Japanese Phrases
NUMBERS/COUNTING
numbers= 1 (ichi), 2 (ni), 3 (san), 4 (shi/yon), 5 (go), 6 (roku), 7 (shichi/nana), 8 (hachi), 9 (ku/kyuu), 10 (juu)
counting= 1 (hitotsu), 2 (futatsu), 3 (mittsu), 4 (yottsu), 5 (itsutsu), 6 (muttsu), 7 (nanatsu), 8 (yattsu), 9 (kokonotsu), 10 (tô)
One more= mo hitotsu
men's shoe sizes= 9 (27), 9.5 (27.5), 10 (28), 10.5 (28.5), 11 (29)...
women's shoe sizes= 6 (23), 6.5 (23.5), 7 (24), 7.5 (24.5), 8 (25), 8.5 (25.5)...
AM= gozen
PM= gogo
1 o'clock (ichi-ji), 2 (ni-ji), 3 (san-ji), 4 (yo-ji), 5 (go-ji), 6 (roku-ji), 7 (shichi-ji), 8 (hachi-ji), 9 (ku-ji), 10 (ju-ji), 11 (ju ichi-ji), 12 (ju ni-ji)
1 minute (ippun), 2 (ni-fun), 3 (san-pun), 4 (yon-fun), 5 (go-fun), 6 (roppun), 7 (nana-fun), 8 (happun), 9 (kyu-fun), 10 (juppun), 20 (ni-juppun), 30 (san-juppun)...
when saying 30 minutes in reference to a specific time, you use 'han' (e.g. 7:30- shichi-ji HAN)
FOOD/RESTAURANT
What do you recommend?= Osusume wa nandesuka?
Where is the toilet?= Toire wa doko desuka?
Do you have an English menu?= Eigo no menu wa arimasu ka?
Me too= watashi mo
Warm up (microwave your meal)?= Atatame masuka?
Let's eat/bon appetit= itadakimasu
Check/bill please= okaike kudasai
Do you need a receipt?= Ryosusho/Reshīto hairimasu ka?
It was a feast (thank you for the meal)= gochisosama deshita
Truly/really tasty= hontoni oishi
Very tasty= totemo oishi
Bill please= okaike onegai shimasu
USEFUL PHRASES
Do you speak English?= Eigo o hanesemasu ka?
Do you need a bag?= Fukuro otsuke shimasuka?
I don't need it= Iranai
All you can drink= nomihodai
All you can eat= tabehodai
Buffet= baikingu
Looks delicious= oishi so
It was delicious= Oishi katta
Reservation= yoyaku
Same= onaji
Nihongo jozu!
Translation: "Japanese very good."
While you may or may not get this compliment from the locals, it's still a good idea to learn a few useful phrases to prepare for your trip to Japan! Here's a list of some phrases I've found useful along with some tips!
GREETINGS
Good morning= ohayo
Good afternoon=kon'nichiwa
Good evening= konbanwa
Hello= kon'nichiwa
Bye= sayonara
See you= mata ne
Thank you= arigato gozaimasu, arigato (informal)
Please= onegai shimasu, kudasai (informal)
Excuse me= sumimasen
Sorry= gomen nasai
It's okay= daijobu desu (informal), kekko desu (formal)
ADJECTIVES/INTERROGATIVES/CONJUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS
And= to (pronounced "toh") (e.g. ramen and gyoza- ramen to gyoza)
Or= mata
Truly/really= hontoni (e.g. really tasty- hontoni oishi)
Very= totemo (e.g very tasty- totemo oishi)
That's good= ii ne
Bad= mazui
Kind= yasashii
Amazing/awesome= Sugoi, suge (informal)
This= kore
That= sore ka
Here= koko
There= soko ni wa
Who= dare
What= nani
When= itsu
Where= doko
Why/How= nande/naze
Left= hidari
Right= migi
Up = jô
Down= shita
Near= chikaku
Far= tôi
CURRENCY
100= hyaku
1000= sen
10,000= man
100,000= juu man
Interesting Idioms & Words
Hanafubuki
cherry blossom blizzard
Ichi-go Ichi-e
one time, one meeting. once chance in a lifetime. treaasure ever encounter, for it will never recur
Ikigai
reason for being. the thing that motivates you and makes your life worthwhile. work, hobbies, goals, etc.
Kaizen
change for the better. aka continuous improvement
Kuchisabishii
lonely mouth. mindless eating or eating when you're not hungry. binging or eating out of boredom.
Kuidaore
eating yourself into bankruptcy.
Shinrin-yoku
forest bathing. immersing yourself in a forest or taking a walk through the woods
Wabisabi
accepting the transience and imperfection of things. seeing beauty in a cracked vase.