
Have you ever tried to use a newly learned Japanese phrase, only to panic when you couldn’t understand your interlocutor’s reply?
Whether you’re making new Japanese friends or traveling in Japan, knowing how to give questions and answers in Japanese will allow for smoother communication. Learning how to ask Japanese questions will also help you better understand Japanese, and improve your speaking and listening skills. The keys to mastering these skills early on are to speak a lot and practice!
In this article, we’ll introduce the ten most useful Japanese question & answer patterns. Even if you’re just getting started, you can start having basic conversations with these phrases! Learn how to speak Japanese here at JapanesePod101.com!
First things first, though: How do you form questions in Japanese?
Japanese questions are easy to recognize because the question particle か (ka) always appears at the end (formal / polite form), and questions are asked with a rising tone.

- What’s your name?
- Where are you from?
- Do you speak Japanese?
- How long have you been studying Japanese?
- Have you been to [location]?
- How is ___?
- Do you like [country’s] food?
- What are you doing?
- What’s wrong?
- How much is this?
- How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. What’s your name?

Question:
- Japanese: (あなたの)名前は何ですか。
- Reading: (Anata no) namae wa nan desu ka.
- English: “What is (your) name?”
This is one of the most common phrases that’s used when meeting someone new. The Japanese possessive case あなたの (anata no), meaning “your,” can be omitted when the context makes it clear whose name you’re talking about. Especially in casual conversations, the subject and possessive case (noun + possessive particle の) are often omitted; this sounds more natural.
Answer:
(1) Polite
- Japanese: 私の名前は___です。
- Reading: Watashi no namae wa ___ desu.
- English: “My name is ___.”
This is the most common way to give someone your name.
(2) Casually Polite
- Japanese: (私は)___です。
- Reading: (Watashi wa) ___ desu.
- English: “(I) am ___.”
This is another common phrase for giving someone your name. In a casual conversation, you can omit the subject 私は (Watashi wa), meaning “I.”
(3) Very Polite
- Japanese: ___と申します。
- Reading: ___ to mōshimasu.
- English: “I am ___.” (honorific language – humble expression)
Japanese uses honorific language, called 敬語 (Keigo), which has various expressions that connote different levels of politeness and respect.
This phrase is a humble expression that’s used in official occasions where you should speak very politely, or when you’re talking to someone who is very honorable.
Example:
Q: 名前は何ですか。
Namae wa nan desu ka.
“What is your name?”
A: 私の名前はかおりです。
Watashi no namae wa Kaori desu.
“My name is Kaori.”

Q: あなたの名前は何ですか。(What is your name?)
A: はじめまして、私はゆりです。(Nice to meet you. I’m Yuri.)
2. Where are you from?
Question:
- Japanese: (あなたの)出身はどこですか。
- Reading: (Anata no) shusshin wa doko desu ka.
- English: “Where are you from?”
This is one of the most popular Japanese questions that foreigners may be asked. あなたの出身はどこですか。literally translates as “Where is your hometown?”
The possessive case あなたの (anata no), meaning “your,” can be omitted in casual situations. In order to ask more politely, use the word どちら (dochira) instead of どこ (doko).
Answer:
(1)
- Japanese: (私は)___出身です。
- Reading: (Watashi wa) ___ shusshin desu.
- English: “(I) am from (my origin is) ___.”
This is a typical way to answer the question.
The word 出身 (shusshin) refers to a person’s origin, such as his or her hometown, city, or country. If you’re a foreigner in Japan, you can put your country name in the blank.
The subject 私は (Watashi wa), or “I,” can be omitted in casual situations.
(2)
- Japanese: (私は)___から来ました。
- Reading: (Watashi wa) ___ kara kimashita.
- English: “(I) come from ___.”
This is another common way to answer, and once again, the subject can be omitted in casual situations.
Example:
Q: あなたの出身はどこですか。
Anata no shusshin wa doko desu ka.
“Where are you from?”
A: 私は東京出身です。
Watashi wa Tōkyō shusshin desu.
“I’m from Tokyo.”

3. Do you speak Japanese?
These basic questions and answers in Japanese will be extremely helpful for you while in Japan.
Question:
(1)
- Japanese: (あなたは) ___を話しますか。
- Reading: (Anata wa) ___ o hanashimasu ka.
- English: “Do you speak ___?”
The subject あなたは (Anata wa), meaning “you,” can be omitted in casual situations.
(2)
- Japanese: (あなたは) ___を話せますか。
- Reading: (Anata wa) o hanasemasu ka.
- English: “Can you speak ___?”
This question sounds similar to the one above, but it indicates “speaking ability” by changing 話します (hanashimasu) into 話せます (hanasemasu).
The subject can be omitted in casual situations.
Language Vocabulary
In Japanese, the name of a language is expressed with the word 語 (-go), meaning “language,” attached after the name of a language or country.
English | Japanese | Reading |
English | 英語 | Eigo |
Japanese | 日本語 | Nihon-go |
French | フランス語 | Furansu-go |
Italian | イタリア語 | Itaria-go |
German | ドイツ語 | Doitsu-go |
Spanish | スペイン語 | Supein-go |
Russian | ロシア語 | Roshia-go |
Chinese | 中国語 | Chūgoku-go |
Korean | 韓国語 | Kankoku-go |
Thai | タイ語 | Tai-go |
Vietnamese | ベトナム語 | Betonamu-go |
Answer:
(1)
- Japanese: 私は___を話します。
- Reading: Watashi wa ___ o hanashimasu.
- English: “I speak ___.”
(2)
- Japanese: 私は___を話せます。
- Reading: Watashi wa ___ o hanasemasu.
- English: “I can speak ___.”
(3)
- Japanese: 私は___を話せません。
- Reading: Watashi wa ___ o hanasemasen.
- English: “I can’t speak ___.”
This is a negative form you can use to say that you can’t speak the language.
Example:
Q: あなたは日本語を話しますか。
Anata wa Nihon-go o hanashimasu ka.
“Do you speak Japanese?”
A: はい、私は少し日本語を話します。
Hai, watashi wa sukoshi Nihon-go o hanashimasu.
“Yes, I speak Japanese a little.”

Q: 日本語を話せますか。(Can you speak Japanese?)
A: 私は日本語を話せます。(I can speak Japanese.)
4. How long have you been studying Japanese?
Question:
- Japanese: どのくらい___を勉強していますか。
- Reading: Dono kurai ___ o benkyō shite imasu ka.
- English: “How long have you been studying ___?”
どのくらい (Dono kurai) literally translates as “to what extent,” but in this case, it refers to “how long.”
If you come from abroad and speak a bit of Japanese while in Japan, Japanese people will be very curious and ask you this question.
Answer:
(1)
- Japanese: ___か月です。
- Reading: ___-kagetsu desu.
- English: “For ___ month(s).”
If you’ve been learning Japanese for a few months, you can use this phrase to answer. Put the number of months in the blank.
___-kagetsu desu literally means “It’s ___ month(s).”
There’s no difference in expression for singular and plural in Japanese. So whether you’ve been learning for one month or several, the phrase remains the same.
(2)
- Japanese: ___年です。
- Reading: ___-nen desu.
- English: “For ___ year(s).”
Use this phrase if you’ve been studying for one or more years.
___-nen desu literally means “It’s ___ year(s).”
Example:
Q: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。
Dono kurai Nihon-go o benkyō shite imasu ka.
“How long have you been studying Japanese?”
A: 1年5か月です。
Ichi-nen go-kagetsu desu.
“For a year and five months.”
5. Have you been to [location]?
Question:
- Japanese: ___に行ったことがありますか。
- Reading: ___ ni itta koto ga arimasu ka.
- English: “Have you been to ___?”
-ことがあります (-koto ga arimasu) is an expression meaning “to have done (something),” and it’s used after the past tense form of a verb. In this case, that would be 行った (itta), meaning “went.” It’s translated as “Have you been to ___?”
You can put the name of any place in the blank.
Answer:
(1)
- Japanese: はい、行ったことがあります。
- Reading: Hai, itta koto ga arimasu.
- English: “Yes, I have been.”
(2)
- Japanese: いいえ、行ったことがありません。
- Reading: Iie, itta koto ga arimasen.
- English: “No, I have never been.”
This is a negative sentence for answering “no.”
Example:
Q: 皇居に行ったことがありますか。
Kōkyo ni itta koto ga arimasu ka.
“Have you been to the Imperial Palace?”
A: いいえ、行ったことがありません。
Iie, itta koto ga arimasen.
“No, I have never been.”

Q: 皇居に行ったことがありますか。 (Have you been to the Imperial Palace?)
A: はい、行ったことがあります。 (Yes, I have been.)
6. How is ___?
Question:
- Japanese: ___ はどうですか。
- Reading: ___ wa dō desu ka.
- English: “How is ___?”
This is a common phrase to ask about the condition, situation, or status of something.
What Can You Ask About?
- ➢ 調子はどうですか。 (Chōshi wa dō desu ka.) – “How is the condition?”
調子 means “condition,” and in this case, it means “How are you doing?” or “How is it going?”
- ➢ 勉強はどうですか。 (Benkyō wa dō desu ka.) – “How is studying?”
- ➢ 仕事の進み具合はどうですか。(Shigoto no susumiguai wa dō desu ka.) – “How is the progress of work?”
Answer:
(1)
- Japanese: 良いです。
- Reading: Ii desu.
- English: “It’s good.”
うまく行っています (umaku itte imasu), meaning “It’s going good,” is another common expression you can use to say that something’s going well.
(2)
- Japanese: まあまあです。
- Reading: Mā-mā desu.
- English: “So-so.”
This phrase is very common, and it’s used to say that something is relatively good.
(3)
- Japanese: あまり良くないです。
- Reading: Amari yokunai desu.
- English: “It’s not so good.”
You can use this phrase when things aren’t going very well. Japanese people tend to avoid straightforward words like “bad,” even if something is bad; they prefer to use euphemistic expressions.
Example:
Q: 体調はどうですか。
Taichō wa dō desu ka.
“How is your body condition?” / “How are you feeling?”
A: まあまあです。
Mā-mā desu.
“So-so.”

Q: 勉強はどうですか。 (How is studying?)
A: うまく行っています。(It’s going good.)
7. Do you like [country’s] food?
Question:
- Japanese: ___ 料理は好きですか。
- Reading: ___ ryōri wa suki desu ka.
- English: “Do you like ___ food?”
To express a country’s food, put the name of the country in the blank and add 料理 (ryōri) after it. 料理 (ryōri) means “cuisine” or “cooking.”
Cuisine Vocabulary:
English | Japanese | Reading |
Japanese food | 日本料理 | Nihon ryōri |
Chinese food | 中華料理 | Chūka ryōri |
Korean food | 韓国料理 | Kankoku ryōri |
French food | フランス料理 | Furansu ryōri |
Italian food | イタリア料理 | Itaria ryōri |
Spanish food | スペイン料理 | Supein ryōri |
Indian food | インド料理 | Indo ryōri |
Thai food | タイ料理 | Tai ryōri |
Answer:
(1)
- Japanese: はい、好きです。
- Reading: Hai, suki desu.
- English: “Yes, I like it.”
(2)
- Japanese: まあまあ好きです。
- Reading: Mā-mā suki desu.
- English: “I somewhat like it.”
This phrase is a very common way to say that you relatively like something.
(3)
- Japanese: いいえ、好きではありません。
- Reading: Iie, suki de wa arimasen.
- English: “No, I don’t like it.”
This is a simple phrase to answer that you don’t like something. However, some Japanese people tend to use more euphemistic expressions to avoid saying “no.”
In such cases, you can also say ___料理は苦手です (___ ryōri wa nigate desu), which means “I’m not good with ___.”
Example:
Q: フランス料理は好きですか。
Furansu ryōri wa suki desu ka.
“Do you like French food?”
A: はい、好きです。
Hai, suki desu.
“Yes, I like it.”
8. What are you doing?
Question:
- Japanese: 何をしていますか。
- Reading: Nani o shite imasu ka.
- English: “What (are you) doing?”
There’s also a shorter version you can say: 何してますか。(Nani shite masu ka.) It’s still polite, but it sounds more casual.
This Japanese expression doesn’t have a particular subject. Therefore, if you add a subject, such as 彼女は (kanojo wa) meaning “she” or 彼は (kare wa) meaning “he,” to the beginning of the sentence, it becomes “What is she / he doing?”
Answer:
Answers can vary, but here are some general answers to the question.
(1)
- Japanese: ___ をしています。
- Reading: ___ o shite imasu.
- English: “(I’m) doing ___.”
To answer the question, put a suitable noun in the blank. Some Japanese nouns belong to a group that allows the noun to turn into a verb when attached with the verb する (suru), meaning “do.“ For example:
演技する (engi suru) = 演技 (engi), meaning “acting” + する (suru), meaning “do” —–> “to act”
This phrase works well with this kind of noun.
This Japanese expression doesn’t have a particular subject, so if you add a subject, such as 彼女は (kanojo wa) meaning “she” or 彼は (kare wa) meaning “he,” to the beginning of the sentence, it becomes: “She / he is doing ___.”
How to Use:
- ➢ 仕事をしています。(Shigoto o shite imasu.) – “I’m doing work.” = “I’m working.”
➢ 勉強をしています。(Benkyō o shite imasu.) – “I’m doing study.” = “I’m studying.”
➢ 食事をしています。(Shokuji o shite imasu.) – “I’m doing meal.” = “I’m having a meal.”
(2)
- Japanese: ___ています。
- Reading: ___-te imasu.
- English: “(I’m) ___ing.”
This is another common phrase for telling someone what you’re doing. You can put any Japanese verb in the blank. The verb must be conjugated in a form that -ている(-te iru) can follow.
How to Use:
- ➢ 見ています。(Mite imasu.) – “I’m watching/looking.”
➢ 歩いています。(Aruite imasu.) – “I’m walking.”
➢ 食べています。(Tabete imasu.) – “I’m eating.”
Example:
Q: 何をしていますか。
Nani o shite imasu ka.
“What are you doing?”
A: 映画を見ています。
Eiga o mite imasu.
“I’m watching a movie.”

Q:何をしていますか。 (What are you doing?)
A: 本を読んでいます。 (I’m reading a book.)
9. What’s wrong?
Question:
- Japanese: どうしましたか。
- Reading: Dō shimashita ka.
- English: “What’s wrong?” / “What’s the matter?”
A similar phrase is どうかしましたか。(Dō ka shimashita ka.) which means the same thing.
Answer:
Answers can vary, but here are some examples.
(1)
- Japanese: 何でもないです。
- Reading: Nan demo nai desu.
- English: “It’s nothing.” / “There’s nothing wrong.”
何でもない (Nan demo nai) means “nothing.”
(2)
- Japanese: 疲れています。
- Reading: Tsukarete imasu.
- English: “I’m tired.”
(3)
- Japanese: 気分が悪いです。
- Reading: Kibun ga warui desu.
- English: “I don’t feel good.”
This literally translates as “feeling is bad,” but in this case, it means “I don’t feel good/well.”
Example:
Q: どうしましたか。 顔色が悪いですよ。
Dō shimashita ka. Kaoiro ga warui desu yo.
“What’s wrong? You look pale.”
A: 少し疲れています。
Sukoshi tsukarete imasu.
“I’m a bit tired.”
10. How much is this?
Question:
- Japanese: これはいくらですか。
- Reading: Kore wa ikura desu ka.
- English: “How much is this?”
This is a must-know phrase if you plan on shopping during your trip to Japan.
Answer:
- Japanese: これは___円です。
- Reading: Kore wa ___-en desu.
- English: “It’s ¥___.”
The Japanese currency is 円, which is actually pronounced as えん (en). The currency symbol is ¥.
Example:
Q: この本はいくらですか。
Kono hon wa ikura desu ka.
Kono hon wa ikura desu ka.
A: この本は1000円です。
Kono hon wa sen-en desu.
“This book is ¥1000.”
For more useful shopping phrases with audio, please check out this lesson on 15 Shopping Phrases: Exchanges, Refunds, and Complaints!
11. How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
In this article, we introduced the ten most useful Japanese question & answer patterns. After learning these, you’ll have strong survival Japanese communication skills!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, you’ll find even more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons that will help you improve your Japanese language skills.
Here are some more lessons with audio about the basics of Japanese:
For beginners, our lesson on the Top 25 Must-Know Phrases is a must-read!
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 any Japanese questions and answers you still want to know! We’d be glad to help, and look forward to hearing from you!

The 10 Most Useful Japanese Sentence Patterns

Learning a new language is fun, but it requires a lot of effort—studying the complicated grammar rules and memorizing thousands of words. But we have a tip for you! The fastest and easiest way to learn Japanese is to just focus on the most useful and common Japanese sentence patterns and start speaking them!
The most frequently used Japanese sentence patterns are useful for survival communication and day-to-day interactions. When you know the essential sentence patterns in Japanese, you can arrange and create more sentences to express yourself and have conversations.
In this article, we’ll introduce the ten most useful Japanese sentence patterns, which cover the most basic statements and questions. Boost your Japanese conversation skills here at JapanesePod101.com!

- A is B – AはBです
- Asking Simple Questions: Is A B? AはBですか。
- I Want (to)… …が欲しいです/…たいです
- I Need (to)… …が必要です/…(する)必要があります
- I like … …が好きです
- Please (do) … ….(して)ください
- May I / Can I (Do) …? ….(しても)いいですか。/a>
- What is …? ….は何ですか?
- When is …? ….はいつですか?
- Where is …? ….はどこですか?
- Conclusion: How JapanesePod101.com Can Help You Learn More Japanese

With the top 10 Japanese sentence patterns, you can easily have simple conversations!
1. A is B – AはBです
“A is B“ = A (wa) B (desu) or A は B です
This is the simplest Japanese sentence construction for describing something. A is usually a noun and B can be a noun or an adjective.
です (desu) is the basic predicate that represents politeness; it’s placed at the end of a Japanese sentence.
The Japanese sentence structure is SOV (Subject + Object + Verb), while English has an SVO structure (Subject + Verb + Object).
Examples:
- 私は学生です。(Watashi wa gakusei desu.) — “I am a student.”
- 彼は私の友達です。(Kare wa watashi no tomodachi desu.) — “He is my friend.”
- このご飯は美味しいです。(Kono gohan wa oishii desu.) — “This meal is delicious.”
- あのレストランは海鮮料理で有名です。(Ano resutoran wa kaisen ryōri de yūmei desu.) — “That restaurant is famous for seafood.”
- 今年の夏は去年より暑いです。 (Kotoshi no natsu wa kyonen yori atsui desu.) — “This summer is hotter than the one last year.”
For more about Japanese nouns and adjectives, please check out our pages on the 50 Most Common Nouns and 50 Most Common Adjectives.

2. Asking Simple Questions: Is A B? AはBですか。
“Is A B ?“ = A (wa) B (desu ka) or A は B ですか。
Here’s the most common question sentence pattern in Japanese.
To make a Japanese interrogative sentence, simply add the question marker か (ka) to the end of an affirmative sentence and pronounce it with a rising intonation.
Examples:
- あなたは学生ですか。(Anata wa gakusei desu ka.) — “Are you a student?”
- 彼らはあなたの友達ですか。(Kare-ra wa anata no tomodachi desu ka.) — “Are they your friends?”
- その本は難しいですか。(Sono hon wa muzukashii desu ka.) — “Is that book difficult?”
- 今日の天気は雨のち曇りですか。(Kyō no tenki wa ame nochi kumori desu ka.) — “Is the weather today cloudy after rain?”
- 駅の隣のビルは銀行ですか。(Eki no tonari no biru wa ginkō desu ka.) — “Is the building next to the station a bank?”

Ashita wa hare desu ka. = “Is tomorrow sunny?”
3. I Want (to)… …が欲しいです/…たいです
“I want …“ = [noun] …が欲しい です (ga hoshii desu)
“I want to …“ = [verb] …たい です (-tai desu)
These are the simplest Japanese sentence patterns for expressing “want.”
These Japanese phrases differ depending on whether you want something [noun] or want to do something [verb], as indicated above.
Keep in mind that the subject can be omitted from a Japanese sentence when it’s clear from the context who the subject is.
Japanese verb conjugation is NOT affected by the person (I, you, he, she, we, they), number (singular/plural), or gender (female/male) of the subject.
Examples using a noun:
- (私は)水が欲しいです。([Watashi wa] mizu ga hoshii desu.) — “I want water.”
- (私は)新しい車が欲しいです。([Watashi wa] atarashii kuruma ga hoshii desu.) — “I want a new car.”
- 誕生日にダイヤの指輪が欲しいです。(Tanjōbi ni daiya no yubiwa ga hoshii desu.) — “I want a diamond ring for (my) birthday.”
Examples using a verb:
- (私は)今日は和食が食べたいです。([Watashi wa] kyō wa washoku ga tabetai desu.) — “I want to eat Japanese food today.”
- 来年は沖縄に行きたいです。(Rainen wa Okinawa ni ikitai desu.) — “I want to go to Okinawa next year.”
- 太ったので運動をしたいです。(Futotta node undō o shitai desu.) — “I want to do exercises because I got fat.”
For more information about Japanese verbs, please check out our Japanese Verbs and 50 Most Common Verbs pages.
4. I Need (to)… …が必要です/…(する)必要があります
“I need …“ = [noun] …が必要です (ga hitsuyō desu)
“I need to …“ = [verb] …(する)必要があります (hitsuyō ga arimasu)
These are the simplest Japanese sentence patterns for expressing “need.”
As you can see above, the Japanese sentence structure changes depending on whether you need something [noun] or need to do something [verb].
Examples using a noun:
- (私は)あなたが必要です。([Watashi wa] anata ga hitsuyō desu.) — “I need you.”
- その車は電気の充電が必要です。(Sono kuruma wa denki no jūden ga hitsuyō desu.) — “That car needs to charge with electricity.”
- この店での支払いはクレジットカードが必要です。(Kono mise de no shiharai wa kurejitto kādo ga hitsuyō desu.) — “You need a credit card to pay at this store.”
Examples using a verb:
- 週末に働く必要があります。(Shūmatsu ni hataraku hitsuyō ga arimasu.) — “I need to work on the weekend.”
- あなたは病院に行く必要があります。(Anata wa byōin ni iku hitsuyō ga arimasu.) — “You need to go to a hospital.”
- 学生は卒業試験に合格する必要があります。(Gakusei wa sotsugyō shiken ni gōkaku suru hitsuyō ga arimasu.) — “The students need to pass the graduation exam.”
Mood / Usage | Conjugation | Kanji |
Negative Form | tabenai | 食べない |
Attributive Form | taberu(toki) | 食べる(とき) |
Conditional Form | tabereba | 食べれば |
Imperative Form | tabero | 食べろ |
Volitional Form ( “Let’s-“) | tabeyō | 食べよう |
- Tense
Japanese verb conjugation by tense is actually very simple when compared to English and romance languages such as French, Spanish, and Italian.
There are just two main tenses for the Japanese verb forms: present and past tense. The form of the present tense is used for future and habitual action, and therefore there is no particular future tense.
The past tense always ends with た。 (–ta).
- Japanese verb conjugation (Present Tense):
私は今出かける。
Watashi wa ima dekakeru.
“I go out now.”
私は来週出かける。
Watashi wa raishū dekakeru.
Literal translation: “I go out next week,” or “I will go out next week.”
- Japanese verb conjugation (Past Tense):
私は出かけた。
Watashi wa dekaketa.
“I went out.”
- Level of Politeness
In Japanese conjugation, politeness level is another factor to consider. Verbs in the dictionary form are casual and informal, while verbs in the formal form end with ます (-masu), as do verbs in the ordinary polite form 丁寧語 (Teineigo).
In addition to verb conjugation, the Japanese language (especially verbs) has three types of 敬語 (keigo), or “honorific language,” which affect the Japanese conjugation forms. They also show different levels of respect:
丁寧語 (teineigo) — polite
尊敬語 (sonkeigo) — respectful
謙譲語 (kenjōgo) — humble / modest
They’re used to express social distance and intimacy, as well as disparity or similarity in rank. For more details on Japanese 敬語 (keigo), please visit Japanese Honorifics.
It’s necessary for adults to be able to use 敬語 (keigo) properly in formal situations in Japan. However, you can use at least the formal/polite form without being rude.
Here’s a Japanese conjugation table for 言う (iu), or “to say,” by politeness level.
Form | Reading | Kanji |
Dictionary / Informal | i-u | 言-う |
Formal / Teineigo / Polite | ii-masu | 言い-ます |
Sonkeigo / Respectful | ossharu | おっしゃる |
Kenjōgo / Humble | mōsu | 申す |

Appropriate use of 敬語 (keigo) is a must in the Japanese business world.
2. Japanese Verb Conjugation Groups
Japanese verbs always end with u or ru, and verbs are categorized into three groups:
Class 1: U-verb
Class 2 : Ru-verb
Class 3: Irregular verb
Japanese verbs consist of two parts: a verb base (“stem”) and a suffix.
A stem doesn’t change and a suffix conjugates according to the voice, mood, tense, and forms (casual vs. polite, and plain vs. negative).
1 – Class 1: U-verbs

U-verbs always end with –u. However, please note that this refers to the last vowel being u when it’s written in reading form. Therefore, U-verbs can end with Hiragana う(u), く (ku), す(su), つ(tsu), ぬ (nu), む (mu), and sometimes る (ru).
Examples of U-verbs
English | Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
“listen” / “hear” | kiku | 聞く | きく |
“wait” | matsu | 待つ | まつ |
“write” | kaku | 書く | かく |
“go” | iku | 行く | いく |
2 – Class 2: Ru-Verbs
Ru-verbs always end with –ru which is Hiragana る. Some verbs that end with る (ru) are categorized as U-verbs, such as 取る (toru), meaning “take,” but they’re just a few exceptions that you’ll easily start to recognize.
Examples of Ru-verbs
English | Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
“eat” | taberu | 食べる | 食べる |
“wake up” / “get up” | okiru | 起きる | おきる |
“sleep” | neru | 寝る | ねる |
“teach” | oshieru | 教える | おしえる |
3 – Class 3: Irregular Verbs
Surprise! There are only two irregular Japanese verbs, which are 来る (kuru), meaning “come,” and する (suru), meaning “do.”
Unlike U-verbs and Ru-verbs, the stem of the irregular verbs change according to the conjugation forms.
The Japanese verb する (suru), meaning “do,” is one of the most frequently used verbs. It’s also very handy because it can often turn a noun into a verb when it’s added after a noun. Here’s how Japanese irregular verb conjugation works for this word:
- 回転 (kaiten) + する (suru) = “to rotate” / “to spin around”
[“rotation” / “spin”] [“do”]
- 出席 (shusseki) + する (suru) = “to attend”
[“attendance”] [“do”]
- 謝罪 (shazai) + する (suru) = “to apologize”
[“apology”] [“do”]
For more Japanese verb vocabulary, please visit our article on The 100+ Most Common Japanese Verbs.

運動 (undō) “exercise” + する (suru) “to do” = Undō-suru (“to exercise”)
3. Conjugation Patterns
In the Japanese verb conjugation system, a suffix (which is often an auxiliary verb) plays an important role in conjugation, together with the main verb.
1 – Class 1: U-verb Conjugation
U-verbs conjugate as in this example:
- Dictionary form: はなす・話す (hanasu) “to talk” / “to speak”
- Verb stem: はな- (hana-)
The verb 話す (hanasu), which means “to talk” or “to speak,” has the stem はな (hana) and the suffix す (su).
In Japanese conjugation, suffixes conjugate and change like in the example below, according to the forms.
Form | Informal | Formal |
Present | はな-す hana-su | はな-します hana-shimasu |
Negative-present | はな-さない hana-sanai | はな-しません hana-shimasen |
Past | はな-した hana-shita | はな-しました hana-shimashita |
Negative-past | はな-さなかった hana-sanakatta | はな-しませんでした hana-shimasen deshita |
Volitional | はな-そう hana-sō | はな-しましょう hana-shimashō |
Passive | はな-される hana-sareru | はな-されます hana-saremasu |
Causative | はな-させる haha-saseru | はな-させます haha-sasemasu |
Conditional | はな-せば hana-seba | |
Imperative | はな-せ hana-se | はな-しなさい haha-shinasai |
Example Sentences
- 私は彼と話しませんでした。
Watashi wa kare to hana-shimasen deshita.
“I didn’t talk with him.” [past / formal / polite]
- 彼らと一緒に話そう。
Kare-ra to issho ni hana-sō.
“Let’s talk with them.” [volitional / informal]
- 本当のことを話せ!
Hontō no koto o hana-se!
“Tell the truth!” [imperative / informal]

2 – Class 2: Ru-verb Conjugation
Ru-verb conjugation is similar to U-verb conjugation, but slightly different. Please pay attention to the suffix after the stem.
- Dictionary form: たべる・食べる (taberu) “to eat”
- Verb stem: たべ- (tabe-)
The verb 食べる (taberu), meaning “to eat,” has the stem たべ (tabe) and the suffix る (ru).
The suffix conjugates and changes as follows:
Form | Informal | Formal |
Present | たべ-る tabe-ru | たべ-ます tabe-masu |
Negative-present | たべ-ない tabe-nai | たべ-ません tabe-masen |
Past | たべ-た tabe-ta | たべ-ました tabe-mashita |
Negative-past | たべ-なかった tabe-nakatta | たべ-ませんでした tabe-masen deshita |
Volitional | たべ-よう tabe-yō | たべ-ましょう tabe-mashō |
Passive | たべ-られる tabe-rareru | たべ-られます tabe-raremasu |
Causative | たべ-させる tabe-saseru | たべ-させます tabe-sasemasu |
Conditional | たべ-れば tabe-reba | |
Imperative | たべ-ろ tabe-ro | たべ-なさい tabe-nasai |
Example Sentences
- 彼女は肉を食べません。
Kanojo wa niku o tabe-masen.
“She does not eat meat.” [present / formal / polite]
- 私は子供達に野菜を食べさせます。
Watashi wa kodomo-tachi ni yasai o tabe-sasemasu.
“I make my children eat vegetables.” [causative / formal]
- これを食べれば良くなるよ!
Kore o tabe-reba yoku naru yo!
“If you eat this, you’ll get better!” [conditional]

Watashi wa niku o tabe-masen. = “I don’t eat meat.”
4. Conjugation Patterns for Irregular Verbs
Contrary to U-verbs and Ru-verbs, the two irregular verbs 来る (kuru), meaning “come,” and する (suru), meaning “do,” conjugate even the stems. These two irregular verbs are frequently used, so let’s simply memorize them!
1. 来る
- Dictionary form: くる・来る (kuru) “to come”
- Verb stem: く (ku-) / こ (ko-) / き (ki-)
Form | Informal | Formal |
Present | く-る ku-ru | き-ます ki-masu |
Negative-present | こ-ない ko-nai | き-ません ki-masen |
Past | き-た ki-ta | き-ました ki-mashita |
Negative-past | こ-なかった ko-nakatta | き-ませんでした ki-masen deshita |
Volitional | こ-よう ko-yō | き-ましょう ki-mashō |
Passive | こ-られる ko-rareru | こ-られます ko-raremasu |
Causative | こ-させる ko-saseru | こ-させます ko-sasemasu |
Conditional | く-れば ku-reba | |
Imperative | こ-い ko-i | き-なさい ki-nasai |
Example Sentences
- 彼女は昨日学校に来なかった。
Kanojo wa kinō gakkō ni ko-nakatta.
“She did not come to school yesterday.” [past / informal]
- こちらへ来れば安全です。
Kochira e ku-reba anzen desu.
“You will be safe if you come here.” [conditional]
- 今すぐここへ来なさい!
Ima sugu koko e ki-nasai!
“Come here right now!” [imperative / formal / polite]
2. する
- Dictionary form: する (suru) “to do”
- Verb stem: す (su-) / し (shi-) / さ (sa-)
Form | Informal | Formal |
Present | す-る su-ru | し-ます shi-masu |
Negative-present | し-ない shi-nai | し-ません shi-masen |
Past | し-た shi-ta | し-ました shi-mashita |
Negative-past | し-なかった shi-nakatta | し-ませんでした shi-masen deshita |
Volitional | し-よう shi-yō | し-ましょう shi-mashō |
Passive | さ-れる sa-reru | さ-れます sa-remasu |
Causative | さ-せる sa-seru | さ-せます sa-semasu |
Conditional | す-れば su-reba | |
Imperative | し-ろ shi-ro | し-なさい shi-nasai |
Example Sentences
- 彼はそんなことしません。
Kare wa sonna koto shi-masen.
“He does not do such things.” [present / formal / polite]
- 一緒に勉強しよう。
Issho ni benkyō shi-yō.
“Let’s study together.” [volitional / informal]
* benkyō + suru (studying + do = to study)
- 早くしなさい!
Hayaku shi-nasai!
“Do it quickly!” [imperative / formal / polite]
5. Let’s Practice!
Now it’s time for a Japanese conjugation quiz to practice!
Try to conjugate each verb in the ( ), following the instructions, and write your answer in the blank. Even if you don’t know, try to guess and check the answers below!
- Write the verb in the past tense and informal form:
Watashi wa kinō ringo o (taberu) ______ .
(“I ate an apple yesterday.”)
- Write the verb in the volitional and formal form:
Watashi-tachi to issho ni (hanasu) ______ .
(“Let’s talk with us.”)
- Write the verb in the negative-present and formal form:
Kyō wa shiken no hi desu ga, dare mo (kuru) ______ .
(“Although today is the exam day, nobody comes.”)
- Write the verb in the imperative and formal form:
Kanojo ni (shazai suru) ______!
(“Apologize to her!”)
- Write the verb in the volitional and formal/polite form:
Issho ni (iku) ______.
(“Let’s go together.”)

Sushi o tabeyō! = “Let’s eat Sushi!”
Let’s check the answers!
- The past tense and informal form of taberu is tabemashita.
It’s the conjugation pattern of Class 2: Ru-verbs.
Watashi wa kinō ringo o tabemashita.
(“I ate an apple yesterday.”)
- The volitional and formal form of hanasu is hanashimashō.
It’s the conjugation pattern of Class 1: U-verbs.
Watashi-tachi to issho ni hanashimashō.
(“Let’s talk with us.”)
- The negative-present and formal form of kuru is kimasen.
It’s the conjugation pattern of the Class 3 irregular verb 来る (kuru), meaning “to come.”
Kyō wa shiken no hi desu ga, dare mo kimasen.
(“Although today is the exam day, nobody comes.”)
- The imperative and formal form of shazai suru is shazai shinasai.
It’s the conjugation pattern of the Class 3 irregular verb する (suru), meaning “to do.”
* shazai (“apology”) + suru (“to do”) = “to apologize”
Kanojo ni shazai shinasai!
(“Apologize to her!”)
- The volitional and formal/polite form of iku is ikimashō.
It’s the conjugation pattern of Class 1: U-verbs.
Issho ni ikimashō.
(“Let’s go together.”)
6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
In this article, we introduced you to Japanese verbs conjugation. Japanese verb conjugation has unique rules, but it’s simpler than you think. For example, you don’t have to worry about conjugating for person or number.
Once you master the conjugation patterns, you’ll be able to increase your verb vocabulary much easier!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases by situation, 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. To start, here’s some more information about the basics of Japanese with audio:
To learn more about Japanese verbs and other grammar-related topics, check out Basic Kanji for Verbs and The 50 Most Common Japanese Verbs You’ll Find in Textbooks. How to Improve Your Speaking Skills and Must-Know Adverbs and Phrases for Connecting Thoughts are also useful if you want to brush up on your Japanese conversation 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 any Japanese verbs you still want to know! We’d be glad to help, and look forward to hearing from you!

The 100+ Most Common Japanese Verbs

How many Japanese verbs do you know? When you know the 100 most common Japanese verbs and understand basic Japanese verb conjugation, you can express and understand Japanese much better!
Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech, and it’s said that verbs are the second most frequently used words (26%, next to nouns at 42%) among all other categories of words in daily Japanese conversations.
It’s always a bit tiring to learn grammatical rules, such as the conjugation patterns of verbs. However, it’s easier than you think! Once you have the rules down and become used to using them, all you have to do is apply those rules to new Japanese verbs you learn.
Japanese verb conjugation has unique rules from those in English. But don’t worry! Some features are simpler—there’s no verb conjugation based on the speaker, such as singular vs. plural, gender, or the category of that person grammatically, called 人称 (ninshō). This means that in English, verbs change based on who’s speaking:
- I am
- She is
- You are
- I go
- He goes
However, Japanese verbs remain the same regardless of who the speaker is.
In this article, we’ll introduce the top 100 Japanese verbs for beginners, which are most frequently used. We’ll also give you some tips about Japanese verb conjugation, though we’ll have a more in-depth article on this topic later on. Let’s master Japanese verbs here at JapanesePod101!

- Verb Groups: Different Types of Japanese Verbs
- Action Verbs: Physical
- Action Verbs: Mental
- Other Verbs
- Japanese Auxiliary Verbs: 助動詞 (Jodōshi)
- Verb Usage: How Japanese Verbs Work
- Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. Verb Groups: Different Types of Japanese Verbs

Japanese verbs always end with u or ru, and verbs are categorized into three groups:
- Class 1: U-verb
- Class 2: Ru-verb
- Class 3: Irregular verb
As the conjugation system itself is very simple, memorizing the patterns and rules will help you learn how to use Japanese verbs properly.
Japanese verbs consist of two parts: a verb base (“stem”) and a suffix. A stem doesn’t change, and a suffix conjugates according to the forms. These forms include casual vs. polite and plain vs. negative.
Class 1: U-Verbs
書く (kaku):write | Casual | Polite |
Stem | kak | |
Basic Form | 書-く kak-u | 書-きます kak-imasu |
Negative Form | 書-かない kak-anai | 書-きません kak-imasen |
The verb 書く (kaku), meaning “write,” has the stem kak and the suffix u. As you can see from the Japanese verbs chart above, the suffix conjugates and changes according to the forms.
However, you have to keep in mind that if a verb ends with u, it means that the last vowel is u. Therefore, u-verbs can end with Hiragana:
- う(u)
- く (ku)
- す(su)
- つ (tsu)
- ぬ (nu)
- む (mu)
- る (ru)

U-verb Examples
English | Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
meet | au | 会う | あう |
learn | manabu | 学ぶ | まなぶ |
push | osu | 押す | おす |
pull | hiku | 引く | ひく |
Class 2: Ru-Verbs
出る (deru) :come out | Casual | Polite |
Stem | de | |
Basic Form | 出-る de-ru | 出-ます de-masu |
Negative Form | 出-ない de-nai | 出-ません de-masen |
The verb 出る (deru), meaning “come out,” has the stem de and the suffix ru. The suffix conjugates and changes as it did above. It’s similar to u-verbs, but slightly different.
Ru-verb Examples
English | Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
teach | oshieru | 教える | おしえる |
exist (living things) | iru | いる | いる |
sleep | neru | 寝る | ねる |
answer | kotaeru | 答える | こたえる |
Class 3: Irregular Verbs
Don’t worry too much! There are only two Japanese irregular verbs.
The stems of the verbs change according to the conjugating forms. There are only two verbs, so let’s memorize them!
- 来る (kuru):come
来る (kuru) :come | Casual | Polite |
Stem | ku / ko / ki | |
Basic Form | 来-る く-る ku-ru | 来-ます き-ます ki-masu |
Negative Form | 来-ない こ-ない ko-nai | 来-ません き-ません ki-masen |
- する (suru):do
する (suru) :do | Casual | Polite |
Stem | su / shi | |
Basic Form | す-る su-ru | し-ます shi-masu |
Negative Form | し-ない shi-nai | し-ません shi-masen |
The Japanese verb する (suru), meaning “do,” is a very handy word which can often turn a noun into a verb when it’s added next to the noun.
For example:
- 勉強 (benkyō) + する (suru) = to study
studying (do)
- 参加 (sanka) + する (suru) = to participate
participation (do)
- 感謝 (kansha) + する (suru) = to thank/appreciate
appreciation/gratitude (do)
Now that you have a better idea of how to conjugate different types of verbs, let’s move on to our Japanese verbs list!

2. Action Verbs: Physical
To start, here are the most common Japanese verbs of motion.
English | Japanese Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
see / look / watch | miru | 見る | みる |
hear / listen | kiku | 聞く | きく |
say | iu | 言う | いう |
walk | aruku | 歩く | あるく |
run | hashiru | 走る | はしる |
eat | taberu | 食べる | たべる |
drink | nomu | 飲む | のむ |
take | toru | 取る | とる |
use | tsukau | 使う | つかう |
move | ugoku | 動く | うごく |
hold / grab | tsukamu | 掴む | つかむ |
stand | suwaru | 座る | すわる |
stand | tatsu | 立つ | たつ |
wear | kiru | 着る | きる |
take off (clothes/shoes) | nugu | 脱ぐ | ぬぐ |
work | hataraku | 働く | はたらく |
wake up | okiru | 起きる | おきる |
go | iku | 行く | いく |
come | kuru | 来る | くる |
bend | mageru | 曲げる | まげる |
search | sagasu | 探す | さがす |
read | yomu | 読む | よむ |
play | asobu | 遊ぶ | あそぶ |
get on (vehicle) | noru | 乗る | のる |
get off (vehicle) | oriru | 降りる | おりる |
start | hajimeru | 始める | はじめる |
finish | oeru | 終える | おえる |
open | akeru | 開ける | あける |
close | shimeru | 閉める | しめる |
stop | tomeru | 止める | とめる |
put | oku | 置く | おく |
wait | matsu | 待つ | まつ |
rest | yasumu | 休む | やすむ |
learn | manabu | 学ぶ | まなぶ |
give | ataeru | 与える | あたえる |
visit | otozureru | 訪れる | おとずれる |
leave | saru | 去る | さる |
depart | shuppatsu suru | 出発する | しゅっぱつする |
arrive | tōchaku suru | 到着する | とうちゃくする |
sell | uru | 売る | うる |
buy | kau | 買う | かう |
live | ikiru | 生きる | いきる |
die | shinu | 死ぬ | しぬ |

3. Action Verbs: Mental
These everyday Japanese verbs are essential for expressing actions that aren’t physical or immediately tangible. Take a look!
know | Japanese Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
know | shiru | 知る | しる |
think | kangaeru | 考える | かんがえる |
imagine | sōzō suru | 想像する | そうぞうする |
feel | kanjiru | 感じる | かんじる |
like | konomu | 好む | このむ |
dislike | kirau | 嫌う | きらう |
love | aisuru | 愛する | あいする |
hate | nikumu | 憎む | にくむ |
believe | shinjiru | 信じる | しんじる |
expect | kitai suru | 期待する | きたいする |
understand | rikai suru | 理解する | りかいする |
remember | omoidasu | 思い出す | おもいだす |
agree | dōi suru | 同意する | どういする |
laugh | warau | 笑う | わらう |
cry | naku | 泣く | なく |
get angry | okoru | 怒る | おこる |
feel sad | kanashimu | 悲しむ | かなしむ |
wish / hope | negau | 願う | ねがう |
get surprised | odoroku | 驚く | おどろく |
forget | wasureru | 忘れる | わすれる |
satisfy | manzoku suru | 満足する | まんぞくする |
doubt | utagau | 疑う | うたがう |
decide | kimeru | 決める | きめる |
notice | kizuku | 気づく | きづく |
To check your pronunciation of Japanese verbs with audio, see our page about the 25 Most Commonly Used Verbs.
4. Other Verbs

You’re almost done! There are just a few more Japanese language verbs you should know.
English | Japanese Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
appear | arawareru | 現れる | あらわれる |
remain | kieru | 消える | きえる |
remain | nokoru | 残る | のこる |
return | kaeru | 帰る | かえる |
check | kakunin suru | 確認する | かくにんする |
increase | fueru | 増える | ふえる |
decrease | heru | 減る | へる |
carry | hakobu | 運ぶ | はこぶ |
get dry | kawaku | 乾く | かわく |
get wet | nureru | 濡れる | ぬれる |
wash | arau | 洗う | あらう |
get dirty | yogoreru | 汚れる | よごれる |
indicate | shimesu | 示す | しめす |
enjoy | tanoshimu | 楽しむ | たのしむ |
fall | ochiru | 落ちる | おちる |
win | katsu | 勝つ | かつ |
lose | makeru | 負ける | まける |
break | kowasu | 壊す | こわす |
fix | naosu | 直す | なおす |
cross | wataru | 渡る | わたる |
change | kawaru | 変わる | かわる |
send | okuru | 送る | おくる |
receive | uketoru | 受け取る | うけとる |

5. Japanese Auxiliary Verbs: 助動詞 (Jodōshi)
The Japanese 助動詞 (Jodōshi), which translates as “auxiliary verb,” is a functional type of word with some variations. By adding an auxiliary verb, the meaning of the preceding word will be modified.
For example:
- 感じる (kanjiru) : “feel” + させる (saseru) [causative verb]
= 感じさせる (kanjisaseru) : “make (you) feel”
- 食べる (taberu) : “eat” + られる (rareru) [ability]
= 食べられる (taberareru) : edible
Here are some of the Japanese auxiliary verbs:
Japanese Reading | Hiragana | Usage / Meaning / Example |
---|---|---|
(sa)seru | (ら)れる | Causation 食べさせる tabesaseru to make (one) eat |
(ra) reru | (ら)れる | Passive / Ability, etc. 食べられる taberareru edible / being eaten |
nai / nu / n | (よ)う | Negation 食べない tabenai (I do) not eat |
yō | (よ)う | Volition 食べよう tabeyō I will eat / Let’s eat |
tai / tagaru | たい / たがる | Desire 食べたい tabetai I want to eat |
yō da | ようだ | Similarity 食べるようだ taberu yō da it looks like (she/he) eats |
sō da | そうだ | Hearsay 食べるそうだ taberu sō da they say that (she/he) eats |
rashii | らしい | Hearsay / Behavior 食べるらしい taberu rashii they say that (she/he) may eat |
da / desu・masu | だ / です・ます | Predication / Politeness (copula) 食べます tabemasu (I) eat |

6. Verb Usage: How Japanese Verbs Work
Japanese language verb conjugation patterns differ for u-verbs, ru-verbs, and irregular verbs.
Because many frequently used Japanese words are in this category, let’s take a look at an example for u-verbs.
The conjugation pattern for the verb 書く (kaku), meaning “write,” is as follows:
Conjugation | Kanji | Usage / Meaning |
---|---|---|
kakAnai | 書かない | Negative Form |
kakImasu | 書きます | Polite Form |
kaIta | 書いた | Ta- Form |
kakU | 書く | Dictionary Form |
kakU toki | 書くとき | Attributive Form |
kakEba | 書けば | Conditional Form |
kakE | 書け | Imperative Form |
kakO | 書こう | Suggestion Form (“Let’s-“) |
For more detail on the grammar of Japanese verbs and other conjugation patterns, please visit Verb Conjugation.
We also have other articles you may like to check out: Top 100 Japanese Adjectives, Top 100 Japanese Nouns, and Japanese Pronouns.
7. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

In this article, we introduced the most common Japanese verbs and explained the basics of Japanese verb conjugation. Once you know the conjugation patterns, you’ll be able to more quickly expand your Japanese verbs vocabulary and take better command of the language.
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases for a variety of situations, you’ll find a lot of helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide an array of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills. To get you started, here’s some more information on Japanese basics with audio:
To learn how to converse with others in Japanese, check out Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations and Top 10 Conversational Phrases. If you want to learn Japanese kanji, you’ll also enjoy Basic Kanji for Verbs and Basic Kanji for Adjectives.
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 any Japanese verbs you still want to know! We’d be glad to help, and look forward to hearing from you!

Your Ultimate Guide to Japanese Pronouns

Pronouns are used to substitute nouns, such as people or things, in a sentence. Using pronouns allows you to avoid repetitive usage of a particular word in a sentence, which would sound awkward. Japanese pronouns are very different from those in English because Japanese pronouns can be omitted from a sentence when they’re implied through the context.
Unlike in English, there are many different variations of Japanese personal pronouns that translate as “I/me” and “you,” although only a few are commonly used. This expression of Japanese pronouns comes from Japanese culture, which puts importance on respect, seniority, and social order.
Each Japanese pronoun variation denotes the different characteristics of the speaker. These include gender, age, social status, level of respect, and their relationship with the person they’re speaking to.
Ready to learn Japanese pronouns? In this Japanese pronoun guide, we introduce Japanese pronouns that will boost your language skills, and teach you how to use them. JapanesePod101 makes it simple and easy to understand!

- Japanese Personal Pronouns
- Japanese Demonstrative Pronouns
- Japanese Interrogative Pronouns
- Japanese Indefinite Pronouns
- Examples
- Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. Japanese Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Japanese are rich in expression, and there are dozens of first- and second-person pronouns. However, most of them aren’t commonly used so we’ll introduce frequently used Japanese personal pronouns here.
1. 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person Singular
1. How to Say “I”
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana | Level of Formality | Gender | Characteristics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
watakushi | 私 | わたくし | very formal | both | Very formal and polite personal pronoun often used in very official occasions. |
watashi | 私 | わたし | formal / informal | both | Used by both genders in formal occasions, such as at the workplace. This is the most commonly used word for “I,” but it’s often omitted in a sentence. In informal situations, this is typically used by women. |
atashi | ー | あたし | informal | female | This is the casual version of watashi and it’s used by younger females in conversations. However, it can sound a bit childish and unsophisticated. |
boku | 僕 | ぼく | informal | male | Used by males of all ages, but very often by kids and younger men. It gives an impression of humbleness. This can also be used as a second-person pronoun toward little boys (English equivalent: “kid”). |
ore | 俺 | おれ | very informal | male | Frequently used by men in informal settings, such as among family and friends. It sounds very masculine. This can be very rude when it’s used in formal occasions or in front of respectable/senior people. |
2. How to Say “You”
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana | Level of Formality | Gender | Characteristics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
anata | 貴方 | あなた | formal / informal | both | This is almost equivalent to the English word “you.” However, it’s not often used as the subject in a sentence, and it’s often omitted. It’s more common to use a person’s name with a Japanese honorific, such as 様 (sama) or さん (san), to express “you” in formal contexts. In addition, wives often call their husbands by this Japanese pronoun. When used this way, it’s comparable to the English words “dear” or “darling.” Kanji is rarely used. |
kimi | 君 | きみ | informal | both | Often used to call subordinates and peers in informal settings. It can also be affectionate and polite when used by a boyfriend/husband to call his girlfriend/wife. It’s impolite and inappropriate when used with respectable/senior people or strangers. The Kanji 君 can also be read as kun when it’s added next to a male’s name as a casual and affectionate honorific word. |
omae | お前 | おまえ | very informal | both / male | Often used by men. It expresses that the speaker has a superior status or age, and it’s very rude to use this toward senior people and in formal settings. It’s also used among close friends to call peers. In addition, husbands frequently call their wives by this pronoun, which is comparable to the female use of anata. |
anta | ー | あんた | very informal | both | It’s a short version of anata, but it sounds very impolite and implies a sense of contempt. It can also be used between people in a very close relationship. It’s very rude and inappropriate to use toward senior people and in formal settings. |
kisama | 貴様 | きさま | very rude and hostile | both | The historical origin of this word was very formal, but it’s used today as a very rude way to call another person. It has a sense of extreme hostility from the speaker. You’ll often hear this in 時代劇 (jidaigeki) (samurai warrior) drama shows. |

3. How to Say “He” and “She”
Does Japanese have gendered pronouns? Sort of. Here’s what we mean:
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana | Level of Formality |
---|---|---|---|
kare | 彼 | かれ | formal / informal |
kanojo | 彼女 | かのじょ | formal / informal |
The Japanese pronouns for the third person are above. However, they’re not used like they are in English.
Native Japanese people prefer to use the person’s name, or to describe them as あの人 (ano hito), meaning “that person,” which makes it unnecessary to indicate gender.
In informal settings, 彼 (kare) means “boyfriend” and 彼女 (kanojo) means “girlfriend.”
2. 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person Plural
In order to make Japanese personal pronouns plural, a suffix is added to them.
The suffix can be ~達 (-tachi ), ~方 (-gata), or ~ら (-ra), depending on which word comes in front.
Meaning | Suffix | Reading | Level of Formality |
---|---|---|---|
We | -tachi | watashi-tachi | neutral / formal |
You [plural] | -tachi | anata-tachi | neutral / formal |
You [plural] | -gata | anata-gata | formal |
They [he, plural] | -ra | kare-ra | neutral / formal |
They [she, plural] | -ra | kanojo-ra | neutral / formal |
The suffix 達 (-tachi) can be added to most of the nouns that refer to people and animals. For example, 動物達(dōbutsu-tachi) means “animals.”

3. Possessive Forms
To make Japanese possessive pronouns, add the suffix の (〜no) to the pronouns.
Meaning | Reading |
---|---|
mine | watashi no |
yours | anata no |
his | kare no |
hers | kanojo no |
ours | watashi-tachi no |
theirs | kare-ra no |
4. Reflective or Intensive Forms
To make Japanese reflexive pronouns or intensive forms, add the suffix 自身 (〜jishin) to the pronouns.
Meaning | Reading |
---|---|
myself | watashi jishin |
yourself | anata jishin |
himself | kare jishin |
herself | kanojo jishin |
ourselves | watashi-tachi jishin |
themselves | kare-ra jishin |
To hear how to pronounce Japanese pronouns, visit Most Useful Pronouns.
2. Japanese Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Japanese are typically written in Hiragana. Further, Japanese demonstrative pronouns are easy to remember as they’re categorized in groups depending on their degree of distance from the speaker or listener.
Words that:
- begin with こ (ko-) indicate something close to the speaker.
- begin with そ (so-) indicate some distance from the speaker or something close to the listener.
- begin with あ (a-) indicate far distance.
Meaning | Reading | Hiragana | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
this | kore | これ | near speaker |
it | sore | それ | near listener |
that | are | あれ | distant from both speaker and listener |
these | kore-ra | これら | near speaker |
those | sore-ra / are-ra | それら/ あれら | near listener / distant from both speaker and listener |
here | koko | ここ | near speaker |
there | soko | そこ | near listener |
over there | asoko | あそこ | distant from both speaker and listener |
3. Japanese Interrogative Pronouns
Similar to demonstrative pronouns, most of the Japanese interrogative pronouns begin with ど (do-) or だ (da-).
Meaning | Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
what | nani | 何 | なに |
which | dono / dore | ー | どの/どれ |
who | dare | 誰 | だれ |
whom | dare ni | 誰に | 誰に |
whose | dare no | 誰の | だれの |
when | itsu | ー | いつ |
why | naze | ー | なぜ |
Keep in mind that “whose” is a possessive form of “who,” and the rules of the Japanese possessive forms also apply:
誰 (dare) meaning “who” + の (〜no) = 誰の (dare no) meaning “whose.”

4. Japanese Indefinite Pronouns
In the Japanese language, “everyone/everybody” and “anyone/anybody” are both translated as 誰でも (dare demo) in some contexts.
In a negative sentence using indefinite pronouns such as “no one/nobody,” “nowhere,” and “nothing,” a negative form is typically: も…ない (...mo…nai …).
Meaning | Reading | Kanji | Hiragana |
---|---|---|---|
everyone / everybody | minna / dare demo | 皆/誰でも | みんな/だれでも |
everywhere | doko demo / doko ni mo | ー | どこでも/どこにも |
everything | subete / zenbu | 全て/全部 | すべて/ぜんぶ |
someone / somebody | dare ka | 誰か | だれか |
somewhere | doko ka | ー | どこか |
something | nani ka | 何か | なにか |
no one / nobody | dare mo…nai | 誰も…ない | だれも…ない |
nowhere | doko ni mo…nai | ー | どこにも…ない |
nothing | nani mo…nai | 何も…ない | なにも…ない |
anyone / anybody | dare demo | 誰でも | だれでも |
anywhere | doko demo / doko ni mo | ー | どこでも/どこにも |
anything | nan demo | 何でも | なんでも |

5. Examples
Now that we’ve come to the end of this Japanese pronouns list, here are some example sentences using Japanese pronouns.
1. Personal Pronouns
- あなたと私は東京出身で、彼と彼女は大阪出身です。
Anata to watashi wa Tōkyō shusshin de, kare to kanojo wa Ōsaka shusshin desu.
You and I are from Tokyo, and he and she are from Osaka.
- 年上の人に向かって「お前」や「貴様」と呼ぶことはとても失礼です。
Toshiue no hito ni mukatte “omae” ya “kisama” to yobu koto wa totemo shitsurei desu.
It is very rude to call an elder person omae and kisama.
- 私達は明日、君の誕生日会へ行きます。
Watashi-tachi wa ashita, kimi no tanjōbi kai e ikimasu.
We will go to your birthday party tomorrow.
2. Demonstrative Pronouns
- それをここに持ってきてください。
Sore o koko ni motte kite kudasai.
Please bring it here.
- これらの本はあそこの棚へ戻してください。
Kore-ra no hon wa asoko no tana e modoshite kudasai.
Please put these books back on the shelf over there.
- 彼らはここからあなたの家へ出発しました。
Kare-ra wa koko kara anata no ie e shuppatsu shimashita.
They departed to your home from here.
3. Interrogative Pronouns
- 私はなぜあそこに行かなければならないか分かりません。
Watashi wa naze aoko ni ikanakereba naranai ka wakarimasen.
I don’t understand why I have to go there.
- 誰に向かって話しているのですか。
Dare ni mukatte hanashite iru no desu ka.
To whom are you talking?
- あそこのあの靴は誰のですか。
Asoko no ano kutsu wa dare no desu ka.
Whose shoes are those there?
4. Indefinite Pronouns
- 彼女はどこかに全てを置いてきました。
Kanojo wa doko ka ni subete o oite kimashita.
She left everything somewhere.
- 誰もあのような変な服を持っていないでしょう。
Dare mo ano yō na hen na fuku o motte inai deshō.
No one would have strange clothes like that.
- 誰かが彼にここで何でも食べていいと伝えました。
Dare ka ga kare ni koko de nan demo tabete ii to tsutaemashita.
Somebody told him that he could eat anything here.
To learn more useful Japanese vocabulary, check out our 100 Adjectives and 100 Nouns articles.
6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

In this article, we introduced you to a variety of common pronouns in Japanese. By now, you should have an enhanced vocabulary and have a better idea of how to use Japanese pronouns. This is something that will definitely improve your overall Japanese language skills!
Did you learn something new from this article? Do you want to know more about Japanese grammar? Let us know in the comments section below!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases for any situation, you’ll find more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons to help you improve your Japanese language skills.
To get you started, here’s some more information about the basics of Japanese, with audio:
To learn how to converse in Japanese, check out Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations and Top 10 Conversational Phrases. Basic Kanji for Verbs and Basic Kanji for Adjectives are also useful if you want to learn Japanese kanji.
And there’s so much more! Learn faster and enjoy studying Japanese at JapanesePod101.com!

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“Where do you live?”
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I want to open a bank account.
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Giving and Asking for Directions: “Right” in Japanese & More

Knowing how to ask for directions in Japanese is very helpful when it comes to getting around in Japan. In particular, finding the right address can be a bit confusing, because smaller streets in Japan aren’t named and addresses are expressed with the name of a small area and numbers.
Along with knowing how to ask directions in Japanese, understanding the directions you were told is even more important. This ensures that you can reach the destination with the information given. (You don’t want to mistake “right” in Japanese for left!)
But don’t worry! Japanese people are kind in general, and they’ll stop to listen and help you when you ask them for directions in Japanese.
Here’s some useful vocabulary and phrases for giving and asking for directions in Japanese. Master directions in Japanese at JapanesePod101.com and find your way to exciting destinations!

Table of Contents
- On the Map: Cardinal Directions in Japanese
- On the Road
- Giving Directions in Japanese Using Landmarks
- Must-Know Phrases for Asking for Directions in Japanese
- Must-Know Phrases for Giving Directions in Japanese
- Other Useful Phrases for Asking Directions with Map/Phone
- Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. On the Map: Cardinal Directions in Japanese

Let’s master the basic compass directions in Japanese for reading the map.
1- Basic Vocabulary
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana | English |
kita | 北 | きた | north |
minami | 南 | みなみ | south |
nishi | 西 | にし | west |
higashi | 東 | ひがし | east |
hokusei | 北西 | ほくせい | northwest |
hokutō | 北東 | ほくとう | northwest |
nantō | 南東 | なんとう | southeast |
nansei | 南西 | なんせい | southwest |
chizu | 地図 | ちず | map |
genzaichi | 現在地 | げんざいち | current location |
2- Examples
- 皇居は現在地から北東へ5kmの場所にあります。
Kōkyo wa genzaichi kara hokutō e go-kiromētoru no basho ni arimasu.
The Imperial Palace is located 5km northeast from the current location. - 日本の地理は、北の北海道、東の関東、西の関西、南の九州が特徴です。
Nihon no chiri wa, kita no Hokkaidō, higashi no Kantō, nishi no Kansai, minami no Kyūshū ga tokuchō desu.
The geography of Japan is characterized by Hokkaidō of the North, Kantō of the East, Kansai of the West, and Kyūshū of the south. - 横浜は、東京の南に位置しています。
Yokohama wa Tōkyō no minami ni ichi shite imasu.
Yokohama is located in the south of Tokyo.

2. On the Road
Knowing how to say directions in Japanese for the road, such as right and left in Japanese, is very useful. The vocabulary below is essential for giving and receiving driving directions in Japanese!1- Basic Vocabulary
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana | English |
mae | 前 | まえ | front |
ushiro | 後ろ | うしろ | back |
hidari | 左 | ひだり | left |
migi | 右 | みぎ | right |
tōi | 遠い | とおい | far |
chikai | 近い | ちかい | close |
koko | ー | ここ | here |
asoko | ー | あそこ | there |
massugu | ー | まっすぐ | straight |
tonari | 隣 | となり | next |
watatta | 渡った | わたった | across |
kōsaten | 交差点 | こうさてん | intersection |
kado o magaru | 角を曲がる | かどをまがる | turn the corner |
2- Examples
- 東京タワーは東京プリンスホテルの隣にあります。次の角を右に曲がって、まっすぐ進んでください。
Tōkyō Tawā wa Tōkyō Prince Hotel no tonari ni arimasu. Tsugi no kado o migi ni magatte, massugu susunde kudasai.
Tokyo Tower is located next to Tokyo Prince Hotel. Please turn right at the next corner and go straight. - 明治神宮は原宿駅から200mくらいの場所で、近いです。
Meiji Jingū wa Harajuku Eki kara ni-hyaku-mētoru kurai no basho de, chikai desu.
Meiji Jingū is located around 200m away from Harajuku Station and it is close. - 都庁のビルは、新宿中央公園から交差点を渡った場所にあります。
Tochō no biru wa, Shinjuku Chūō Kōen kara kōsaten o watatta basho ni arimasu.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is located across the intersection from Shinjuku Central Park. - あそこの交差点を左に曲がって道をまっすぐ行くと、前に駅が見えます。
Asoko no kōsaten o hidari ni magatte michi o massugu iku to, mae ni eki ga miemasu.
When you turn left at the intersection there, go straight on the street; you will see the station in front.

When you’re at an intersection or on a road, migi, meaning “right” in Japanese, and hidari, meaning “left” in Japanese, are essential words to use for giving/asking directions.
3. Giving Directions in Japanese Using Landmarks
A landmark is an object or feature of a landscape or city that’s easily seen and recognized from a distance. Know the basic vocabulary for landmarks will help you understand when you’re getting directions in Japanese.
1- In the City: Basic Vocabulary
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana / Katakana | English |
kūkō | 空港 | くうこう | airport |
chikatetsu no ek | 地下鉄の駅 | ちかてつのえき | subway station |
machi no chūshinchi | 街の中心地 | まちのちゅうしんち | center of the city |
kōen | 公園 | こうえん | park |
hoteru | ー | ホテル | hotel |
byōin | 病院 | びょういん | hospital |
ginkō | 銀行 | ぎんこう | bank |
Examples
- 地下鉄の駅は、この道をまっすぐ進むと、銀行の隣にあります。
Chikatetsu no eki wa, kono michi o massugu susumu to, ginkō no tonari ni arimasu.
The subway station is located next to the bank when you go straight on this road. - この街の中心地は駅の近くで、あそこの病院を右に曲がって500mくらいの場所にあります。
Kono machi no chūshinchi wa eki no chikaku de, asoko no byōin o migi ni magatte go-hyaku-mētoru kurai no basho ni arimasu.
The center of this city is located near the station, and it’s 500m away after you turn right at the hospital there. - この交差点を左に曲がると、地下鉄の駅があります。
Kono kōsaten o hidari ni magaru to, chikatetsu no eki ga arimasu.
When you turn left at this intersection, the subway station is there.
2- On the Road: Basic Vocabulary
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana / Katakana | English |
shingō | 信号 | しんごう | traffic light |
ōdanhodō | 横断歩道 | おうだんほどう | crosswalk |
kado | 角 | かど | corner |
tatemono / biru | 建物 / ビル | たてもの / ビル | building |
kōban / keisatsusho | 交番 / 警察署 | こうばん / けいさつしょ | police station |
eki | 駅 | えき | train station |
basutei | バス停 | バスてい | bus stop |
hashi | 橋 | はし | bridge |
A 交番 こうばん (kōban) is a small police station in a community, and is the smallest unit of the police structure in Japan. On the other hand, a 警察署 けいさつしょ (keisatsusho) is a large police station which is usually the headquarters of the police station in a city or area.
Examples
- 駅は、あの横断歩道を渡って右にある高い建物の後ろにあります。
Eki wa, ano ōdanhodō o watatte migi ni aru takai tatemono no ushiro ni arimasu.
The train station is located at the back of the tall building on the right after crossing that crosswalk. - この道をまっすぐ進むと、左に交番が見えます。交番の角を右に曲がるとバス停があります。
Kono michi o massugu susumu to, hidari ni kōban ga miemasu. Kōban no kado o migi ni magaru to basutei ga arimasu.
When you go straight on this street, you will see the police station on your left. There is the bus stop after you turn right at the corner of the police station. - あの橋を渡って見える大きい建物は横浜ホテルです。
Ano hashi o watatte mieru ōkii tatemono wa Yokohama Hotel desu.
The big building you see across that bridge is Yokohama Hotel.

3- In a Structure/Building: Basic Vocabulary
Reading | Kanji | Hiragana / Katakana | English |
iriguchi | 入口 | いりぐち | entrance |
deguchi | 出口 | でぐち | exit |
keshōshitsu / toire | 化粧室 / トイレ | けしょうしつ / トイレ | restroom |
kaidan | 階段 | 階段 | stairs |
erebētā | ー | エレベーター | elevator |
mon | 門 | もん | gate |
chūshajō | 駐車場 | ちゅうしゃじょう | parking lot |
Examples
- 地下鉄の駅の入口は、この階段を降りた右側にあります。
Chikatetsu no eki no iriguchi wa, kono kaidan o orita migigawa ni arimasu.
The entrance of the subway station is located at the right side after going down the stairs. - トイレはこのビルの3階にあります。あのエレベーターで3階に行けます。
Toire wa kono biru no san-kai ni arimasu. Ano erebētā de san-kai ni ikemasu.
There is a toilet on the third floor in this building. You can go to the third floor with that elevator. - あの駐車場の門の隣に出口があります。
Anochūshajō no mon no tonari ni deguchi ga arimasu.
There is an exit next to that gate in the parking lot.

4. Must-Know Phrases for Asking for Directions in Japanese

Here’s a list of useful phrases and examples for how to ask for directions in Japanese.
1- Polite Phrases to Begin Your Question
すみません (sumimasen) — Excuse me
すみません、この駅の入口はどこですか。Sumimasen, kono eki no iriguchi wa doko desu ka.
Excuse me, where is the entrance to this station?
ちょっといいですか。(Chotto ii desu ka.) — Can I talk to you? / May I ask a bit?
ちょっといいですか。渋谷駅はどこですか。Chotto ii desu ka. Shibuya Eki wa doko desu ka.
Can I talk to you a bit? Where is Shibuya station?
助けてもらえますか。(Tasukete moraemasu ka.) — Will you help me?
助けてもらえますか。空港までの行き方を教えてくれませんか。Tasukete moraemasu ka. Kūkō made no ikikata o oshiete kuremasen ka.
Will you help me? Can you show me the way to go to the airport?
2- Example Phrases Using “Where is…?”
…はどこですか。(… wa doko desu ka.) — Where is …?
- すみません、トイレはどこですか。
Sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka.
Excuse me, where is the toilet? - ちょっといいですか。代々木公園はどこですか。
Chotto ii desu ka. Yoyogi Kōen wa doko desu ka.
Can I talk to you? Where is Yoyogi Park? - すみません、お台場はどこですか。
Sumimasen, Odaiba wa doko desu ka.
Excuse me, where is Odaiba?
3- Example Phrases Using “How do I get to…?”
…にはどうやって行けばいいですか。 (… ni wa dō yatte ikeba ii desu ka.) — How do I get to…?
- 浅草にはどうやって行けばいいですか。
Asakusa ni wa dō yatte ikeba ii desu ka.
How do I get to Asakusa? - 皇居方面の出口にはどうやって行けばいいですか。
Kōkyo hōmen no deguchi ni wa dō yatte ikeba ii desu ka.
How do I get to the exit toward the Imperial Palace?
4- Example Phrases Using “How far is …?” / “Is … far from here?”
…はどの位遠いですか。 (…wa dono kurai tōi desu ka.) — How far is …?
…はここから遠いですか。(…wa koko kara tōi desu ka.) — Is … far from here?
- 東京タワーはどの位遠いですか。
Tōkyō Tawā wa dono kurai tōi desu ka.
How far is Tokyo Tower? - 駅はここから遠いですか。
Eki wa koko kara tōi desu ka.
Is the train station far from here?
5- Example Courtesy Phrases to Thank People
ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) — Thank you.
- ありがとうございます、とても助かりました。
Arigatō gozaimasu, totemo tasukarimashita.
Thank you, it helped me a lot.
分かりました、ありがとうございます。(wakarimashita, arigatō gozaimasu.) — I see, thank you.
- 駅への行き方分かりました、ありがとうございます。
Eki e no ikikata wakarimashita, arigatō gozaimasu.
I see how to get to the station, thank you.
親切にありがとうございました (shinsetsu ni arigatō gozaimashita.) — Thank you for your kindness.
- 建物の入り口まで連れて来てくれて、親切にありがとうございました。
Tatemono no iriguchi made tsurete kite kurete, shinsetsu ni arigatō gozaimashita.
Thank you for your kindness by taking me to the entrance of the building.
For more about saying thank you in Japanese, check out Common Ways to Say Thank You.
To learn greetings in Japanese, visit Japanese Greetings.

5. Must-Know Phrases for Giving Directions in Japanese
Here’s a list of useful phrases and examples for giving directions in Japanese. You’ll also find taxi directions in Japanese that you can use as needed.1- go straight
Japanese: まっすぐ進みますReading: massugu susumi masu
- 地下鉄の駅へはこの道をまっすぐ進みます。
Chikatetsu no eki e wa kono michi o massugu susumimasu.
Go straight on this road to the subway station.
2- go back
Japanese: 戻りますReading: modorimasu
- 新宿駅へはこの道を、あの信号まで戻ります。
Shinjuku Eki e wa kono michi o, ano shingō made modorimasu.
Go back on this road until that traffic light to Shinjuku Station.
3- turn left/right
Japanese: 左 / 右へ曲がりますReading: hidari / migi e magarimasu
- あの信号を左へ曲がります。
Ano shingō o hidari e magarimasu.
Turn left at that traffic light.
4- turn left / right at corner / intersection
Japanese: 角 / 交差点を左 / 右へ曲がりますReading: kado / kōsaten o hidari / migi e magarimasu
- あの高いビルがある交差点を右へ曲がります。
Ano takai biru ga aru kōsaten o migi e magarimasu.
Turn right at the intersection where that tall building is.
5- on … floor
Japanese: …階Reading: …kai
- トイレは5階にあります。
Toire wa go-kai ni arimasu.
The toilet is on the fifth floor.
6- go upstairs / downstairs
Japanese: 階段を上がります / 下がりますReading: kaidan o agarimasu / sagarimasu
- トイレへはこの階段を上がります。
Toire e wa kono kaidan o agarimasu.
Go upstairs to the toilet.
7- (to a driver) keep going
Japanese: このまま行ってくださいReading: kono mama itte kudasai
- この道をこのまま行ってください。
Kono michi o kono mama itte kudasai.
Keep going on this road.
8- (to a driver) stop here
Japanese: ここで止まってくださいReading: koko de tomatte kudasai
- ホテルはここです。ここで止まってください。
Hoteru wa koko desu. Koko de tomatte kudasai.
The hotel is here. Please stop here.
9- (to a driver) hurry up
Japanese: 急いでくださいReading: isoide kudasai
- 時間があまりないので急いでください。
Jikan ga amari nai node isoide kudasai.
Please hurry up because there’s not much time.
10- (to a driver) slow down
Japanese: 速度を落としてくださいReading: sokudo o otoshite kudasai
- 急いでないので速度を落としてください。
Isoide nai node sokudo o otoshite kudasai.
Please slow down because I’m not in a hurry.
11- (to a driver) short-cut
Japanese: 近道Reading: chikamichi
- 駅への近道を知っていますか。
Eki e no chikamichi o shitte imasu ka.
Do you know the short-cut to the station?
12- You won’t miss it (you will see it immediately)
Japanese: すぐに分かりますReading: sugu ni wakarimasu
- 駅はあの銀行の裏です。すぐに分かりますよ。
Eki wa ano ginkō no ura desu. Sugu ni wakarimasu yo.
The station is behind that bank. You won’t miss it.
13- You will see xxx on the right / left side
Japanese: XXXは右 / 左に見えますReading: XXX wa migi / hidari ni miemasu
- この道をまっすぐ行くと、駅が左に見えます。
Kono michi o massugu iku to, eki ga hidari ni miemasu.
When you go straight on this road, you will see the station on the left side.

6. Other Useful Phrases for Asking Directions with Map/Phone

Even if you’re using your phone to search for directions, it’s often confusing and difficult to figure it out in a foreign country. Here’s a list of useful phrases for asking directions in Japanese using a map or phone.
1- Can you indicate … on this map?
Japanese: …をこの地図で示してください。Reading: …o kono chizu de shimeshite kudasai
- 西新宿2丁目の2をこの地図で示してください。
Nishi-Shinjuku ni-chō-me no ni o kono chizu de shimeshite kudasai.
Can you indicate 2-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, please?
2- Please type the name of XXX on my phone / Google Maps
Japanese: 私の電話 / グーグルマップにXXXの名前を打ってください。Reading: watashi no denwa / Gūguru Mappu ni XXX no namae o utte kudasai.
- グーグルマップに両国国技館の名前を打ってください。
Gūguru Mappu ni Ryōgoku Kokugikan (Kokugikan 国技館) no namae o utte kudasai.
Please type the name of the Ryōgoku Sumo Hall on Google Maps.
3- Can you find XXX on Google Maps, please?
Japanese: XXXをグーグルマップで探してくれませんか。Reading: XXX o Gūguru Mappu de sagashite kuremasen ka.
- この住所をグーグルマップで探してくれませんか。
Kono jūsho o Gūguru Mappu de sagashite kuremasen ka.
Can you find this address on Google Maps, please?

7. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
In this article, we introduced the vocabulary and phrases for giving and asking directions in Japanese, including the basic cardinal directions for reading the map. When you ask Chikatetsu no eki wa doko desu ka. (“Where is the subway station?”), you should now be able to understand someone’s reply while giving directions in Japanese: Chikatetsu no eki e wa kono michi o massugu susumimasu. (“Go straight on this road to the subway station”).
I hope you enjoy getting around in Japan smoothly after learning directions in Japanese here!
Are there any phrases or direction vocabulary in Japanese you still want to know? Leave your comments and let us know; we look forward to hearing from you!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases for various situations, you’ll find a lot more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills. For example, here’s some more information about directions in Japanese with audio: Direction Words, Kanji for Direction and Position, and Position / Direction.
To learn how to make conversations in Japanese, check out Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations and Top 10 Conversational Phrases. Survival Words & Phrases for Your Next Trip to Japan, Traveling, and Top 30 Travel Phrases You Should Know are also useful if plan on traveling to Japan.
There’s still so much more! Learn faster and enjoy studying Japanese at JapanesePod101.com!

Guide to the Top 100+ Japanese Nouns

Expanding one’s vocabulary is one of the most essential elements in improving one’s language skills. Learning Japanese nouns will help you boost your knowledge of the Japanese language because nouns occupy the majority of the language’s words. Knowing the top 100 Japanese nouns is the first step to enhance your Japanese vocabulary.
Japanese nouns are used to name a person, place, thing, or idea. Contrary to English, Japanese nouns don’t accompany any articles, such as “a” and “the.” In addition, there are no certain rules for indicating, in a precise sense, whether a noun is singular or plural. For example, there’s the word 達(たち) [tachi], which indicates a plural form of people or creatures when it’s put next to a noun (e.g. 動物 + 達 = 動物達:animals).
In most cases, however, Japanese nouns don’t have anything added to indicate the difference between singular and plural. In order to show that a certain noun in Japanese is plural, add another word such as たくさんの (takusan no), or “many,” and 二つの (futatsu no), or “two” in the sentence.
In this article, we introduce the 100 most common Japanese nouns. Let’s master the basic Japanese nouns in everyday life here at JapanesePod101! Here are the top Japanese nouns by category.

Table of Contents
- Japanese Nouns: Appliances
- Japanese Nouns: Technology
- Japanese Nouns: Transportation
- Japanese Nouns: Food & Restaurants
- Japanese Nouns: School Essentials
- Japanese Nouns: Occupations
- Japanese Nouns: Family Members
- Japanese Nouns: Body Parts
- Japanese Nouns: Time
- 10. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. Japanese Nouns: Appliances

Before studying this basic Japanese nouns list, keep in mind that some of the imported words from other languages become Japanese words, or 和製英語 (wasei eigo), with a similar sound written in Katakana. For example, “television” is テレビ (terebi) in Japanese.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
1 | refrigerator | 冷蔵庫 | れいぞうこ | reizōko |
2 | freezer | 冷凍庫 | れいとうこ | reitōko |
3 | microwave | 電子レンジ | でんしれんじ | denshi renji |
4 | air conditioner | 冷房機/クーラー | れいぼうき/クーラー | reibōki / kūrā |
5 | heater | 暖房機 | だんぼうき | danbōki |
6 | laundry machine | 洗濯機 | せんたくき | sentakuki |
7 | hair dryer | ー | ドライヤー | doraiyā |
8 | TV | ー | テレビ | terebi |
Examples
冷凍庫から氷と、冷蔵庫から飲み物を出してください。Reitōko kara kōri to, reizōko kara nomimono o dashite kudasai.
Please take out ice from the freezer and drinks from the refrigerator.
お風呂の後はドライヤーで髪を乾かします。
O-furo no ato wa doraiyā de kami o kawakashimasu.
After taking a bath, I dry my hair with a hair dryer.
私はテレビを見ることが好きです。
Watashi wa terebi o miru koto ga suki desu.
I like watching TV.
電子レンジと洗濯機が壊れたので困っています。
Denshi renji to sentakuki ga kowareta node komatte imasu.
I’m upset because the microwave and laundry machine broke.
You can also check our more useful Japanese nouns for home appliances with Japanese pronunciations at our Home Appliances vocabulary list!

Air conditioner in Japanese is also called クーラー (kūrā), which comes from the word “cooler.”
2. Japanese Nouns: Technology
Most important Japanese nouns regarding technology originated from other countries and were imported to Japan. Expressed in Katakana, these imported words have Japanese pronunciation that resembles the original English words.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
9 | computer | ー | コンピューター | conpyūtā |
10 | laptop | ー | ノートパソコン | nōto pasokon |
11 | tablet | ー | タブレット | taburetto |
12 | cellphone | 携帯電話 | けいたいでんわ | keitai denwa |
13 | headphone | ー | ヘッドホン | heddohon |
14 | charger | 充電器 | じゅうでんき | jyūdenki |
15 | wifi | ー | ワイファイ | waifai |
16 | app | ー | アプリ | apuri |
17 | website | ー | ウェブサイト | webusaito |
18 | file | ー | ファイル | fairu |
19 | account | ー | アカウント | akaunto |
20 | password | ー | パスワード | pasuwādo |
Examples
私はタブレットよりもノートパソコンの方が好きです。Watshi wa taburetto yori mo nōto pasokon no hō ga suki desu.
I like laptops more than tablets.
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 wifi password?
あなたの携帯電話の充電器を使ってもいいですか。
Anata no keitai denwa jyūdenki o tsukatte mo ii desu ka.
Can I use your mobile phone charger?
Our vocabulary list about the Top 20 Words You’ll Need for the Internet is also useful to learn Japanese nouns related to technology.
3. Japanese Nouns: Transportation
Transportation is an essential part of daily life. Some of the most useful Japanese nouns are vocabulary words related to transportation. This is especially true for those who travel in Japan, who may need to ask how to get around.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
21 | airplane | 飛行機 | ひこうき | hikōki |
22 | train | 電車 | でんしゃ | densha |
23 | subway | 地下鉄 | ちかてつ | chikatetsu |
24 | bus | – | バス | basu |
25 | taxi | – | タクシー | takushī |
26 | bicycle | 自転車 | じてんしゃ | jitensha |
27 | station | 駅 | えき | eki |
28 | bus stop | バス停 | ばすてい | basutei |
29 | airport | 空港 | くうこう | kūkō |
30 | traffic light | 信号 | しんごう | shingō |
31 | intersection | 交差点 | こうさてん | kōsaten |
32 | road | 道/道路 | みち/どうろ | michi/dōro |
Example
一番近いバス停はどこですか。Ichi-ban chikai basutei wa doko desu ka.
Where is the nearest bus stop?
私の町には地下鉄はありません。
Watashi no machi ni wa chikatetsu wa arimasen.
There is no subway in my town.
信号のある交差点を左に曲がります。
Shingō no aru kōsaten o hidari ni magarimasu.
Turn left at the intersection which has a traffic light.

Public transportation is well-developed in Japan, especially in the large cities. Shinkansen is very famous for its super-fast speed and is popular among foreign tourists.
4. Japanese Nouns: Food & Restaurants
Whenever you go out to eat at restaurants, you look at a menu and order what you want to eat and drink. Knowing Japanese nouns and vocabulary related to restaurants makes your dining-out experience much smoother. Japan has a variety of foods and a wide range of ingredients are used in the Japanese food culture. If can’t eat certain things due to your religion, an allergy, or a discipline such as vegetarianism, you have to ask a staff member if your preferred meal is available. Here’s a common Japanese nouns list to help you do so!
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
33 | menu | ー | メニュー | menyū |
34 | waiter/waitress | 店員 | てんいん | ten’in |
35 | bill | 会計 | かいけい | kaikei |
36 | fork | ー | フォーク | fōku |
37 | knife | ー | ナイフ | naifu |
38 | spoon | ー | スプーン | supūn |
39 | chopsticks | 箸箸 | はし | hashi |
40 | water | 水 | みず | mizu |
41 | vegetables | 野菜 | やさい | yasai |
42 | beef | 牛肉 | ぎゅうにく | gyūniku |
43 | pork | 豚肉 | ぶたにく | butaniku |
44 | chicken | 鶏肉 | とりにく | toriniku |
Examples
ベジタリアンのメニューはありますか。Bejitarian no menyū wa arimasu ka.
Do you have a vegetarian menu?
お箸の使い方を教えてください。
O-hashi no tsukaikata o oshiete kudasai.
Please teach me how to use chopsticks.
私は豚肉を食べられません。
Watashi wa butaniku o taberaremasen.
I can’t eat pork.
For more about Japanese nouns related to food and restaurants, see our Food – Utensils & Tableware and Restaurant vocabulary lists.

Japan has great food culture where you can find tasty food from low-end and high-end restaurants.
5. Japanese Nouns: School Essentials
The Japanese school system consists of elementary school, middle school, high school, and higher education such as universities and vocational schools. Compulsory education is six years of elementary school and three years of middle school, and both are free. Here are the most common nouns in Japanese related to school.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
45 | elementary school | 小学校 | しょうがっこう | shōgakkō |
46 | middle school | 中学校 | ちゅうがっこう | shōgakkō |
47 | high school | 高校 | こうこう | kōkō |
48 | college/university | 大学 | だいがく | daigaku |
49 | student | 生徒/学生 | せいと/がくせい | seito/gakusei |
50 | teacher | 先生/教師 | せんせい/きょうし | sensei/kyōshi |
51 | major | 専攻 | せんこう | senkō |
52 | degree | 学位 | がくい | gakui |
53 | exam | 試験 | しけん | shiken |
54 | homework | 宿題 | しゅくだい | shukudai |
Examples
あなたの専攻は何ですか。Anata no senkō wa nan desu ka.
What is your major?
彼女は小学校の先生です。
Kanojo wa shōgakkō no sensei desu.
She is a teacher at an elementary school.
私は宿題を終えた後に遊びに行きます。
Watashi wa shukudai o oeta ato ni asobi ni ikimasu.
I will go and play after finishing my homework.
6. Japanese Nouns: Occupations

To engage in certain occupations, one must pass the related national examinations. The most difficult occupations to attain in Japan are said to be a doctor, lawyer, and accountant, in terms of how difficult the national examinations are.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
55 | doctor | 医師 | いし | ishi |
56 | nurse | 看護師 | かんごし | kangoshi |
57 | lawyer | 弁護士 | べんごし | bengoshi |
58 | chef | 料理人 | りょうりにん | ryōrinin |
59 | businessperson | 実業家 | じつぎょうか | jitsugyōka |
60 | police officer | 警察官 | けいさつかん | keisatsukan |
61 | firefighter | 消防士 | しょうぼうし | shōbōshi |
62 | engineer | 技術者 | ぎじゅつしゃ | gijutsusha |
63 | civil servant | 公務員 | こうむいん | kōmuin |
64 | accountant | 会計士 | かいけいし | kaikeishi |
Examples
消防士になるのは難しいですか。Shōbōshi ni naru no wa muzukashii desu ka.
Is it difficult to become a firefighter?
私は警察官になりたいです。
Watashi wa keisatsukan ni naritai desu.
I want to become a police officer.
公務員の職業は安定しているので人気です。
Kōmuin no shokugyō wa antei shite iru node ninki desu.
The occupation of civil servant is popular because it is stable.
To hear how to pronounce the words on this Japanese list of nouns, see our Jobs / Work vocabulary list.

7. Japanese Nouns: Family Members
It’s useful to know Japanese nouns and vocabulary related to family members when you introduce yourself and describe your family to someone.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
65 | family | 家族 | かぞく | kazoku |
66 | mother | 母/お母さん | はは/おかあさん | haha/o-kā-san |
67 | father | 父/お父さん | ちち/おとうさん | chichi/o-tō-san |
68 | parent | 親 | おや | oya |
69 | daughter | 娘 | むすめ | musume |
70 | son | 息子 | むすこ | musuko |
71 | grandma | 祖母 | そぼ | sobo |
72 | grandpa | 祖父 | そふ | sofu |
Examples
私の母は看護師です。Watashi no haha wa kangoshi desu.
My mother is a nurse.
私の家族は5人家族です。
Watashi no kazoku wa go-nin kazoku desu.
My family has five family members.
彼女の息子は6歳です。
Kanojo no musuko wa roku-sai desu.
Her son is six years old.
Compared to English, Japanese has more words to describe family members according to age and style, and also uses both formal and informal forms. For more details on this, please visit our Japanese Family article and our Must-Know Terms for Family Members vocabulary list.
8. Japanese Nouns: Body Parts

Knowing the Japanese nouns for the parts of the body is very useful, especially when it comes to health (e.g. seeing a doctor at a hospital or working out at the gym).
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
73 | body | 体 | からだ | karada |
74 | head | 頭 | あたま | atama |
75 | shoulder | 肩 | かた | kata |
76 | arm | 腕 | うで | ude |
77 | leg | 足 | あし | ashi |
78 | chest | 胸 | むね | mune |
79 | abdomen | 腹 | はら | hara |
80 | face | 顔 | かお | kao |
81 | eye | 目 | め | me |
82 | nose | 鼻 | はな | hana |
83 | mouth | 口 | くち | kuchi |
84 | ear | 耳 | みみ | mimi |
Examples
風邪を引いたので頭が痛いです。Kaze o hiita node atama ga itai desu.
I have a headache because I caught a cold.
体を動かす運動は健康に良いです。
Karada o ugokasu undō wa kenkō ni ii desu.
Exercise that moves your body is good for health.
彼女は可愛い大きな目を持っています。
Kanojo wa kawaii ōkina me o motte imasu.
She has cute big eyes.
For more Japanese nouns of body parts, and to check their Japanese pronunciation, visit our Body Parts vocabulary list.

Many Japanese people are keen on diet and health.
9. Japanese Nouns: Time
Expressing the time is essential for everyday life. Learning the Japanese nouns for time is always useful for things such as scheduling plans, making an appointment, or just checking the time and date. Here’s our Japanese nouns list for words related to time.
English | Kanji | Hiragana/Katakana | Reading | |
85 | today | 今日 | きょう | kyō |
86 | yesterday | 昨日 | きのう | kinō |
87 | tomorrow | 明日 | あした | kinō |
88 | Monday | 月曜日 | げつようび | getsu-yōbi |
89 | Tuesday | 火曜日 | かようび | ka-yōbi |
90 | Wednesday | 水曜日 | すいようび | sui-yōbi |
91 | Thursday | 木曜日 | もくようび | moku-yōbi |
92 | Friday | 金曜日 | きんようび | kin-yōbi |
93 | Saturday | 土曜日 | どようび | do-yōbi |
94 | Saturday | 日曜日 | にちようび | nichi-yōbi |
95 | day | 日 | にち/ひ | nichi/hi |
96 | week | 週 | しゅう | shū |
97 | month | 月 | つき/げつ | tsuki/getsu |
98 | year (as unit) | 年 | とし/ねん | toshi/nen |
99 | hour | 時間 | じかん | jikan |
100 | minute | 分 | ふん | fun |
Examples
明日は金曜日です。Ashita wa kin-yōbi desu.
Tomorrow is Friday.
結果を出すまで2年と5ヶ月かかりました。
Kekka o dasu made ni-nen to go-kagetsu kakarimashita.
It took two years and five months to achieve the result.
私は今日3時間歩きました。
Watashi wa kyō san-jikan arukimashita.
I walked three hours today.
There are various expressions regarding dates in Japanese. Visit our article on Japanese Dates to learn more Japanese nouns of time and date, and how to use that information in real life!
10. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

We’ve now introduced the 100 most useful Japanese nouns. I hope this article helps you improve your Japanese vocabulary and skills!
Did you learn any new words today? Are there any Japanese nouns you still want to know? Let us know in the comments; we look forward to hearing from you!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other Japanese nouns, you’ll find a lot more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills.
To learn about Japanese nouns and more vocabulary, check out Top 25 Japanese Nouns and Japanese Core 100 Word List. Our vocabulary lists about School, School Subjects, and Body – Describing the Body are also useful; you can learn more about the topics and practice your Japanese pronunciation with audio.
There’s so much more, too! Learn faster and enjoy studying Japanese at JapanesePod101.com!

Life Event Messages: Happy Birthday in Japanese & More
Giving proper greetings and celebration messages is essential in making relationships better. Whether you have Japanese friends online, live in Japan, or just want to understand Japanese culture, it’s good to know how Japanese people celebrate events and what they say. Once you learn how to say Happy Birthday in Japanese, Happy New Year in Japanese, and Merry Christmas in Japanese, use them practically with your friends!
Japan has various life and annual events to celebrate. Some of them come from the Western culture, such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day. But there are unique Japanese traditions as well, such as the twentieth and sixtieth birthdays, also called 成人 (Seijin) and 還暦 (Kanreki) respectively.
So, how do you wish someone well in Japanese? In this article, we introduce practical life event messages. Let’s master holiday greetings in Japanese, and more, here at JapanesePod101!
Table of Contents
- Birthday + Turning 20 Years Old
- Japanese Congratulations: Graduation
- Japanese Congratulations: New Job / Promotion
- Retirement + Turning 60 Years Old
- Japanese Congratulations: Wedding & Marriage
- Japanese Congratulations: Pregnancy and Birth
- Bad News
- Injured/Sick
- Death/Funerals: Offering Condolences in Japanese Culture
- Holidays
- Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. Birthday + Turning 20 Years Old
As is the case in other cultures, birthdays are a happy celebration in Japan. Japanese people celebrate one’s birthday with a cake with candles, and by singing the Happy Birthday to You song in English (Japanese people also sing this song in English because it’s very easy and simple). In most cases, people have a birthday party, and friends and family give gifts to the birthday person.
A person’s twentieth birthday is very important in Japanese culture, because this is the official age of maturity, called 成人 (Seijin) in Japan, and one is officially recognized as an adult. Apart from individual twentieth birthday celebrations, Japan has the national holiday 成人の日 (Seijin no Hi), or “Coming of Age Day,” on the second Monday of January every year.
Check out our Coming of Age Day page for related Japanese vocabulary.
Here are phrases to say Happy Birthday in Japanese.
1- Happy birthday!
Japanese: (お) 誕生日おめでとう!
Pronunciation: (O)tanjōbi omedetō!
It literally translates to “birthday (tanjōbi) congratulations (omedetō).” It sounds more polite when you put お (O) in front of tanjōbi.
When you want to say it during a formal occasion, or to an older person, add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end, which makes it even more polite.
2- Belated happy birthday!
Japanese: 遅くなったけど、(お)誕生日おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Osoku natta kedo, (o)tanjōbi omedetō!
You can still wish your friends a happy birthday, even if you weren’t able to do so on the actual day!
Osoku natta kedo means “It’s late, but…” To make it more polite and formal, say Osoku narimashita kedo.
3- Wish you enjoy a special day!
Japanese: 特別な日を楽しんでね!
Pronunciation: Tokubetsu na hi o tanoshinde ne!
A birthday is a special day, and when you want the birthday girl/boy to enjoy it, you can tell her/him this phrase.
To say it politely in a formal way, change ね (ne) to ください (kudasai).
It’s common to sing Happy Birthday to You in Japan.
2. Japanese Congratulations: Graduation
Whether it’s a kindergarten or university, completing school is worth a happy celebration. Japanese schools have both entrance and graduation ceremonies at the schools, which family members also attend.
Graduation from a university is often a big celebration, especially for the graduate’s parents who get to experience the fulfilling feeling of having finished raising their child. Graduates also celebrate with friends for their achievements and the good memories they made together.
Here are phrases for celebrating graduation.
1- Congratulations for your graduation!
Japanese: 卒業おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Sotsugyō omedetō!
It literally translates to “graduation (sotsugyō) congratulations (omedetō).” For formal occasions, such as when a school principal is addressing students, add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end. This makes it polite and respectful.
2- Well done for striving for four years!
Japanese: 大変な4年間よく頑張ったね!
Pronunciation: Taihen na yo-nenkan yoku ganbatta ne!
You can say this phrase to family members or friends. When you just want to say “well done,” it’s yoku ganbatta ne.
3- Lead your way step by step to make your dream come true.
Japanese: 夢に向かって一歩一歩進んでください。
Pronunciation: Yume ni mukatte ippo ippo susunde kudasai.
This phrase is often used by parents or seniors to a new graduate to encourage his/her new path in life.
It literally means “toward a dream (yume ni mukatte),” “step by step (ippo ippo),” and “go forward (susunde kudasai),” in a polite way.
Graduation of Japanese schools is in March.
3. Japanese Congratulations: New Job / Promotion
When a new university graduate gets a new job, family and friends celebrate him/her, usually by going out for a nice dinner. Some parents give a gift that will be useful for their work, such as a watch or a set of suits. In return, the child takes his or her parents out for a nice dinner once he/she gets their first salary.
When someone has a job promotion, family, friends, and sometimes his/her boss and team, celebrate him/her. It doesn’t necessarily involve giving a gift, but people go out for a drink or dinner, in most cases.
Here are phrases to celebrate getting a new job/promotion in Japanese.
1- Congratulations for your new job / promotion!
Japanese: 就職 / 昇進おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Shūshoku / Shōshin omedetō!
It literally translates to “employment (shūshoku) / promotion (shōshin),” and “congratulations (omedetō).” You can use this phrase to congratulate your friends, family, and younger colleagues.
In Japan, the start of work for newly employed graduates is usually in April.
2- Good luck in your new workplace.
Japanese: 新しい職場で頑張ってね。
Pronunciation: Atarashī shokuba de ganbatte ne.
This is a very useful phrase to use when your friend or family member gets a new job.
It breaks down to “at new workplace (atarashii shokuba de),” and “strive well (ganbatte ne).” If you want to say it more politely for a formal setting, change ね (ne) to ください (kudasai).
3- I’m looking forward to your success.
Japanese: あなたの活躍を楽しみにしています。
Pronunciation: Anata no katsuyaku o tanoshimi ni shite imasu.
This is a polite phrase that a family member or boss/elder colleague can tell someone who gets a new job or a promotion. It breaks down to “your success (anata no katsuyaku),” and “I’m looking forward to (tanoshimi ni shite imasu).”
4. Retirement + Turning 60 Years Old
Traditionally, the age of retirement in Japan is sixty. In the traditional Japanese employment system, called 終身雇用 (Shūshin koyō), or “life-time employment,” retirement means that someone has finished working by serving a company for some decades. It’s considered honorable and respectable.
Not only family, but also his/her company and colleagues, often have a celebration party with flowers and gifts. Nowadays, due to an increase in the aging population, active and healthy seniors continue to work after they turn sixty years old, sometimes until their sixty-fifth of seventieth birthday.
On the other hand, turning sixty years old is considered good fortune and a cause to celebrate; this celebration is called 還暦 (Kanreki). Following the traditional sixty-year calendar cycle of the lunar calendar, turning sixty means accomplishing its cycle. Thus, it’s the beginning of another cycle in his/her life. The person’s family celebrates him/her by giving gifts in red, which is the color of fortune.
Below are phrases to celebrate retirement/sixtieth birthdays in Japanese.
1- Congratulations for your retirement!
Japanese: 定年退職おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Teinen taishoku omedetō!
This is a very common phrase of congratulations. It literally translates to “retirement age resignation (teinen taishoku) congratulations (omedetō).”
When you want to say it for a formal occasion, add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end; this makes it even more polite.
2- Well done for 30 years of contribution.
Japanese: 30年間の献身お疲れ様でした。
Pronunciation: San-jū-nenkan no kenshin otsukare-sama deshita.
お疲れ様 (Otsukare-sama) is one of the most common Japanese untranslatable words. It has various meanings, depending on the situation. But in this case, it means “Well done.”
3- Please enjoy your new stage of life.
Japanese: 次の新しい人生を楽しんでください。
Pronunciation: Tsugi no atarashii jinsei o tanoshinde kudasai.
Retired people often spend plenty of their new free time for hobbies and enjoyment. This polite phrase is useful when you wish for someone to have a nice life after retirement.
5. Japanese Congratulations: Wedding & Marriage
The average age of a person’s first marriage nowadays is older (around thirty) than it was some decades ago; people’s views on marriage are becoming more diverse and flexible, as well. However, getting married and having a wedding is still a big life event in Japan.
Japanese marriage traditions typically include the following:
- 結納 (yuinō), or “engagement ceremony”
- 入籍 (nyūseki), or “official marriage register”
- 挙式 (kyoshiki), or “wedding ceremony”
- 披露宴 (hirōen), or “wedding party”
The western style of wedding ceremonies is becoming very popular in Japan, although there are some people who prefer the traditional Japanese style with the 着物 (kimono).
So, how do you congratulate a wedding in Japanese? Below are phrases for celebrating marriage in Japanese.
1- Congratulations for your marriage!
Japanese: 結婚おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Kekkon omedetō!
This is a very common phrase for congratulations in Japanese when someone is getting married. It literally translates to “marriage (kekkon) congratulations (omedetō).”
When you want to say it in a formal occasion, add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end; this makes it even more polite.
2- I wish you happiness for many years to come.
Japanese: 末長くお幸せに。
Pronunciation: Suenagaku o-shiawase ni.
It literally translates to “for a long time (suenagaku), be happy (o-shiawase ni).” This phrase is also commonly used together with Kekkon omedetō.
3- Have a wonderful married life.
Japanese: 素敵な結婚生活を送ってね。
Pronunciation: Suteki na kekkon seikatsu o okutte ne.
This is another common message for a newly married couple. When you want to say it in a formal occasion, change ね (ne) to ください (kudasai).
Japanese weddings are conducted in either the western style or the Japanese traditional style.
6. Japanese Congratulations: Pregnancy and Birth
Pregnancy and birth are auspicious events in someone’s life. Traditionally, people give congratulation messages when a pregnant woman announces her pregnancy, and send her gifts after the baby is born. Japanese culture doesn’t have a “baby shower” celebration traditionally; however, the baby shower is becoming popular among young people due to the influence of western culture.
Below are phrases to celebrate pregnancy/birth in Japanese.
1- Congratulations for your pregnancy!
Japanese: 妊娠おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Ninshin omedetō!
For a formal occasion, change 妊娠 (ninshin), meaning “pregnancy,” to ご懐妊 (go-kainin), which is a more respectful form of the word “pregnancy,” and add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end to make it more polite and respectful. However, this form is very formal and not commonly used.
2- I wish a healthy baby will be born.
Japanese: 元気な赤ちゃんが生まれますように。
Pronunciation: Genki na aka-chan ga umaremasu yō ni.
It literally means “lively baby (genki na aka-chan), be born (umaremasu)” + expression of wish (yō ni).
This phrase is also commonly used together with Ninshin omedetō.
3- Congratulations for a baby’s birth!
Japanese: 赤ちゃんの誕生おめでとう!
Pronunciation: Aka-chan no tanjō omedetō!
Tell this message when your friend has their baby. For a formal occasion, add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end; this makes it more polite and respectful.
7. Bad News
Life isn’t always full of happy events and celebrations, and sometimes bad things can happen in our lives. In Japanese culture, it’s very important to have empathy and give consideration to other people’s feelings. This is because the culture puts values on 和 (Wa), or harmony in our society.
When someone tells you bad news, it’s good to listen carefully first, show that you understand him/her, and then say something to cheer him/her up.
Here are some Japanese condolences messages that you can say to those who have bad news.
1- I’m sorry to hear that.
Japanese: それは残念です。
Pronunciation: Sore wa zannen desu.
It literally translates to “it is regrettable (sore wa zannen)” + polite way to finish a sentence (desu).
Say this to your colleague, for example, if he confides in you that he couldn’t pass a promotion exam, or his pet has passed away.
2- I understand your feelings.
Japanese: あなたのお気持ち分かります。
Pronunciation: Anata no o-kimochi wakarimasu.
It literally translates to “your feeling [polite] (anata no o-kimochi), I understand (wakarimasu).” This is a typical message to show that you understand him/her and that you’re with him/her.
3- Cheer up!
Japanese: 元気出して!
Pronunciation: Genki dashite!
This is a very straightforward phrase to cheer someone up. Say this phrase to your friends or someone who has a close relationship with you.
8. Injured/Sick
An unexpected injury or sickness can happen anytime and to anyone. Whether it happened to your grandparent, friend, or colleague, it’s always nice to offer him or her some warm messages.
Here are some useful phrases you can say to those who get injured/sick.
1- How are you feeling?
Japanese: 気分はどうですか。
Pronunciation: Kibun wa dō desu ka.
This is a typical question you can ask when someone falls ill. If it’s a family member or someone very close to you, you can also say kibun wa dō? in a casual manner. Japanese people often make おかゆ (O-kayu), or “rice porridge,” for a sick person as an easy-to-digest and stomach-friendly meal.
2- I hope you get well soon.
Japanese: 早く良くなりますように。
Pronunciation: Hayaku yoku narimasu yō ni.
This is a very common and important phrase that you can tell any injured or sick person.
3- Please take care.
Japanese: お大事に。
Pronunciation: O-daiji ni.
This is another very important phrase you should tell an injured/sick person. This is usually said at the end of a conversation before you leave.
For a more polite form, add なさってください (nasatte kudasai) when speaking to someone elderly or respectable.
Healthcare in Japan provides universal-care based on the national health insurance program.
9. Death/Funerals: Offering Condolences in Japanese Culture
While a newborn life is blessed and celebrated, any life is destined to experience death sooner or later. Death is considered a serious matter, and a funeral is usually held solemnly. Even if it happened to a person who is very close, Japanese people use formal and respectful language for messages to the deceased’s family and relatives.
Below are condolence phrases in Japanese that you can use.
1- Please accept my sincere condolences.
Japanese: お悔やみ申し上げます。
Pronunciation: O-kuyami mōshiagemasu.
This phrase is formal and commonly used to show your condolences, usually at a funeral. It literally translates to “condolence (o-kuyami), [I] say (mōshiagemasu).” Note that the last word here is the most respectful and humble expression for the word “say.”
2- I pray that his/her soul may rest in peace.
Japanese: ご冥福をお祈りいたします。
Pronunciation: Go-meifuku o oinori itashimasu.
This phrase is formal and very commonly used. It literally translates to “happiness in the next world (go-meifuku), [I] pray (oinori), do (itashimasu).” Note that the last word here is a humble expression.
3- I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to say.
Japanese: 御愁傷様です。なんと言っていいかわかりません。
Pronunciation: Go-shūshō-sama desu. Nan to itte ii no ka wakarimasen.
You can use this polite phrase when someone tells you that someone you know has passed away. Go-shūshō-sama refers to a thing or status that people lament and grieve.
10. Holidays
Do you know whether Japanese people celebrate Christmas in Japan? Yes, they do! However, most Japanese people don’t have any religious feeling for Christmas celebrations; it’s rather regarded as a special and romantic event for couples, or as a happy event for friends and family to eat cakes and give gifts. Christmas Day isn’t a national holiday in Japan.
On the other hand, お正月 (o-shōgatsu), or New Year’s Day, is a traditional annual festive holiday. It’s one of the most important events of the year, and family and relatives get together and celebrate the coming new year. January 1 is the actual holiday, and many companies are off from the end of the year until the first few days of January.
Here are phrases for holiday greetings in Japanese, including how to say Merry Christmas in Japanese and Japanese New Year congratulations!
1- Merry Christmas!
Japanese: メリークリスマス!
Pronunciation: Merī kurisumasu!
How to say Merry Christmas in Japanese is almost the same as in English. It’s directly imported in Japanese, but Japanese people pronounce it in the Japanese way. Also, it’s written merī kurisumasu.
Check out Must-Know Christmas Day Vocabulary for more Christmas-related terms in Japanese.
2- Happy New Year!
Japanese: 明けましておめでとう!
Pronunciation: Akemashite omedetō
“Happy New Year” in Japanese is akemashite omedetō, which literally means “(a new year day has) dawned (明けまして), congratulations (omedetō).” This is the most-used phrase for “happy holidays” in Japanese for the new year.
When you want to say it in a formal occasion or to an older person, add ございます (gozaimasu) to the end; this makes it even more polite.
3- To another good year!
Japanese: 今年もよろしく!
Pronunciation: Kotoshi mo yorosiku!
This phrase is very popular among friends, colleagues, and clients.
Kotoshi mo means “this year, too” and yoroshiku is another one of the most common Japanese untranslatable words. It has various meanings depending on the situation, but in this case, it means “best regards” or “favorably please.”
For more useful holiday greetings in Japanese, check out Holiday Greetings and Wishes for the Holiday Season and Happy New Year! Words & Phrases for the New Year! You’ll learn Japanese winter seasonal greetings and customs.
おせち (osechi) is a special meal for the New Year in Japan, and we eat it with best wishes phrases in Japanese.
11. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
We introduced Japanese life event messages, such as how to say Happy Birthday in Japanese and Merry Christmas in Japanese. I hope this article was useful in improving your Japanese for better communication with your friends!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and holiday greetings in Japanese, you’ll find much more useful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to improve your Japanese language skills.
For more about Japanese holidays and Japanese holiday vocabulary, check out Holidays in Japan. To learn about how to express your feelings, you’ll find Words and Phrases to Help You Describe Your Feelings useful; you can even learn and practice your pronunciation with audio. And for conversation practice, Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations and Top 10 Conversational Phrases are very helpful!
Know that your hard work will pay off; with enough practice, you’ll be speaking like a native in no time with JapanesePod101.com!
Before you go, let us know which of these phrases you’ll be able to use first! Are there any life event messages you still want us to cover? Let us know in the comments!