to the station?)
• Ginkō e wa dō ikeba ii desu ka (How can I go to the bank?)

4- Other Examples

1. この道をまっすぐ行きます (Kono michi o massugu ikimasu.)：Go straight on this street.

Kono michi is “this street” and ikimasu is the polite way to say “Go.” O is a Japanese postpositional particle which indicates an object (in this case, kono michi).

2. 次の角を右へ曲がります (Tsugi no kado o migi e magarimasu.)：Turn right at the next corner.

Tsugi no kado means “next corner” and magarimasu is the polite way to say “Turn.” E is another postpositional particle that indicates direction; this can be translated as the English word “to.”

3. 交差点を渡って左へ行きます (Kōsaten o watatte hidari e ikimasu.)：Cross an intersection and go to the left (direction).

Watatte is a conjugated form of wataru which means “cross.”

3. Shopping

You’ll definitely love shopping when traveling in Japan, and some of the best Japanese phrases for travel are those related to this fun past-time. Knowing some useful Japanese words will make your shopping even more enjoyable.

1- XXはありますか

• Romanization: XX wa arimasu ka
• English Translation: Do you have XX?

When you’re at a store and looking for something, you can use this phrase by replacing XX with what you want.

2- いくらですか

• Romanization: Ikura desu ka
• English Translation: How much is it?

This is probably one of the most useful Japanese words for traveling and shopping. You can say Ikura desu ka in many situations, such as when you’re shopping, buying tickets, paying for a taxi, etc.

3- 免税できますか

• Romanization: Menzei dekimasu ka
• English Translation: Can you do a tax exemption?

Did you know that, as a traveler, you can get a sales tax exemption when you purchase things greater than 5,000 yen? Menzei is “tax exempted” and dekimasu means “can do.” Don’t forget to say this when you buy something big!

4- これは何ですか

• Romanization: Kore wa nan desu ka
• English Translation: What is this?

Kore is “this” and nan is another form of nani which means “what.” There are many unique foods, gadgets, and things which are unique to Japan, so when you wonder what it is, point to it and say this phrase.

5- これを買います

• Romanization: Kore o kaimasu
• English Translation: I’ll buy this.

Kaimasu is the conjugation of the verb kau, which means “buy.”

6- カードは使えますか

• Romanization: Kādo wa tsukaemasu ka
• English Translation: Can I use a credit card?

Kādo is “card” and you pronounce it just like the English word “card.” Tsukaemasu is a conjugation of the potential form of the verb tsukau which means “use.” This phrase is useful when you want to use your card at small shops and restaurants.

4. Restaurants

Japan has an array of delicious foods, of which sushi and ramen are just the tip of the iceberg. Amazingly, Tokyo is the city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, for several consecutive years. Enjoy yummy food at restaurants with useful Japanese words for restaurants and easy Japanese travel phrases related to food.

1- Vocabulary

• 英語のメニュー (Eigo no menyū) : English menu
• ベジタリアンのメニュー (Bejitarian no menyū) : Vegetarian menu
• 豚肉を含まないメニュー (Butaniku o fukumanai menyū) : Menu without pork
• 水 (Mizu) : Water
• 白/赤ワイン (Shiro / Aka wain) : White / Red wine

2- XXはありますか

• Romanization: XX wa arimasu ka
• English Translation: Do you have XX?

When you want to ask if the restaurant has something you want, say this phrase (replacing XX with what you want).

For example:

• Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka (Do you have an English menu?)
• Aka wain wa arimasu ka (Do you have red wine?)

3- XXをください

• Romanization: XX o kudasai
• English Translation: Can I have XX?

This is another very useful phrase. Simply replace XX with what you want. You can also use this versatile phrase in various occasions, such as when shopping, choosing something, etc.

For example:

• Kore o kudasai (Can I have this?)
• Mizu o kudasai (Can I have water?)

4- お会計お願いします

• Romanization: O-kaikei onegai shimasu
• English Translation: Check, please.

O-kaikei means “check.” In Japan, people often cross their index fingers in front of their face as a gesture to indicate “check, please” at casual restaurants. However, when you’re at a nice restaurant, simply tell a waiter: O-kaikei onegai shimasu.

5. When You Need Help

Sometimes you get faced with unexpected emergencies while you’re traveling. Japan is famous for being one of the safest countries in the world, but you might fall very ill or be caught in a great earthquake.

1- Vocabularies

• 警察 (Keisatsu) : Police
• 病院 (Byōin) : Hospital
• 救急車 (Kyūkyūsha) : Ambulance
• ドラッグストア/薬局 (Doraggu sutoa / Yakkyoku) : Drug Store/Pharmacy
• タクシー (Takushī) : Taxi

2- XXを呼んでください

• Romanization: XX o yonde kudasai
• English Translation: Can you call XX?

When you’re severely ill or in case of emergency, let people know by using this phrase. Japanese people will kindly help you.

For example:

• Yūkyūsha o yonde kudasai (Can you call an ambulance?)
• Keisatsu o yonde kudasai (Can you call the police?)

3- どこでインターネットを使えますか

• Romanization: Doko de intānetto o tsukaemasu ka
• English Translation: Where can I use the internet?

Although large cities in Japan provide free public wifi at major stations, metros, and cafes, you may need to find internet access in smaller cities. Remember that there will be kind Japanese people who will share their personal hotspots, or look things up for you with their own phones, as well.

4- 電話を貸してください

• Romanization: Denwa o kashite kudasai
• English Translation: Can I use your phone?

Denwa is “phone” and kashite is a conjugation word of kasu, which means “lend.” This phrase is literally translated as “Please lend (me) a phone.”

5- 助けてください

• Romanization: Tasukete kudasai
• English Translation: Please help me.

I believe this phrase is the last thing you would ever use in Japan, but in case something does happen, this is useful survival Japanese for tourists.

6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

I hope this article of Japanese travel phrases is helpful and that you’ll enjoy your trip to Japan!

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

We also have YouTube channel: JapanesePod101. It’s fun to learn Japanese through watching videos and listening to actual Japanese pronunciation, so we recommend you check it out!

Don’t forget to study with our free Japanese vocabulary lists, read more insightful blog posts like this one, and download our mobile apps to learn anywhere, anytime! Whatever your reason for learning Japanese, know that we’re here to help and you can do it! Keep in mind that the best way to learn Japanese phrases for travel is repetition and practice.

Before you go, let us know in the comments how you feel about using these useful travel phrases in Japanese after reading this article. More confident, or still a little confused about something? Feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Numbers are necessary in everyday life as you need them to express time, record dates, interpret recipe amounts, count objects, and the list goes on. Japanese numerical systems have unique features and they are very different from those in English.

For example, Japanese has a variety of counter words depending on different factors. Further, large numbers are counted by units of four digits while the Western system counts by that of three digits, and the differences only continue for numbers in the Japanese language.

Let’s start to learn basic Japanese numbers with JapanesePod101.com!

Table of Contents

1. Counting in Japanese: Numbers 0-9
2. Counting in Japanese: Numbers 10-99
3. Counting in Japanese: Numbers up to 1000
4. Counting in Japanese: More than 10,000
5. Decimal Fraction / Fraction Numbers in Japanese
6. How to Say Prices in Japanese
7. Shopping Using Numbers in Japanese
8. How to Give Your Phone Number in Japanese
9. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101.com Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Counting in Japanese: Numbers 0-9

	漢字 Kanji	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading
0	零	ぜろ/れい	Zero/Rei
1	一	いち	Ichi
2	二	に	Ni
3	三	さん	San
4	四	し/よん	Shi/Yon
5	五	ご	Go
6	六	ろく	Roku
7	七	しち/なな	Shichi/Nana
8	八	はち	Hachi
9	九	く/きゅう	Ku/Kyū
10	十	じゅう	Jū

These are the basic Japanese numbers for 0 to 10. You absolutely need to know these numbers in learning Japanese so that you can use them to build bigger numbers.

The standard way of reading 0 to 10 is also used in combination with counter words when you count anything, including actions and events. The Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3…) are also commonly used in Japanese, but they often appear in horizontal texts, while the numbers in Kanji are mostly used in vertical texts, especially in formal writings and in particular situations.

As it’s written in the chart, there are some numbers which can be read two ways:

• 0 can be ぜろ(Zero) or れい (Rei). Nowadays, “Zero” is more common to read, and the Kanji 零 is rarely used.
• 4 can either be し(Shi) or よん (Yon).
• 7 can either be しち(Shichi) or なな (Nana).
• 9 can be either く(Ku) or きゅう (Kyū).

In most circumstances, both are acceptable. In general, よん (Yon), なな (Nana), and きゅう(Kyū) sound more casual and common.し(Shi), しち (Shichi), and く(Ku) sound more formal.

2. Counting in Japanese: Numbers 10-99

	漢字 Kanji	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading	Literal reading in Japanese
11	十一	じゅういち	jū-ichi	10, 1
12	十二	じゅうに	jū-ni	10, 2
13	十三	じゅうさん	jū-san	10, 3
14	十四	じゅうし/よん	jū-shi/yon	10, 4
15	十五	じゅうご	jū-go	10, 5
16	十六	じゅうろく	jū-roku	10, 6
17	十七	じゅうしち/なな	jū-shichi/nana	10, 7
18	十八	じゅうはち	jū-hachi	10, 8
19	十九	じゅうく/きゅう	jū kyū/ku	10, 9
20	二十	にじゅう	ni-jū	2, 10
21	二十一	にじゅういち	ni-jū ichi	2, 10, 1
30	三十	さんじゅう	san-jū	3, 10
40	四十	よんじゅう	yon-jū	4, 10
50	五十	ごじゅう	go-jū	5, 10
60	六十	ろくじゅう	roku-jū	6, 10
70	七十	ななじゅう	nana-jū	7, 10
80	八十	はちじゅう	hachi-jū	8,10
90	九十	きゅうじゅう	kyū-jū	9,10

You can count from 1 to 99 with just ten numbers (0-10). Japanese numbers are simple and easier to use than English in this respect because there’s no exception or particular separate words such as “twenty” or “thirty.” In Japanese, these are expressed “two ten” and “three ten.” 21 is “two ten one.”

The Arabic numerals are commonly used and Kanji is also used in some circumstances. However, Hiragana isn’t used to express numbers. Like the cases of idiomatic words or a combination of Kanji (熟語 じゅくご Jukugo), Hiragana can become long to express and hard to decipher.

For more on Japanese numbers, YouTube has some great content. Please visit our JapanesePod101 YouTube channel and watch Learn Japanese Numbers 1 to 20 to learn Japanese basic numbers. You can listen to hear how they’re actually pronounced.

3. Counting in Japanese: Numbers up to 1000

	漢字 Kanji	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading	Literal reading in Japanese
100	百	ひゃく	hyaku	100
200	二百	にひゃく	ni-hyaku	2, 100
300	三百	さんびゃく	san-byaku	3, 100
400	四百	よんひゃく	yon-hyaku	4, 100
500	五百	ごひゃく	go-hyaku	5, 100
600	六百	ろっぴゃく	roppyaku	6, 100
700	七百	ななひゃく	nana-hyaku	7, 100
800	八百	はっぴゃく	happyaku	8, 100
900	九百	きゅうひゃく	kyū-hyaku	9, 100
1000	千	せん	sen	1000
1100	千百	せんひゃく	sen hyaku	1000, 100
110	百十	ひゃくじゅう	hyaku jū	100, 10
111	百十一	ひゃくじゅういち	hyaku jū-ichi	100, 10, 1

From 100 to 1000, the pattern is basically simple and the same. In Japanese, as you can see in the chart, you can simply put the numbers 1 to 9 and add 100 to express 100 to 900 in Japanese. There are some exceptions for reading, such as 300, 600, and 800.

• 100 is hyaku, but 300 is read san (3) Byaku (100)
• 600 is roppyaku instead of “roku hyaku,”
• 800 is happyaku instead of hachi hyaku.
• 3000 is san (3) zen (100)
• 8000 is hassen instead of hachi sen

4. Counting in Japanese: More than 10,000

	漢字 Kanji	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading	Literal reading in Japanese
10,000	万	まん	man	10000
100,000	十万	じゅうまん	jū-man	10, 10000
1,000,000	百万	ひゃくまん	hyaku-man	100, 10000
10,000,000	千万	せんまん	sen-man	1000, 10000
10^8	億	おく	oku
10^12	兆	ちょう	chō

For the large numbers, Japanese numerals are divided into units of four (as in the four zeros in ten thousand). As you can see in the chart, 万 (man) is 10^4, 億 (oku) is 10^8, and 兆 (chō) is 10^12. One million is expressed as one hundred ten-thousands or 百万 (hyaku-man) in Japanese.

Note that you don’t need to put a 1 for 百 (hyaku) meaning 100 or 千 (sen) meaning 1000. But for units past 1000, you need to put a 1 in front. For example:

• 万 ichi-man ( 10^4 )
• 億 ichi-oku ( 10^8 )
• 兆 ichhō ( 10^12 )

You also read numbers in Japanese in the same pattern as mentioned before. You can count by simply chaining the numbers. However, there’s also an exception for the large numbers: 10^12 is 兆 ichhō instead of ichi-chō.

For the large numbers, the Arabic numerals are used in combination with Kanji, such as in 5万 (go-man), 4千万 (Yon-sen-man), 100億 (hyaku-oku), 3兆 (san-chō), etc.

Our JapanesePod101 YouTube video How to Count to 600,000 in Japanese is useful to help you learn large Japanese numbers. Please check it out to see how you can count large numbers in Japanese.

5. Decimal Fraction / Fraction Numbers in Japanese

1- Decimal Fractions

	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading
0.1	れいてんいち	rei ten ichi
0.03	れいてんれいさん	rei ten rei san
0.005	れいてんれいれいご	rei ten rei rei go

0 before the decimal point is read rei and 0 after the point can be either rei or zero. The decimal point is called ten which literally means “point.”

2- Fraction Numbers

	Japanese writing	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading
1/2	2分の1	にぶんのいち	ni bun no ichi
4/7	７分の4	ななぶんのよん	nana bun no yon
3/10	10分の3	じゅうぶんのさん	jū bun no san

For fraction numbers in Japanese, the number after / is read first. / is expressed as 分の (bun no).

6. How to Say Prices in Japanese

	漢字 Kanji	ひらがな Hiragana	Reading
1 Yen	1円	いちえん	ichi-en
5 Yen	5円	ごえん	go-en
10 Yen	10円	じゅうえん	jū-en
100 Yen	100円	ひゃくえん	hyaku-en
1000 Yen	1000円	せんえん	sen-en
5000 Yen	5000円	ごせんえん	go-sen-en
10000 Yen	10000円	いちまんえん	ichi-man-en

The Japanese currency is Yen and it’s read en. Expressing prices is very simple: you just use the numbers and en. The Arabic numerals are usually used for prices.

7. Shopping Using Numbers in Japanese

The phrase いくら (ikura) which means “How much” is often used in shopping.

The word “Price” is 値段 ねだん (nedan) in Japanese.

Examples for Shopping:

• A: このりんごの値段はいくらですか。
  A: Kono ringo no nedan wa ikura desu ka.
  A: How much is the price for this apple?

  B: りんご1つ120円です。
  B: Ringo hitotsu hyaku ni-jū-en desu.
  B: One apple is 120 yen.

• A: これはいくらですか。　
  A: Kore wa ikura desu ka.
  A: How much is this?

  B: それは259円です。　
  B: Sore wa ni-hyaku go-jū kyū-en desu.
  B: It is 259 en.

• A: 2万5千円の靴の値引きはいくらですか。
  A: Ni-man go-sen-en no kutsu no nebiki wa ikura desu ka.
  A: How much is a discount for the shoes of 25,000 yen?

  B: その靴の値引きは20％で、値段は2万円です。
  B: Sono kutsu no nebiki wa ni-juppāsento de, nedan wa ni-man-en desu.
  B: The discount for the shoes is 20%, and the price is 20,000 yen.

Please visit our JapanesePod101 YouTube channel to learn more helpful Japanese for shopping. The following are practical and useful Japanese for when you go shopping: Buying Items at a Register in Japan, Top 15 Must-Know Japanese Phrases to Go Shopping in Japan, and What’s Inside a Japanese Convenience Store?

8. How to Give Your Phone Number in Japanese

Telephone numbers are simple, as you can just chain numbers.

The words “telephone” and “number” are denwa and bangō in Japanese, respectively.

The only thing you should keep in mind is that “ - “ between numbers are read as no. Or, you can simply pause before giving the following numbers.

Examples:

• A: あなたの携帯電話番号は何ですか。　
  A: Anata no keitai denwa bangō wa nan desu ka.
  A: What is your mobile telephone number?

  B:私の番号は090-1234-5678です。
  B: Watashi no bangō wa zero kyū zero no ichi ni san yon no go roku shichi hachi desu.
  B: My number is 090-1234-5678.

• A: お問い合わせはフリーダイヤル0120-123-456におかけください。
  A: O-toiawase wa furī daiyaru zero ichi ni zero no ichi ni san no shi go roku ni okake kudasai.
  A: Please call to the toll-free 0120-123-456 for inquiries.

Conclusion: How JapanesePod101.com Can Help You Learn More Japanese

As we’ve seen, Japanese numbers are very simple to read. However, how to count things is a bit more complicated because there are a variety of Japanese counter words for each object, action, or event.

If you’d like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills.

On our YouTube channel, you’ll enjoy learning the Japanese language by watching videos and listening to actual Japanese pronunciation. For more about Japanese numbers, Numbers & Days, Learn Japanese Counters, and Learn Japanese Superstitions - Unlucky Numbers are helpful.

Further, for reading and writing Japanese, Learn to Read and Write Japanese is a good watch. For much more, please check out our YouTube channel!

You’re learning to speak Japanese, and it’s going well. Your confidence is growing! So much so that you feel ready to share your experiences on social media—in Japanese.

At Learn Japanese, we make this easy for you to get it right the first time. Post like a boss with these phrases and guidelines, and get to practice your Japanese in the process.

1. Talking about Your Restaurant Visit in Japanese

Eating out is fun, and often an experience you’d like to share. Take a pic, and start a conversation on social media in Japanese. Your friend will be amazed by your language skills…and perhaps your taste in restaurants!

Mamoru eats at a restaurant with his friends, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

友だちと、しゃぶしゃぶ食べ放題なう。 (Tomodachi to, shabushabu tabehōdai nau.)
“At all-you-can-eat shabushabu with my friends now.”

1- 友だちと (Tomodachi to)

First is an expression meaning: “With my friends.”
It’s common to include information about who you’re spending time with in a social media post. However, eating or drinking alone is also common in Japan, and a lot of restaurants accommodate single customers.

2- しゃぶしゃぶ食べ放題なう (Shabushabu tabehōdai nau.)

Then comes the phrase - “At all-you-can-eat shabushabu now..”
All-you-can-eat cuisine is very popular in Japan. When you go to Japanese style bars, you’ll often see a menu that says all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-drink. A lot of Japanese people upload a post while they are still at the place, and share the latest status of themselves with others by emphasising that they’re “now” at the place.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- 本当、おいしかったね。 (Hontō, oishikatta ne. )

His girlfriend, Hazuki, uses an expression meaning - “Indeed, it was delicious. ”
This expression shows you are appreciative of the quality of the food.

2- うわー、誘ってくれよ！ (Uwā, sasotte kure yo!)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “What, why didn’t you invite me!”
With this expression, Shō is being playful.

3- こんど行くとき私も連れて行って〜。 (Kondo iku toki watashi mo tsurete ittē.)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “You gotta take me with you next time.”
This phrase expresses a wish.

4- 高そう。。 (Takasō..)

His girlfriend’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Looks expensive…”
Perhaps Yamato is a bit cynical? But he could also be appreciative of the restaurant or the food’s quality.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

友だち (tomodachi): “friend”

しゃぶしゃぶ (shabushabu): “shabushabu (thin slices of beef and a variety of vegetables parboiled in hot soup usually eaten with sesame sauce or sour sauce called Ponzu)”

食べ放題 (tabehōdai): “all-you-can-eat”

本当 (hontō): “indeed”

おいしい (oishii): “delicious”

誘う (sasou): “to invite”

高い (takai): “expensive”

連れて行く (tsurete iku): “to take someone with someone “

So, let’s practice a bit. If a friend posted something about having dinner with friends, which phrase would you use?

Now go visit a Japanese restaurant, and wow the staff with your language skills!

2. Post about Your Mall Visit in Japanese

Another super topic for social media is shopping—everybody does it, most everybody loves it, and your friends on social media are probably curious about your shopping sprees! Share these Japanese phrases in posts when you visit a mall.

Hazuki shops with her sister at the mall, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment

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Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

新しくできたお店に妹と。ものすごい列。。 (Atarashiku dekita o-mise ni imōto to. Monosugoi retsu̷
“With my sis at the store that recently opened. What a super long line..”

1- 新しくできたお店 (Atarashiku dekita o-mise)

First is an expression meaning: “Newly opened store.”
In Japan, sharing hot news and the latest information a common thing to do on social media. When you go to a recently-opened store that’s been mentioned on TV or on social media, it’s a perfect chance to show the world that you already went there before anyone else did!

2- ものすごい列 (Monosugoi retsu)

Then comes the phrase - “What a super long line.”
Passing information by word of mouth is also one of the popular uses of social media in Japan. For example, you could check other people’s posts to calculate a less crowded time to visit the place!

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- またショッピング？ (Mata shoppingu?)

Her nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Shopping again?”
Yamato is making conversation with this phrase..

2- わたしも昨日ここにいた！ (Watashi mo kinō koko ni ita!)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “I was here yesterday, too!”
This shares a detail of your life - good conversation starters!

3- また服が増えるのか。。 (Mata fuku ga fueru no ka̷

Her boyfriend, Mamoru, uses an expression meaning - “Oh, there we have more clothes…

4- え、本当に妹さん？大人っぽい。 (E, hontō ni imōto-san? Otonappoi.)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “No, is that really your younger sister? She looks mature.”
Use this expression to demonstrate surprise and even appreciation.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

新しくできた (atarashiku dekita): “newly opened”

妹 (imōto): “younger sister”

ものすごい (monosugoi): “incredible, super”

また (mata): “again”

いる (iru): “to be, to exist”

増える (fueru): “to increase”

さん (san): “polite name suffix, similar to Mr. or Mrs.”

大人っぽい (otonappoi): “mature”

So, if a friend posted something about going shopping, which phrase would you use?

3. Talking about a Sport Day in Japanese

Sport events, whether you’re the spectator or the sports person, offer fantastic opportunity for great social media posts. Learn some handy phrases and vocabulary to start a sport-on-the-beach conversation in Japanese.

Mamoru plays with his friends at the beach, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

今年こそ、絶対勝つ！ (Kotoshi koso, zettai katsu!)
“This year, for sure, we must win!”

1- 今年こそ (Kotoshi koso)

First is an expression meaning “This year for sure.”
Japanese people love sports, and often gather to play games after work or school. Watching sports games together with friends at a public space is also a big thing in Japan. Some of the most popular sports are baseball and soccer.

2- ぜったい勝つ！ (Zettai katsu!)

Then comes the phrase - “we must win!.”
This expression is used when you’re cheering for a team while watching a sports game. This phrase is also used when going into a match. It shows a strong determination. You can also replace the verb with other verbs.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- がんばれー！ (Ganbarē!)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Go for it!”
Use this expression to show your enthusiastic support for your team.

2- どこのビーチですか？ (Doko no bīchi desu ka?)

His neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Where’s the beach at?”
This is a question to determine the location of the game. So, to gather information, use this phrase.

3- けっきょく結果はどうだったの？笑 (Kekkyoku kekka wa dō datta no?wara)

His girlfriend’s high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “So what was the result after all? lol”
This question shows inquisitiveness.

4- 大学時代を思い出すなあ。 (Daigaku jidai o omoidasu nā.)

His supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Reminds me of our college life.”
Somewhat nostalgic, Norio holds a senior position at work, and is perhaps a bit old-fashioned.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

今年 (kotoshi): “this year”

こそ (koso): “for sure”

絶対 (zettai): “unconditional”

勝つ (katsu): “to win”

がんばれ (ganbare): “Go for it”

けっきょく (kekkyoku): “after all”

結果 (kekka): “result”

思い出す (omoidasu): “to remember, V1″

Which phrase would you use if a friend posted something about sports?

But sport is not the only thing you can play! Play some music, and share it on social media.

4. Share a Song on Social Media in Japanese

Music is the language of the soul, they say. So, don’t hold back—share what touches your soul with your friends!

Hazuki shares a song she just heard at a party, posts an image of the artist, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

おすすめの１曲！ (Osusume no ikkyoku!)
“The one song I recommend!”

1- おすすめの (Osusume no __)

First is an expression meaning “__ to recommend.”
Among the Japanese, it is pretty common to share something you like or recommend on social media. Add any noun right after this phrase to make a recommendation.

2- １曲 (ikkyoku)

Then comes the phrase - “one song.”
In Japanese, there are various types of counters you have to add after numbers. This counter is only one of them and is used to count “songs” and “music.”

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- うわー、なつかしい。 (Uwā, natsukashii.)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Wow, how nostalgic.”
This expresses an opinion about Hazuki’s choice of music.

2- 名曲ですね。 (Meikyoku desu ne.)

Her neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Classic, indeed.”
This warmhearted comment is a response to the previous one about the song.

3- 古すぎ。。 (Furusugi..)

Her nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Too old..”
Yamato again doesn’t hold back on expressing his opinion. He finds the song dated.

4- ぼくも昔このバンドの大ファンだったな。 (Boku mo mukashi kono bando no daifan datta na.)

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “I used to be a huge fan of this band. ”
Again a nostalgic comment, with Norio reminiscing about his earlier taste in music.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

おすすめ (osusume): “recommendation”

曲 (kyoku): “song, piece of music, counter for songs”

なつかしい (natsukashii): “missed, desired, nostalgic”

名曲 (meikyoku): “famous song”

古い (furui): “old (not person); Adj(i)”

昔 (mukashi): “long ago”

バンド (bando): “band”

大ファン (daifan): “huge fan”

Do you have a favorite song you would share? And what would you say to a friend posting a song?

Now you know how to start a conversation about a song or a video on social media!

5. Japanese Social Media Comments about a Concert

Still on the theme of music—visiting live concerts and shows just have to be shared with your friends. Here are some handy phrases and vocab to wow your followers in Japanese!

Mamoru goes to a concert, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

毎年恒例の夏フェスです。 (Maitoshi kōrei no natsufesu desu.)
“Summer music festival like every year.”

1- 毎年恒例の (Maitoshi kōrei no )

First is an expression meaning: “Annual, like every year.”
This expression is commonly used when you want to share a tradition you never fail to honor every year. In this sentence, you can see he’s emphasizing that going to a summer music festival has become a tradition for him.

2- 夏フェスです (natsufesu desu)

Then comes the phrase - “summer music festival.”
It’s become more and more popular to go to summer music festivals in Japan. Then you will see a lot of pictures, videos and status updates on social media about them. You can replace the noun before “festival” with other nouns, for example, “winter”, “beach” or “rock” as well.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- 楽しそう！ (Tanoshisō!)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Looks fun!”
Yui is making conversation and seems pretty positive and optimistic.

2- すごい人だな。 (Sugoi hito da na.)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “What a huge crowd of people. ”
This conveys a sense of surprise.

3- いっきに３キロやせた気分。。 (Ikki ni san-kiro yaseta kibun..)

His girlfriend, Hazuki, uses an expression meaning - “I feel like we lost 3 kilos all at once..”
Hazuki is sharing a feeling.

4- よく飽きないね〜 (Yoku akinai nē)

His girlfriend’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “No idea why you don’t get tired of it~”
Yamato is not the most positive of people, is he? He’s commenting on this post with an opinion.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

毎年 (maitoshi): “every year”

恒例 (kōrei): “regular, customary”

夏フェス (natsufesu): “summer music festival”

すごい (sugoi): “amazing, great, fabulous”

一気に (ikki ni): “at once, in one go”

痩せる (yaseru): “to lose weight”

気分 (kibun): “feeling”

飽きる (akiru): “to get tired of, to lose interest in; V2″

If a friend posted something about a concert, which phrase would you use?

6. Talking about an Unfortunate Accident in Japanese

Oh dear. You broke something by accident. Tell friends about it by using these Japanese phrases in a thread on social media. Or maybe just to let your friends know why you are not contacting them!

Hazuki accidentally breaks her mobile phone, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

ついにやってしまった。。 (Tsui ni yatte shimatta.. )
“I finally did it.. ”

1- ついに (Tsui ni )

First is an expression meaning “Finally.”
Japanese use this word when something that they expected would happen someday has finally happened.

2- やってしまった (yatte shimatta)

Then comes the phrase - “I did it.”
You can say this expression when you have done something bad. It’s a good opening line to catch people’s attention as well.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- どこで、なんでこんなことに？ (Doko de, nande konna koto ni?)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Where and how did that happen?”
Her friend is curious as to how Hazuki broke her phone, and is also making conversation.

2- えー！これはショック。 (Ē! Kore wa shokku.)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Oh no, this is a shock. ”
This expression shows sympathy with the accident.

3- この前も壊したばかりなのに！？ (Kono mae mo kowashita bakari na noni!?)

Her nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “You just broke (another) one recently!”
Don’t you feel you want to slap cynical Yamato?! He seems to be a glass-half-full person.

4- まさか会社のものではないよな・・・？ (Masaka kaisha no mono de wa nai yo na…?)

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “It’s not a company phone, is it…?”
Norio feels anxious about this accident and shows it with this question.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

ついに (tsui ni): “finally”

どこ (doko): “where”

なんで (nande): “why”

ショック (shokku): “shocking”

この前 (kono mae): “some time ago, recently”

壊す (kowasu): “to break”

まさか (masaka): “by no means, never (used before a negation as an exclamation) “

会社 (kaisha): “company, office”

If a friend posted something about having broken something by accident, which phrase would you use?

So, now you know how to describe an accident in Japanese. Well done!

7. Chat about Your Boredom on Social Media in Japanese

Sometimes, we’re just bored with how life goes. And to alleviate the boredom, we write about it on social media. Add some excitement to your posts by addressing your friends and followers in Japanese!

Mamoru gets bored at home, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

暇だなあ。つまんない。 (Hima da nā. Tsumannai.)
“I have nothing to do. I’m so bored. ”

1- 暇だなあ。 (Hima da nā.)

First is an expression meaning: “I have nothing to do..”
You can also use this expression when you want someone to ask you out but are too shy to directly say it.

2- つまんない。 (Tsumannai.)

Then comes the phrase - “I’m so bored..”
This is the most common expression to say you’re bored in Japanese in a casual way. You can often hear teenagers use this phrase at school.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- 花見に行こうよ。 (Hanami ni ikō yo. )

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Let’s go to the cherry blossom viewing.”
Yui makes an optimistic suggestion.

2- 外で運動したらどうですか？ (Soto de undō shitara dō desu ka?)

His neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Why don’t you exercise outside?”
And the neighbour makes a friendly suggestion.

3- 新宿で飲もうぜ！ (Shinjuku de nomō ze!)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Let’s drink in Shinjuku!”
Use this expression to show you are feeling frivolous.

4- 私も。。遊ばない？ (Watashi mo.. Asobanai?)

His girlfriend, Hazuki, uses an expression meaning - “Me too.. Wanna hang out?”
Use this expression to show you are feeling empathy.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

暇 (hima): “time to spare, free time”

つまんない (tsumannai): “casual expression of “I’m bored”"

花見 (hanami): “cherry blossom viewing, flower viewing”

外 (soto ): “outside”

運動する (undō suru): “to exercise; V3″

新宿 (Shinjuku): “Shinjuku, the prefectural capital of Tokyo “

飲む (nomu): “to drink;V1″

遊ぶ (asobu): “to hang out; V1″

If a friend posted something about being bored, which phrase would you use?

Still bored? Share another feeling and see if you can start a conversation!

8. Exhausted? Share It on Social Media in Japanese

Sitting in public transport after work, feeling like chatting online? Well, converse in Japanese about how you feel, and let your friends join in!

Hazuki feels exhausted after a long day at work, posts an image of herself looking tired, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

あー疲れた！ (Ā tsukareta!)
“Uh, I’m exhausted!”

1- あー (Ā)

First is an expression meaning “Uh.”
This interjection is often used to express a sigh before you start a sentence. In casual settings like social media, it’s common for Japanese people to write interjections down as well as the actual context.

2- 疲れた！ (tsukareta!)

Then comes the phrase - “I’m exhausted!.”
This is one of the most commonly-used phrases in Japanese, both on and offline. You’re going to hear many people saying this phrase after work or school on the way back home.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- 今週は長かったな。。 (Konshū wa nagakatta na..)

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “This week felt longer..”
Use this expression to show you are feeling empathy.

2- お疲れさま！ (Otsukare-sama!)

Her boyfriend, Mamoru, uses an expression meaning - “Well done! ”
But Hazuki’s boyfriend chooses to be encouraging in his comment.

3- やっと花金だね。 (Yatto hanakin da ne.)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Thank God it’s finally Friday!”
Another post of commiseration and empathy.

4- たまには休まないと。 (Tamani wa yasumanai to.)

Her nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “You gotta get some rest. ”
Yamato likes to state the obvious.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

疲れる (tsukareru): “to tire, to get tired”

今週 (konshū): “this week”

長い (nagai): “long”

お疲れさま (otsukare-sama): “thank you, that’s enough for today, greeting at workplace”

やっと (yatto): “yay, finally, at last”

花金 (hanakin): “Thank God it’s Friday. TGIF.”

たまに (tama ni ): “once in a while, occasionally”

休む (yasumu): “to rest, to have a break”

If a friend posted something about being exhausted, which phrase would you use?

Now you know how to say you’re exhausted in Japanese! Well done.

9. Talking about an Injury in Japanese

So life happens, and you managed to hurt yourself during a soccer game. Very Tweet-worthy! Here’s how to do it in Japanese.

Mamoru suffers a painful injury, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

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Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

練習中に骨折。。痛い。 (Renshūchū ni kossetsu.. Itai.)
“Broke my leg during practice.. It hurts.”

1- 練習中に骨折。。 (Renshūchū ni kossetsu..)

First is an expression meaning: “Broke my leg during the practice…”
This is an example of an expression ending with a noun, which is often used in the headlines of newspaper articles or on TV news.

2- 痛い。 (Itai.)

Then comes the phrase - “It hurt.”
This is a must-know phrase when you go to a dentist or any clinic in Japan. When something hurts, say this phrase out loud.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- 痛そう。お大事に。 (Itasō. O-daiji ni.)

His neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Ouch. Get well soon.”
Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted.

2- うわ、グロいな。 (Uwa, guroi na.)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Holy smokes, gross.”
This is an exclamation and an opinion all at once.

3- すぐ治るといいね。 (Sugu naoru to ii ne.)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Get well soon!”
Use this expression to wish your injured friend well.

4- 無理しないで、安静にするんだぞ。 (Muri shinai de, ansei ni suru n da zo.)

His supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Don’t strain yourself. Take a good rest.”
This expression shows concern and caring.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

練習中 (renshūchū): “during practice; in the middle of practice”

骨折 (kossetsu): “bone fracture”

痛い (itai): “painful, hurt”

お大事に (o-daiji ni): “Bless you, get well soon”

うわ (uwa): “Whoa, holy smokes, oh my gosh”

治る (naoru): “to heal, to get cured”

無理する (muri suru): “to take something too far, to overdo something”

安静にする (ansei ni suru): “to rest, to be calm”

If a friend posted something about being injured, which phrase would you use?

We love to share our fortunes and misfortunes; somehow that makes us feel connected to others.

10. Starting a Conversation Feeling Disappointed in Japanese

Sometimes things don’t go the way we planned. Share your disappointment about this with your friends!

Hazuki feels disappointed about today’s weather, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

暑すぎる。。お願いだから、早く秋になって。 (Atsusugiru.. Onegai da kara, hayaku aki ni natte.)
“It’s too hot today.. For God’s sake, turn to autumn already, please.”

1- 暑すぎる。。 (Atsusugiru..)

First is an expression meaning “It’s too hot…”
Japanese people are not the biggest fans of sunlight. If you look at trendy Japanese magazines, you will see having light skin is often considered more attractive. Being tanned and brown as a chestnut is not as attractive as it is in many western countries. When you visit Japan in summer, you will see a lot of Japanese ladies with a sunshade and sunblock groves walking down the streets!

2- お願いだから、早く秋になって。 (Onegai da kara, hayaku aki ni natte.)

Then comes the phrase - “For God’s sake, turn to autumn already, please..”
This Japanese expression for “for God’s sake” is frequently used when you are desperately in need of something. By writing this line at the beginning of a sentence, you can emphasize that you really need whatever follows.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- ほんと！湿気もすごい。 (Honto! Shikke mo sugoi.)

Her neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “I know right! Massive humidity, too.”
This expression shows commiseration and empathy.

2- 今日はスーツのジャケットは着られないな。 (Kyō wa sūtsu no jaketto wa kirarenai na.)

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Today, I can’t wear a suit (anymore).”
Norio agrees with the general sentiment that it’s a very hot day, sharing a personal detail about his preferred attire.

3- これからもっと暑くなるらしいけどね。 (Kore kara motto atsuku naru rashii kedo ne.)

Her nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Looks like it’s going to get even hotter, though.”
Trust Yamato to be the one who brings even worse news. He doesn’t seem like a very optimistic, positive person!

4- 汗がとまらない。。 (Ase ga tomaranai..)

Her boyfriend, Mamoru, uses an expression meaning - “I can’t stop sweating..”
Hazuki’s boyfriend partakes in the conversation by sharing a personal detail.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

暑い (atsui): “hot”

お願いだから (onegai da kara): “Come on, for God’s sake”

秋 (aki): “fall, autumn”

湿気 (shikke): “humidity”

今日 (kyō): “today”

着る (kiru): “to wear”

もっと (motto): “more”

とまる (tomaru): “stop”

How would you comment in Japanese when a friend is disappointed?

Not all posts need to be about negative feelings and experiences, though!

11. Talking about Your Relationship Status in Japanese

Don’t just change your relationship status in Settings, talk about it!

Mamoru changes his status to “In a relationship”, posts an image of him and Hazuki, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

今日で付き合って１ヶ月！ラブラブです。 (Kyō de tsukiatte ikkagetsu! Raburabu desu.)
“Today is 1 month since we started dating. We’re in love.”

1- 今日で付き合って１ヶ月！ (Kyō de tsukiatte ikkagetsu!)

First is an expression meaning: “Today is one month since we started dating!.”
In Japan, you can often see couples counting the number of months they’ve been together for, then making it an anniversary and posting about it on social media.

2- ラブラブです。 (Raburabu desu.)

Then comes the phrase - “We’re in love.”
Although there’s an expression meaning “lovey-dovey”, it’s not very common for Japanese people to show affection such as kissing and hugging in public. Never show too much affection in front of your Japanese girlfriend or boyfriend’s parents! Thismight get a little confusing and embarrassing.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- うそだ！！ (Uso da!!)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “No way!!”
This is a playful and teasing phrase to make conversation.

2- おめでとう！彼女かわいいね！ (Omedetō! Kanojo kawaii ne!)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Congrats! Your girlfriend is cute!”
Here, Yui complements his friend on his girlfriend’s appearance.

3- さて、いつまで続くかな？ (Sate, itsu made tsuzuku ka na?)

His girlfriend’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Well, let’s see how long it lasts?”
Don’t be the Yamato in any conversation…! Real wet blanket, hey?

4- 職場恋愛か。。 (Shokuba ren’ai ka..)

His supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Office romance, huh..”
Norio is expressing surprise over this relationship.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

付き合う (tsukiau): “to keep company with, to go out with; V1″

ラブラブ (raburabu): “lovey-dovey”

おめでとう (omedetō): “Congrats”

彼女 (kanojo): “girl, she, girlfriend”

かわいい (kawaii): “pretty, cute, lovely, charming :Adj(i)”

さて (sate): “Well, now, anyway”

続く (tsuzuku): “to last, to be continued”

職場恋愛 (shokuba ren’ai): “office romance”

What would you say in Japanese when a friend changes their relationship status?

Being in a good relationship with someone special is good news - don’t be shy to spread it!

12. Post about Getting Married in Japanese

Wow, so things got serious, and you’re getting married. Congratulations! Or, your friend is getting married, so talk about this in Japanese.

Hazuki is getting married today, so she eaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

いよいよ結婚式です。ドキドキ。 (Iyoiyo kekkonshiki desu. Dokidoki.)
“Finally getting married. Nervous and excited.”

1- いよいよ結婚式です。 (Iyoiyo kekkonshiki desu.)

First is an expression meaning “Finally getting married.”
In Japan, there are two common types of weddings: one is western style with a church ceremony, and the other is Japanese traditional style where the celebration is proceeded in a shrine. Note that a western style wedding at a church doesn’t necessarily mean the couple is Christian. A lot of non-Christian Japanese people prefer to have a wedding at a church.

2- ドキドキ。 (Dokidoki.)

Then comes the phrase - “Nervous and excited.”
This expression can show both excited and nervous feelings at the same time. It’s commonly used to describe feelings before an important event.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- おめでとうございます。末永くお幸せに！ (Omedetō gozaimasu. Suenagaku o-shiawase ni! )

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Congratulations. Have a long and loving life together!”
What a warm-hearted, positive wish!

2- おめでとう！あとでブーケは私に投げてね。 (Omedetō! Ato de būke wa watashi ni nagete ne.)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Congrats! Throw the bouquet to me later, will ya?”
Manami is being the clown and wants Hazuki to throw her the hand bouquet. In many wedding traditions, when you catch the bride’s hand bouquet, it means you’re getting married next.

3- 結婚？！全然知らなかった。。 (Kekkon?! Zenzen shiranakatta.. )

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Getting married?! I had no idea.. ”
Use this expression to show you are feeling surprised.

4- 守は幸せ者だねー！ (Mamoru wa shiawasemono da nē!)

Her husband’s high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Mamoru is one lucky guy! ”
Basically, Yui is giving the bridegroom a compliment with this expression. He thinks Hazuki is a very fine bride, and expresses his appreciation this way.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

いよいよ (iyoiyo): “finally, more and more”

結婚式 (kekkonshiki): “wedding ceremony”

ドキドキ (dokidoki): “excited and nervous”

おめでとうございます (omedetō gozaimasu): “Congratulations”

末永く (suenagaku): “For many years to come”

おめでとう (omedetō): “Congrats”

投げる (nageru): “to throw”

幸せ者 (shiawasemono): “lucky guy, person”

How would you respond in Japanese to a friend’s post about getting married?

For the next topic, fast forward about a year into the future after the marriage…

13. Announcing Big News in Japanese

Wow, huge stuff is happening in your life! Announce it in Japanese.

Mamoru finds out he and his wife are going to have a baby, posts an image of his pregnant wife, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

来年パパになります。早く会いたいな。 (Rainen papa ni narimasu. Hayaku aitai na.)
“I’ll be a dad next year. Wanna see the baby sooner.”

1- 来年パパになります。 (Rainen papa ni narimasu.)

First is an expression meaning “I’ll be dad next year..”
This is a common, simple line to use when you just found out you’re becoming a father and want to let the world know. InJapan, it’s tradition to use this only before you have your first child.

2- 早く会いたいな。 (Hayaku aitai na.)

Then comes the phrase - “I want to see him sooner.”
In Japanese, we don’t have an exact translation for “I miss you” or “Can’t wait” that sounds natural. Instead, we say “I want to see (you) sooner” in Japanese. If you’re in a long-distance relationship with a Japanese partner, you could also use this expression as a way to say you miss a person.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- おめでとう！！楽しみだね！ (Omedetō!! Tanoshimi da ne!)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Congrats!! Isn’t that exciting!”
Use this expression to show you are feeling optimistic.

2- やったー、新しいいとこが増える！ (Yattā, atarashii itoko ga fueru!)

His wife’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Yay, a new cousin will be added!”
For a change, Yamato is really happy.

3- 女の子？男の子？ (Onnanoko? Otokonoko?)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Girl or boy?”
Shō wants to know details!

4- いろいろ準備しないとね。 (Iroiro junbi shinai to ne.)

His wife, Hazuki, uses an expression meaning - “Gotta prepare a lot of stuff.”
Hazuki shows a realistic view of the matter, as she knows a lot of work is lying ahead of them.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

来年 (rainen): “next year”

早く (hayaku): “fast, quickly, soon”

会う (au): “to meet; V1″

楽しみ (tanoshimi): “fun, excitement”

新しい (atarashii): “new ;-i adjective”

いとこ (itoko): “cousin”

増える (fueru): “to increase”

準備する (junbi suru): “to prepare”

Which phrase would you choose when a friend announces their pregnancy on social media?

So, talking about a pregnancy will get you a lot of traction on social media. But wait till you see the responses to babies!

14. Posting Japanese Comments about Your Baby

Your bundle of joy is here, and you cannot keep quiet about it! Share your thoughts in Japanese.

Hazuki plays with her baby, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

新しい家族が増えました。ゆきこと言います。 (Atarashii kazoku ga fuemashita. Yukiko to iimasu.)
“One new family member is added. She’s named Yukiko.”

1- 新しい家族が増えました。 (Atarashii kazoku ga fuemashita.)

First is an expression meaning: “One new family member is added.”
It’s almost like a must-do thing for Japanese couples to post a baby picture when they first give birth to one. This expression is one of the most common lines to use when you share the news of having a baby on social media. It is simple yet it is cute, and heartwarming.

2- ゆきこと言います。 (Yukiko to iimasu.)

Then comes the phrase - “She’s named Yukiko.”
A lot of Japanese people include the name of the new born baby in a post. Sometimes they also explain the origin of the name and the meaning of the chosen characters (kanji).

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- かわいすぎる〜！手も小さい。。 (Kawaisugirū! Te mo chiisai..)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Too cute! Her hand is tiny too..”
Use this expression to show you are feeling excited.

2- よく頑張ったな。おめでとう。 (Yoku ganbatta na. Omedetō.)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Great job. Congrats. ”
A warm-hearted compliment and congratulation.

3- ゆきこに早く会わせて〜！ (Yukiko ni hayaku awasetē!)

Her nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Let me see Yukiko soon!”
Yamato is keen to meet his new cousin.

4- ご出産おめでとう。元気そうな赤ちゃんで何より。 (Go-shussan omedetō. Genki sō na aka-chan de nani yori.)

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Congratulations on her birth. I can’t be any happier that she looks like a healthy baby.”
Norio is sharing warmhearted congratulations and feelings about the baby.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

家族 (kazoku): “family”

と言います (to iimasu): “to be named”

手 (te): “hand”

早く (hayaku): “soon”

出産 (shussan): “birth”

元気な (genki na): “healthy, fine, good”

赤ちゃん (aka-chan): “baby”

何より (nani yori): “more than anything”

If your friend is the mother or father, which phrase would you use on social media?

Congratulations, you know the basics of chatting about a baby in Japanese! But we’re not done with families yet…

15. Japanese Comments about a Family Reunion

Family reunions - some you love, some you hate. Share about it on your feed.

Mamoru attends a family gathering, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

久しぶりに親戚の集まり。甥っ子が大きくなってる。。 (Hisashiburi ni shinseki no atsumari. Oikko ga ōkiku natte ru..)
“Family gathering for the first time in forever. My nephew has gotten big..”

1- 久しぶりに親戚の集まり。 (Hisashiburi ni shinseki no atsumari.)

First is an expression meaning “Family gathering for the first time in forever.”
This Japanese expression for “for the first time in forever” can be used when you did something that hasn’t been done in ages. Japanese people get together with families usually on New Year’s and Bon Festival holidays in August. When they gather, they usually eat a lot and drink a lot just like many families in other countries do.

2- 甥っ子が大きくなってる。。 (Oikko ga ōkiku natte ru..)

Then comes the phrase - “My nephew has gotten (all) big..”
One of the things you’d often comment at the family gathering is how your nephew or younger family members who were small before grew a lot bigger now. You can replace “nephew” with another word to refer to other family members or guests.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- 次会うときにはもう大人になってるかもね。 (Tsugi au toki ni wa mō otona ni natte ru kamo ne.)

His wife, Hazuki, uses an expression meaning - “He might be all grown up the next time we see him.”
Use this expression to show you are feeling sensitive.

2- 懐かしいな。みなさん元気？ (Natsukashii na. Mina-san genki?)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Nostalgic. How are you all?”
Use this expression to share your feelings of nostalgia.

3- 大家族ね！ (Daikazoku ne!)

His neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “What a big family!”
Yūko is expressing surprise and, perhaps, appreciation for the size of the family.

4- お母さん全然変わってないな。 (O-kā-san zenzen kawatte nai na.)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Your mom hasn’t changed at all.”
This is a warm-hearted compliment to Hazuki’s mother and the way she looks.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

久しぶりに (Hisashiburi ni): “for the first time in forever”

親戚 (shinseki): “relative”

集まり (atsumari): “gathering”

甥っ子 (oikko): “nephew”

大人 (otona): “adult”

大家族 (daikazoku): “big family”

お母さん (o-kā-san): “mother”

変わる (kawaru): “to change”

Which phrase is your favorite to comment on a friend’s photo about a family reunion?

16. Post about Your Travel Plans in Japanese

So, Hazuki is going on holiday. Do you know how to post and leave comments in Japanese about being at the airport, waiting for a flight?

Hazuki waits at the airport for her flight, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

これからタイに行ってきまーす！ (Kore kara Tai ni ittekimāsu!)
“Off to Thailand now!”

1- これから (Kore kara )

First is an expression meaning “(from) now.”
Add this expression at the beginning of a sentence when you want to indicate that you’re about to do something.

2- タイに行ってきまーす！ (Tai ni ittekimāsu!)

Then comes the phrase - “off to Thailand!.”
This is a common expression to use when you’re on your way to somewhere to do something. Japanese people on social media often write this line before they go on a trip.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- いいなあ。本場のタイ料理楽しんでね。 (Ii nā. Honba no Tai ryōri tanoshinde ne.)

Her neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Jealous. Enjoy the authentic Thai food.”
Yūko wishes to be in Hazuki’s shoes - a warmhearted comment.

2- お土産よろしく！ (O-miyage yoroshiku!)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “I’m expecting a souvenir!”
Making conversation, Shō pretends to be a demanding friend.

3- いつまで？私も来週行くよ。 (Itsu made? Watashi mo raishū iku yo.)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Until when? I’m going next week.”
Here, Manami is sharing information about her own travels that could mean a meet-up with Hazuki in Thailand.

4- 楽しんでね！ (Tanoshinde ne!)

Her husband’s high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Have fun!”
A common well-wish.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

これから (kore kara): “from now”

タイ (Tai): “Thailand”

に行ってきます (ni ittekimasu): “off to …”

本場 (honba): “home, best place”

料理 (ryōri): “food as in dishes, cuisine”

楽しむ (tanoshimu): “to enjoy oneself; V1″

お土産 (o-miyage): “souvenir”

来週 (raishū): “next week”

Choose and memorize your best airport phrase in Japanese!

Hopefully the rest of the trip is better!

17. Posting about an Interesting Find in Japanese

So maybe you’re strolling around at your local market, and find something interesting. Here are some handy Japanese phrases!

Mamoru finds an unusual item at a local market, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

何だこりゃ。初めて見た。 (Nan da korya. Hajimete mita.)
“What the –. Never seen this before.”

1- 何だこりゃ。 (Nan da korya.)

First is an expression meaning “What the –?.”
This is a common reaction when you see something confusing or surprising. When you find something completely new and interesting overseas, you’ll probably get to use this comment.

2- 初めて見た。 (Hajimete mita.)

Then comes the phrase - “Never seen this before.”
This is a simple and short expression to use when you find something you have never seen.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- タイ限定だね。 (Tai gentei da ne.)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Only in Thailand.”
This indicates that Thailand has strange customs or people.

2- ショッキングな外見だね。 (Shokkingu na gaiken da ne.)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “What a shocking look.” This phrase refers to something that looks shocking to the observer, and not a “fashion look”!
Expressing surprise, Yuki shares her opinion to keep the conversation going.

3- あ、これ流行ってるって聞いた。 (A, kore hayatte ru tte kiita.)

His wife’s high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Oh, I heard it’s a thing now.”
Manami shows she’s up to date with the latest trends.

4- 欲しい！！ (Hoshii!!)

His nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “I want it!!”
Yamato clearly likes what he sees.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

こりゃ (korya): “term derived from これは meaning “this is”"

初めて (hajimete): “first time”

見る (miru): “to see, to watch, to look ; V2″

限定 (gentei): “limit, restriction”

ショッキングな (shokkingu na): “shocking”

外見 (gaiken): “look”

流行る (hayaru): “to be popular”

欲しい (hoshii): “want, to want”

Which phrase would you use to comment on a friend’s interesting discovery?

Perhaps you will even learn the identity of your find! Or perhaps you’re on holiday, and visiting interesting places…

18. Post about a Sightseeing Trip in Japanese

Let your friends know what you’re up to in Japanese, especially when visiting a remarkable place! Don’t forget the photo.

Hazuki visits a famous landmark, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

世界遺産に到着！観光客だらけだ。。 (Sekai isan ni tōchaku! Kankōkyaku darake da..)
“Arrived at the World Heritage! So many tourists..”

1- 世界遺産に到着！ (Sekai isan ni tōchaku! )

First is an expression meaning “Arrived at the world heritage!”
This is a common expression to use when you arrive somewhere and want to post about it. You can replace the Japanese word for “world heritage” with any other place, for example, schools, meeting place, etc.

2- 観光客だらけだ。。 (Kankōkyaku darake da..)

Then comes the phrase - “So many tourists..”
When you visit Japan, especially in big cities like Tokyo, a lot of places you go to will probably be crowded. To get on a train also, you often have to throw yourself into crowds. When this happens, you can use this expression, replacing the word “tourists” with something else, for example, “students” or “workers”.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- いい景色だね。 (Ii keshiki da ne.)

Her neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Nice view. ”
This comment is used to make conversation and showing interest.

2- わーおれもここ行ったことある！ (Wā ore mo koko itta koto aru!)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Oh I’ve been there too!”
Sharing experiences is a great way to bond on social media.

3- 夏休みだから、しょうがないよ。 (Natsuyasumi da kara, shōganai yo.)

Her husband’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “It’s during summer break, so it can’t be helped.”
Yamato adds a dash of realism again with this explanation, fortunately not too negative or cynical.

4- もっと写真見たい！ (Motto shashin mitai!)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Show us more photos!”
Manami shows she is curious and wants more details about Hazuki’s experience.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

世界遺産 (sekai isan): “World Heritage site”

到着 (tōchaku): “arrive, arrival”

観光客 (kankōkyaku): “tourist”

景色 (keshiki): “scenery, view”

行く (iku): “to go”

夏休み (natsuyasumi): “summer vacation”

しょうがない (shōganai): “can’t be helped”

写真 (shashin): “photograph”

Which phrase would you prefer when a friend posts about a famous landmark?

Share your special places with the world. Or simply post about your relaxing experiences.

19. Post about Relaxing Somewhere in Japanese

So you’re doing nothing, yet you enjoy that too? Tell your social media friends about it in Japanese!

Mamoru relaxes at a beautiful place, posts a chilled selfie, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

波の音、青い海、冷たいカクテル。最高！ (Nami no oto, aoi umi, tsumetai kakuteru. Saikō!)
“The sound of the waves, the blue sea and the cold drinks. The best!”

1- 波の音、青い海、冷たいカクテル。 (Nami no oto, aoi umi, tsumetai kakuteru.)

First is an expression meaning “The sound of the waves, the blue sea and the cold cocktails..”
This is a poetic description of the situation, which is done by paralleling the key factors in short words. This expression method is often used in advertisements as well. It’s a simple and easy way to catch people’s attention.

2- 最高！ (Saikō!)

Then comes the phrase - “The best!.”
This literally means “the best,” and Japanese people often use this expression on social media to emphasize that something is great.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- うらやましいぞー。 (Urayamashii zō.)

His supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Jealous.”
Use this expression to show you are feeling envious.

2- すごい海きれい！ (Sugoi umi kirei!)

His wife’s high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Amazingly beautiful sea!”
Manami leaves a positive opinion about the setting Hazuki finds herself in.

3- 飲んでばかりいないで、泳ぎなよ。 (Nonde bakari inaide, oyogina yo.)

Mamoru’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Don’t just drink, go swimming.”
Yamato has his own idea of what Hazuki should be doing.

4- 焼けて帰ってくるんだろうな。。 (Yakete kaette kuru n darō na..)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “I bet you guys are coming back all tanned.”
Shō is making conversation with this comment.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

波 (nami): “wave”

音 (oto): “sound, noise”

青い (aoi): “blue, green, pale; Adj(i)”

海 (umi): “sea, ocean”

冷たい (tsumetai): “cold;Adj(i)”

うらやましい (urayamashii): “envious”

泳ぐ (oyogu): “to swim”

焼ける (yakeru): “to get a suntan;V2″

Which phrase would you use to comment a friend’s feed?

The break was great, but now it’s time to return home.

20. What to Say in Japanese When You’re Home Again

And you’re back! What will you share with friends and followers?

Hazuki returns home after the vacation, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

あーあ、帰って来ちゃった。 (Āa, kaette kichatta.)
“Oh well, I’m back again.”

1- あーあ (Āa)

First is an expression meaning “Oh well.”
This is an interjection that describes a sigh of boredom or disappointment.

2- 帰って来ちゃった (kaette kichatta)

Then comes the phrase - “I’m back again.”
Japanese people love to travel, even during the short breaks such as a day off. When they’re back home, this expression is often used to show sadness that the adventure is over.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- おかえりなさい。 (Okaerinasai.)

Her neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Welcome back. ”
A friendly, common greeting.

2- おみやげ楽しみだな。。 (O-miyage tanoshimi da na..)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Can’t wait to see the souvenirs..”
Sharing a need to see brought back from travels is a good conversation starter.

3- 焼けた？写真見たい！ (Yaketa? Shashin mitai!)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Sunburnt? Wanna see the photos!”
Manami is making conversation by asking a question, and also expressing a need.

4- 東京は寒いでしょ〜。 (Tōkyō wa samui deshō.)

Her husband’s high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Tokyo feels so cold to you.”
Yui is suggesting that Tokyo’s weather must be a big change from Thailand’s.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

あーあ (āa): “oh well”

帰って来る (kaette kuru): “to return, to come back”

おかえりなさい (okaerinasai): “Welcome back, welcome home”

おみやげ (o-miyage): “a small gift, a souvenir”

焼ける (yakeru): “to get sunburned”

見る (miru): “to take a look”

東京 (Tōkyō): “Tokyo, the capital of Japan”

寒い (samui): “cold”

How would you welcome a friend back from a trip?

What would you post on social media regarding an event such as Hazuki’s nephew’s Coming of Age Day?

21. It’s Time to Celebrate in Japanese

For Yamato and his family, this is an important day and you wish to post something about it on social media. What would you say?

Hazuki celebrates his nephew’s Coming-of-Age Day, posts an image of the event, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

甥っ子、成人おめでとう！飲みすぎには注意だぞ。 (Oikko, seijin omedetō! Nomisugi ni wa chūi da zo.)
“Congrats on the Coming-of-Age day, my nephew! Be careful not to drink too much. ”

1- 甥っ子、成人おめでとう！ (Oikko, seijin omedetō! )

First is an expression meaning “Congrats on the Coming-of-Age day, my nephew!”
On Coming-of-Age Day, not only the new adults, but many other people also post a message congratulating “the new adults” on social media. On this day, many new adults, often dressed in Japanese traditional clothes, go to a ceremony in their neighborhood with the friends they grew up with.

2- 飲みすぎには注意だぞ。 (Nomisugi ni wa chūi da zo.)

Then comes the phrase - “Be careful not to drink too much.”
It’s not unusual for young people to drink too much and make mistakes during any big celebration. But especially on Coming-of-Age day in Japan, some new adults go too wild. For this reason, it’s common for older adults to warn them about drinking, as well as congratulate them on their growing up.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- 気をつけまーす！ (Ki o tsukemāsu!)

Hazuki’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “I’ll be careful!”
Yamato shows good intentions with this comment.

2- もうハタチ？！この前まで小さかったのに。。 (Mō hatachi?! Kono mae made chiisakatta noni..)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Already the 20th? He was so small not very long ago..”
A common comment on how fast someone young has grown.

3- おめでとう！いよいよ大人への仲間入りね。 (Omedetō! Iyoiyo otona e no nakamairi ne.)

His wife’s high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Congrats! He’s finally joined adulthood.”
An optimistic, positive congratulation on this big day.

4- 甥っ子さん、成人おめでとう！すっかり大人びて、見違えたな。 (Oikko-san, seijin omedetō! Sukkari otonabite, michigaeta na.)

His supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Congrats to your nephew! He’s so grown up that I could hardly recognize him.”
In the same vein as the previous comments, people are expressing surprise at how big Yamato has grown.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

甥っ子 (oikko): “nephew”

成人 (seijin): “adult, coming-of-age”

飲みすぎ (nomisugi): “overdrinking, excessive drinking”

注意 (chūi): “caution, attention”

ハタチ (hatachi): “twenty-years old”

仲間入り (nakamairi): “joining a group”

大人びる (otonabiru): “to become grown-up”

見違える (michigaeru): “to be beyond recognition”

If a friend posted something about a special day in their lives, which phrase would you use?

Someone’s Coming of Age Day and public commemoration days are not the only special ones to remember!

22. Posting about a Birthday on Social Media in Japanese

Your friend or you are celebrating your birthday in an unexpected way. Be sure to share this on social media!

Hazuki attends her own birthday party, posts an image of the event, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

今までで最高の誕生日だった！ (Ima made de saikō no tanjōbi datta! )
“The best birthday ever! ”

1- 今までで最高の (Ima made de saikō no)

First is an expression meaning “The best ever.”
If you want to say that something is the best you ever had, you can add this expression before the noun you are referring to.

2- 誕生日だった！ (tanjōbi datta!)

Then comes the phrase - “It was a birthday!”
It’s common to get together with your friends by renting a space at a restaurant and celebrating your birthday in Japan. You’ll have a lot of good deals on your birthday, so make sure to check if they have any birthday deals before you book somewhere!

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- 遅くなったけど、誕生日おめでとう！ (Osoku natta kedo, tanjōbi omedetō!)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “It’s a bit late, but happy birthday!”
Use this expression to show you are feeling frivolous.

2- おめでとう。素敵な１年になりますように。 (Omedetō. Suteki na ichi-nen ni narimasu yō ni.)

Her supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Happy birthday. Hope you have a great year ahead.”
This is a warmhearted, friendly well-wish.

3- いい写真だね！ (Ii shashin da ne!)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Nice pic!”
Manami is complimenting Hazuki’s photographic skills.

4- 私もお祝いに行きたかったな～。 (Watashi mo o-iwai ni ikitakatta nā.)

Her husband’s high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Wish I could have come to celebrate, too.”
This friend is cleary feeling disappointed that he couldn’t attend.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

今までで (ima made de): “so far, ever”

最高 (saikō): “best”

誕生日 (tanjōbi): “birthday”

遅い (osoi): “late, slow”

誕生日おめでとう (tanjōbi omedetō): “Happy birthday (casual expression)”

素敵な (suteki na): “fabulous, excellent, fantastic”

年 (nen): “counter for years”

祝う (iwau): “to celebrate”

If a friend posted something about birthday greetings, which phrase would you use?

23. Talking about New Year on Social Media in Japanese

Impress your friend with your Japanese New Year’s wishes this year. Learn the phrases easily!

Mamoru celebrates the New Year, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

あけましておめでとうございます！今年もよろしくお願いします。 (Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu! Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.)
“Happy New Year. May this year be another good one for us.”

1- あけましておめでとうございます！ (Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu! )

First is an expression meaning “Happy New Year!”
When you want to use Japanese New Year’s greetings, this phrase must be top of the list. Regardless of age and sex, Japanese speakers usually use this line to say “happy new year”.

2- 今年もよろしくお願いします。 (Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.)

Then comes the phrase - “May this year be another good one for us.”
It’s also common to use this wish for the new year. It’s a must-know expression when you greet someone in the new year. Even if New Year’s has past and you’re seeing someone for the first time, it’s polite to give this expression.

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- あけおめ！ (Akeome!)

Hazuki’s nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Happy New Year! ”
A common wish for New Year.

2- あけましておめでとう。新年会楽しみにしてるね。 (Akemashite omedetō. Shinnenkai tanoshimi ni shite ru ne.)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Happy New Year. Looking forward to the new year party. ”
Yui is expressing how he feels about the party.

3- 明日初詣行こうぜ。 (Ashita hatsumōde ikō ze.)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Let’s make the first visit to a shrine tomorrow.”
Making a suggestion is a good way to keep a conversation flowing.

4- 去年も早かったなー。 (Kyonen mo hayakatta nā. )

His supervisor, Norio, uses an expression meaning - “Last year went pretty quick (again).”
Norio is a bit nostalgic again, commenting on how fast time flies.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

あけましておめでとうございます。 (Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu.): “Happy New Year. (formal)”

今年 (kotoshi): “this year”

よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu): “Best wishes”, “Nice to meet you”

あけおめ (akeome): “Shortened version of “happy New Year.” Used between friends.”

新年会 (shinnenkai): “New Year’s party”

楽しみにしている (tanoshimi ni shite iru): “to be looking forward to”

初詣 (hatsumōde): “The first visit to a shrine in the new year, a traditional custom in Japan”

早い (hayai): “early”

Which is your favorite phrase to post on social media during New Year?

But before New Year’s Day comes another important day…

24. What to Post on Christmas Day in Japanese

What will you say in Japanese about Christmas?

Hazuki celebrates Christmas with her family, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Hazuki’s post.

メリークリスマス！旦那とイルミネーションを見に行ってきます。 (Merī Kurisumasu! Danna to iruminēshon o mi ni itte kimasu.)
“Merry Christmas! Off to see some illuminations with my husband. ” The “illuminations” refered to here are Christmas lights.

1- メリークリスマス！ (Merī Kurisumasu! )

First is an expression meaning: “Merry Christmas!”
Because so few people in Japan are Christians, Christmas is not celebrated as it is in western countries. However, we do give greetings, decorate our houses a bit Christmas-y, exchange gifts and so on. It’s also more common to celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. Also, we don’t have any Christmas holidays.

2- 旦那とイルミネーションを見に行ってきます。 (Danna to iruminēshon o mi ni itte kimasu.)

Then comes the phrase - “Off to see some illuminations with my husband.”
Compared to western countries, it is rare to find someone who thinks of Christmas as a family event in Japan. Christmas in Japan is more of a romantic event for couples or a day to get your child a gift than to spend time with your family. For couples, going to see illuminations is a popular thing to do.

COMMENTS

In response, Hazuki’s friends leave some comments.

1- どこもカップルばっかり！！ (Doko mo kappuru bakkari!!)

Her high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Couples everywhere!!”
Post an opinion to keep your social media friends informed.

2- 今夜はホワイトクリスマスだね。 (Kon’ya wa howaito kurisumasu da ne.)

Her neighbor, Yūko, uses an expression meaning - “Tonight is the white Christmas.”
Another comment that will be suitable on a social media feed during this time.

3- 俺は今年もクリスマスは仕事です。。彼女ほしい。 (Ore wa kotoshi mo kurisumasu wa shigoto desu.. Kanojo hoshii.)

Her college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “Working this Christmas as usual. I want a girl
friend. ”
As said, it’s not common to celebrate Christmas, but Shō seems envious, doesn’t he? He’d have liked to have romantic partner to go out with on this day.

4- メリクリ！今年も１年早かったわ〜。 (Merikuri! Kotoshi mo ichi-nen hayakatta wā.)

Her husband’s high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Merry Christmas! This year went pretty quick for me.”
Another comment about time.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

メリークリスマス (Merī Kurisumasu): “Merry Christmas”

イルミネーション (iruminēshon): “illuminations, lights”

見に行く (mi ni iku): “go to watch”

カップル (kappuru): “couple”

ホワイトクリスマス (howaito kurisumasu): “white Christmas”

彼女 (kanojo): “girl, she, girlfriend”

仕事 (shigoto): “work, job”

メリクリ (merikuri): “Shortened version of “Merry Christmas.” Used between friends.”

If a friend posted something about Christmas greetings, which phrase would you use?

So, the festive season is over! Yet, there will always be other days, besides a birthday, to wish someone well.

25. Post about Your Anniversary in Japanese

Some things deserve to be celebrated, like wedding anniversaries. Learn which Japanese phrases are meaningful and best suited for this purpose!

Mamoru celebrates his wedding anniversary with his wife, posts an image of them, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down Mamoru’s post.

初めての結婚記念日ディナー！ (Hajimete no kekkon kinenbi dinā!)
“Wedding anniversary dinner for the first time!”

1- 初めての (Hajimete no )

First is an expression meaning “for the first time.”
When you want to post something you’ve done for the first time, you can add this expression at the beginning.

2- 結婚記念日ディナー！ (kekkon kinenbi dinā!)

Then comes the phrase - “wedding anniversary dinner!”
Like in many western countries, it’s common for couples to celebrate wedding anniversaries in Japan. The 25th anniversary is also called the “Silver anniversary,” and the 50th anniversary is called the “Golden anniversary.”

COMMENTS

In response, Mamoru’s friends leave some comments.

1- ラブラブ！ (Raburabu!)

His wife’s high school friend, Manami, uses an expression meaning - “Lovey-dovey!”
Manami posts something humorous and teasing.

2- 夫婦円満の秘訣は？ (Fūfu enman no hiketsu wa?)

His college friend, Shō, uses an expression meaning - “What’s your secret to maintaining a harmonious marriage?”
The single guy is curious how they manage to maintain a good marriage.

3- 理想の夫婦だね。 (Risō no fūfu da ne.)

His high school friend, Yui, uses an expression meaning - “Ideal couple.”
Complimenting them, Yui leaves a positive post.

4- 今日だけは、けんかしないように。 (Kyō dake wa, kenka shinai yō ni.)

The nephew, Yamato, uses an expression meaning - “Just for today, try not to fight.”
Yamato is being a bit of a wise-nose again, or he’s trying to be funny!

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

初めての (hajimete no): “for the first time “

結婚記念日 (kekkon kinenbi): “wedding anniversary”

ディナー (dinā): “dinner”

夫婦 (fūfu): “married couple”

夫婦円満 (fūfu enman): “harmonious marriage”

秘訣 (hiketsu): “secret, trick”

理想 (risō): “ideal, dream”

けんかする (kenka suru): “to fight”

If a friend posted something about Anniversary greetings, which phrase would you use?

Conclusion

Learning to speak a new language will always be easier once you know key phrases that everybody uses. These would include commonly-used expressions for congratulations and best wishes, etc.

Master these in fun ways with Learn Japanese! We offer a variety of tools to individualize your learning experience, including using cell phone apps, audiobooks, iBooks and many more. Never wonder again what to say on social media!