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100+ Useful Japanese Classroom Phrases & Vocabulary

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If you are taking a Japanese group lesson online, or planning to study as a foreign student in Japan or to teach your language as a teacher in Japan, it’s good to know Japanese classroom phrases well for effective learning and better communication in the class.

In this guide, we introduce the most useful Japanese classroom phrases and vocabulary from various aspects, including school vocabulary, classroom greetings and calls, explaining absence and tardiness, teacher’s phrases, student phrases, and school subjects. You will learn not only common Japanese classroom phrases and vocabulary but also the unique features of Japanese schools, such as the school system, school routines, and school supplies. Let’s get ready for your class with JapanesePod101.com!

Students Are Raising Their Hands, the Teacher Is Stand in Front of the Blackboard

答えがわかったら手を挙げて Kotae ga wakattara te o agete
(“Raise your hand if you know the answer”)

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. School Vocabulary
  2. Classroom Greetings and Calls
  3. Explaining Absence and Tardiness/Leaving Early
  4. Teacher’s Phrases
  5. Student’s Phrases
  6. Talking About Subjects
  7. Conclusion

1. School Vocabulary

Before talking about Japanese classroom phrases, here are the lists of school vocabulary for the Japanese school system, school facilities, school personnel, school routines and school supplies.

1. Japanese School System

April is one of the most important months of the year in Japan as the school year or the fiscal year begins.  Classes are held from Monday to Friday in compulsory education and at public schools, and some private schools are also open on Saturdays. The Japanese school year usually consists of three terms (学期 gakki), and there are short spring and winter breaks or a long summer break between each school term.

Below is the basic Japanese school system;

Elementary school:  6 years (age 7 to 12)    [Compulsory Education]
Junior high school : 3 years (age 13 to 15) [Compulsory Education]
Senior high school : 3 years (age 16 to 18)

[Higher Education]
University: 4 years (6 years for Medicine, Pharmaceutical, Veterinary, and Dentistry School)
Junior college: 2 years (or 3, depending on the school)
Vocational school: 2 years (or 3, depending on the school)

Japanese Words for School Vocabulary 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
school学校がっこうgakkō
elementary school小学校しょうがっこうshōgakkō
junior high school中学校ちゅうがっこうchūgakkō
senior high school高校 /高等学校こうこう / こうとうがっこうkōkō  (short version) / kōtō gakkō
university大学だいがくdaigaku
junior college短期大学たんき だいがくtanki daigaku
vocational / technical school 専門学校せんもん がっこうsenmon gakkō

The Black Board, Desks and Chairs in a Classroom

教室 kyōshitsu (“classroom”)

2. School Facilities

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
classroom 教室きょうしつkyōshitsu
faculty room職員室しょくいんしつshokuinshitsu
science laboratory理科室りかしつrikashitsu
arts / craft room  美術室 / 図工室びじゅつしつ / ずこうしつbijutsushitsu / zukōshitsu
library図書室 / 図書館としょしつ  / としょかんtoshoshitsu / toshokan
gymnasium体育館たいいくかんtaiikukan
infirmary保健室ほけんしつhokenshitsu
schoolyard校庭こうていkōtei
athletic ground運動場 / 校庭うんどうじょう / こうていundōjō / kōtei
school cafeteria学生食堂/ 学食がくせい しょくどう/ がくしょくgakusei shokudō/ gakushoku (short version)

Book Shelves, Desks and Chairs in a Library without People

図書室 toshoshitsu (“library”)

3. School Personnel

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
student生徒せいとseito
teacher先生 *せんせいsensei
professor教授きょうじゅkyōju
faculty教員きょういんkyōin
vice principal教頭 / 副校長きょうとう / ふくこうちょうkyōtō / fukukōchō
school principal校長こうちょうkōchō
librarian司書ししょshisho
school caretaker用務員ようむいんyōmuin

*Generally, 先生 (sensei) is who teaches something, and 先生 (sensei) is commonly used for school teachers. On the other hand, a synonym word 教師 (kyōshi) is used as an occupation, for example, 私は教師です Watashi wa kyōshi desu. “I’m a teacher.” 

4. School Routines

EnglishKanji/KatakanaHiraganaReading
going to school登校とうこうtōkō
morning assembly朝礼ちょうれいchōrei
class授業じゅぎょうjugyō
examination試験しけんshiken
food service *給食きゅうしょくkyūshoku
break / recess休み時間やすみじかんyasumi jikan
cleaning **清掃せいそうseisō
club activityクラブ活動くらぶかつどうkurabu katsudō
leaving school下校げこうgekō

*Food Service  給食 kyūshoku is usually provided at elementary school and middle high school for very low monthly fees in Japan. They usually eat kyūshoku in the classroom. In high school, students either bring their own lunch boxes お弁当 o-bentō or use the school cafeteria.

**There is time allocated for cleaning, especially from elementary to high school, and students clean their school by themselves in Japan. Not only in their home classroom but also in corridors, bathrooms, gym, and other places in the school. In this way, Japanese schools teach students to clean, keep tidy, be responsible, use things with care, etc.

5. School Supplies

EnglishKanji / KatakanaHiraganaReading
pencil鉛筆えんぴつenpitsu
mechanical pencilシャーペン *しゃーぺんshāpen
penペンぺんpen
eraser消しゴムけしごむkeshigomu
pen case筆箱ふでばこfudebako
pencil sharpener鉛筆削りえんぴつけずりenpitsu kezuri
notebookノートのーとnōto
textbook教科書きょうかしょkyōkasho
bookほんhon
scissorsハサミはさみhasami
glueノリのりnori
ruler定規じょうぎjōgi
calculator計算機けいさんきkeisanki
school indoor shoes上履き **うわばきuwabaki
school backpack (elementary school)ランドセル ***らんどせるrandoseru

 * シャーペン shāpen (“mechanical pencil”) is 和製英語 Wasei-eigo (“Japanese-made English”)  word that is the shorter version of シャープペンシル “sharp pencil.”

** Wearing 上履き uwabaki (“school indoor shoes”) at school is something particular about Japan. This comes from the Japanese culture and etiquette that people are expected to remove their shoes when entering homes and other particular rooms or buildings.

*** ランドセル randoseru (“school backpack for elementary school kids”) is a unique Japanese school backpack usually made of leather with a firm structure. Traditionally, parents or grandparents give children as a gift upon entering elementary school. They use the same randoseru for 6 years until they graduate from elementary school. 

To enhance your Japanese vocabulary and learn more about Japanese basic nouns, please check out Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns.

Japanese Family, Father in Suits and Elementary School Kids Are Leaving Their Home

ランドセルは日本の小学校のかばんです。
Randoseru wa Nihon no shōgakkō no kaban desu.
(“Randoseru is a bag for elementary school in Japan” )

6. Example Sentences

タメ口 Tameguchi (“peer language”) or casual speech form can be used when talking among students. However, 敬語 keigo (“honorific speech”) or polite language should be used for teachers.

Here are some basic phrases in Japanese classrooms using school vocabulary:

[Japanese]     鉛筆を1本借りてもいい? Enpitsu o ippon karite mo ii?  (casual)                  
[English]        “May I borrow a (one) pencil? ”

*Japanese language learning: To learn more about Japanese numbers, see Japanese Numbers: Let’s Master the Basic Japanese Numbers!

[Japanese]    生物の教科書を失くしちゃった。    (casual)
                       Seibutsu no kyōkasho o nakushichatta. 
[English]        “I lost my biology textbook.”

[Japanese]    宿題を忘れました。 (polite)
                       Shukudai o wasuremashita.
[English]        “I forgot my homework.”

[Japanese]    消しゴム持ってる?     Keshigomu motte ru?    (casual)     
[English]        “Do you have an eraser?”

[Japanese]    これ使っていいよ。   Kore tsukatte ii yo.     (casual)   
[English]        “Here, you can use this.”

[Japanese]    ありがとう、後で返すね。  Arigatō, ato de kaesu ne.     (casual)   
[English]        “Thanks, I will return it to you later.”

[Japanese]    明日の朝は体育館で全校朝礼があります。     (polite)
                       Ashita no asa wa taiikukan de zenkō chōrei ga arimasu.
[English]        “We will have a whole school assembly at the gymnasium tomorrow morning. ”

[Japanese]    明日の化学の試験は何時だっけ?       (casual)
                       Ashita no kagaku no shiken wa nan-ji dakke?
[English]        “What time is the chemistry test tomorrow?”

*Please visit How to Tell Time in Japanese article and Japanese Calendar Dates: Reading Dates in Japanese & More on JapanesePod101 to learn how to tell time and date in Japanese.

Colorful Stationery Such as Pencils, Scissors, Tapes, Chalks, etc.

消しゴム持ってる?  Keshigomu motte ru?    (“Do you have an eraser?”)

2. Classroom Greetings and Calls 

Some of the most essential Japanese classroom phrases are greetings and calls used at school.
Here is the list of frequently used Japanese words and greetings in classrooms.

[Japanese]     先生 / 教授、おはようございます。 Sensei / kyōju, ohayō gozaimasu.  (polite)
[English]        “Good morning teacher / professor.”

*Japanese language learning: To learn more Japanese greetings, check out How to Say Hello in Japanese: Practical Japanese Greetings.

[Japanese]    おはよう。 Ohayō.   (casual)        
[English]        “Good morning.”

[Japanese]    バイバイ。 Bai bai.   (casual)        
[English]        “Bye bye.”

[Japanese]    また明日。 Mata ashita.  (casual)        
[English]        “See you tomorrow.”

[Japanese]    先生、さようなら。 Sensei, sayōnara.   (polite)        
[English]        “Good bye, teacher.”

[Japanese]    起立!     気をつけ!    礼!       着席!            (imperative)
                       Kiritsu ! Ki o tsuke ! Rei ! Chakuseki !
[English]        “Stand up! Attention (make a good posture)! Bow!  Seated down! ”

*This is the traditional call and ritual of bowing in Japan at the start and end of school class to greet the teacher. Usually, one of the students in a class is allocated to the call roll on a weekly or monthly basis.

When there is a whole school or classroom assembly, usually held in the gymnasium or schoolyard, the following phrases are used.

[Japanese]    集合!     Shūgō!     (imperative)     
[English]        “Assemble / gather!”

[Japanese]    一列に並べ。   Ichi-retsu ni narabe.     (imperative)   
[English]        “Line up in a row.”

[Japanese]    前へならえ。  Mae e narae.     (imperative)   
[English]        “Stand at arm’s length. (Literally: follow (do) as front)”

[Japanese]    解散! Kaisan !      (imperative)      
[English]        “Dismissed!”

3. Explaining Absence and Tardiness/Leaving Early 

1. Taking Attendance

At Japanese Schools, usually from elementary school to high school, students have a “home class” and a particular teacher (担任 tannin) who’s in charge of its home class. Students usually stay in the home classroom and 担任 (tannin) teaches all the basic subjects in elementary school, and teachers of each subject come to the classroom to give classes in junior highschool and senior highschool.

The teacher in charge of a home-class calls the roll in the morning meeting. 

Japanese Vocabulary for Taking Attendance

EnglishKanji HiraganaReading
take attendancecall the roll出欠を取るしゅっけつをとるshukketsu o toru
present出席しゅっせきshusseki
absent欠席けっせきkesseki
tardiness / late遅刻ちこくchikoku
leave early早退そうたいsōtai

2. Teacher

Following are some teacher’s basic phrases in Japanese for taking attendance:

[Japanese]    静かに。出欠を取ります。 Shizuka ni. Shukketsu o torimasu.      
[English]        “Quiet please, I will take attendance now.”

[Japanese]    名前を呼ばれたら返事をすること。   Namae o yobaretara henji o suru koto.     
[English]        “Respond when your name is called.”

[Japanese]    全員いますか。  Zen’in imasu ka.    
[English]        “Is everyone here?”

[Japanese]    誰か欠席の人いますか。 Dare ka kesseki no hito imasu ka.          
[English]        “Anybody absent?”

[Japanese]   [name]さんが今日欠席した理由を知っている人はいますか。
                      [name]-san ga kyō kesseki shita riyū o shitte iru hito wa imasu ka.
[English]     “Does anyone know why [name] is absent today?”

A Student Raises Her Hand in the Class

 はい、います。 Hai, imasu. (“Yes, I’m present”)

3. Student

Following are some student’s basic phrases in Japanese for taking attendance:

[Japanese]    はい、います。 Hai, imasu.      
[English]       “Yes, I’m present.”   (response when your name is called) 

[Japanese]    [name] さんがいません。[name]-san ga imasen.        
[English]      “[name] is not here.”

[Japanese]    すみません、寝坊したので遅刻しました。
                       Sumimasen, nebō shita node chikoku shimashita.
[English]        “I’m sorry, I was late because I overslept.”

[Japanese]    電車が人身事故で止まったので遅刻しました。
                       Densha ga jinshin jiko de tomatta node chikoku shimashita.
[English]        “I was late because the train stopped due to an injury accident.”

[Japanese]    [name]さんは昨日から体調が悪くて、今日は欠席です。 
                       [name]-san wa kinō kara taichō ga warukute, kyō wa kesseki desu.
[English]        “[name] has been sick since yesterday and is absent today.”

[Japanese]    足を骨折したので、体育の授業は見学します。 
                       Ashi o kossetsu shita node, taiiku no jugyō wa kengaku shimasu.
[English]        “I will just observe the PE class because I broke my leg.”

[Japanese]    すみません、とても気分が悪いので早退します。 
                       Sumimasen, totemo kibun ga warui node sōtai shimasu.
[English]        “Excuse me, I’m leaving early because I feel very sick.”

4. Teacher’s Phrases  

In the Japanese culture, names are called together with 敬称 keishō (“Japanese honorific title”), “さん san” is most commonly used.

When a teacher talks to a student : [student family name] + さん san 
In some cases, [family name of a male student] + 君 くん kun

The following are frequently used Japanese classroom phrases by teachers in a class.

1. Instructions

[Japanese]    みんな、席に着いて。 Minna, seki ni tsuite.      
[English]       “Everyone, be seated.”

[Japanese]    [name] 君、早く座りなさい。 [name]-kun, hayaku suwarinasai.        
[English]        “[name], sit down now.”

[Japanese]    では、始めます。 Dewa, hajimemasu.                      
[English]        “Well, let’s begin.”

[Japanese]    今日はXXXについて勉強します。    Kyō wa XXX ni tsuite benkyō shimasu.
[English]        “We are going to learn XXX today.”

[Japanese]    教科書のXXページを開いてください。  Kyōkasho no XX-pēji o hiraite kudasai. 
[English]        “Please open to page XX of your textbook.”

[Japanese]    これはとても重要です。   Kore wa totemo jūyō desu.      
[English]        “This is very important.”

[Japanese]    これはテストに出るので、しっかり理解してください。 
                       Kore wa tesuto ni deru node, shikkari rikai shite kudasai.
[English]        “Please understand this well because this will be on the test.”

[Japanese]   しっかり聞いてください。 Shikkari kiite kudasai.   
[English]       “Listen carefully.”

[Japanese]    黒板の図を見てください。 Kokuban no zu o mite kudasai.      
[English]        “Look at the diagram on the blackboard.”

[Japanese]    この質問の答えがわかる人は手をあげてください。 
                       Kono shitsumon no kotae ga wakaru hito wa te o agete kudasai.
[English]        “Raise your hand if you know the answer to this question.”

[Japanese]    最初に聞いてから、私の後で繰り返してください。    
                       Saisho ni kiite kara, watashi no ato de kurikaeshite kudasai.
[English]        “Listen first and repeat after me.”

[Japanese]    答えをノートに書いて。  Kotae o nōto ni kaite. 
[English]        “Write the answers in your notebook.”

[Japanese]    みんなで一緒に、2段落目から読みましょう。   
                       Minna de issho ni, ni-danraku-me kara yomimashō.
[English]        “Let’s read from the second paragraph together.”

[Japanese]    [name]さん、XXページを読んでください。
                       [name]-san, XX-pēji o yonde kudasai.
[English]        “[student name], read the page XX please.”

[Japanese]    紙を一枚ずつ取って、後ろの人に渡してください。
                       Kami o ichi-mai zutsu totte, ushiro no hito ni watashite kudasai.
[English]        “Take one sheet of paper and pass (the rest) to the person behind you.”

Teacher Is Writing on the Blackboard, Students Are Sitting in Front of Computers

これはとても重要です。 Kore wa totemo jūyō desu.   ( “This is very important.”)

2. Homework

[Japanese]    今日の宿題はXXXです。    Kyō no shukudai wa XXX desu.
[English]        “Homework for today is XXX.”

[Japanese]    宿題は教科書XXページの1番から5番です。
                       Shukudai wa kyōkasho XX-pēji no ichi-ban kara go-ban desu.
[English]        “The homework is from the number 1 to 5 on page XX of the textbook.”

[Japanese]    今日学んだことを家で復習してください。  
                       Kyō mananda koto o ie de fukushū shite kudasai.
[English]        “Review at home what you’ve learned today.”

[Japanese]    前回出された宿題は、先生の机の上に提出してください。
                       Zenkai dasareta shukudai wa, sensei no tsukue no ue ni teishutsu shite kudasai.
[English]        “Please submit the homework given last time on the teacher’s desk.”

[Japanese]    宿題の提出は成績に反映されます。
                       Shukudai no teishutsu wa seiseki ni han’ei saremasu.
[English]        “Your homework submission will be reflected in your grades.”

3. Questions

[Japanese]    質問はありますか。    Shitsumon wa arimasu ka.
[English]        “Any questions?”

[Japanese]    皆さん分かりましたか。  Mina-san wakarimashita ka.
[English]        “Did everyone understand this?”

[Japanese]    誰かこの問題を解答できますか。   Dare ka kono mondai o kaitō dekimasu ka.      
[English]        “Can anyone solve this problem?”

[Japanese]    正しい答えは何ですか。     Tadashii kotae wa nan desu ka.
[English]        “What is the correct answer?”

[Japanese]    ここまでで何か分からないことはありますか。
                       Koko made de nani ka wakaranai koto wa arimasu ka.
[English]        “Is there anything you don’t understand so far?”

The Teacher Is Pointing to the Blond Student Who Raises Her Hand

  正しい答えは何ですか。  Tadashii kotae wa nan desu ka.  ( “What is the correct answer?”)

4. Keeping the Order

[Japanese]    静かにしなさい。Shizuka ni shinasai.
[English]        “Be quiet.”

[Japanese]    おしゃべりはやめなさい。  Oshaberi wa yamenasai.
[English]        “Stop talking!”

[Japanese]    自分の席に戻りなさい。    Jibun no seki ni modorinasai.
[English]        “Go back to your seat!”

[Japanese]    授業に集中しなさい。 Jugyō ni shūchū shinasai.
[English]        “Focus on the class!”

[Japanese]    質問がある時は手をあげてください。   Shitsumon ga aru toki wa te o agete kudasai.
[English]        “Raise your hand if you have a question.”

Japanese language learning : To learn more Japanese angry phrases, please also check out Getting Angry in Japanese: 20+ Useful Japanese Angry Phrases

5. Student’s Phrases 

At schools in Japan, faculty is usually called by his/her title by students.
When students talk to a teacher:  先生 sensei (“Mr./ Mrs.“, Literally: teacher)
When students talk to a professor:  教授 kyōju (Literally: professor)

If you want to be more specific, add a name in front of a title, such as 高橋先生 Takahashi-sensei (Mr./ Mrs.Takahashi, Literally: Takahashi teacher).

Here is the list of most useful Japanese classroom phrases used by students, including when asking questions to a teacher and when talking with other students.

1. Asking Questions

[Japanese]    すみません、何ページですか。    Sumimasen, nan-pēji desu ka.
[English]        “Excuse me, what page are we on?”

[Japanese]    わかりません。Wakarimasen.
[English]        “I don’t understand.”

[Japanese]    過去分詞の使い方がわかりません。Kakobunshi no tsukaikata ga wakarimasen.
[English]        “I don’t understand how to use a past participle.”

[Japanese]    その部分をもう一度言ってください。 Sono bubun o mō ichi-do itte kudasai.
[English]        “Please repeat that part again.”

[Japanese]    もう一度ゆっくり言ってもらえますか。 Mō ichi-do yukkuri itte moraemasu ka.
[English]        “Can you say that again slowly?”

[Japanese]    もっとわかりやすく説明してください。Motto wakariyasuku setsumei shite kudasai.
[English]        “Please explain it in a more understandable way.”

[Japanese]    質問があります。Shitsumon ga arimasu.
[English]        “I have a question.”

[Japanese]    質問してもいいですか。  Shitsumon shite mo ii desu ka.
[English]        “Can I ask you a question?”

[Japanese]    先生は今何て言いましたか。 Sensei wa ima nante iimashita ka.
[English]        “What did the teacher just say?”

[Japanese]    これは何て発音しますか。 Kore wa nante hatsuon shimasu ka.
[English]        “How do you pronounce this?”

[Japanese]    XXXはどういう意味ですか。 XXX wa dō iu imi desu ka.
[English]        “What does XXX mean?”

[Japanese]    どうしてこの場合に未来完了形を使うのですか。
                       Dōshite kono bāi ni mirai kanryōkei o tsukau no desu ka. 
[English]        “Why do you use the future perfect tense in this case?”

[Japanese]    これは合ってますか。 Kore wa atte masu ka.
[English]        “Is this correct ?”

[Japanese]    これが正解ですか。 Kore ga seikai desu ka.
[English]        “Is this the correct answer?”

[Japanese]    やっと理解しました。Yatto rikai shimashita.
[English]        “I finally understood.”

[Japanese]    トイレに行ってもいいですか。 Toire ni itte mo ii desu ka.
[English]        “May I go to the bathroom?”

[Japanese]    気分が悪いので、保健室に行ってもいいですか。
                       Kibun ga warui node, hokenshitsu ni itte mo ii desu ka.
[English]        “May I go to the infirmary because I feel sick?”

Japanese Female Student Is Taking Notes in the Class

 質問があります。Shitsumon ga arimasu. (“I have a question.”)

2. Talking Among Students

The speech tone is very casual for conversations among students. The following are handy Japanese classroom phrases when you want to chat with your friends in a class.

[Japanese]    今どこ? Ima doko?
[English]        “Where are we at?”

[Japanese]    今何ページ? Ima nan-pēji?
[English]        “Which page are we on?”

[Japanese]    宿題やった? Shukudai yatta?  
[English]        “Did you do your homework?”

[Japanese]    宿題やったのに、家に忘れてきちゃった。Shukudai yatta noni, ie ni wasurete kichatta.
[English]        “Though I did my homework, I forgot it at home.”

[Japanese]    後でノート見せてもらってもいい?  Ato de nōto misete moratte mo ii?
[English]        “Can I see your notebook later?”

[Japanese]    今日の授業は全然わからなかった。Kyō no jugyō wa zenzen wakaranakatta.
[English]        “I didn’t understand today’s class at all.”

[Japanese]    この問題が分からないんだけど、教えて。 Kono mondai ga wakaranai n da kedo, oshiete.
[English]        “I don’t understand this problem, can you teach me?”

[Japanese]    宿題は何だっけ? Shukudai wa nan dakke?
[English]        “What is the homework?”

[Japanese]   教科書の何ページが試験範囲? Kyōkasho no nan-pēji ga shiken han’i?
[English]        “Which pages of the textbook will be covered in the exam?”

[Japanese]    英語のテストはいつだっけ?  Eigo no tesuto wa itsu dakke?
[English]        “When is the English exam?”

[Japanese]   試験の勉強は全然できてない。  Shiken no benkyō wa zenzen dekite nai.             
[English]        “I couldn’t study enough for exams at all.”

[Japanese]    テスト/試験 どうだった? Tesuto / shiken dō datta?
[English]        “How was your test / exams?”

[Japanese]   どうしよう、英語のテストが赤点*だった。Dō shiyō, Eigo no tesuto ga akaten* datta. 
[English]        “What should I do, I got a red mark on the English test.”

*赤点 akaten is a slang word for bad grades, it is literally translated as “red mark”, meaning “failing grades”.

[Japanese]   試験の結果は思ったより良かったよ。Shiken no kekka wa omotta yori yokatta yo.           
[English]        “The result of the exam was better than I thought.”

[Japanese]    試験期間が終わったら、カラオケに行こう! Shiken kikan ga owattara, karaoke ni ikō!
[English]        “When the exam period is over, let’s go to Karaoke!”

 Four Japanese High School Students Are Walking Together and Talking

テストどうだった? Tesuto dō datta? (“How was your test?”)

6. Talking About Subjects  

1. Subject Vocabulary [From Elementary To High School]

School subjects are one of the most essential parts when learning classroom phrases and vocabulary. 

The following is the list of subjects (科目 kamoku) that are taught from elementary school to high school in Japan. 

EnglishKanji HiraganaReading
arithmetic(elementary school)算数さんすうsansū
mathematics数学すうがくsūgaku
science (elementary and middle highschool)理科りかrika
physics物理ぶつりbutsuri
chemistry化学かがくkagaku
biology生物せいぶつseibutsu
geography地理ちりchiri
Japanese(national language) 国語こくごkokugo
modern literature現代文げんだいぶんgendaibun
classical literature古文こぶんkobun
English英語えいごEigo
social science社会しゃかいshakai
politics and economics政治経済せいじけいざいseiji keizai
Japanese History日本史にほんしNihonshi
world history世界史せかいしsekaishi
art and craft(elementary school)図工ずこうzukō
art美術びじゅつbijutsu
physical education体育たいいくtaiiku
home economics家庭科かていかkateika
music音楽おんがくongaku

Piled Books of Various Subjects

学科 gakka / 科目 kamoku (“School subjects”)

2. Subject Vocabulary [University]

Below are the common department / course of study (学科 gakka) taught in higher education, such as junior college or university.

EnglishKanji / KatakanaHiraganaReading
Psychology 心理学しんりがくshinrigaku
Law法学ほうがくhōgaku
Literature文学ぶんがくbungaku
Business Management経営学けいえいがくkeieigaku
Statistics 統計学とうけいがくtōkeigaku
Accounting会計学 かいけいがくkaikeigaku
Information Technology 情報技術じょうほうぎじゅつjōhō gijutsu
International Relations 国際関係 こくさいかんけいkokusai kankei
Education 教育学きょういくがくkyōikugaku
Medicine 医学いがくigaku
Pharmaceutics薬学やくがくyakugaku
Nursing看護学かんごがくkangogaku
Architecture 建築学けんちくがくkenchikugaku
Agriculture農学のうがくnōgaku
Foreign language外国語がいこくごgaikokugo
French フランス語ふらんすごFuransu-go
Germanドイツ語どいつごDoitsu-go
Spanish スペイン語すぺいんごSupein-go
Russian ロシア語ろしあごRoshia-go
Chinese 中国語ちゅうごくごChūgoku-go
Korean 韓国語   かんこくごKankoku-go

3. Example Sentences

Here are some basic phrases in Japanese using subject vocabulary:

[Japanese]    私の一番好きな科目は [subject] です。 
                       Watashi no ichi-ban suki na kamoku wa [subject] desu.
[English]        “My favorite subject is [subject].”

[Japanese]    私は [subject] が得意です。Watashi wa [subject] ga tokui desu.
[English]        “I’m good at [subject].”

[Japanese]    私は [subject] が苦手です。Watashi wa [subject] ga nigate desu.
[English]        “I’m not good at [subject].”

[Japanese]   [subject] は難しいので嫌いです。  [subject] wa muzukashii node kirai desu.
[English]        “I don’t like [subject] because it’s difficult.”

[Japanese]    何の科目が一番好きですか。 Nan no kamoku ga ichi-ban suki desu ka.
[English]        “What is your favorite subject?”

[Japanese]   何の科目が得意ですか。  Nan no kamoku ga tokui desu ka.            
[English]        “Which subjects are you good at?”

[Japanese]    大学では [subject] を学びたいです。 Daigaku de wa [subject] o manabitai desu.
[English]        “I’d like to learn [subject] at university.”

[Japanese]   専攻学科は何ですか。Senkō gakka wa nan desu ka.        
[English]        “What is your major?”

[Japanese]   私の専攻学科は [subject] です。 Watashi no senkō gakka wa [subject] desu.         
[English]        “My major is [subject].”

[Japanese]    第二外国語としてドイツ語のクラスをとっています。
                       Dai-ni gaikokugo toshite Doitsu-go no kurasu o totte imasu.
[English]        “I’m taking German class as a second foreign language.”

Japanese language learning : If you want to learn more about how to introduce yourself in Japanese, please see How to Say “My Name is,” in Japanese + More!

7. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced 100+ most useful Japanese Classroom Phrases and Vocabulary, including:

  • School vocabulary and the Japanese school system 
  • Useful Classroom Greetings and Calls
  • Explaining Absence and Tardiness/Leaving Early
  • Teacher’s Phrases
  • Student’s Phrases
  • Talking about Subjects

Whether you are taking a Japanese class or you want to teach at a Japanese local school and/or study with native students, our guide of Japanese Classroom Phrases and Vocabulary will make your school life easier and more adaptable.

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find a lot more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. This is the best place to learn Japanese online, providing a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese-language skills. 

If you are interested in more Japanese phrases sorted by situations, the following articles are just right for you: 

  • Japanese Travel Phrases for an Enjoyable Trip to Japan
  • 50+ Restaurants Phrases for Eating Out in Japan
  • Essential Business Japanese: Learn the Most Useful Phrases

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

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

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50+ Restaurants Phrases for Eating Out in Japan

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Sushi, Ramen, Okonomiyaki… Japanese food is gaining fame around the world nowadays, and Japanese food lovers are increasing every year. Japan is known for delicious food, and everyone would be surprised by its variety of restaurants in every aspect when they come to Japan for the first time.

Whether you are a tourist or not, knowing the basic Japanese restaurant phrases is not only useful for smooth ordering but also for enjoying your dining time better. 

This article introduces the most useful Japanese restaurant phrases as well as tips and handy information about restaurants in Japan that would definitely help you make the most of your dining experience in Japan. Let’s start brushing up on your useful basic phrases in Japanese now!

Tables and Chairs Inside a Restaurant

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. How to Look for Good Restaurants in Japan
  2. Booking a Restaurant
  3. At a Restaurant
  4. After Dining
  5. Conclusion

1. How to Look for Good Restaurants in Japan

First of all, Japanese people are avid foodies and they are quite demanding and particular about food. Not only the fact that Tokyo is the world’s most Michelin-starred city, more than Paris and New York City, but also there are a wide variety of food genres and levels of restaurants in Japan. Before learning Japanese dining phrases, let’s take a look at facts about Japanese restaurants!

1. Restaurant Variations in Japan

Before learning Japanese restaurant phrases, let’s take a look at an overview of restaurants in Japan.

Ranging from various world cuisines to Japanese food, from one-coin 牛丼 gyūdon (beef bowl) restaurants to high-class Japanese traditional restaurants such as 高級料亭 kōkyū ryōtei and 懐石料理 Kaiseki ryōri , you never run out of choices of restaurants, and you will always find any restaurants you prefer according to your budget, mood, and preferences.

Some of the most popular world cuisines in Japan and their Japanese words are listed below. 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
Chinese (cuisines)中国 / 中華 料理ちゅうごく/ちゅうか りょうりChūgoku / Chūka ryōri 
Korean  (cuisines)韓国料理かんこく りょうりKankoku ryōri 
Vietnamese (cuisines)ベトナム料理べとなむ りょうりBetonamu ryōri 
Thai (cuisines)タイ料理たい りょうりTai ryōri 
Indian (cuisines)インド料理いんど りょうりIndo ryōri 
Mexican (cuisines)メキシコ料理めきしこ りょうりMekishiko ryōri 
French (cuisines)フランス料理ふらんす りょうりFuransu ryōri 
Italian (cuisines)イタリア料理いたりあ りょうりItaria  ryōri 

Foreign Customers Are Eating at Sushi Restaurant

When you sit at the counter at a sushi restaurant, you can directly order your menu from the chef.

Even if you say “Japanese food” as a general category, you will not find a single restaurant in Japan that provides all kinds of Japanese food. The reason why is that Japanese restaurants in Japan are mostly specialized according to  the kinds of Japanese food they serve, such as ラーメン Ramen, うどん Udon, そば Soba, お好み焼き Okonomiyaki, 焼肉 Yakiniku, 寿司 Sushi, etc. 

When you look at the chart below, you will see that “Japanese food” has a wide range of characteristics such as food genre and rank.

Chart Describing Restaurant Service

Even for “Sushi” restaurants, there are casual “立ち食い tachigui (“standing at a counter to eat”) and “回転寿司 kaitenzushi (“Sushi go-around”)” style restaurants which are usually more reasonable, and also high class and expensive “real” Sushi restaurants prepared by trained Sushi chefs with fresh and high-quality ingredients.

Some casual restaurants, such as 牛丼 Gyūdon and ラーメン Ramen, have the 食券 shokken (“meal ticket”) system where customers have to buy a meal ticket from a ticket machine usually set in the entrance for ordering food. Although their staff services are minimal, it’s very quick and reasonable.

Please check out A Guide to the Best Traditional Japanese Foods to learn more about Japanese food!

Japanese Ticket Machine for Ordering Meal

食券 shokken (“meal ticket”)
Some Japanese casual restaurants have ticket machines for ordering meals.

2. Search on the Internet / Apps

So, now you understand there is a wide range of restaurants to choose from in Japan. Then, how can you find a good restaurant that you prefer? Well, the easiest answer is the modern necessity, the Internet!

Due to such huge lists of restaurants with various characteristics in Japan, there are a lot of websites and apps that provide useful information about restaurants, and you can search by genre of food, budget, area, and keywords such as “for anniversary,” “children welcome,” “night view,” etc. 

Here are some examples:

  • ホットペッパーグルメ Hot Pepper Gourmet

    Hot Pepper Gourmet is positioned as one of the major restaurant search websites/apps in Japan, along with Gurunavi and Taberogu. Not only can users check information about restaurants, reviews, and menus, but also search for restaurants matched with their current position and make a reservation online. Users also benefit from coupons.

  • 食べログ Taberogu

    Taberogu is initially a restaurant review website as its name indicates: 食べ(る) tabe(ru) “eat” + ログ rogu “log.”  They have more than 130,000 subscribers and 2 billion page views a month. Taberogu is generally highly recognized as a review 口コミ kuchikomi (“word of mouth”) website for restaurants, and they evaluate restaurants based on the reviews from those who actually visited restaurants. Evaluation is updated twice a month, and a lot of people use the website as a reference for choosing a restaurant. On the website, users can make reservations and benefit from coupons.

  • ぐるなび Gurunavi

    Gurunavi, named after a short version of “gourmet navigation,” started as a restaurant booking website, and now the website has grown to have 56 million page views a month. They have information about over 60,000 restaurants and also provide pages for special features on seasonal or themed events. A variety of coupons are available, and not only can you reserve a table at restaurants, but you can also order delivery and takeaway.

  • レッティ Retty

    Retty started as a social networking service for foodies. Users can post reviews of restaurants they visited on their pages and share them with other users. Users can follow other users so that they will always have real and up-to-date reviews and information about new restaurants when following “gourmet nerds” or “super foodies.” Like other websites/apps, you can make an online restaurant reservation with Retty.

  • 一休.comレストラン  Ikkyu .com

    Ikkyu Restaurant focuses on restaurants, but Ikkyu.com is a booking website that also provides services for booking hotels and spas. Providing high-quality services through making a reservation at selected restaurants is their main objective. They are proud that all the restaurants, hotels, and spas listed on Ikkyu.com are selected ones that passed the distinctive standard of selection. If you are looking for something nice for special occasions or high-class luxury, Ikkyu Restaurant helps you perfectly. Subscribers will benefit from exclusive plans and offers.

Even if you don’t actually make a booking with these websites/apps, just looking at them can be an interesting way for Japanese language learning with a lot of pictures!

Useful Vocabs for Searching

Here is the list of useful and essential Japanese restaurant vocabulary and keywords that you can use for your search for restaurants. 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
No smoking table禁煙席 きんえんせきkin’enseki
Smoking table喫煙席 きつえんせきkitsuenseki
Private room個室 こしつkoshitsu
OK to bring children子連れOKこづれOKkozure ōkē
Night view夜景 やけいyakei
Girls’ party/gathering女子会 じょしかいjoshikai
For dateデートでーとdēto
Fashionable/ stylishお洒落おしゃれoshare
For anniversary/special day記念日きねんびkinenbi
All you can eat食べ放題たべほうだいtabehōdai
All you can drink飲み放題のみほうだいnomihōdai

A Person Is Touching a Smartphone with an Index Finger

It’s easy to search nice restaurants on Apps and websites nowadays.

3. Asking For Recommendations

Gathering information online is very easy and quick. However, it’s always good to listen to real, local opinions! Following are some Japanese restaurant phrases that you can use when asking someone for recommendations.

[Japanese]    この辺りでおすすめの [ イタリアン / 寿司屋 ] はどこですか。          
                     Kono atari de osusume no [ Itarian / sushiya ] wa doko desu ka.

[English]        “Which [Italian / Sushi restaurant ] is recommended around here?”

[Japanese]    [Area] で一番美味しいラーメン屋はどこですか。          
                      [ Area ] de ichi-ban oishii rāmen’ya wa doko desu ka.

[English]        “Where is the most delicious Ramen restaurant in [Area]?”

[Japanese]    [Area]で英語のメニューがあるカジュアルなレストランを知っていますか。          
                      [ Area ] de Eigo no menyū ga aru kajuaru na resutoran o shitte imasu ka.

[English]        “Do you know any casual restaurant with an English menu in [Area]?”

[Japanese]    デートに使えるおしゃれなレストランを知っていますか。         
                      Dēto ni tsukaeru oshare na resutoran o shitte imasu ka.

[English]        “Do you know any fashionable restaurant that you can use for a date?”

[Japanese]    [ name ] へ行ったことがありますか。美味しかったですか。          
                      [ name ] e itta koto ga arimasu ka. Oishikatta desu ka.

[English]        “Have you been to [name]? Was it good?”

[Japanese]    ベジタリアンの友達を連れて行くのに良いレストランはどこですか。          
                      Bejitarian no tomodachi o tsurete iku noni ii resutoran wa doko desu ka.

[English]        “Where is a nice restaurant to bring my vegetarian friend?”

In order to maximize your travel experience in Japan other than restaurants, please also check Tokyo Travel Guide: See Japan’s Incredible Capital City!

A Variety of Vegetables

ベジタリアンレストランを知っていますかBejitarian resutoran o shitte imasu ka.
(“Do you know any vegetarian restaurants?”)

2. Booking a Restaurant


1. Tips for Booking

The necessity of booking depends on what type of restaurant you would like to go to. You never need a reservation at most casual restaurants in Japan. However, a reservation is recommended for an 居酒屋 Izakaya, a Japanese kind of casual dining bar, if you plan to go on Friday night so you can secure a table. (Even if you don’t have a booking and are told it’s full, there are plenty of other dining bars and restaurants in lively areas in a big city, though!) 

Reservations are also recommended for popular restaurants, especially on weekends, and are probably considered reasonable etiquette for high-class restaurants.

Reserved Card on a Restaurant Table

予約席 yoyakuseki (“reserved seat”)

2. Booking Phrases

The following are useful Japanese restaurant phrases when you book a table at a restaurant. Some are very basic phrases in Japanese, and you can also use them on other booking occasions such as booking train tickets, etc.

Essential vocabularies:

  • 予約    よやく              yoyaku              (“reservation / booking”)
  • 予約する  よやくする         yoyaku suru      (“ to reserve / to make a reservation”)

[Japanese]    4月10日の夜8時に4人で予約できますか。           
                      Shi-gatsu tōka no yoru hachi-ji ni yo-nin de yoyaku dekimasu ka.

[English]        “Can I make a reservation for 4 people on the 10th of April?”

*To learn more about Japanese numbers and Japanese dates, see Japanese Numbers: Let’s Master the Basic Japanese Numbers and Japanese Calendar Dates: Reading Dates in Japanese & More.

[Japanese]    今日の夜7時頃に行きたいのですが、空いていますか。
                      Kyō no yoru shichi-ji goro ni ikitai no desu ga, aite imasu ka.

[English]        “We’d like to come around 7pm, do you have a seat?”

*Please visit the How to Tell Time in Japanese article on JapanesePod101 to learn how to tell the time in Japanese.

[Japanese]    大人2人と子供1人です。          
                      Otona futari to kodomo hitori desu.

[English]        “We are two adults and one child.”

[Japanese]    禁煙席で窓際希望です。          

                      Kin’enseki de madogiwa kibō desu.

[English]        “We would like a non-smoking seat and by the window.”

[Japanese]    名前はOOOで、電話番号はXXXです。          
                      Namae wa OOO de, denwa bangō wa XXX desu.

[English]        “My name is OOO, and the phone number is XXX.”

[Japanese]    5月の週末で予約可能な日はいつですか。        
                      Go-gatsu no shūmatsu de yoyaku kanō na hi wa itsu desu ka.

[English]        “When are available dates for booking on weekends in May?”

[Japanese]    記念日のディナーをしたいのですが、夜景の見える席を予約できますか。          
                      Kinenbi no dinā o shitai no desu ga, yakei no mieru seki o yoyaku dekimasu ka.

[English]        “I’d like to have dinner for the anniversary, can I reserve a table with a nice night view?”

[Japanese]    6人で利用できる個室を予約できますか。          
                      Roku-nin de riyō dekiru koshitsu o yoyaku dekimasu ka.

[English]        “Can I reserve a private room that can accommodate 6 people?”

[Japanese]    予約したいのですが、子連れでも大丈夫ですか。         
                      oyaku shitai no desu ga, kozure demo daijōbu desu ka.

[English]        “I’d like to make a reservation, but are children welcome?”

[Japanese]    30人位で誕生日パーティーを行いたいのですが、貸切にできますか。         
                      San-jū-nin kurai de tanjōbi pātī o okonaitai no desu ga, kashikiri ni dekimasu ka.

[English]        “I’d like to have a birthday party with about 30 people. Can I book the whole restaurant?”

A Japanese Woman Is Calling with a Mobile Phone

予約できますか。Yoyaku dekimasu ka. ( “Can I make a reservation?”)

3. At a Restaurant


1. Entering a Restaurant

Below is a list of Japanese restaurant phrases that will help you enter a restaurant smoothly. Some phrases are often asked by restaurant staff.

[Japanese]    予約はされていますか。            
                      Yoyaku wa sarete imasu ka.

[English]        “[staff] Do you have a reservation?”

[Japanese]    7時に3人で予約したOOOです。          
                      Shichi-ji ni san-nin de yoyaku shita OOO desu.

[English]        “I am OOO, I booked at 7 O’clock for 3.”

[Japanese]    OOOの名前で予約しています。          
                      OOO no namae de yoyaku shite imasu.

[English]        “I have a reservation under the name of OOO.”

[Japanese]    何名様ですか。          
                      Nan-mei-sama desu ka.

[English]        “[staff] How many people?”

[Japanese]    4人です。          
                      Yo-nin desu.

[English]        “We are four.”

[Japanese]    8人の席を作ってもらえますか。          
                      Hachi-nin no seki o tsukutte moraemasu ka.

[English]        “Can you arrange a table for 8 people?”

[Japanese]    窓際の席は空いてますか。         
                      Madogiwa no seki wa aite masu ka.

[English]        “Is a table by the window available?”

[Japanese]    子供用の椅子を一つ用意してもらえますか。        
                      Kodomoyō no isu o hitotsu yōi shite moraemasu ka.

[English]        “Could you please prepare one child’s chair?”

[Japanese]    ご案内するまで少々お待ちください。         
                      Go-annai suru made shōshō o-machi kudasai.

[English]        “[staff] Please wait for a moment, I will show you to your table shortly.”

[Japanese]    こちらへどうぞ。         
                      Kochira e dōzo.

[English]        “[staff] This way, please.”

A Waiter Is Guiding a Couple to the Table at a Restaurant

こちらへどうぞ。 Kochira e dōzo.  ( “This way, please.”)

2. Ordering

Most restaurants in Japan have menus with abundant pictures next to the names of dishes, therefore, you don’t have to worry too much about whether you would ever understand what’s written on a menu. However, it’s good to communicate with a restaurant staff to tell what you want and what you don’t want, as well as get information that is not written on a menu. 

These Japanese restaurant phrases below will help you order your meal smoother. Rather than just pointing at the menu and saying, “これにします I will have this,” let’s use the following Japanese dining phrases!

[Japanese]    今日のおすすめは何ですか。          
                      Kyō no osusume wa nan desu ka.

[English]        “What is today’s special?”

[Japanese]    一番人気の料理はどれですか。          
                      Ichi-ban ninki no ryōri wa dore desu ka.

[English]        “Which is the most popular dish?”

[Japanese]      英語のメニューはありますか。     
                      Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka.

[English]        “Do you have a menu in English?”

[Japanese]    ベジタリアン用の料理はありますか。          
                      Bejitarian’yō no menyū wa arimasu ka.

[English]        “Do you have dishes for vegetarians?”

[Japanese]    ご注文はお決まりですか。       
                      Go-chūmon wa o-kimari desu ka.

[English]        “[staff] Have you decided what you want to order?”

[Japanese]    もう少し時間をください。          
                      Mō sukoshi jikan o kudasai.

[English]        “Can I have a little more time?”

[Japanese]    これに牛乳と卵は入っていますか。アレルギーがあります。      
                      Kore ni gyūnyū to tamago wa haitte imasu ka. Arerugī ga arimasu.

[English]        “Does this contain milk and egg? I have allergies.”

[Japanese]    これにお肉は入っていますか。お肉は食べられません。     
                      Kore ni o-niku wa haitte imasu ka. O-niku wa taberaremasen.

[English]        “Does this contain meat? I cannot eat meat.”

[Japanese]    これはどんな味ですか。        
                      Kore wa donna aji desu ka.

[English]        “What does this taste like?”

[Japanese]    これは辛いですか。   
                      Kore wa karai desu ka.

[English]        “Is this spicy?”

[Japanese]    辛いのは苦手です。唐辛子が入っていない料理はありますか。          
                      Karai no wa nigate desu. Tōgarashi ga haitte inai ryōri wa arimasu ka.

[English]        “I’m not good at spicy food. Are there dishes that do not contain chili peppers?”

[Japanese]    これとこれにします。          
                      Kore to kore ni shimasu.

[English]        “I will have this and this (by pointing on a menu).”

[Japanese]    Bランチセットをお願いします。          
                      B ranchi setto o onegai shimasu.

[English]        “I would like a B Lunch Set.”

[Japanese]    とんかつ定食と温かいお茶をください。        
                      Tonkatsu teishoku to atatakai o-cha o kudasai.

[English]        “I would like a Tonkatsu teishoku set and hot tea, please.”

[Japanese]    本日のスープとフィレステーキのミディアムレアをお願いします。        
                      Honjitsu no sūpu to fire sutēki no midiamu rea o onegai shimasu.

[English]        “I would like today’s soup and a medium-rare filet steak, please.”

[Japanese]    セットのドリンクはアイスティーをお願いします。          
                      Setto no dorinku wa aisu tī o onegai shimasu.

[English]        “I would like iced tea for the drink in the set.”

*You can choose either hot or cold (iced) coffee and tea at most restaurants in Japan. 

[Japanese]    ワイン/ 飲み物 のメニューはありますか。          
                      Wain / nomimono no menyū wa arimasu ka.

[English]        “Do you have a wine list / drink menu?”

[Japanese]    生ビールをください。         
                      Namabīru o kudasai.

[English]        “I’d like draft beer, please.”

[Japanese]    食後にホットコーヒーをお願いします。          
                      Shokugo ni hotto kōhī o onegai shimasu.

[English]        “I would like hot coffee after a meal.”

[Japanese]    いただきます
                      Itadakimasu.

[English]        “(Japanese greeting phrase before eating) Thankfully I have a meal.”

* In order to learn more about Japanese untranslatable phrases and words, please check Japanese Untranslatable Words: Let’s Talk like a Native!

[Japanese]    デザートのご注文はございますか。          
                      Dezāto no go-chūmon wa gozaimasu ka.

[English]        “[staff] Would you like to order desserts?”

For more about Japanese words for English speakers and Japanese nouns related to food and restaurants, see our Food – Utensils & Tableware and Restaurant vocabulary lists.

A Couple Is Ordering Dishes at a Restaurant

ご注文はお決まりですか Go-chūmon wa o-kimari desu ka.
(“Have you decided what you want to order?”)

3. Requesting

[Japanese]    すみません、お水 / ナプキンをもらえますか。           
                      Sumimasen, o-mizu / napukin o moraemasu ka.

[English]        “ Excuse me, can I have water / napkins?”

[Japanese]    小さい取り皿とスプーンをお願いします。          
                      Chiisai torizara to supūn o onegai shimasu.

[English]        “Can you bring me a small plate and a spoon, please?”

[Japanese]    お箸をもう一膳もらえますか。         
                      O-hashi o mō ichi-zen morae masu ka.

[English]        “Can I have one more set of chopsticks?”

[Japanese]    同じグラスワインをもう一杯ください。         
                      Onaji gurasu wain o mō ippai kudasai.

[English]        “I would like another glass of the same wine.”

[Japanese]    デザートのメニューをもらえますか。          
                      Dezāto no menyū o morae masu ka.

[English]        “Can I have a dessert menu, please?”

[Japanese]    ティラミスとカフェラテホットをお願いします。       
                      Tiramisu to kaferate hotto o onegai shimasu.

[English]        “I would like Tiramisu and a hot caffe latte.”

[Japanese]    お手洗い/化粧室はどこですか。       
                      O-tearai / keshōshitsu wa doko desu ka.

[English]        “Where is a wash / powder room? ”

* The word “化粧室 keshōshitsu (“powder room”)” is the more polite expression to use but it’s usually used by women.

A Man Is Calling a Waiter from a Table at a Restaurant

すみません、お水をもらえますか
                      Sumimasen, o-mizu o moraemasu ka. (“ Excuse me, can I have water?”)

4. After Dining

Apart from learning essential Japanese phrases for restaurants, here is information you need to know for after dining!

1. Etiquettes and Tips

  • After eating everything, you can ask for hot (green) tea FOR FREE at Japanese restaurants, especially at Sushi and Teishoku restaurants, etc. 
  • No Tip Needed: You never need to leave a tip in restaurants in Japan! If you leave money on your table, staff would run after you to tell you “you forgot your money”. 
  • Pay at a Cashier (not at the table): Unlike most restaurants in western culture, customers usually pay at a cashier at the entrance of a restaurant in Japan. After telling a waiter “Check, please”, he/she brings your bill to your table, but you need to take it to a cashier to pay. 
  • Though most casual restaurants allow customers to take leftovers home by offering a container, some restaurants refuse to do so due to hygiene and safety reasons. 

If you want to learn more about Japanese etiquette, please visit Japanese Etiquette and Manners!

Maki Sushi and Oriental Tea

温かいお茶をもらえますか Atatakai o-cha o moraemasu ka. (”Can I have hot tea?”)

2. Useful Phrases after Eating

Here are some useful Japanese restaurant phrases after finishing your meal.

[Japanese]    ごちそうさまでした。           
                      Gochisō-sama deshita.

[English]        “ (Japanese greeting phrase after eating) Thank you for good food.”

[Japanese]    とても美味しかったです。          
                      Totemo oishikatta desu.

[English]        “It was very delicious.”

[Japanese]    持ち帰りにできますか。         
                      Mochikaeri ni dekimasu ka.

[English]        “Can I take this home?”

[Japanese]    残った料理用に持ち帰り容器をもらえますか。        
                      Nokotta ryōriyō ni mochikaeri yōki o moraemasu ka.

[English]        “Can I have a container for leftovers?”

[Japanese]    お会計お願いします。          
                      O-kaikei onegai shimasu.

[English]        “Check, please.”

[Japanese]    現金/カードで払います。       
                      Genkin / kādo de haraimasu.

[English]        “I will pay by cash /card.”

[Japanese]    VISAカードは使えますか。 
                      Biza kādo wa tsukaemasu ka.

[English]        “Can I use a VISA card? ”

[Japanese]    決済アプリは使えますか。
                      Kessai apuri wa tsukaemasu ka.

[English]        “Can I use a payment application?”

*In Japan, payment applications such as  LINE Pay, PayPay, Rakuten Pay, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay etc. are popular alternatives to cash or credit.

[Japanese]    別々に払えますか。
                      Betsu-betsu ni harae masu ka.

[English]        “Can we pay separately? ”

[Japanese]    私が全部払います。
                      Watashi ga zenbu haraimasu.

[English]        “I will pay for everything.”

[Japanese]    美味しかったです。また来ます。 
                      Oishikatta desu. Mata kimasu.

[English]        “It was good, I (we) will come back again. ”

Front and Back of a Black Credit Card

カードで払います。Kādo de haraimasu.  (“I will pay by card.”)

5. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most useful Japanese Restaurant Phrases by situation as well as restaurant tips and information, including:

  • Restaurant Variations in Japan 
  • Useful Restaurant Search Websites/Apps
  • Phrase for Asking for Recommendations
  • Tips for Booking
  • Booking Phrases
  • Phrases for Entering a Restaurant
  • Phrases for Ordering 
  • Phrases for Requesting
  • Etiquette and Tips after Dining
  • Phrases after Dining

With these Japanese restaurant phrases and information, you’ll be able to maximize your dining experience in Japan along with delicious food!

If you would like to learn more about Japanese words for English speakers, you’ll find a lot more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. This is the best place to learn Japanese online, providing a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese-language skills. 

If you are interested in more Japanese phrases by situations, the following articles are just right for you: 

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

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

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Countries and Nationalities in Japanese

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When meeting someone exotic, most of us are interested in where he/she is from and try to start a conversation related to their  home country. Likewise, when we’re in a foreign country, we often  introduce ourselves by including what country we’re from. Here is the best guide on how to talk about countries and nationalities in Japanese!

As an island nation with a monocultural background, Japanese people are especially conscious and interested in the differences between countries and cultures. Talking about your own country and nationality is a good icebreaker when meeting new people in Japan. Some country names and their major cities are different in Japanese than in English, so it’s useful to know how to say them.

In this article, we’ll introduce how to talk about countries and nationalities in Japanese. This includes:

  • The top-ranking nationalities that visit Japan
  • Continents and directions
  • Questions and answers related to nationality 
  • Major capital cities of countries
  • Languages
  • Cuisines

Get ready to make international friends with this guide from JapanesePod101.com!

People Are Holding Their Hands Together Over the Globe Table

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Countries & Nationalities
  2. How to Ask Someone Their Nationality
  3. How to Tell Someone Your Nationality
  4. Country, City, Nationality, and Language
  5. Conclusion

1. Countries & Nationalities

1 – Nouns and Adjectives 

As you probably already know, Japanese nouns are very simple to learn compared to those of other languages, such as English and Romance languages. In Japanese, you don’t have to wonder about a noun’s grammatical gender, what article to add, or how to change its form for singular or plural. 

Japanese adjectives are also easy to learn because many adjectives simply take the form [noun + の (-no)]. This applies to the names of countries and their corresponding adjectives.

For example:

    Noun:        国   くに   kuni    (“country” / “nation”)
    Adjective:  国の くにの  kuni no      (“national”)
    Noun:        日本   にほん   Nihon    (“Japan”)
    Adjective:  日本の にほんの  Nihon no      (“Japanese,” like a Japanese song or a Japanese film)

To express the people of a country, add  人 じん (-jin), meaning person” or  “people” after the country name in Japanese.

For example:

    Country:         日本   にほん      Nihon    (“Japan”)
    Nationality:    日本人 にほんじん  Nihon-jin      (Literally: “Japanese person/people” = “Japanese citizen”)
    Country:        アメリカ   あめりか       Amerika      (“America”)
    Nationality:   アメリカ人   あめりかじん  Amerika-jin      (Literally: “American person/people” = American citizen)

To learn more about Japanese nouns and Japanese adjectives, please check out our articles Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns and Learn the Top 100 Essential Japanese Adjectives.

2 – Top 21 Foreign Visitors to Japan

Japan is a fascinating and unique country that attracts global attention and foreign tourists. In 2019, Japan was the third most visited destination in the Asia-Pacific region by international tourist arrivals, following China and Thailand.

Many of the top foreign tourists in Japan are from neighboring Asian countries, according to the JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization); however, North American and European countries follow close behind.

Let’s take a look at the top 21 countries that visit Japan and learn what  they are called in Japanese!  

 EnglishKanji / KatakanaHiraganaReading in Japanese
1China中国ちゅうごくChūgoku
2South Korea韓国かんこくKankoku
3Taiwan台湾たいわんTaiwan
4Hong Kong香港ほんこんHonkon
5United StatesアメリカあめりかAmerika
6ThailandタイたいTai
7AustraliaオーストラリアおーすとらりあŌsutoraria
8PhilippinesフィリピンふぃりぴんFiripin
9MalaysiaマレーシアまれーしあMarēshia
10VietnamベトナムべとなむBetonamu
11SingaporeシンガポールしんがぽーるShingapōru
12United KingdomイギリスいぎりすIgirisu
13IndonesiaインドネシアいんどねしあIndoneshia
14CanadaカナダかなだKanada
15FranceフランスふらんすFuransu
16GermanyドイツどいつDoitsu
17IndiaインドいんどIndo
18ItalyイタリアいたりあItaria
19SpainスペインすぺいんSupein
20MacauマカオまかおMakao
21RussiaロシアろしあRoshia

Flags of Various Countries

3 – Continents, Regions, and Directions in Japanese

EnglishKanji / KatakanaHiraganaReading
AfricaアフリカあふりかAfurika
AmericaアメリカあめりかAmerika
AsiaアジアあじあAjia
Europe欧州 / ヨーロッパおうしゅう /よーろっぱŌshū / Yōroppa
Middle East中東ちゅうとうChūtō
OceaniaオセアニアおせあにあOseania

As with country names, you can change the names  of continents/regions to adjectives by adding の (-no).

For example:

    Noun:        アフリカ   あふりか   Afurika    (“Africa”)
    Adjective:  アフリカの あふりかの  Afurika no      (“African”)
    Noun:        中東   ちゅうとう   Chūtō    (“Middle East”)
    Adjective:  中東の ちゅうとうの  Chūtō no      (“Middle Eastern”)

In order to be more specific, add the following directions in front of the country or region name: 

EnglishKanji HiraganaReading
Eastひがし / とうHigashi / Tō
West西にし / さいNishi / Sai
Southみなみ / なんMinami / Nan
Northきた / ほくKita / Hoku

For example:

    Southeast Asia:   東南アジア     とうなんあじあ  Tōnan Ajia  
    West Africa:    西アフリカ にしあふりか  Nishi Afurika     
    South America:   南米   なんべい   Nanbei*
    North Europe:     北欧     ほくおう       Hokuō**

*“America” is also phrased as 米国 べいこく (beikoku), and “North America” and “South America” are expressed as 北米 ほくべい (Hokubei) and 南米 なんべい (Nanbei) respectively.

** “Europe” in Japanese is 欧州 おうしゅう (ōshū) where the Kanji 欧 represents “Europe” and 州 is “States.”

When specifying the region in Europe, 欧 is used together with the direction Kanji: “South Europe” = 南欧 なんおう (Nan’ō) and “East Europe” = 東欧 とうおう (Tōō).

To learn more about directions in Japanese, check out Giving and Asking for Directions: “Right” in Japanese & More.

World Map Focused on Europe

2. How to Ask Someone Their Nationality

When meeting new people, especially those who are exotic, the very first question you’re likely to hear or ask is “Where are you from?” Asking about who they are is a good icebreaker if you want to get to know them better.

In Japanese, 敬語 (keigo), or “honorific speech,” is normally used when you’re talking to someone for the first time, unless they are a friend of your close friend and is around your age (or younger). 

Here are some question phrases for asking someone their nationality:

  • Where are you from?
    (あなたの) 出身はどこですか。 (Anata no) shusshin wa doko desu ka.

You can omit あなたの (anata no), or “your” because it’s obvious that you’re talking to this person. This phrase can also be used to ask someone where they are from domestically. 

  • What is your nationality? 
    (あなたの)国籍は何ですか。 (Anata no) kokuseki wa nan desu ka.

This question sounds a bit too direct for casual conversation. This might  be asked in some official procedure, for instance.
The answer to this question can be :

“My nationality is Japanese.”       私の国籍は日本です。Watashi no kokuseki wa nihon desu.     or   
“I have Japanese nationality / Japanese citizenship.”  日本の国籍 / 市民権 を持っています。Nihon no kokuseki / shiminken wo motte imasu.

  • What country are you from? (Literally: A person from what country? )
    どこの国の方ですか。 Doko no kuni no kata desu ka.

This is a more polite way to ask someone their nationality.

  • What country are you from? 
    どこの国から来ましたか。  Doko no kuni kara kimashita ka.

This is another common way to ask where they are from.

  • Are you [nationality]? 
    [Nationality] 人ですか。 [Nationality] -jin desu ka.

This phrase sounds a bit too direct, but this can be used when you hear a particular language someone is speaking and you assume this person is from that country, etc.

For example, when you hear someone speaking Thai, you could ask them: 

“Are you Thai?”
タイ人ですか。Tai-jin desu ka.

  • Are you from Japan?   
    [Country] 出身ですか。   [Country] shusshin desu ka.

This phrase is also used domestically. For example, you could ask this when you hear a particular dialect and ask the person if they’re from that particular region. 

  • Where were you born?   
    生まれはどこですか。       Umare wa doko desu ka.

For more useful Japanese questions, please take a look at our article The 10 Most Useful Japanese Questions and Answers.

Having a Party with International Friends

3. How to Tell Someone Your Nationality

Not only answering the question you were asked, but also giving extra information about yourself is a good way to keep a nice conversation going.

Here are some response phrases to talk about your nationality and more.

  • I’m from Japan.
    私は Japan 出身です。  Watashi wa Japan shusshin desu.

私は (Watashi wa), meaning “I am,” can be omitted when it’s obvious that you’re talking about yourself.

Example:

    ➢ Where are you from?
    出身はどこですか。 Shusshin wa doko desu ka.
    ➢ I’m from Brazil.
    ブラジル出身です。 Burajiru shusshin desu.
  • I come from Japan.
    私は Japanから来ました。  Watashi wa  Japan kara kimashita.

Example:

    ➢ What country are you from?
    どこの国から来ましたか。     Doko no kuni kara kimashita ka.
    ➢ I come from Russia.
    私はロシアから来ました。 Watashi wa Roshia kara kimashita.
  • I am [nationality].   
    私は [nationality] 人です。Watashi wa [nationality] -jin desu.

Example:

    ➢ What country are you from? (Literally: A person from what country? ) 私は [nationality] 人です。Watashi wa [nationality] -jin desu.
    どこの国の方ですか。 Doko no kuni no kata desu ka.
    ➢ I am Kenyan.
    私はケニア人です。 Watashi wa Kenia-jin desu.
  • I am [nationality] but I live in Japan. 
    私は[nationality] 人ですが、Japan に住んでいます。
    Watashi wa  [nationality] –jin desu ga, Japan ni sunde imasu.

Example:

    ➢ What country are you from?
    どこの国から来ましたか。 Doko no kuni kara kimashita ka.
    ➢ I am Chinese, but I live in Singapore.
    私は中国人ですが、シンガポールに住んでいます。
    Watashi wa  Chūgoku-jin desu ga, Shingapōru ni sunde imasu.

In some cases, a country of citizenship may not match with where you were born/grew up and currently live, or even your ethnicity. Such as when someone is a permanent resident in a country while having a foreign citizenship, or someone born in one country with a mother and a father from other countries. In such cases, suggestedyou can use following phrases; 

  • I was born in [country 1] and grew up in [country 2].
    私は[country 1]生まれで、[country 2]で育ちました。
    Watashi wa [country 1] umare de, [country 2] de sodachimashita.

Example:

    ➢ Where were you born?
    生まれはどこですか。Umare wa doko desu ka.
    ➢ I was born in America and grew up in Argentina.
    私はアメリカ生まれで、アルゼンチンで育ちました。
    Watashi wa Amerika umare de, Aruzenchin de sodachimashita.
  • I am [nationality 1] and [nationality 2].
    私は[nationality 1] 人で、[nationality 2]人です。
    Watashi wa [nationality 1] -jin de, [nationality 2] -jin desu.

Example:

    ➢ Are you Spanish?
    スペイン人ですか。 Supein-jin desu ka.
    ➢ I am Italian and Canadian.
    私はイタリア人で、カナダ人です。
    Watashi wa Itaria-jin de, Kanada-jin desu.
  • My father is [nationality 1] and my mother is [nationality 2].
    私の父は[nationality 1] 人で、私の母は[nationality 2]人です。
    Watashi no chichi wa [nationality 1] -jin de, watashi no haha wa [nationality 2] -jin desu.

Example:

    ➢ Are you British?
    イギリス人ですか。 Igirisu-jin desu ka.
    ➢ My father is Dutch and my mother is South African.
    私の父はオランダ人で、私の母は南アフリカ人です。
    Watashi no chichi wa Oranda-jin de, watashi no haha wa Minami Afurika-jin desu.

To learn more about how to introduce yourself, please check out How to Say “My Name is,” in Japanese + More!

Two Kids Are Talking Over the Globe

4. Country, City, Nationality, and Language

1 – Variations of Country and Nationality: Language, Cuisines, etc.

Like people from a certain country being expressed by adding  人 じん (-jin) after the country name, Japanese can express other things by simply adding a word.

Language

[Country name] + 語 (-go) “language” = Language

For example:

Japanese:   日本語    Nihon-go
French:     フランス語  Furansu-go
German:   ドイツ語      Doitsu-go
Spanish:   スペイン語  Supein-go
Korean:  韓国語           Kankoku-go
Chinese:   中国語      Chūgoku-go
Vietnamese: ベトナム語   Betonamu-go
Russian:      ロシア語          Roshia-go

“English” is 英語 (Eigo), expressed with the Kanji 英 (ei), which indicates “United Kingdom.”

Books of Various Languages

Cuisines 

[Country name] + 料理 (ryōri) “cooked food” =  a country’s cuisine

For example:

Japanese:   日本料理   Nihon ryōri
French:     フランス料理  Furansu ryōri
German:   ドイツ料理      Doitsu ryōri
Spanish:   スペイン料理  Supein ryōri
Korean:  韓国料理          Kankoku ryōri
Chinese:   中国料理      Chūgoku ryōri
Vietnamese: ベトナム料理   Betonamu ryōri
Russian:      ロシア料理          Roshia ryōri

Counter Word for Country

There are particular counter words in Japanese when counting things, actions, and events. To count countries, add カ国 (-kakoku) after the number.

For example:

1カ国    ikkakoku     (1 country)
2カ国    ni-kakoku     (2 countries)
5カ国    go-kakoku   (5 countries)
10カ国  jukkakoku   (10 countries)

2 – Capital Cities, Nationalities, Languages, and Cuisines 

Let’s take a look at major countries and how their major cities, nationalities, languages, and cuisines are said in Japanese: 

EnglishCountryMajor CityNationalityLanguageCuisines
China中国
chūgoku
北京
Pekin
上海
Shanhai
中国人
Chūgoku-jin
中国語
Chūgoku-go
中国料理Chūgoku ryōri 
Korea韓国
Kankoku
ソウル
Sōru
韓国人
Kankoku-jin
韓国語
Kankoku-go
韓国料理Kankoku ryōri 
Taiwan台湾
Taiwan
台北
Taipei
台湾人
Taiwan-jin
台湾語
Taiwan-go
台湾料理
Taiwan ryōri 
Thailandタイ
Tai
バンコク
Bankoku
タイ人
Tai-jin
タイ語
Tai-go 
タイ料理
Tai ryōri 
India インド
Indo
デリー
Derī
ムンバイ
Munbai
インド人
Indo-jin
ヒンドゥー語Hindū-goインド料理
Indo ryōri 
AustraliaオーストラリアŌsutorariaシドニー
Shidonī
メルボルンMeruborun
オーストラリア人Ōsutoraria-jin英語
Eigo 
オーストラリア料理
Ōsutoraria ryōri 
New ZealanNyū jīrandodニュージーランド
Nyū jīrando
オークランドŌkurandoニュージーランド人
Nyū jīrando-jin
英語
Eigo 
ニュージーランド料理
Nyū jīrando ryōri 
United Statesアメリカ
Amerika
ニューヨーク
Nyū yōku
ロスアンジェルス
Rosu anjerusu
アメリカ人Amerika-jin英語
Eigo 
アメリカ料理
Amerika ryōri 
Canadaカナダ
Kanada
バンクーバーBankūbāカナダ人Kanada-jin英語
Eigo 
カナダ料理Kanada ryōri 
MexicoメキシコMekishikoメキシコシティMekishiko  shitīメキシコ人Mekishiko-jinスペイン語Supein-goメキシコ料理
Mekishiko ryōri 
Brazilブラジル
Burajiru
サンパウロ
San pauro
リオデジャネイロ
Rio de janeiro
ブラジル人Burajiru-jinポルトガル語Porutogaru-goブラジル料理
Burajiru ryōri 
Argentinaアルゼンチン
Aruzenchin
ブエノスアイレス
Buenosu airesu
アルゼンチン人
Aruzenchin-jin
スペイン語
Supein-go
アルゼンチン料理
Aruzenchin ryōri 
Russiaロシア
Roshia
モスクワMosukuwaロシア人
Roshia-jin
ロシア語
Roshia-go
ロシア料理
Roshiaryōri 
Franceフランス
Furansu
パリ
Pari
フランス人
Furansu-jin
フランス語
Furansu-go
フランス料理
Furansu ryōri 
Germanyドイツ
Doitsu
ベルリン
Berurin
ドイツ人
Doitsu-jin
ドイツ語
Doitsu-go
ドイツ料理
Doitsu ryōri 
Italyイタリア
Itaria
ローマ
Rōma
イタリア人
Itaria-jin
イタリア語
Itaria-go
イタリア料理
Itaria ryōri 
Spainスペイン
Supein
マドリード
Madorīdo
スペイン人
Supein-jin
スペイン語
Supein-go
スペイン料理
Supein ryōri 
United Kingdomイギリス
Igirisu
ロンドン
Rondon
イギリス人
Igirisu-jin
英語
Eigo 
イギリス料理
Igirisu ryōri 
Netherlandsオランダ
Oranda
アムステルダム
Amusuterudamu
オランダ人
Oranda-jin
オランダ語
Oranda-go
オランダ料理
Oranda ryōri 
Turkeyトルコ
Toruko
イスタンブール
Isutanbūru
トルコ人
Torukojin
トルコ語
Toruko-go
トルコ料理
Toruko ryōri 
Egyptエジプト
Ejiputo
カイロ
Kairo
エジプト人
Ejiputo-jin
アラビア語
Arabia-go
エジプト料理
Ejiputo ryōri 
Kenyaケニア
Kenia
ナイロビ
Nairobi
ケニア人
Kenia-jin
スワヒリ語
Suwahiri-go
ケニア料理
Kenia ryōri 

3 – Example Sentences

  • I am Japanese, but I grew up in Germany. I like Brazilian cuisine.
    私は日本人ですが、ドイツで育ちました。ブラジル料理が好きです。
    Watashi wa Nihon-jin desu ga, Doitsu de sodachimashita. Burajiru ryōri ga suki desu.
  • I’m from Canada, and I speak English and French.
    私はカナダ出身で、英語とフランス語を話します。
    Watashi wa Kanada shusshin de, Eigo to Furansu-go o hanashimasu.
  • I’m Indian, but I was born in Turkey.  I can speak Turkish.
    私はインド人ですが、トルコで生まれました。私はトルコ語が話せます。
    Watashi wa Indo-jin desu ga, Toruko de umaremashita. Watashi wa Toruko-go ga hanasemasu.
  • She is American and she loves Italy and Italian cuisine. She is learning Italian.
    彼女はアメリカ人で、イタリアとイタリア料理が大好きです。彼女はイタリア語を学んでいます。
    Kanojo wa Amerika-jin de, Itaria to Itaria ryōri ga daisuki desu. Kanojo wa Itaria-go o manande imasu.
  • His father is Chinese and his mother is Russian, but he usually speaks English.
    彼のお父さんは中国人で、彼のお母さんはロシア人ですが、彼は普段英語を話します。
    Kare no o-tō-san wa Chūgoku-jin de, kare no o-kā-san wa Roshia-jin desu ga, kare wa fudan Eigo o hanashimasu.
  • I am British and I often go to Asia for work. I’m learning Thai and Chinese.
    私はイギリス人で、仕事でよくアジアへ行きます。タイ語と中国語を学んでいます。
    Watashi wa Igirisu-jin de, shigoto de yoku Ajia e ikimasu. Tai-go to Chūgoku-go o manande imasu.
  • I am from Australia, but I grew up in South America and the Middle East. I can speak Spanish and Arabic.
    私はオーストラリア人ですが、南米と中東で育ちました。スペイン語とアラビア語が話せます。
    Watashi wa Ōsutoraria-jin desu ga, Nanbei to Chūtō de sodachimashita. Supein-go to Arabia-go ga hanasemasu.

The World Map Focusing on Japan

5. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced how to talk about countries and nationalities in Japanese. We covered everything from the top-ranking nationalities visiting Japan, continents and directions, Q&A conversational phrases, major cities, languages, and cuisines. With this guide, you’re now ready to introduce yourself in Japanese and also talk about countries to make international friends!

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

The following articles are also very useful for boosting your Japanese conversational skills: 

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

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

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Advanced Japanese Phrases to Help You Level Up

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If you’re an advanced learner or starting to move ahead to an upper level, you may soon face a phenomenon known as “diminishing returns.” The learning curve theory indicates that the more you advance, the slower your progress will be. This concept also applies to your Japanese language learning! As such, you’ll need to be patient and make a steady effort in order to achieve the advanced level of Japanese and reach true proficiency.

After learning the grammar and vocabulary of the intermediate level, all you need to do is increase your vocabulary by learning more advanced Japanese phrases. In particular, you’ll want to pick up a variety of idioms, proverbs, expressions, and slang terms. You’ll also benefit from expanding your knowledge of grammatical variations, such as 敬語 (Keigo), or “honorific speech,” as well as the very formal language for particular settings (e.g., only used in official letters or legal texts).

While conquering the advanced Japanese level may feel like an endless journey, remember that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! You have already achieved so much since Day 1 to arrive at your current level. Now you just need to continue filling the holes in your vocabulary and learning new expressions through books, the news, TV, movies, and other media. 

Boost your journey with our list of the most useful advanced Japanese phrases for various occasions!

Business People Discussing Something at a Meeting Table

You can handle any situation if you’re at an advanced level.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Useful Phrases for Academic Writing
  2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter
  3. Smart Proverbs for Business and Meetings
  4. Advanced Japanese Idioms and Sayings for Everyday Usage
  5. Conclusion

1. Useful Phrases for Academic Writing

The use of logical and structured sentences is a key element in good academic writing. Below, we will introduce advanced Japanese phrases that are frequently used to organize, articulate, and connect thoughts in writing. These phrases are useful not only in writing but also in public speaking, where they allow the audience to more easily follow and understand the content. 

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
first of allまず初めにまずはじめにmazu hajime ni

Example:

まず初めに、本研究の趣旨について説明します。

Mazu hajime ni, hon kenkyū no shushi ni tsuite setsumei shimasu.

“First of all, I’d like to explain the purpose of this research.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
firstly
secondly 
thirdly
第一に
第二に
第三に
だいいちに
だいにに
だいさんに
daiichi ni
daini ni
daisan ni

Example:

小論文を書くために重要なことが三点ある。第一に、論理的であること。第二に、分かりやすいこと。第三に、納得できること、である。

Shōronbun o kaku tame ni, jūyō na koto ga san-ten aru.  Daiichi ni, rironteki de aru koto. Daini ni, wakariyasui koto. Daisan ni, nattoku dekiru koto, de aru.

“There are three important points in writing an essay. Firstly, it is logical. Secondly, it’s easy to understand. Thirdly, it is convincing.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
in regard to……に関して …にかんして…ni kanshite  

Example:

地球温暖化のトピックに関して意見を交換しましょう。

Chikyū ondanka no topikku ni kanshite iken o kōkan shimashō.

“Let’s exchange views in regard to global warming.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
according to……によると…ni yoruto

Example:

中小企業白書によると、日本の中小企業数は3,578,176社で全企業数のうち99.7%を占めています。

Chūshō kigyō hakusho ni yoruto, Nihon no chūshō kigyōsū wa 3,578,176 sha de,  zen kigyōsū no uchi  99.7% o shimete imasu.

“According to White Paper on Small and Medium Enterprises, the number of small and medium enterprises in Japan is 3,578,176, accounting for 99.7% of the total number of companies.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
in other words言い換えればいいかえればiikaereba

Example:

地球温暖化の問題は、言い換えれば、私たちひとりひとりの問題です。

Chikyū ondanka no mondai wa, iikaereba, watashi-tachi hitori hitori no mondai desu.

“The problem of global warming is, in other words, the problem of each one of us.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
moreover / furthermore / in addition更にさらにsara ni

Example:

パンデミックの発生は、人々の健康に影響を及ぼしました。 更に、国内および世界の経済にも大きな打撃となりました。

Pandemikku no hassei wa, hitobito no kenkō ni eikyō o oyoboshimashita. Sara ni, kokunai oyobi sekaijū no keizai ni mo ōkina dageki to narimashita.

“The outbreak of the pandemic has affected people’s health. In addition, it also had a major impact on the domestic and global economies.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
on the contrary /on the other hand 一方で いっぽうでippō de

Example:

九州地方では大雨警報が出ています。 一方で、北関東地方では干ばつが連日続いています。

Kyūshū chihō de wa ōame keihō ga dete imasu. Ippō de, kita Kantō chihō de wa kanbatsu ga renjitsu tsuzuite imasu. 

“Heavy rain warnings have been issued in the Kyushu region. On the other hand, droughts continue every day in the northern Kanto region.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
therefore / consequently 従ってしたがってshitagatte

Example:

日本は火山が多い。従って、天然の温泉も多い。

Nihon wa kazan ga ōi. Shitagatte, tennen no onsen mo ōi. 

“Japan has a lot of volcanic mountains. Therefore, there are also many natural hot springs.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
to some extent   ある程度あるていどaru teido

Example:

作業過程をある程度自動化してくれるツールがいくつかあります。

Sagyō katei o aru teido jidōka shite kureru tsūru ga ikutsuka arimasu. 

“There are some tools that automate the work process to some extent.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
as long as… / as far as…   …である限り…いる限り…であるかぎり    …いるかぎり…de aru kagiri…iru kagiri

Example:

津波が発生した時は、高台にいる限り身の安全を確保できます。

Tsunami ga hassei shita toki wa, takadai ni iru kagiri mi no anzen o kakuho dekimasu.

“When a tsunami occurs, you can secure your safety as long as you are on a hill.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
by / in contrast対照的にたいしょうてきにtaishōteki ni

Example:

日本列島の南に位置する沖縄の年間平均気温は摂氏23.1度です。対照的に、北に位置する北海道では8.9度です。

Nihon rettō no minami ni ichi suru Okinawa no nenkan heikin kion wa sesshi 23.1-do desu. Taishōteki ni, kita ni ichi suru Hokkaidō wa 8.9-do desu.

“The average annual temperature of Okinawa, located south of the Japanese archipelago, is 23.1 degrees Celsius. By contrast, it is 8.9 degrees in Hokkaido, which is located in the North.”

EnglishKanjiHiragana Reading
as a result  結果として けっかとしてkekka to shite

Example:

高速道路での大きな事故によりひどい渋滞に巻き込まれました。結果として、飛行機に乗り遅れました。

Kōsoku dōro de no ōkina jiko ni yori hidoi jūtai ni makikomaremashita. Kekka to shite, hikōki ni noriokuremashita.

“I was caught in a terrible traffic jam due to a big accident on the highway. As a result, I missed the flight.”

A Man Writing in a Library

2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter

When it comes to writing an official letter in Japanese, there are some particular rules and style guidelines to follow.

A cover letter (送付状 [sōfujō] or 添え状 [soejō] in Japanese) is a letter of introduction that a job seeker attaches to their resume or CV. In most cases, its function is to greet and to indicate what document(s) you’re sending by clarifying “to whom,” “by whom,” “what,” and “why.” It may also contain a supplementary explanation of what you want to emphasize in the main document.

Most importantly, however, it can be proof that you have business etiquette and common sense. Therefore, it should be a “decent” letter that follows the rules expected of an official document.

Here is a brief list of advanced-level Japanese phrases you should consider including in your cover letter.

Formal Greeting 拝啓、貴社ますますご清栄のこととお慶び申し上げます。 
Haikei, kisha masumasu go-seiei no koto to o-yorokobi mōshiagemasu.
EnglishDear sirs, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for considering my application. (in case you’re applying with a CV)
Literal TranslationHumbly (respectfully) I say, I am glad that your company is prospering more and more. 

Explanation: 

This is a common formal greeting that is used only in official writing. It should be used as the first line of your text, especially when you’re writing to a company. 

When beginning with 拝啓 (haikei), meaning “Dear sirs” (literally: “Humbly I say”) you have to finish the letter with 敬具 (keigu), meaning “Sincerely yours” (literally: “Humbly I said”).

Stating Reason for Writingこの度、貴社の___職の採用情報を拝見し、応募書類をお送りいたします。 
Kono tabi, kisha no ___shoku no saiyō jōhō o haiken shi, ōboshorui o o-okuri itashimasu. 
EnglishI saw your company’s employment information about the ___ position, and I’d like to send you the application documents.
Literal TranslationThis time, I humbly saw your company’s employment information for ___, and I will kindly send you the application documents.  

Discussing Interests貴社の求人で特に、___のグローバルプロジェクトについて関心を持ちました。 
Kisha no kyūjin de toku ni, ___ no gurōbaru purojekuto ni tsuite kanshin o mochimashita. 
EnglishIn your company’s job offer advertisement, I am particularly interested in the global projects of ___.

Talking About Your Experience    ___の分野において幅広い経験を持ち、新規顧客の獲得と売り上げの拡大に努めてまいりました。  
___ no bun’ya ni oite habahiroi keiken o mochi, shinki kokyaku no kakutoku to uriage no kakudai ni tsutomete mairimashita. 
EnglishHaving extensive work experience in (the field of) ___,  I have endeavored to acquire new customers and expand sales.

Explaining the Relevance of Your Experience  私のX年における___の経験をこのポジションで即戦力として活かし、貴社の業績拡大に貢献できると思っております。  
Watashi no X-nen ni okeru ___ no keiken o kono pojishon de sokusenryoku to shite ikashi, kisha no gyōseki kakudai ni kōken dekiru to omotte orimasu. 
EnglishI believe I can apply my X years of experience in ___ to this position from day one, and I will be able to contribute to the expansion of your business.

Asking for a Presentation Opportunity  是非私のプレゼンテーションとポートフォリオをご覧になっていただける機会をいただけたら幸いです。  
Zehi watashi no purezentēshon to pōtoforio o goran ni natte itadakeru kikai o itadaketara saiwai desu.
EnglishI would appreciate it if you could give me a chance to show you my presentation and portfolio.

Asking for an Interview   ご検討の上、是非面接の機会をいただけましたら幸いです。  
Go-kentō no ue, zehi mensetsu no kikai o itadakemashitara saiwai desu. 
EnglishI would appreciate it if you could give me a chance to have an interview.

Formal Closing何卒よろしくお願いいたします。
敬具  
[名前] 
Nanitozo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. 
Keigu 
[Namae]
EnglishThank you very much for your consideration. 
Sincerely yours, 
[Name]
Literal TranslationPlease kindly be favorable.

Explanation: 

よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) is an untranslatable Japanese phrase that is often used in business contexts. It’s a useful phrase in that it has many meanings and can be used in various situations to express gratitude, humbleness, and the desire to have a good relationship from that point forward.

And remember: When you use 拝啓 (haikei) at the beginning of your letter, you must finish it with 敬具 (keigu).


Resume, Pen, and Glasses

3. Smart Proverbs for Business and Meetings

In Japanese culture, idiomatic expressions (慣用表現 kan’yō hyōgen) and proverbs (ことわざ kotowaza) are often used in daily conversations in order to enrich statements or to include a moralistic meaning. The following phrases are popular Japanese idioms and proverbs that are frequently used in business contexts. 

Japanese埒があかない  
rachi ga akanai 
Literal Translationthe fence (of a horse riding ground) does not open
Meaningmake no progress / remain unsettled

Example: 

同じ議論を繰り返しても、埒があかない。

Onaji giron o kurikaeshite mo, rachi ga akanai.

“Repeating the same discussion does not make any progress.”

Japanese案ずるより産むが易し  
anzuru yori umu ga yasushi 
Literal TranslationIt’s easier to give birth than to worry about it.
MeaningIt’s easier to do something than to worry about it. / An attempt is sometimes easier than expected.

Example: 

案ずるより産むが易しと言います。まずはリスクを恐れずに実行することが大切です。

Anzuru yori umu ga yasushi to iimasu. Mazu wa risuku o osorezu ni jikkō suru koto ga taisetsu desu.

“It is said that it’s easier to do something than to worry about it; it’s important to take action without fear of risk.”

Japanese善は急げ  
zen wa isoge 
Literal Translationhurry up goodness
MeaningStrike while the iron is hot. / Good deeds (ideas) should be done quickly.

Example: 

それは良い案ですね!善は急げ、早速それをプロジェクトに取り入れましょう。

Sore wa ii an desu ne! Zen wa isoge, sassoku sore o purojekuto ni toriiremashō.

“That’s a good idea! Strike while the iron is hot; let’s adopt it into the project now.”

Japanese損して得取れ  
son shite toku tore
Literal Translationobtain benefit by losing
MeaningEven if you’re at a temporary loss, keep striving for virtue so that you will get a bigger return later. 

Example: 

損して得取れと言うように、設備投資による費用はかかりますが、長期的に見ると生産コストとCO2排出を大幅に削減できます。

Son shite toku tore to iu yō ni, setsubi tōshi ni yoru hiyō wa kakarimasu ga, chōkiteki ni miru to seisan kosuto to CO2 haishutsu o ōhaba ni sakugen dekimasu.

“As the proverb says, ‘Obtain benefit by losing.’ Although there are costs associated with capital investment, production costs and CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced in the long run.”

Japanese苦肉の策  
kuniku no saku 
Literal Translationidea of (from) suffering body
Meaninglast resort / desperate measure taken under pressure of necessity

Example: 

その企業は事業存続のために苦肉の策として、大手企業との業務提携に踏み切りました。

Sono kigyō wa jigyō sonzoku no tame ni kuniku no saku to shite, ōte kigyō to no gyōmu teikei ni fumikirimashita.

“The company has decided to make a business alliance with a major company as a desperate measure for business survival.”

Japanese乗りかかった船  
norikakatta fune
Literal Translationthe ship that already got on 
Meaninghaving started on something that you can’t quit / having gone too far to turn back

Example: 

一度引き受けた案件は、乗りかかった船です。情勢が変化しても全力でやり遂げましょう。

Ichi-do hikiuketa anken wa, norikakatta fune desu. Jōsei ga henka shite mo zenryoku de yaritogemashō.

“The project that we once undertook is the ship we have already gotten on. Even if the situation changes, let’s do our best to complete it.”

Japanese先んずれば人を制す  
sakinzureba hito o seisu
Literal TranslationIf you go ahead, you will get the better of (other) people.
MeaningTake the initiative, and you will win. / The foremost dog catches the hare.

Example: 

先んずれば人を制す。ライバル社が参入する前に新規事業を軌道にのせましょう。

Sakinzureba hito o seisu. Raibarusha ga sannyū suru mae ni shinki jigyō o kidō ni nosemashō.

“The foremost dog catches the hare. Let’s get the new business on track before our rivals enter the market.”

Japanese白羽の矢が立つ  
shiraha no ya ga tatsu
Literal TranslationAn arrow with a feather stands.
Meaningto be singled out / to be selected from among other people

Example: 

新規プロジェクトのリーダーとして、経験豊富な彼に白羽の矢がたった。

Shinki purojekuto no rīdā to shite, keiken hōfu na kare ni shiraha no ya ga tatta.

“As someone who is well experienced, he was chosen to be the leader of the new project.”

Japanese後の祭り 
ato no matsuri   
Literal Translation later festival
Meaninga day after the fair / a stage when it’s too late

Example: 

彼は間違って非常に重要な書類を破棄してしまった。後悔しても所詮、後の祭りだ。

Kare wa machigatte hijō ni jūyō na shorui o haki shite shimatta. Kōkai shitemo shosen, ato no matsuri da.

“He accidentally discarded the very important document. Even if he regrets it, it’s too late after all.”

Japanese  運を天に任せる    
un o ten ni makaseru     
Literal Translation leave luck to heaven 
Meaning to leave one’s fate to a deity / to leave the rest to heaven

Example: 

イベントの準備に最前を尽くしてきました。成功するかどうかは、あとは運を天に任せましょう。

Ibento no junbi ni saizen o tsukushite kimashita. Seikō suru ka dō ka wa, ato wa un o ten ni makasemashō.

“We have been doing our best to prepare for the event. Let’s leave luck to heaven as to whether we succeed or not.”

People in Suits Are Having a Business Meeting

4. Advanced Japanese Idioms and Sayings for Everyday Usage

Idiomatic expressions are frequently used not only in daily conversations but also in the stories that make our lives so rich and colorful. 

Japanese idioms are very fun to learn! They feature unique and sometimes eccentric combinations of words that would make no sense at all if you were to translate them word for word.

What do you imagine when you hear “bite a parent’s shin” (親のすねをかじる oya no sune o kajiru)? It does not refer to someone actually biting their parent’s shin, but rather to an adult who still lives off of their parents. 

Below are several idiomatic phrases in Japanese for advanced learners.

Japanese  油を売る   
abura o uru    
Literal Translation sell oil
Meaning  to loaf (particularly on the job) / to idle one’s time away

Example: 

彼はよく営業の外回り中に、カフェで油を売っている。

Kare wa yoku eigyō no sotomawarichū ni, kafe de abura o utte iru.

“He often idles his time away at a cafe when he’s meeting clients out of office.”

Japanese  顔に泥を塗る   
kao ni doro o nuru  
Literal Translation smear mud on one’s face
Meaning  disgrace somebody / make somebody lose face

Example: 

彼女は犯罪を犯して、誠実な両親の顔に泥を塗った。

Kanojo wa hanzai o okashite, seijitsu na ryōshin no kao ni doro o nutta.

“She committed a crime and disgraced her sincere parents.”

Japanese  口を酸っぱくする   
kuchi o suppaku suru  
Literal Translation make a mouth sour 
Meaning  to repeatedly admonish / to tell over and over

Example: 

口を酸っぱくして何度も言うように、交通事故には気をつけてください。

Kuchi o suppaku shite nan-do mo iu yō ni, kōtsū jiko ni wa ki o tsukete kudasai.

“As I tell you over and over, please be careful of traffic accidents.”

Japanese  さじを投げる    
saji o nageru   
Literal Translation throw a (small) spoon 
Meaning  give up hopelessly

Example: 

彼女はダイエットしようと決めたが、トレーニングと食事制限が辛くてさじを投げた。

Kanojo wa daietto o shiyō to kimeta ga, torēningu to shokuji seigen ga tsurakute saji o nageta.

“She decided to go on a diet, but she gave up because of the painful training and dietary restrictions.”

Japanese  雀の涙   
suzume no namida 
Literal Translation sparrow’s tears
Meaning  very small quantity

Example: 

世界的な不景気の影響で、今年のボーナスは雀の涙ほどでした。

Sekaiteki na fukeiki no eikyō de, kotoshi no bōnasu wa suzume no namida hodo deshita.

“Due to the global recession, this year’s bonus was very little.”

Japanese  喉から手が出る   
nodo kara te ga deru 
Literal Translation hands come out from a throat
Meaning  to want something desperately

Example: 

喉から手が出るほど、来月発売の新しいスマートフォンがほしい。

Nodo kara te ga deru hodo, raigetsu hatsubai no atarashii sumātofon ga hoshii.

“I desperately want the new smartphone that will be released next month.”

Japanese  根も葉もない   
ne mo ha mo nai  
Literal Translation no roots or leaves 
Meaning  completely untrue / groundless (rumor)

Example: 

根も葉もない噂を信じて人を判断しないでください。

Ne mo ha mo nai uwasa o shinjite hito o handan shinaide kudasai.

“Don’t judge people by believing groundless rumors.”

Japanese  身を粉にする    
mi o ko ni suru
Literal Translation make one’s body into powder 
Meaning  work hard / make the utmost effort

Example: 

彼女は身を粉にして働き、女手一つで3人の子供を育てました。

Kanojo wa mi o ko ni shite hataraki, onnade hitotsu de san-nin no kodomo o sodatemashita.

“She worked very hard and raised three children all by herself.”

Japanese  水に流す   
mizu ni nagasu   
Literal Translation flush in water 
Meaning  let bygones be bygones / forgive and forget

Example: 

過去のことは水に流して、今と将来のことに目を向けよう。

Kako no koto wa mizu ni nagashite, ima to shōrai no koto ni me o mukeyō.

“Let’s forgive and forget about the past, and focus on the present and the future.”

Japanese  胸が騒ぐ   
mune ga sawagu    
Literal Translation chest makes a fuss
Meaning  to feel uneasy / to feel a strange presentiment

Example: 

帰り道で救急車のサイレンを聞いて胸が騒いだので、家族を心配して家まで走って帰った。

Kaerimichi de kyūkyūsha no sairen o kiite mune ga sawaida node, kazoku o shinpai shite ie made hashitte kaetta.

“I felt uneasy when I heard the ambulance siren on my way home, so I ran home because I was worried about my family.”

Two Women Talking

5. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most useful advanced Japanese phrases for academic writing, cover letters, and business. We even included a few idioms and sayings for daily usage. Some of these phrases are only used in a particular context, such as the formal greeting for letters, and mastering such advanced Japanese phrases will make you appear more fluent!

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

As you approach the advanced level in your Japanese studies, the following articles will also be very useful for you: 

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

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese

Useful Intermediate Japanese Phrases

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Have you gotten bored of learning the basic Japanese grammar rules, reviewing beginner-level words, and practicing beginner phrases? Then it’s time to level up and start learning intermediate Japanese phrases! 

Once you’re confident in your ability to master the beginner levels (N5 and N4) of the JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test), you can aim to achieve the intermediate level (N3 and above). Achieving this level of proficiency will allow you to cope with more complicated everyday situations while in Japan. The intermediate level is surely more difficult, requiring continuous effort and patience; however, it’s also an enjoyable stage of learning as you’ll start being able to understand more complex things and express more subtle feelings.

In this article, we’ll introduce a list of the most useful intermediate Japanese phrases for various situations. Whether you want to talk about past events, change plans, or make recommendations, this useful phrase list here at JapanesePod101.com covers it all!

A Man and a Woman Socializing at a Party with Drinks

Knowing some intermediate-level phrases will make your conversations more enjoyable.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Talking About Past Events
  2. Making and Changing Plans
  3. Explaining and Giving Reasons
  4. Making Recommendations and Complaints
  5. Reaction Phrases for Everyday Conversations
  6. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings
  7. Conclusion

1. Talking About Past Events

When you first start learning Japanese, you primarily study and use the present tense. However, talking about the past and the future is inevitable in our daily lives; for example, we make plans for the weekend with friends and tell stories about our past experiences. 

When it comes to grammatical tense, Japanese is much simpler than other languages such as English or the Romance languages. This is because Japanese does not have a future tense nor any perfect tenses. Things concerning the future are expressed using the present tense and a time-indicating word, such as “later” or “tomorrow.” It is also relatively easy to use the past tense in Japanese because there is no verb conjugation according to “how far” in the past something took place. 

The only thing you need to pay attention to is the formality level you use (casual vs. formal) and 敬語 (Keigo), the Japanese honorific language. For each of the following intermediate phrases in Japanese, we have included both the casual version and the polite version.  

1.

[Casual] ___はさっき終わったよ。  
              ___ wa sakki owatta yo.

[Polite] ___はさっき終わりました
            ___ wa sakki owarimashita.

[English]  ___ has just finished. 

2.

[Casual]  今日は忙しくてとても疲れ。     
               Kyō wa isogashikute totemo tsukareta.

[Polite]    今日は忙しくてとても疲れました
              Kyō wa isogashikute totemo tsukaremashita.

[English]  Today was busy, and I got really tired. 

3.

[Casual]  今日は幸運/不運な日だった
               Kyō wa kōun/fūn na hi datta.

[Polite]    今日は幸運/不運な日でした
              Kyō wa kōun/fūn na hi deshita.

[English]  Today was a lucky/unlucky day.

4.

[Casual]  昨日のパーティーは楽しかった
               Kinō no pātī wa tanoshikatta yo.

[Polite]    昨日のパーティーは楽しかったです
              Kinō no pātī wa tanoshikatta desu.

[English]  The party yesterday was fun. (I enjoyed the party yesterday.)

5.

[Casual]  去年の夏にハワイへ旅行した
               Kyonen no natsu ni Hawai e ryokō shita.

[Polite]    去年の夏にハワイへ旅行しました
              Kyonen no natsu ni Hawai e ryokō shimashita.

[English]  I traveled to Hawaii last summer.

6.

[Casual]  私はこの会社で5年前から働いてい
               Watashi wa kono kaisha de go-nen mae kara hataraite iru.

[Polite]    私はこの会社で5年前から働いています
              Watashi wa kono kaisha de go-nen mae kara hataraite imasu.

[English]  I have been working for this company for five years.

7.

[Casual]  昔「ポチ」という犬を飼ってい
               Mukashi “Pochi” to iu inu o katte ita.

[Polite]    昔「ポチ」という犬を飼っていました
              Mukashi “Pochi” to iu inu o katte imashita.

[English]  I used to have a dog called Pochi (in the past).

8.

[Casual]  子供の頃は東京に住んでい
               Kodomo no koro wa Tōkyō ni sunde ita.

[Polite]    子供の頃は東京に住んでいました
              Kodomo no koro wa Tōkyō ni sunde imashita.

[English]  I used to live in Tokyo when I was a kid.

Many People Playing and Relaxing on a Beach in Hawaii

去年の夏にハワイへ旅行しました。(Kyonen no natsu ni Hawai e ryokō shimashita.)
“I traveled to Hawaii last summer.”

2. Making and Changing Plans

As mentioned in the section above, we can use the present tense to express the future by using a time-indicating word. This is the structure we use when making or changing plans. 

In order to form a question, you only have to add a question mark to the end of a casual sentence or か (ka) to the end of a formal sentence. In Japanese, the subject is often omitted when it’s obvious who is speaking or whom you are talking to.

Below are a few examples of how to use this type of intermediate Japanese sentence structure to talk about plans. 

1.

[Casual]  来週空いている日ある?
               Raishū aite iru hi aru?

[Polite]    来週空いている日ありますか
              Raishū aite iru hi arimasu ka.  

[English]  Do you have a free day next week?

2.

[Casual]  来月都合の良い日はいつ
               Raigetsu tsugō no yoi hi wa itsu

[Polite]    来月都合の良い日はいつですか
              Raigetsu tsugō no yoi hi wa itsu desu ka.

[English]  When is your convenient day next month? (When is the best day next month for you?)

3.

[Casual]  お寿司食べに行く?
               O-sushi tabe ni iku?

[Polite]    お寿司食べに行きませんか
              O-sushi tabe ni ikimasen ka.

[English]  Would you like to go eat sushi?

4.

[Casual]  彼氏/彼女も連れて来ていい
               Kareshi/ kanojo mo tsurete kite ii ?

[Polite]    彼氏/彼女も連れて来ていいですか。
              Kareshi/ kanojo mo tsurete kite ii desu ka.

[English]  Can I bring my boyfriend/girlfriend?

5.

[Casual]  スケジュールを確認してまた連絡するよ。
               Sukejūru o kakunin shite mata renraku suru yo.

[Polite]    スケジュールを確認してまた連絡しますね。
              Sukejūru o kakunin shite mata renraku shimasu ne.

[English]  I will let you know after checking my schedule.

6.

[Casual]  来週にスケジュールを変更できる?
               Raishū ni sukejūru o henkō dekiru?

[Polite]    来週にスケジュールを変更できますか。
              Raishū ni sukejūru o henkō dekimasu ka.

[English]  Is it possible to reschedule for next week?

7.

[Casual]  今週の金曜日にオンライン会議で詳細を話そう
               Konshū no kin-yōbi ni onrain kaigi de shōsai o hanasō.

[Polite]    今週の金曜日にオンライン会議で詳細を話しましょう。 
              Konshū no kin-yōbi ni onrain kaigi de shōsai o hanashimashō.

[English]  Let’s discuss the details during the online meeting this Friday.

Someone Flipping through Pages on Their Monthly Calendar

来週にスケジュールを変更できますか。(Raishū ni sukejūru o henkō dekimasu ka.)
“Is it possible to reschedule for next week?”

3. Explaining and Giving Reasons

If you’re a native speaker of English or a Romance language, you may feel that giving reasons in Japanese is a bit awkward due to the Japanese word order and sentence structure. Contrary to English and many other languages, we usually mention the reason before the action or event.

For example:

[English]         I drank a glass of water because it was hot.
                (a person’s action) (the reason why)

[Japanese]     暑かったので、  グラス1杯の水を飲みました。
                Atsukatta nodegurasu ippai no mizu o nomimashita.
                 (the reason why) (a person’s action)

1.

[Polite]    アレルギーがあるので卵を食べられません。 
                 Arerugī ga aru node tamago o taberaremasen.

[English]  I can’t eat eggs because I have an allergy.

2.

[Polite]    雨が降っているので、今日の花火大会は中止になりました。
              Ame ga futte iru node, kyō no hanabi taikai wa chūshi ni narimashita.

[English]  Today’s fireworks festival has been canceled because it is raining.

3.

[Polite]    風邪をひいて頭痛がひどいです。そのため、今日は早く帰ります。
              Kaze o hiite zutsū ga hidoi desu. Sono tame, kyō wa hayaku kaerimasu.

[English]  I caught a cold, and I have a severe headache. For that reason, I will go home early today.

4.

[Polite]    午後に会議が予定されています。このため、会議室は使用できません。
              Gogo ni kaigi ga yotei sarete imasu. Kono tame, kaigishitsu wa shiyō dekimasen.

[English]  A meeting is scheduled in the afternoon. Therefore, the meeting room is not available.

5.

[Polite]    最近少し太ったのでダイエットをしています。 
              Saikin sukoshi futotta node daietto o shite imasu.

[English]  I’m on a diet because I’ve gained a little weight recently.

6.        

[Polite]    終電を逃してしまったため、歩いて家に帰りました。
              Shūden o nogashite shimatta tame, aruite ie ni kaerimashita.

[English]  I missed the last train, so I walked back home.

7.

[Polite]    私がこの車を選んだのには三つ理由があります。
              一つ目はデザイン、二つ目は機能性、そして最後は価格が理由です。

              Watashi ga kono kuruma o eranda no ni wa mittsu riyū ga arimasu.
              Hitotsu-me wa dezain, futatsu-me wa kinōsei, soshite saigo wa kakaku ga riyū desu.

[English]  There are three reasons why I chose this car. 
               Firstly, because of its design; secondly, its functionality; and lastly, its price.

An Empty Meeting Room

午後に会議が予定されています。このため、会議室は使用できません。
(Gogo ni kaigi ga yotei sarete imasu. Kono tame, kaigishitsu wa shiyō dekimasen.)
“A meeting is scheduled in the afternoon. Therefore, the meeting room is not available.”

4. Making Recommendations and Complaints

Giving your opinion by recommending or complaining about something is a good way to share and exchange ideas in a conversation. 口コミ情報, or word-of-mouth information, is somewhat reliable as it comes from one’s firsthand experience. Sharing experiences and insights is not only useful when deciding what to buy or try, but it also creates rapport between speakers.

The following are frequently used words and phrases for making recommendations and complaints.

  • おすすめ (osusume) = recommendation [noun]
  • おすすめする (osusume suru) = to recommend [verb]
  • おすすめしない (osusume shinai) = not to recommend [verb]

1.

[Casual]  この映画は今年見た中で一番面白いよ。
               Kono eiga wa kotoshi mita naka de ichi-ban omoshiroi yo.

[Polite]    この映画は今年見た中で一番面白いです。
              Kono eiga wa kotoshi mita naka de ichi-ban omoshiroi desu.

[English]  This movie is the most interesting I’ve seen this year.

2.

[Casual]  広島に旅行するなら、厳島神社に行くことをおすすめするよ。
               Hiroshima ni ryokō suru nara, Itsukushima Jinja ni iku koto o osusume suru yo.

[Polite]    広島に旅行するなら、厳島神社に行くことをおすすめします
              Hiroshima ni ryokō suru nara, Itsukushima Jinja ni iku koto o osusume shimasu.

[English]  If you’re traveling to Hiroshima, I recommend you go to Itsukushima Shrine.

3.

[Casual]  本当においしいお寿司を食べたいなら、銀座の次郎が有名だよ。
               Hontō ni oishii o-sushi o tabetai nara, Ginza no Jirō ga yūmei da yo.

[Polite]    本当においしいお寿司を食べたいなら、銀座の次郎が有名です。
              Hontō ni oishii o-sushi o tabetai nara, Ginza no Jirō ga yūmei desu.

[English]  If you want to eat really delicious sushi, Jiro in Ginza is famous.

4.

[Casual]  この携帯電話の充電器はメーカーの純正を使った方が良いよ。
               Kono keitai denwa no jūdenki wa mēkā no junsei o tsukatta hō ga ii yo.

[Polite]    この携帯電話の充電器はメーカーの純正を使った方が良いですよ。
              Kono keitai denwa no jūdenki wa mēkā no junsei o tsukatta hō ga ii desu yo.

[English]  It’s better to use the manufacturer’s genuine charger for this mobile phone.

5.

[Casual]  あのホテルはカスタマーサービスが最悪だよ。
               Ano hoteru wa kasutamā sābisu ga saiaku da yo.

[Polite]    あのホテルはカスタマーサービスが最悪です
              Ano hoteru wa kasutamā sābisu ga saiaku desu.

[English]  That hotel has the worst customer service.

6.

[Casual]   あそこは値段が高い割においしくないので、おすすめしないよ。
                Asoko wa nedan ga takai wari ni oishikunai node, osusume shinai yo.

[Polite]     あそこは値段が高い割においしくないので、おすすめしません。
              Asoko wa nedan ga takai wari ni oishikunai node, osusume shimasen.

[English]  I don’t recommend that place because it’s not delicious for the expensive price.

7.

[Casual]  商品が1回使ってすぐ壊れた。このショップからは二度と購入しない。 
               Shōhin ga ikkai tsukatte sugu kowareta. Kono shoppu kara wa ni-do to kōnyū shinai.

[Polite]    商品が1回使ってすぐ壊れました。このショップからは二度と購入しません。
              Shōhin ga ikkai tsukatte sugu kowaremashita. Kono shoppu kara wa ni-do to kōnyū shimasen.

[English]  The product broke immediately after I used it once. I will never buy anything from this shop.

Itsukushima Shrine in Japan

広島に旅行するなら、厳島神社に行くことをおすすめします。 
(Hiroshima ni ryokō suru nara, Itsukushima Jinja ni iku koto o osusume shimasu.)
“If you’re traveling to Hiroshima, I recommend you go to Itsukushima Shrine.

5. Reaction Phrases for Everyday Conversations

You’ll also need some intermediate Japanese phrases for reacting to others’ statements. Knowing various ways to reply to someone will help make your conversations more colorful and enjoyable. Below, we have included a few short conversation samples using common reaction phrases. 

1.

A:
昨日のパーティーは楽しかったね。 
Kinō no pātī wa tanoshikatta ne.
The party last night was fun.

B: 
うん、みんなに会って話せて良かったよ!
Un, minna ni atte hanasete yokatta yo!
Yeah, I was glad to meet and talk to everyone!

2.

A: 
来週空いている日ある ? 
Raishū aite iru hi aru?
Do you have a free day next week?

B: 
土曜日なら一日中空いてるよ。
Do-yōbi nara ichi-nichijū aite ru yo.
I’m free all day next Saturday.

3.

A: 
この映画は今年見た中で一番面白いよ。
Kono eiga wa kotoshi mita naka de ichi-ban omoshiroi yo. 
This movie is the most interesting I’ve seen this year.

B: 
そうなんだ。Netflixで配信されたら見てみるよ。
Sō nan da. Nettofurikkusu de haishin saretara mite miru yo.
Oh yeah? I’ll watch it when it’s released on Netflix.

4.

A: 
来週にスケジュールを変更できますか。
Raishū ni sukejūru o henkō dekimasu ka.
Is it possible to reschedule for next week?

B: 
はい、大丈夫です。来週の月曜日から金曜日の午後なら調整できます。
Hai, daijōbu desu. Raishū no getsu-yōbi kara kin-yōbi no gogo nara chōsei dekimasu.
Yes, it’s okay. I can make adjustments in the afternoon from next Monday to Friday.

5.

A: 
アレルギーがあるので卵を食べられません。
Arerugī ga aru node tamago o taberaremasen.
I can’t eat eggs because I have an allergy.

B: 
卵を使用していないメニューはこちらです。
Tamago o shiyō shite inai menyū wa kochira desu.
Here is the menu that does not contain eggs.

6.

A: 
あのホテルはカスタマーサービスが最悪です。
Ano hoteru wa kasutamā sābisu ga saiaku desu.
That hotel has the worst customer service.

B: 
本当ですか?有名なホテルなのに残念ですね。
Hontō desu ka? Yūmei na hoteru na noni zannen desu ne.
Really? It’s a shame, though; it’s a famous hotel.

A Couple Looking through a Menu Together while a Waitress Stands Nearby

小麦粉を使用していないメニューはこちらです。
(Komugiko o shiyō shite inai menyū wa kochira desu.)
“Here is the menu that does not contain wheat.”

6. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings

Japanese has some very unique and polite expressions that are frequently used in social and business settings. It’s good to know such phrases even if you’re a traveler to Japan, as you’ll hear them often in restaurants, shops, and hotels.

1.

[Polite]    いらっしゃいませ。
              Irasshaimase.

[English]  Welcome. (Staff members of shops and restaurants will say this to customers.)

2.

[Very Polite]    少々お待ち下さいませ。 
                       Shōshō o-machi kudasai mase.

[English]  Please wait for a moment.

3.

[Very Polite]    大変お待たせしました。 
                      Taihen o-matase shimashita.

[English]  Thank you very much for your patience. (Literally: I made you waiting for long time.)

4.

[Very Polite]    ごゆっくりお過ごしください。
                      Go-yukkuri o-sugoshi kudasai.

[English]  Please have a relaxed time. 

5.

[Very Polite]    何かご質問がありましたらお知らせください。 
                      Nani ka go-shitsumon ga arimashitara o-shirase kudasai.

[English]  Please let us know if you have any questions.

6.        

[Very Polite]    お忙しい中お時間をいただき、どうもありがとうございます。
                      O-isogashii naka o-jikan o itadaki, dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.

[English]  Thank you very much for your time while you are busy.

7.

[Very Polite]    お返事お待ちしております。
                      O-henji o-machi shite orimasu.

[English]  I look forward to hearing from you.

8.

[Very Polite]    お気をつけていってらっしゃいませ。
                      O-ki o tsukete itterasshai mase.

[English]  Please take care and have a safe trip.

A Woman Waiting at a Hotel’s Front Desk

少々お待ち下さいませ。
(Shōshō o-machi kudasai mase.)
“Please wait for a moment.”

7. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most useful intermediate Japanese phrases for various situations, including:

  • Talking about past events
  • Making and changing plans
  • Explaining and listing reasons
  • Making recommendations and complaints
  • Reacting to others during a conversation
  • Being polite in social and business settings

With these intermediate phrases, you’ll be able to have more complex conversations and explain what you want to say in more detail.

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find a lot more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. This is the best place to learn Japanese online, providing a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese-language skills. 

If you’re at the intermediate level in your Japanese studies, the following articles are a great place to start: 

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

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

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Level Up with These Advanced Japanese Words

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If you’re looking at this page, it means that you’ve achieved the intermediate level and are interested in moving ahead to advanced-level Japanese. That’s great—you’re in the right place!

Levels N1 and N2 of the JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) are equivalent to the advanced level, and aiming to pass these levels would be a good source of motivation at this point in your studies. It surely takes tremendous effort and dedication to reach this stage, especially when it comes to learning the more difficult Kanji that are mostly used for special occasions or in official settings. 

Apart from conventional studying, however, there are more enjoyable ways to learn advanced Japanese words. For example, you could start reading books in Japanese and watching Japanese movies or TV shows in more serious genres; history shows, biographies, thrillers, and action films are great examples. Once you learn enough advanced Japanese words, you can utilize such tools to reinforce your knowledge and memory.

In this article, we will introduce a list of frequently used advanced Japanese words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, as well as other sophisticated words you can use to substitute basic everyday words. Let’s start climbing to the summit here at JapanesePod101.com!

The News Displayed on a Tablet, a Cell Phone, and Newspapers

You will be able to more easily read Japanese newspapers with advanced Japanese words.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)
  2. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)
  3. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)
  4. Adverbs – 副詞 (Fukushi)
  5. Alternative Words for Greater Sophistication
  6. Conclusion

1. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)

The Kanji for advanced Japanese nouns is often complicated and difficult. However, the good news is that you’ll never have to worry about which article to use or how to change a word from singular to plural. 

Advanced Japanese nouns are usually just as simple as beginner nouns in terms of reading and pronunciation, but learning the high-level Kanji will take a lot of time and effort. 

1 – Advanced Academic Words 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
concept概念 がいねんgainen
precision精密 せいみつseimitsu
expansion / extension拡張 かくちょうkakuchō
pressure圧力 あつりょくatsuryoku
efficiency効率 こうりつkōritsu
specimen / sample標本ひょうほんhyōhon
evidence証拠 しょうこshōko
verification / inspection検証けんしょうkenshō
atom原子 げんしgenshi
molecule分子 ぶんしbunshi
radioactivity放射能  ほうしゃのうhōshanō
concentration / density​濃度 のうどnōdo
coagulation / solidification​凝固  ぎょうこgyōko
fusion / melting / liquefaction融解 ゆうかいyūkai 

Examples:

  • この実験は新しい説の分析と検証です。
    Kono jikken wa atarashii setsu no bunseki to kenshō desu.
    “This experiment is an analysis and verification of a new theory.”
  • この地域は放射能の濃度が高く危険です。
    Kono chiiki wa hōshanō no nōdo ga takaku kiken desu.
    “This area is dangerous because of its high concentration of radioactivity.”
  • その物質は温度の変化により凝固と融解を繰り返した。
    Sono busshitsu wa ondo no henka ni yori gyōko to yūkai o kurikaeshita.
    “The substance repeatedly solidified and melted by changes in temperature.”

Two Researchers Experimenting with Liquids in a Laboratory

物質の濃度を測る (busshitsu no nōdo o hakaru)
“measure the concentration of the substance”

2 – Advanced Business Words

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
negotiation交渉 こうしょうkōshō
strategy 戦略 せんりゃくsenryaku
capital / fund資本 しほんshihon
stockholder /  shareholder株主 かぶぬしkabunushi
revenue歳入 さいにゅうsainyū
investment投資 とうしtōshi
securities  / stock証券 しょうけんshōken
loan / financing融資 ゆうしyūshi
repayment /  payment / settlement返済へんさいhensai
debt債務 さいむsaimu
mortgage /  guarantee担保 たんぽtanpo
credit債権 さいけんsaiken
assets資産 しさんshisan 
bankruptcy倒産 とうさんtōsan 
trademark商標 しょうひょうshōhyō
patent特許 とっきょtokkyo  
employment雇用  こようkoyō
dismissal /  termination of employment​解雇  かいこkaiko
company director  / board member取締役 とりしまりやくtorishimariyaku
board of  directors理事会りじかいrijikai 
permanent  employee正社員  せいしゃいんseishain
contract-based  employee契約社員 けいやくしゃいんkeiyaku shain 
outsourced  temporary employee派遣社員  はけんしゃいんhaken shain 

Examples:

  • その証券会社は巨額の債務を抱え倒産しました。
    Sono shōkengaisha wa kyogaku no saimu o kakae tōsan shimashita.
    “The securities company went bankrupt with huge debt.”
  • 新しい事業のため銀行から融資を受けたいです。
    Atarashii jigyō no tame ginkō kara yūshi o uketai desu.
    “I’d like to get a loan from a bank for a new business.”
  • 革新的な技術の特許を取得した後、その企業の株価が上がりました。
    Kakushinteki na gijutsu no tokkyo o shutoku shita ato, sono kigyō no kabuka ga agarimashita.
    “After acquiring the patent of an innovative technology, the company’s stock price went up.”

Several Colleagues Sitting Around a Table and Discussing Ideas

交渉を有利に行う戦略 (kōshō o yūri ni okonau senryaku)
“a strategy to negotiate favorably”

3 – Advanced Medical Words 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
medical care医療 いりょうiryō
  gene遺伝子いでんしidenshi
immunity免疫 めんえきmen’eki
artery動脈 どうみゃくdōmyaku 
vein静脈じょうみゃくjōmyaku 
blood  transfusion輸血 ゆけつyuketsu
spinal cord脊髄せきずいsekizui 
radioactive ray放射線 ほうしゃせんhōshasen
medical treatment / therapy治療 ちりょうchiryō
department of surgery外科 げかgeka 
  internal medicine内科ないかnaika
symptom症状 しょうじょうshōjō
infection感染かんせんkansen
inflammation炎症 えんしょうenshō
fit / spasm / seizure発作 ほっさhossa
paralysis / palsy麻痺まひmahi 
coma昏睡 こんすいkonsui 
tumor腫瘍しゅようshuyō
bruiseあざaza 
vomiting嘔吐おうとōto
diarrhea下痢 げりgeri
pneumonia肺炎はいえんhaien
cancerがんgan

Examples:

  • 日本の医療システムは国民健康保険で成り立っています。
    Nihon no iryō shisutemu wa kokumin kenkō hoken de naritatte imasu.
    “The Japanese medical system works with National Health Insurance.”
  • 昨日から嘔吐と下痢の症状があります。
    Kinō kara ōto to geri no shōjō ga arimasu.
    “I have had the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea since yesterday.”
  • その男性は発作を起こして昏睡状態になりました。
    Sono dansei wa hossa o okoshite konsui jōtai ni narimashita.
    “The man had a seizure and went into a coma.”

A Doctor Looking at an Image of a Human Body on a Screen

放射線治療で癌を治す (hōshasen chiryō de gan o naosu)
“cure cancer with radiation therapy”

4 – Advanced Legal Words 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading 
arrest逮捕たいほtaiho
detention / custody拘留こうりゅうkōryū
prosecution / indictment起訴きそkiso
probation / suspension of sentence執行猶予しっこうゆうよshikkō yūyo
arbitration / mediation調停 ちょうていchōtei
trial裁判 さいばんsaiban
court裁判所さいばんしょsaibansho
judge裁判官 さいばんかんsaibankan
plaintiff / accuser原告げんこくgenkoku 
defendant / accused被告 ひこくhikoku
public prosecutor検察官けんさつかんkensatsukan
imprisonment / penal servitude懲役ちょうえきchōeki
appeal控訴こうそkōso 
detention center / jail拘置所 こうちしょkōchisho
prison刑務所 けいむしょkeimusho
death penalty / capital punishment死刑 しけいshikei 
fraud詐欺さぎsagi
bribery賄賂 わいろwairo
tax evasion脱税 だつぜいdatsuzei
forgery / falsification / counterfeiting偽造 ぎぞうgizō
threatening / intimidation脅迫 きょうはくkyōhaku
theft / stealing窃盗 せっとうsettō
assault / act of violence暴行 ぼうこうbōkō
murder / homicide殺人 さつじんsatsujin 

Examples:

  • 彼は懲役5年執行猶予3年の判決を受けました。
    Kare wa chōeki go-nen shikkō yūyo san-nen no hanketsu o ukemashita.
    “He was sentenced to five years in prison suspended for three years.”
  • あの会社の元社長は脱税罪で刑務所にいます。
    Ano kaisha no moto shachō wa datsuzeizai de keimusho ni imasu.
    “The former president of that company is in prison for tax evasion.”
  •  日本には死刑制度があります。
    Nihon ni wa shikei seido ga arimasu.
    “Japan has the death penalty system.”

A Gavel on Top of a Book

裁判官の判決 (saibankan no hanketsu)
“judgment by a judge”

To review the basic Japanese nouns, please check out our blog post titled Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns.

2. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)

Below, we have divided the most important advanced Japanese verbs into two groups: general verbs and those that are formed using the word する(suru) – “do.”

1 – General Verbs

EnglishKanjiHiragana  Reading
force / compel強いる しいるshiiru
range / lie in a line / stretch out 連なるつらなるtsuranaru 
go through / pierce貫く つらぬくtsuranuku 
rub / chafe擦れるすれるsureru 
judge裁く さばくsabaku 
dedicate / commit / give捧げる ささげるsasageru 
prosper栄える さかえるsakaeru
prohibit / ban禁じるきんじるkinjiru
endure / bear / tolerate / withstand耐えるたえるtaeru 
deal / treat / handle取り扱うとりあつかうtoriatsukau
accompany / entail伴うともなうtomonau 
nod頷く うなずくunazuku
influence / affect / exert / cause及ぼす およぼすoyobosu 
become weak / become old衰える おとろえるotoroeru
control / regulate /  manage 取り締まるとりしまるtorishimaru
investigate / examine取り調べる   とりしらべるtorishiraberu 
remove取り除くとりのぞくtorinozoku
be made up of / consist of / be composed of成り立つなりたつnaritatsu
install / attach備え付ける そなえつけるsonaetsukeru 

Examples:

  • その地位は重大な責任を伴う。
    Sono chii wa jūdai na sekinin o tomonau.
    “The position entails grave responsibility.”
  • この古い建物は大きな地震に耐えてきた。
    Kono furui tatemono wa ōkina jishin ni taete kita.
    “This old building has withstood big earthquakes.”
  • 警察は彼を賄賂の疑いで取り調べた。
    Keisatsu wa kare o wairo no utagai de torishirabeta.
    “Police investigated him on suspicion of bribery.”

A Man Installing a Satellite Antenna for a Home

アンテナを備え付ける (antena o sonaetsukeru)
“install an antenna”

2 – Verbs Formed Using [ Noun + する (suru) ] 

This type of Japanese verb is formed with the following pattern: 

  • [ Noun ] + [ する (suru) – “do” ]

For example:

  •  運動する(undō suru) – “to exercise” 
    • 運動 (undō) – “exercise” + する (suru) “do”

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading 
fermentate発酵する はっこうするhakkō suru
make use of / have a command駆使するくしするkushi suru
vibrate振動する しんどうするshindō suru 
bear (a cost, a responsibility, etc.)負担するふたんするfutan suru 
deploy / lay out  配置する はいちするhaichi suru 
shut down / lock out閉鎖するへいさするheisa suru 
evacuate避難するひなんするhinan suru
criticize / blame / condemn非難するひなんするhinan suru 
intervene / interfere干渉する かんしょうするkanshō suru
collapse / break down崩壊するほうかいするhōkai suru

Examples:

  • ブドウを発酵させてワインを作ります。
    Budō o hakkō sasete wain o tsukurimasu.
    “Ferment the grapes to make wine.”
  • その建物は人々が避難した後に崩壊した。
    Sono tatemono wa hitobito ga hinan shita ato ni hōkai shita.
    “The building collapsed after people evacuated.”
  • 私が車の修理費を負担します。
    Watashi ga kuruma no shūrihi o futan shimasu.
    “I will bear the car repair cost.”

To review the basics regarding Japanese verbs, please check out our articles The 100+ Most Common Japanese Verbs and Japanese Verb Conjugations.

A Car Engine

エンジンが振動する (enjin ga shindō suru)
“engine vibrates”

3. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)

As you approach an advanced level in Japanese, you should start strengthening your vocabulary with more nuanced descriptive words. Below is a list of Japanese adjectives to get you started. 

1 – I Adjectives

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading 
suitable / appropriate / compatible相応しい ふさわしいfusawashii
delusive / misleading / confusing紛らわしい まぎらわしいmagirawashii
grateful有難い ありがたいarigatai 
brave/ courageous勇ましい いさましいisamashii
shameful / pitiful情けない なさけないnasakenai
equal等しい ひとしいhitoshii
regrettable惜しい おしいoshii
great偉い えらいerai 
dangerous / critical危うい あやういayaui
hurried / busy / frantic慌しい あわただしいawatadashii
impudent / shameless図々しいずうずうしいzūzūshii
quick素早いすばやいsubayai
incredible / enormous / dreadful物凄い ものすごいmonosugoi 
odious / hateful憎らしい にくらしいnikurashii
chilly肌寒いはだざむいhadazamui
careful / cautious / vigilant用心深い ようじんぶかいyōjinbukai 
extreme / terrible甚だしい はなはだしいhanahadashii

Examples:

  • これはあなたに相応しい車です。
    Kore wa anata ni fusawashii kuruma desu.
    “This is a suitable car for you.”
  • 今日は慌ただしい一日でした。
    Kyō wa awatadashii ichinichi deshita.
    “Today was a very frantic day.”
  • 彼はとても用心深い男で、人を簡単に信用しない。
    Kare wa totemo yōjinbukai otoko de, hito o kantan ni shin’yō shinai.
    “He is a very cautious man, and he does not trust people easily.”

2 – NA Adjectives

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading 
immature未熟みじゅくmijuku
thoughtless / careless軽率けいそつkeisotsu 
generous寛容かんようkan’yō 
essential / main point肝心 かんじんkanjin 
depressed / melancholic / gloomy憂鬱ゆううつyūtsu 
sensitive敏感 びんかんbinkan 
quick / rapid / prompt迅速 じんそくjinsoku 
loyal忠実ちゅうじつchūjitsu
cruel残酷ざんこくzankoku
detailed詳細しょうさいshōsai

Examples:

  • 私はいつも肝心なところで失敗する。
    Watashi wa itsumo kanjin na tokoro de shippai suru.
    “I always fail where it matters.”
  • この化粧品は敏感な肌に適しています。
    Kono keshōhin wa binkan na hada ni tekishite imasu.
    “This cosmetic is suitable for sensitive skin.”
  • 自然破壊が進む残酷な現実に目を向けなければならない。
    Shizen hakai ga susumu zankoku na genjitsu ni me o mukenakereba naranai.
    “We must face the cruel reality of the destruction of nature.”

A Businessman Feeling Gloomy and Depressed After a Bad Day at Work

仕事で失敗した憂鬱な日 (shigoto de shippai shita yūtsu na hi)
“a gloomy day that failed at work”

To review the basics of Japanese adjectives, please check out Learn the Top 100 Essential Japanese Adjectives and -I vs. -NA Adjectives in Japanese on our blog.

4. Adverbs – 副詞 (Fukushi)

Another set of words you’ll need to add to your advanced Japanese vocabulary is adverbs. You likely know a few of these already, but below is a list of more refined adverbs you can start practicing right away. 

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading 
at once / right away / promptly / suddenly咄嗟にとっさにtossa ni 
just as one thought / as usual 案の定 あんのじょうannojō
by far / far off 遥かにはるかにharuka ni 
indeed / truly / certainly如何にもいかにも ikanimo 
taking the trouble to do / intentionallyわざわざ wazawaza 
dare to do / not necessarily to do 敢えて あえてaete
above all何よりなによりnaniyori
quite / reasonably / fairly結構けっこうkekkō
once / before / never beforeかつて katsute 
in spite of / regardless of​かかわらず kakawarazu 
as it is / as you areありのままarinomama  
naturally当たり前に あたりまえにatarimae ni
vaguely / ambiguouslyあやふやに ayafuya ni 
easily / lightlyあっさり assari 
properly / neatlyきちんと kichinto 
thoughtlessly / recklesslyむやみに muyami ni 
quite / very (emphasizing a size, frequency, etc.)ごくgoku

Examples:

  • 問い詰められて私は咄嗟に嘘をついた。
    Toitsumerarete watashi wa tossa ni uso o tsuita.
    “Being pressed for an answer, I lied promptly.”
  • 敢えてそうする訳を教えてください。
    Aete sō suru wake o oshiete kudasai.
    “Please tell me why you dare to do so.”
  • ごくわずかな違いで結果が大きく変わります。
    Goku wazuka na chigai de kekka ga ōkiku kawarimasu.
    “A very subtle difference greatly changes the result.”

Two People Bowing

きちんとお辞儀する (kichinto ojigi suru)
“bow properly”

5. Alternative Words for Greater Sophistication

Whether you aim to get higher scores on writing exams or you want to write proper sentences for official documents, using high-level vocabulary and the appropriate expressions will refine your writing. 

In Japanese, many basic words have more nuanced or formal synonyms. A great example of these advanced counterparts are 熟語 Jukugo (Kanji compounds), which are combinations of different Kanji that create words at different levels of difficulty and specify a meaning.

In addition, having a good command of 敬語 Keigo (“honorific language”) in Japanese is a sign of being at an advanced level, which is essential for official occasions and business settings.  

In this section, you’ll learn the more sophisticated counterparts of simple Japanese words, including frequently used Keigo.  

1 – Alternative Verbs

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading 
生むうむ (umu)to give birth / to generate / to produceto be born出生するしゅっしょうするshusshō suru
to be born誕生するたんじょうするtanjō suru 
to derive / to generate from something派生するはせいするhasei suru
to produce / to yield産出するさんしゅつするsanshutsu suru 
to generate生成するせいせいするseisei suru

始めるはじめる (hajimeru)to start / to beginto begin / to commence開始するかいしするkaishi suru
to start / to initiate始動するしどうするshidō suru
to start / to undertake着手するちゃくしゅするchakushu suru
to start / to get down to / to set about  取りかかるとりかかるtorikakaru
to start / to set up / to be established発足するほっそくするhossoku suru

言ういう (iu)to sayto say / to state述べるのべるnoberu
to speak発言するはつげんするhatsugen suru
to mention / to refer to言及するげんきゅうするgenkyū suru

見るみる (miru)to see / to look / to watchto view / to browse 閲覧するえつらんするetsuran suru
to stare / to gaze凝視するぎょうしするgyōshi suru
to watch / to look carefully注視するちゅうしするchūshi suru
to see / to visit (a temple, a shrine, etc.)拝観するはいかんするhaikan suru

食べるたべる (taberu)to eatto eat食すしょくすshokusu
to eat / to take in 摂取するせっしゅするsesshu suru

書くかく (kaku)to writeto write (a thesis, a book, etc.)執筆するしっぴつするshippitsu suru
to write / to transcribe / to take notes筆記するひっきするhikki suru

読むよむ (yomu)to readto read (books)読書するどくしょするdokusho suru
to read well or thoroughly 熟読するじゅくどくするjukudoku suru
to read carefully精読するせいどくするseidoku suru

描くえがく (egaku)to draw / to paint / to depictto depict / to portray描写するびょうしゃするbyōsha suru
to imitate and draw模写するもしゃするmosha suru

比べるくらべる (kuraberu)to compareto compare比較するひかくするhikaku suru
to compare and check each other照らし合わせるてらしあわせるterashiawaseru

調べるしらべる (shiraberu)to search / to look up / to examineto examine / to investigate調査するちょうさするchōsa suru
to examine / to inspect検査するけんさするkensa suru
to check / to inspect点検するてんけんするtenken suru

Examples:

  • 彼は新しい本を書き始めた。          →   彼は新しい本の執筆に着手した
    Kare wa atarashii hon o kakihajimeta.    Kare wa atarashii hon no shippitsu ni chakushu shita.
    “He started writing a new book.”
  • 実験結果の違いを比べます。     →      実験結果の違いを比較します
    Jikken kekka no chigai o kurabemasu.      Jikken kekka no chigai o hikaku shimasu.
    “Compare the differences in the experimental results.”
  • 車の調子が悪いので、エンジンを調べてください。        →  車の調子が悪いので、エンジンを点検してください。
    Kuruma no chōshi ga warui node, enjin o shirabete kudasai.     Kuruma no chōshi ga warui node, enjin o tenken shite kudasai.
    “The car has a problem, so please check the engine.”

2 – Alternative Adjectives & Adverbs

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading  
今いま (ima)nownow / present現在げんざいgenzai
今日きょう (kyō)todaytoday本日ほんじつhonjitsu
前にまえに (mae ni)beforebefore / earlier / back in the past以前いぜんizen
後であとで (ato de)laterlater on /  afterwards後ほどのちほどnochihodo
この先このさき (kono saki)from this time onfrom now on / in the future / hereafter今後こんごkongo
簡単にかんたんに (kantan ni)easilyeasily容易によういにyōi ni
もっと(motto)morewhat is more / furthermore / moreover更にさらにsara ni
even more / all the moreより一層よりいっそうyori issō
本当にほんとうに (hontō ni)reallyreally / truly正にまさにmasani
それぞれ(sorezore)eacheach各々おのおのono’ono
まだ(mada)yet / stillas yet / still依然としていぜんとしてizen toshite
少しすこし (sukoshi)a little / a fewa little / a small quantity少々しょうしょうshōshō

Examples:

  • 後で資料を送ります。            →   後ほど資料を送信します。
    Ato de shiryō o okurimasu.                Nochihodo shiryō o sōshin shimasu.
    “I will send the document later.”
  • 原因はまだはっきりしない。    →      原因は依然としてはっきりしない。
    Gen’in wa mada hakkiri shinai.                 Gen’in wa izen toshite hakkiri shinai.   
    “The cause is still unclear.”
  • 少し待ってください。          →   少々お待ちください。
    Sukoshi matte kudasai.        Shōshō o-machi kudasai.
    “Please wait for a moment.”

3 – 敬語 (Keigo) [Japanese Honorific Language]

Meaning KeigoKanjiHiraganaReading  
見るみる (miru)look / watch / seeRespectfulご覧になるごらんになるgoran ni naru
Humble拝見するはいけんするhaiken suru
食べるたべる (taberu)eatRespectful召し上がるめしあがるmeshiagaru
Humble頂くいただくitadaku
言ういう (iu)sayRespectfulおっしゃるossharu
Humble申す申し上げるもうすもうしあげるmōsumōshiageru
いる(iru)be there / exist Respectfulいらっしゃるirassharu
Humbleおるoru
する(suru)doRespectfulなさるnasaru
Humbleいたすitasu
行くいく (iku)goRespectfulいらっしゃるirassharu
Humble参るまいるmairu
くれる (kureru)give me/usRespectfulくださるkudasaru
Humble
あげる (ageru)give someone somethingRespectful
Humble差し上げるさしあげるsashiageru
知るしる (shiru)know Respectfulご存じごぞんじgozonji
Humble存じ上げるぞんじあげるzonjiageru
聞くきく (kiku)ask / listenRespectfulお聞きになるおききになるo-kiki ni naru
Humble伺ううかがうukagau

Examples:

  • [Normal Polite] 彼は流れ星を見ました。  Kare wa nagareboshi o mimashita.    
           (“He saw a shooting star.”)

    [Respectful]  こちらのデータをご覧ください。Kochira no dēta o goran kudasai.
           (“Please look at this data.”)

    [Humble]  求人広告を拝見し、応募いたしました。Kyūjin kōkoku o haiken shi, ōbo itashimashita.
         (“I saw the job advertisement and applied.”)

  • [Normal Polite] 彼女は会議で意見を言いました。  Kanojo wa kaigi de iken o iimashita.    
           (“She gave her opinion in the meeting.”)

    [Respectful]  社長は会議でご意見をおっしゃいましたShachō wa kaigi de go-iken o osshaimashita.
           (“The president gave her/his opinion in the meeting.”)

    [Humble]  私は会議で意見を申し上げました。   Watashi wa kaigi de iken o mōshiagemashita.
         (“I gave my opinion in the meeting.”)

  • [Normal Polite]  この新しい技術を知っていますか。  Kono atarashii gijutsu o shitte imasu ka.
            (“Do you know this new technology?”)

    [Respectful]  この新しい技術をご存じですか。  Kono atarashii gijutsu o gozonji desu ka.
           (“Do you know this new technology?”)

    [Humble]  この新しい技術を存じ上げております。  Kono atarashii gijutsu o zonjiagete orimasu.
         (“I know this new technology.”)

6. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced the most frequently used advanced Japanese words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and sophisticated alternative words. Although the Kanji is difficult at this level, once you conquer it, you’ll be able to successfully work in Japan and watch any Japanese movie without stress!

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

If you want to review and check your knowledge of the intermediate level, the following articles will be very useful: Intermediate Japanese Words, Essential Business Japanese, and Japanese Phone Phrases. On the other hand, if you’re ready to press onward, then we recommend visiting our advanced Japanese course

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

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

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Intermediate Japanese Words

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

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

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

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

A Silhouette of One Person Helping Another Climb Up a Mountain

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

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Larger Numbers
  2. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)
  3. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)
  4. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)
  5. Adverbs – 副詞 (Fukushi)
  6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)
  7. Auxiliary Words and Particles – 助詞 (Joshi)
  8. Conclusion

1. Larger Numbers 

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

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

Arabic NumberKanji HiraganaReading
100ひゃくhyaku
1,000せん sen
10,000まんman
100,000十万じゅうまん jū-man
1,000,000百万ひゃくまん hyaku-man
10,000,000千万せんまん sen-man
100,000,000おくoku
1,000,000,000十億じゅうおくjū-oku
10,000,000,000百億ひゃくおくhyaku-oku
100,000,000,000千億せんおくsen-oku
1,000,000,000,000ちょうchō

Number-related Vocabulary

EnglishKanji HiraganaReading
number数字すうじsūji
calculation計算けいさんkeisan
arithmetic算数さんすうsansū
mathematics数学すうがくsūgaku
addition足し算たしざんtashizan
subtraction引き算ひきざんhikizan
multiplication掛け算かけざんkakezan
division割り算わりざんwarizan

Examples:

  • 私のいとこは宝くじで2億円を当てました。
    Watashi no itoko wa takarakuji de ni-oku-en o atemashita.
    “My cousin won 200 million Yen in the lottery.”
  • 2020年の日本の国家予算は約103兆円です。
    Ni-sen ni-jū-nen no Nihon no kokka yosan wa yaku hyaku san-chō-en desu.
    “Japan’s national budget in 2020 was around 103 trillion Yen.”
  • 私は毎日その日の利益を計算します。 
    Watashi wa mainichi sono hi no rieki o keisan shimasu.
    “I calculate the profit for the day every day.”

A Calculator Showing 1,000,000

We can easily express larger numbers with Kanji.

2. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)

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

Time

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

Examples:

  • 夏は日の出が早く、日没が遅い。
    Natsu wa hinode ga hayaku, nichibotsu ga osoi.
    “In summer, the sunrise (time) is early and the sunset (time) is late.”
  • 彼は短期目標を設定しました。
    Kare wa tanki mokuhyō o settei shimashita.
    “He has set a short-term goal.”
  • 私は今後一切タバコを吸いません。 
    Watashi wa kongo issai tabako o suimasen.
    “I will never smoke cigarettes from now on.”

2. People

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

Examples:

  • 国民の三大義務は、教育、労働、納税です。
    Kokumin no sandai gimu wa, kyōiku, rōdō, nōzei desu.
    “The three major duties of the people in Japan are education, labor, and paying taxes.”
  • あの青年は老人介護施設で働いています。
    Ano seinen wa rōjin kaigo shisetsu de hataraite imasu.
    “That young man works at a nursing home for the elderly.”
  • 私の目標は起業して社長になることです。 
    Watashi no mokuhyō wa kigyō shite shachō ni naru koto desu.
    “My goal is to start a business and become president.”

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

Four Colleagues Chatting with Each Other at Work

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

3. Other Nouns

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

Examples:

  • 開始と終了の時間に、ベルが鳴ります。
    Kaishi to shūryō no jikan ni, beru ga narimasu.
    “The bell rings at the start and end times.”
  • 法律に基づき、18歳以上の国民は投票する権利があります。
    Hōritsu ni motozuki, jū hassai ijō no kokumin wa tōhyō suru kenri ga arimasu.
    “By law, citizens over 18 years old have the right to vote.”
  • パンデミックの影響で、衛生製品が不足しています。 
    Pandemikku no eikyō de, eisei seihin ga fusoku shite imasu.
    “Due to the influence of the pandemic, there is a shortage of hygiene products.”

Someone Writing Something Down in a Notebook

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

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

3. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)

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

General Verbs

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

Examples:

  • 諦めたらそこで試合は終了です。
    Akirametara soko de shiai wa shūryō desu.
    “If you give up, the game ends there.”
  • あなたに預けた書類を受け取りに来ました。
    Anata ni azuketa shorui o uketori ni kimashita.
    “I came to pick up the documents I entrusted to you.”
  • 彼は彼女に関わることを嫌がった。 
    Kare wa kanojo ni kakawaru koto o iyagatta.
    “He disliked getting involved with her.”

[ Noun + する (suru) ] Verbs 

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

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

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

Examples:

  • 彼は彼女に会えることを期待して外出しました。 
    Kare wa kanojo ni aeru koto o kitai shite gaishutsu shimashita.
    “He went out hoping to see her.”
  • この会社は日本茶を海外へ輸出して、世界中で販売しています。
    Kono kaisha wa nihoncha o kaigai e yushutsu shite, sekaijū de hanbai shite imasu.
    “This company exports Japanese tea overseas and sells it all over the world.”
  • 勉強する時はテレビを消して集中しなさい。 
    Benkyō suru toki wa terebi o keshite shūchū shinasai.
    “When you study, turn off the TV and concentrate.”

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

A Woman Studying Late at Night

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

4. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)

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

i-Adjectives

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

Examples:

  • 台風の影響で激しい雨が降っています。 
    Taifū no eikyō de hageshii ame ga futte imasu.
    “It is raining hard due to the typhoon.”
  • 公園で可愛らしい女の子が一人で遊んでいました。
    Kōen de kawairashii onnanoko ga hitori de asonde imashita.
    “The adorable girl was playing alone in the park.”
  • 彼は大人しいが、鋭い洞察力を持っています。 
    Kare wa otonashii ga, surudoi dōsatsuryoku o motte imasu.
    “He is quiet but has keen insight.”
The Sun Shining Brightly in a Blue Sky

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

na-Adjectives

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

Examples:

  • この箱は平らな所に置いてください。 
    Kono hako wa taira na tokoro ni oite kudasai.
    “Please place this box on a flat surface.”
  • 私は僅かな可能性があれば、希望を捨てない。
    Watashi wa wazuka na kanōsei ga areba, kibō o sutenai.
    “I will not lose hope if there is a slight possibility.”
  • 彼は明らかな間違いを犯しました。 
    Kare wa akiraka na machigai o okashimashita.
    “He made an obvious mistake.”

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

5. Adverbs – 副詞 (Fukushi)

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

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

Examples:

  • なるべく早く返信してください。 
    Narubeku hayaku henshin shite kudasai.
    “Please reply as soon as possible.”q145
  • 間もなく電車が到着します。
    Mamonaku densha ga tōchaku shimasu.
    “The train will arrive shortly.”
  • 私は別にこれを欲しくない。 
    Watashi wa betsu ni kore o hoshikunai.
    “I don’t want this in particular.”

A Businesswoman Getting Lots of Creative Ideas for Work

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

6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)

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

Examples:

  • 従って、規則によりこれは無効となります。 
    Shitagatte, kisoku ni yori kore wa mukō to narimasu.
    “Therefore, this is invalid according to regulation.”
  • レストランは12時に閉まります。なお、ラストオーダーは11時です。
    Resutoran wa jū ni-ji ni shimarimasu. Nao, rasuto ōdā wa jū ichi-ji desu.
    “The restaurant closes at twelve. Yet, the last order is at eleven.”
  • いずれにしても、納期は守ってください。 
    Izurenishitemo, nōki wa mamotte kudasai.
    “In any case, please keep the delivery date.”

Coworkers Pointing to and Examining Charts and Graphs

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

7. Auxiliary Words and Particles – 助詞 (Joshi)

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

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

Examples:

  • 勉強すればするほど賢くなります。 
    Benkyō sureba suru hodo kashikoku narimasu.
    “The more you study, the smarter you become.”
  • もしも大金があったら、豪華客船で世界一周したい。
    Moshimo taikin ga attara, gōka kyakusen de sekai isshū shitai.
    “If I had a lot of money, I would want to go around the world on a luxury cruise ship.”
  • あなたさえ良ければ、一緒に行きませんか。
    Anata sae yokereba, issho ni ikimasen ka.
    “If only you’re okay, would you like to go with us?”
A Girl Sleeping on Class

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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Japanese Animal Names

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

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

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

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

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

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

Several Common Housepets
Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Pets
  2. Farm Animals
  3. Wild Animals
  4. Sea Animals
  5. Bugs and Insects
  6. Birds
  7. Reptiles
  8. Animal Body Parts
  9. Animal Sounds
  10. Animal-Related Proverbs
  11. Conclusion

1. Pets

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

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

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

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

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

For example:

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

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

Following is a list of popular pet animals in Japan.

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“dog”いぬinu
“puppy”子犬こいぬkoinu
“cat”ねこneko
“kitten”子猫こねこkoneko
“rabbit”うさぎusagi
“hamster”ハムスターhamusutā
“mouse” / “rat”ねずみnezumi
“budgerigar”インコinko
“parrot”オウムōmu
“goldfish”金魚きんぎょkingyo
“hedgehog”ハリネズミharinezumi * literally “needle mouse” in Japanese.

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

Several Dogs and Cats, as Well as a Bunny, Bird, and Mouse

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

2. Farm Animals

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

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

For example:

  • この農場には馬が4います。
    Kono nōjō ni wa uma ga yon- imasu.
    “There are four horses on this farm.”
  • この湖には白鳥が10います。
    Kono mizūmi ni wa hakuchō ga jū-wa imasu.
    “There are ten swans in this lake.”

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“cow”牛  うしushi
“calf”子牛こうしkoushi
“pig”ぶたbuta
“piglet”子豚こぶたkobuta
“horse”うまuma
“foal”子馬こうまkouma

“sheep”
ひつじhitsuji
“baby sheep”子羊こひつじkohitsuji
“goat”山羊やぎyagi
“donkey”ロバroba
“chicken”にわとりniwatori*literally “garden bird” in Japanese.
“chick”ひよこhiyoko
“duck”かもkamo

“goose”
ガチョウgachō
“swan”白鳥はくちょうhakuchō* literally: “white bird” in Japanese

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

Two Sheep Standing in a Field

Sheep farms are famous in Hokkaido.

3. Wild Animals

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

A- In the Forest

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

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

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

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“deer”鹿しかshika
“bear”くまkuma
“monkey”さるsaru
“wild boar”いのししinoshishi
“raccoon dog”たぬきtanuki
“fox”きつねkitsune
“squirrel”栗鼠 *りすrisu
“wolf”おおかみōkami

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

Japanese Monkeys in Onsen Hot Springs

Japanese monkeys love Onsen hot springs.

B- Safari Animals (and Others)

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

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

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

A Giraffe and Its Baby

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

4. Sea Animals

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

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

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“whale”くじらkujira
“dolphin”海豚イルカiruka
“shark”サメsame
“seal”海豹アザラシazarashi
“sealion”海馬トドtodo
“penguin”ペンギンpengin
“sea turtle”海亀うみがめumigame
*literally “sea turtle” in Japanese
“jellyfish”海月くらげkurage
“pufferfish”河豚ふぐfugu
“octopus”たこtako
“squid”烏賊いかika
“crab”かにkani
“shrimp” / “prawn”海老えびebi
“shell”かいkai
“starfish”人手ヒトデhitode
* literally “human hand” in Japanese

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

All Kinds of Aquatic Life in the Ocean

鮫 サメ (same) – “shark”

5. Bugs and Insects

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

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

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“bugs” / “insects”むしmushi
“bee”ハチhachi
“fly”ハエhae
“mosquito”ka
“butterfly”チョウchō
“moth”ga
“cicada”セミsemi
“dragonfly”蜻蛉トンボtonbo
“ant”アリari
“spider”蜘蛛クモkumo
“ladybug”天道虫てんとうむしtentōmushi
“beetle”甲虫かぶとむしkabutomushi
“grasshopper”飛蝗バッタbatta
“mantis”蟷螂カマキリ kamakiri

ladybugs

てんとう虫 (tentōmushi) – “ladybug”

6. Birds 

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

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

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“bird”とりtori

“small (baby) bird”
小鳥ことりkotori
“pigeon”はとhato
“crow”からすkarasu
“sparrow”すずめsuzume
“swallow”つばめtsubame
“seagull”かもめkamome
“eagle”わしwashi
“crane”つるtsuru
“owl”ふくろうfukurō

Owl

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

7. Reptiles

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

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

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“turtle”カメkame
“crocodile” / “alligator”ワニwani
“snake”ヘビhebi
“frog”カエルkaeru
“lizard”蜥蜴トカゲtokage
“chameleon”カメレオンkamereon

A Crocodile

ワニ (wani) – “crocodile” / “alligator”

8. Animal Body Parts  

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

EnglishKanjiHiragana / KatakanaReading
“horn”つのtsuno
“beak”口ばしくちばしkuchibashi
“wing” (birds)つばさtsubasa
“wing” (insects) / “feather”はねhane
“tusk”きばkiba
“mane”立て髪たてがみtategami
“fur”毛皮けがわkegawa
“claw”鉤爪かぎつめkagitsume
“tail”尾 / 尻尾お / しっぽo / shippo
“hoof”ひづめhizume
“fin”ひれhire
“gill”えらera
“scale”うろこuroko

A Ram

角 つの (tsuno) – “horn”

9. Animal Sounds

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

Here are the sounds animals make in Japanese:

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

A Growling Lion

Lions say ガオー (Gaō) in Japanese.

10. Animal-Related Proverbs

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

  •  猿も木から落ちる  
    Saru mo ki kara ochiru.
    “Even monkeys fall off trees.”

    Meaning: Even Homer sometimes nods. / Even someone who is the best at what they do can make mistakes.

    Example:

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

  • 飼い犬に手を噛まれる
    Kaiinu ni te o kamareru
    “To have one’s hand bitten by one’s own dog”

    Meaning: To be betrayed by one’s trusted follower

    Example: 

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

  • 猫の手も借りたい  
    Neko no te mo karitai
    “Wanting even the help of a cat”

    Meaning: Being extremely busy, so that you need every little bit of help you can get

    Example:

    昨日は猫の手も借りたいほど、とても忙しかったです。
    Kinō wa neko no te mo karitai hodo, totemo isogashikatta desu.
    “Yesterday was so busy that I even wanted to get help from a cat.”

  • 捕らぬ狸の皮算用  
    Toranu tanuki no kawazanyō
    “Counting fur of raccoon dogs which you haven’t caught yet”

    Meaning: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. / Do not count on something that has not yet happened. / Do not expect all your hopes to come true.

    Example:

    昇給とボーナスを期待して家を買うのは、捕らぬ狸の皮算用だよ。
    Shōkyū to bōnasu o kitai shite ie o kau no wa, toranu tanuki no kawazanyō da yo.
    “Buying a house because you expect a pay-raise and a bonus is like counting the fur of raccoon dogs which you haven’t caught yet.”

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

A Cute Raccoon

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

11. Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Most Useful Japanese Phone Phrases

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

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

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

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

Someone Dialing a Phone Number from Their Office

Let’s learn some useful Japanese phone call phrases!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Picking up the Phone
  2. Introducing Yourself
  3. Stating the Reason for Your Call
  4. Asking to Speak to Someone
  5. Responding to the Caller / Asking Someone to Wait
  6. Leaving a Message
  7. Asking for Clarification
  8. Ending the Phone Call
  9. Sample Phone Conversations
  10. Conclusion

1. Picking up the Phone

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

1. もしもし。 

Romanization: Moshimoshi.
English: “Hello.”

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

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

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

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

2. はい、___です。 

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

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

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

3. はい、___でございます。

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

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

4. どちら様でしょうか。 

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

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

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

Examples

  • はい、もしもし、田中です。 
    Hai, moshimoshi, Tanaka desu.
    “Yes, hello, Tanaka is speaking.”
  • はい、ABC株式会社でございます。
    Hai, ABC kabushikigaisha de gozaimasu.
    “Yes, this is ABC company.”
  • もしもし、鈴木です。どちら様でしょうか。
    Moshimoshi, Suzuki desu. Dochira-sama deshō ka.
    “Hello, this is Suzuki. Who’s calling?”

A Businesswoman Dialing a Phone Number

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

2. Introducing Yourself

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

1. いつもお世話になっております。 

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

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


2. 私は___です。

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

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

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

  •  ___ だよ。 (___ da yo.) – “It’s ___.”

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

3. 私は___と申します。

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

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

4. 私は___の___です/と申します。

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

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

Examples

  • いつもお世話になっております。本田です。 
    Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu. Honda desu.
    “Thank you for your continued support. This is Honda.”
  • もしもし、私だよ。
    Moshimoshi, watashi da yo.
    “Hello, it’s me.” [Very casual]
  • 私はXYZ株式会社の山本と申します。
    Watashi wa XYZ kabushikigaisha no Yamamoto to mōshimasu.
    “This is Yamamoto from XYZ company.”

3. Stating the Reason for Your Call

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

1. ___ の予約をしたくて電話しました。

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

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

Vocabulary:

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

2. ___について確認したくて電話しました。

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

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

Vocabulary

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

3. ___のサポートが必要なので電話しました。

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

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

4. 着信があったので折り返し電話しました。

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

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

Vocabulary

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

Examples

  • もしもし、マッサージの予約をしたくて電話しました。
    Moshimoshi, massāji no yoyaku o shitakute denwa shimashita.
    “Hello, I’m calling because I’d like to make a booking for a massage.”
  • 自然災害によるキャンセル料について確認したくて電話しました。
    Shizen saigai ni yoru kyanseruryō ni tsuite kakunin shitakute denwa shimashita.
    “I’m calling because I’d like to check about a cancelation fee due to a natural disaster.”
  • 着信があったので折り返し電話したよ。何だった?
    Chakushin ga atta node orikaeshi denwa shita yo. Nan datta?
    “I received an incoming call and I’m calling you back. What was it?” [Very casual]

A Man in an Office Taking Notes while Talking on the Phone

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

4. Asking to Speak to Someone

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

1. ___ さんをお願いします。 

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

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

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

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

2. ___ さんはいますか。 

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

This is a very simple and casually polite phrase.  

3. ___ さんはいらっしゃいますか。

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

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

4. ___ さんにつないでいただけますか。 

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

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

Examples

  • 吉田と申します。原田様はいらっしゃいますか。
    Yoshida to mōshimasu. Harada-sama wa irasshaimasu ka.
    “I am Yoshida. Is Mr. Harada there?” [Very polite and respectful]
  • もしもし、お父さん?お母さんいる?
    Moshimoshi, o-tō-san? O-kā-san iru?
    “Hello, Dad? Is Mom there?” [Very casual]
  •  人事部の中田さんにつないでいただけますか。
    Jinjibu no Nakata-san ni tsunaide itadakemasu ka.
    “Could you please connect me with Mr. Nakata of the Human Resources Department?”

5. Responding to the Caller / Asking Someone to Wait 

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

1. 申し訳ございません、___はただ今外出中です。

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

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

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

2. ___は本日お休みをいただいております。

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

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

3. 確認いたします、少々お待ちください。

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

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

4. ___へおつなぎいたしますので、少々お待ちくださいませ。

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

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

Examples

  • 申し訳ございません、山田は本日お休みをいただいております。
    Mōshiwake gozaimasen, Yamada wa honjitsu o-yasumi o itadaite orimasu.
    “I’m sorry, Yamada is off today.”
  • 確認するね、ちょっと待って。
    Kakunin suru ne, chotto matte.
    “I’ll check, one moment.” [Very casual]
  • 上田へおつなぎいたしますので、少々お待ちくださいませ。
    Ueda e o-tsunagi itashimasu node, shōshō o-machi kudasai mase.
    “I will transfer you to Ueda, please hold for a moment.”

People in a Call Center

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

6. Leaving a Message

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

1. 伝言をお願いできますか。

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

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

Vocabulary

  • 伝言 (dengon) – “a message”

2. ___さんに、私から電話があったと伝えていただけますか。

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

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

3. ___さんに、私へ折り返し電話するようお伝えいただけますか。

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

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

Examples

  • 山口さんへ伝言をお願いできますか。
    Yamaguchi-san e dengon o onegai dekimasu ka.
    “Could you give a message to Mr. Yamaguchi?”
  • まゆみに、私から電話があったと伝えておいてね。
    Mayumi ni, watashi kara denwa ga atta to tsutaete oite ne.
    “Can you tell Mayumi that I called?” [Very casual]
  • 中村さんに、明日私へ折り返し電話するようお伝えいただけますか。
    Nakamura-san ni, ashita watashi e orikaeshi denwa suru yō o-tsutae itadakemasu ka.
    “Could you please tell Mr. Nakamura to call me back tomorrow?”

7. Asking for Clarification

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

1. すみません、もう一度言ってください。

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

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

Vocabulary

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

2. すみません、聞こえにくいです。

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

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

3. 電波が悪いようです。

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

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

Vocabulary

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

4. もう一度ゆっくりおっしゃってくださいますか。 

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

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

Vocabulary

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

5. 確認のため繰り返しますと、… 

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

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

Vocabulary

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

Examples

  • すみません、聞こえにくいです。もう一度言ってください。
    Sumimasen, kikoenikui desu. Mō ichi-do itte kudasai.
    “I’m sorry, but it’s hard to hear you. Could you say that again?”
  • ごめん、聞こえなかった。もう一度ゆっくり言ってくれる?
    Gomen, kikoenakatta. Mō ichi-do yukkuri itte kureru?
    “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Can you say that again slowly?” [Very casual]
  • 確認のため繰り返しますと、私の電話番号は012334567です。
    Kakunin no tame kurikaeshimasu to, watashi no denwa bangō wa 012334567 desu.
    “Let me repeat it to double check…my phone number is 012334567.”

A Woman Inputting Her Credit Card Number into a Cell Phone

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

8. Ending the Phone Call

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

1. はい、わかりました。 

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

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

  • うん (un) – “yeah”

2. かしこまりました。

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

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

3. よろしくお願いいたします。 

Romanization: Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

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

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

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

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

4. 失礼します。

Romanization: Shitsurei shimasu. 

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

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

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

Examples

  • かしこまりました。では、失礼いたします。
    Kashikomarimashita. Dewa, shitsurei itashimasu.
    “Certainly. Please excuse me now.”
  • うん、わかったよ。じゃあね。
    Un, wakatta yo. Jā ne.
    “Yeah, understood. Bye then.” [Very casual]
  • 明日の会議の件かしこまりました。よろしくお願いいたします。
    Ashita no kaigi no ken kashikomarimashita. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
    “I understood about the meeting tomorrow. Favorably please.”

9. Sample Phone Conversations

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

1 – Casual Conversation (Two Friends)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— a minute later —

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

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

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

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

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

10. Conclusion

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

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

Not sure where to start? Check out these articles: 

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

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

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Japanese Words for Beginners

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

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

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

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

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

Several Words in the English Language Written on Small Pieces of Paper

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

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Japanese Table of Contents
  1. Pronouns – 代名詞 (Daimeishi)
  2. Numbers – 数字 (Sūji)
  3. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)
  4. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)
  5. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)
  6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)
  7. Other – その他 (Sonota)
  8. Conclusion

1. Pronouns – 代名詞 (Daimeishi)

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

Personal Pronouns – 人称代名詞 (Ninshō daimeishi)

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading

(female/casual; unisex/formal)
わたしwatashi

(male/casual)
ぼくboku
you 
(general)
あなたanata
you 
(casual) 
きみkimi
heかれkare
she彼女かのじょkanojo
they彼らかれらkare-ra

Examples:

  • 彼と彼女は同じ大学の学生です。
    Kare to kanojo wa onaji daigaku no gakusei desu.
    “He and she are students of the same university.”
  • これは私からあなたへのプレゼントです。
    Kore wa watashi kara anata e no purezento desu.
    “This is a present for you from me.”
  • 君と僕は同い年だ。
    Kimi to boku wa onaidoshi da.
    “You and I are the same age.”

Demonstrative Pronouns – 指示代名詞 (Shiji daimeishi)

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

Examples:

  • それを取ってください。そう、それです。
    Sore o totte kudasai. Sō, sore desu.
    “Please pass me that [close to the listener]. Yes, that’s it.”
  • これは私のです。あれはあなたのです。
    Kore wa watashi no desu. Are wa anata no desu.
    “This is mine. That is yours.”
  • これらの作品をどう思いますか。 
    Kore-ra no sakuhin o dō omoimasu ka.
    “What do you think about these works?””What do you think about these works?”

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

Japanese Pronouns and Demonstratives in Colorful Bubbles

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

Interrogative Pronouns – 疑問詞 (Gimonshi)

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

Examples:

  • これは何ですか。これとあれは何が違いますか。
    Kore wa nan desu ka. Kore to are wa nani ga chigaimasu ka.
    “What is this? What is the difference between this and that?”
  • 誰とどこに行くの?いつ帰る?
    Dare to doko ni iku no? Itsu kaeru?
    “With whom and where are you going? When will you come back?”
  • あれはいくらですか。いくつ買えば割引になりますか。 
    Are wa ikura desu ka. Ikutsu kaeba waribiki ni narimasu ka.
    “How much is that? How many should I buy to get a discount?”

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

Japanese Question Words in Colorful Bubbles

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

2. Numbers – 数字 (Sūji)

Japanese numbers are very simple. 

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

For example:

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

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
oneいちichi
twoni
threeさんsan
fourし/ よんshi / yon
fivego
sixろくroku
sevenしち / ななshichi / nana
eight はちhachi
nineく / きゅうku / kyū
tenじゅう

Examples:

  • 彼は今年27才になります。
    Kare wa kotoshi ni-jū nana-sai ni narimasu.
    “He will be 27 years old this year.”
  • このペンは95円で、そのえんぴつは70円です。 
    Kono pen wa kyū-jū go-en de, sono enpitsu wa nana-jū-en desu.
    “This pen is ninety-five yen and the pencil is seventy yen.”
  • 私は英語を5年、イタリア語を1年勉強しています。 
    Watashi wa Eigo o go-nen, Itaria-go o ichi-nen benkyō shite imasu.
    “I have been studying English for five years and Italian for one year.”

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

Painted Wooden Blocks Representing Numerals and Mathematical Signs

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

3. Nouns – 名詞 (Meishi)

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

Time

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
time時間じかんjikan
minuteふん / ぷんfun / pun
o’clockji
dayにち / ひ / びnichi / hi / bi
monthつき / げつ / がつtsuki / getsu / gatsu
year ねんnen
morning time (until noon)午前ごぜんgozen
afternoon午後ごごgogo
morningあさasa
noon / noontime / daytime ひるhiru
early evening夕方ゆうがたyūgata
evening / nightよるyoru
Monday月曜日げつようびgetsu-yōbi
Tuesday火曜日かようびka-yōbi
Wednesday水曜日すいようびsui-yōbi
Thursday木曜日もくようびmoku-yōbi
Friday金曜日きんようびkin-yōbi
Saturday土曜日どようびdo-yōbi
Sunday日曜日にちようびnichi-yōbi

Examples:

  • 私は月曜日から金曜日は朝6時に起きます。
    Watashi wa getsu-yōbi kara kin-yōbi wa asa roku-ji ni okimasu.
    “I get up at six o’clock from Monday to Friday.”
  • 彼は1年に3ヶ月仕事で海外へ行きます。 
    Kare wa ichi-nen ni san-kagetsu shigoto de kaigai e ikimasu.
    “He goes abroad for three months a year for work.”
  • 彼女は夜遅くに寝ますが、朝は早く起きます。 
    Kanojo wa yoru osoku ni nemasu ga, asa wa hayaku okimasu.
    “She goes to bed late at night, but gets up early in the morning.”

People

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

Examples:

  • 私の父は弁護士で、母は高校の教師です。
    Watashi no chichi wa bengoshi de, haha wa kōkō no kyōshi desu.
    “My father is a lawyer and my mother is a highschool teacher.”
  • 彼には兄と妹がいます。 
    Kare ni wa ani to imōto ga imasu.
    “He has an older brother and a younger sister.”
  • 彼女の両親は大企業で会社員をしています。 
    Kanojo no ryōshin wa daikigyō de kaishain o shite imasu.
    “Her parents are employees of a large company.” / “Her parents work for a large company.”

Places Around Town

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

Examples:

  • 私の町には、駅のとなりに大きな病院があります。
    Watashi no machi ni wa, eki no tonari ni ōkina byōin ga arimasu.
    “There is a big hospital next to the station in my town.”
  • この道をまっすぐ行くと市役所があります。
    Kono michi o massugu iku to shiyakusho ga arimasu.
    “Go straight on this road and you will find the city hall.”
  • 日曜日は、郵便局は休みです。 
    Nichi-yōbi wa, yūbinkyoku wa yasumi desu.
    “The post office is closed on Sundays.”

School / Office Essentials

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

Examples:

  • ワイファイのパスワードは何ですか。
    Waifai no pasuwādo wa nan desu ka.
    “What is the wi-fi password?”
  • 彼の学校は紙の教科書を使わずコンピューターを使います。
    Kare no gakkō wa kami no kyōkasho o tsukawazu konpyūtā o tsukaimasu.
    “His school does not use paper textbooks, but computers.”
  • 試験では、鉛筆と消しゴムのみ使用できます。 
    Shiken de wa, enpitsu to keshigomu nomi shiyō dekimasu.
    “Only pencils and erasers can be used in the exam.”

Body Parts 

EnglishKanjiHiragana/KatakanaReading
headあたまatama
faceかおkao
eyeme
noseはなhana
mouthくちkuchi
earみみmimi 
neckくびkubi
bodyからだkarada
shoulderかたkata
back背中せなかsenaka
chest / breastむねmune
belly / abdomen腹 / お腹はら / おなかhara / onaka
armうでude
handte
fingerゆびyubi
leg あしashi

Examples:

  • 目と鼻は顔の重要な部位です。
    Me to hana wa kao no jūyō na bui desu.
    “The eyes and nose are important parts of the face.”
  • 彼は事故で足を骨折しました。
    Kare wa jiko de ashi o kossetsu shimashita.
    “He broke his leg in the accident.”
  • 今日は朝からお腹が痛い。 
    Kyō wa asa kara onaka ga itai.
    “I have abdominal pain from the morning today.”

6. Food

EnglishKanjiHiragana/KatakanaReading
meatにくniku
vegetable野菜やさいyasai
fruit果物くだものkudamono
fishさかなsakana
eggたまごtamago
milk牛乳ぎゅうにゅうgyūnyū
riceこめkome
cooked rice / mealご飯ごはんgohan
noodleめんmen

Examples:

  • 私は肉と卵を食べません。
    Watashi wa niku to tamago o tabemasen.
    “I don’t eat meat or eggs.”
  • 彼は牛乳のアレルギーがあります。
    Kare wa gyūnyū no arerugī ga arimasu.
    “He is allergic to milk.”
  • 日本の主食はお米です。
    Nihon no shushoku wa o-kome desu.
    “The staple food in Japan is rice.”

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

A Japanese Couple Outside with Their Two Young Children

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

4. Verbs – 動詞 (Dōshi)

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

Daily Activities

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
wake up / get up起きるおきるokiru
sleep寝るねるneru
see / watch / look見るみるmiru
hear / listen聞くきくkiku
say言ういうiu
eat食べるたべるtaberu
drink飲むのむnomu
go行くいくiku
come来るくるkuru
walk歩くあるくaruku
run走るはしるhashiru
enter入るはいるhairu
go out / come out出るでるderu
push押すおすosu
pull引くひくhiku

EnglishKanjiHiraganaReading
change変えるかえるkaeru
read読むよむyomu
write書くかくkaku
doするsuru
work仕事するしごとするshigoto suru
study勉強するべんきょうするbenkyō suru
drive運転するうんてんするunten suru 
cook料理するりょうりするryōri suru
stand立つたつtatsu
sit座るすわるsuwaru
get on乗るのるnoru
get off降りるおりるoriru

Examples:

  • 私は甘いものを食べるのが好きです。
    Watashi wa amai mono o taberu no ga suki desu.
    “I like to eat sweets.”
  • 何度も言うように、どこに行くか決まったら教えて。
    Nando mo iu yō ni, doko ni iku ka kimattara oshiete.
    “As I’ve said many times, let me know when you decide where to go.”
  • このボタンを押して降りてください。
    Kono botan o oshite orite kudasai.
    “Please push this button to get off.”

Other Common Verbs

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

Examples:

  • 私が失くした財布を弟が見つけた。
    Watashi ga nakushita saifu o otōto ga mitsuketa.
    “My younger brother found the wallet that I lost.”
  • 彼は両親を悲しませないために大学へ行く。
    Kare wa ryōshin o kanashimasenai tame ni daigaku e iku.
    “He goes to university in order not to make his parents sad.”
  • 何があっても笑うことと愛することを忘れないでください。
    Nani ga atte mo warau koto to aisuru koto o wasurenaide kudasai.
    “No matter what happens, please do not forget to smile and love.”

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

Three Japanese People Drinking Beer and Doing Karaoke at the Year End Party

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

5. Adjectives – 形容詞 (Keiyōshi)

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

Describing Objects

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

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

Examples:

  • 熱いお茶と冷たいジュース、どちらが好きですか。
    Atsui o-cha to tsumetai jūsu, dochira ga suki desu ka.
    “Which do you prefer, hot tea or cold juice?”
  • このパンは思ったよりも固い。
    Kono pan wa omotta yori mo katai.
    “This bread is harder than I thought.”
  • 私は次のバスが来るまで長い時間待ちました。
    Watashi wa tsugi no basu ga kuru made nagai jikan machimashita.
    “I waited a long time until the next bus arrived.”

Describing People and Emotions

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

Examples:

  • 私は背が低いが、兄は背が高い。
    Watashi wa se ga hikui ga, ani wa se ga takai.
    “I’m short but my brother is tall.”
  • 彼女は可愛いのに難しい性格です。
    Kanojo wa kawaii noni muzukashii seikaku desu.
    “She is pretty but has a difficult personality.”
  • 怖い映画は嫌いです。
    Kowai eiga wa kirai desu.
    “I don’t like scary movies.”

Describing Weather

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

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

Examples:

  •  風の強い日はよく電車が止まる。
    Kaze no tsuyoi hi wa yoku densha ga tomaru.
    “Trains often stop on windy days.”
  • 雨の日は学校に行きたくない気分になります。
    Ame no hi wa gakkō ni ikitakunai kibun ni narimasu.
    “I feel like I don’t want to go to school on a rainy day.”
  • 秋は晴れの日が多いです。
    Aki wa hare no hi ga ōi desu.
    “There are many sunny days in autumn.”

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

Six Different Japanese Adjectives in Colorful Bubbles

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

6. Conjunctions – 接続詞 (Setsuzokushi)


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

Examples:

  • 彼は学校へ行き、そして試験を受けた。
    “He went to school, and took an exam.”
    Kare wa gakkō e iki, soshite shiken o uketa.
  • 朝はとても寒かった。ところが、午後はとても暑くなった。
    Asa wa totemo samukatta. Tokoroga, gogo wa totemo atsuku natta.
    “It was very cold in the morning. However, it became very hot in the afternoon.”
  • お寿司またはラーメンを食べたいです。
    O-sushi matawa rāmen o tabetai desu.
    “I want to eat Sushi or Rāmen.”

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

7. Other – その他 (Sonota)

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

EnglishHiraganaReading
Case marker: topic, theme, and subjectは * wa
Case marker: topic, theme, and subject (emphasizing)ga
toomo
ofno
in / at / toni
byde
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence (present tense / casual)da
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence (present tense / polite)ですdesu
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence(past tense / casual)だったdatta
a predicate that is placed at the end of a sentence(past tense / polite)でしたdeshita

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

Examples:

  • 彼も学生でした。
    Kare mo gakusei deshita.
    “He was a student, too.”
  • 荷物は11月の第1週目に届きました。
    Nimotsu wa jū-ichi-gatsu no dai isshū-me ni todokimashita.
    “The package arrived in the first week of November.”
  • 彼女は今学校にいます。
    Kanojo wa ima gakkō ni imasu.
    “She is at school now.”

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

Six Different Japanese Particles in Colorful Bubbles

Particles play a very important role in Japanese grammar.

8. Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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