Hello

( Kon Ni chi Wa)

Nice to meet you

(Ha ji Me Ma Shi Te)

Good Evening
( Kon Ban Wa)

long time no see

(hisa shi bu ri)

Good bye
(Sa yo na ra)

Excuse me
(su mi ma se n)

Thank you
(a ri ga to u)

Yes
(hai)

No
(i i e)

I am tired.
(tuka re ta)

Are you right?

(dai jyou bu)

English
(ei go)

Japanese
(ni hon go)

It is difficult.
(mu zu ka shi i de su)
English
Learn to speak Japanese english
(ei go)

Japanese
Learn to speak Japanese: japanese
(ni hon go)

It is difficult.
Learn to speak Japanese difficult
(mu zu ka shi i de su)

Happy New Year

(A ke ma shi te  
o me de to u)

I hope to see more of you in this year

(ko toshi mo
 
yo ro shi ku
o nega i shi ma su)

me too
(ko chi ra ko so)
Hello. 
こんにちは。　Konnichiwa. (kon-nee-chee-WAH)
How are you? 
お元気ですか。　O-genki desu ka? (oh-GEN-kee dess-KAH?)
Fine, thank you. 
元気です。　Genki desu. (GEN-kee dess)
What is your name? 
お名前は何ですか。 O-namae wa nan desu ka?　(oh-NAH-mah-eh wah NAHN dess-KAH?)
My name is ____ . 
私の名前は ____ です。 Watashi no namae wa ____ desu. (wah-TAH-shee no nah-mah-eh wa
____ dess)
Nice to meet you. 
始めまして。　Hajimemashite. (hah-jee-meh-MOSH-teh)
Please. (request) 
お願いします。　Onegai shimasu. (oh-neh-gigh shee-moss)
Please. (offer) 
どうぞ。 Dōzo. (DOH-zo)
Thank you. 
どうもありがとう。 Dōmo arigatō. (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh)
You're welcome. 
どういたしまして。 Dō itashi mashite. (doh EE-tah-shee mosh-teh)
Yes. 
はい。 Hai. (HIGH)
No. 
いいえ。 Iie. (EE-eh)
Excuse me. 
すみません。 Sumimasen. (soo-mee-mah-sen)
I'm sorry. 
御免なさい。 Gomen-nasai. (goh-men-nah-sigh)

IMPROVE YOUR JAPANESE

 The best way to improve your Japanese is
to use it regularly. The best way to use
your Japanese regularly is to talk to native
Japanese who are interested in
developing their English skills. This way
you improve your language skills, help
them with their English and make new
friends at the same time.

Japanese Lifestyle Friends is the ideal

way to find language partners, both male
and female. It is great to have friends in
Japan so when you travel there, you can
meet them and they can show you
around. This way you can experience the
real Japan that you would normally miss
as a tourist.

Goodbye. (long-term) 
さようなら。 Sayōnara. (sa-YOH-nah-rah)
Goodbye. (informal) 
それでは。 Sore dewa. (SOH-reh deh-wah)
I can't speak Japanese [well]. 
日本語「よく」話せません。 Nihongo [yoku] hanasemasen. (nee-hohn-goh [yo-koo] hah-nah-seh-
mah-sen)
Do you speak English? 
英語を話せますか。 Eigo o hanasemasuka? (AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?)
Is there someone here who speaks English? 
だれか英語を話せますか。 Dareka eigo o hanasemasuka? (dah-reh-kah AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-
moss-KAH?)
Help! 
たすけて! Tasukete! (tah-soo-keh-teh!)
Look out! 
あぶない! Abunai! (ah-boo-NIGH!)
Good morning. 
おはようございます。 Ohayō gozaimasu. (oh-hah-YOH go-zigh-moss)
Good evening. 
こんばんは。 Konbanwa. (kohm-bahn-wah)
Good night (to sleep) 
おやすみなさい。 Oyasuminasai. (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh)
I don't understand. 
わかりません。 Wakarimasen. (wah-kah-ree-mah-sen)
Where is the toilet? 
トイレはどこですか。 Toire wa doko desu ka? (toy-reh wah DOH-koh dess kah?)
Phrases in English Phrases In Japanese Phonetic Pronunciation
Hello こんにちは。　 Konnichiwa. (kon-nee-chee-WAH)
How are you? お元気ですか。　 O-genki desu ka? (oh-GEN-kee dess-KAH?)
Fine, thank you. 元気です。　 Genki desu. (GEN-kee dess)
O-namae wa nan desu ka? Oh-NAH-mah-eh wah
What is your name? お名前は何ですか。
NAHN dess-KAH?)
Watashi no namae wa ____ desu. (wah-TAH-
My name is ____ . 私の名前は ____ です。
shee no nah-mah-eh wa ____ dess)
Nice to meet you 始めまして。　 Hajimemashite. (hah-jee-meh-MOSH-teh)
Please お願いします。　 Onegai shimasu. (oh-neh-gigh shee-moss)
Please どうぞ。 Dōzo. (DOH-zo)
Thank you どうもありがとう。 Dōmo arigatō. (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh)
You're welcome どういたしまして。 Dō itashi mashite. (doh EE-tah-shee mosh-the)
Yes はい。 Hai. (HIGH)
No いいえ。 Iie. (EE-eh)
Excuse me すみません。 Sumimasen. (soo-mee-mah-sen)
I'm sorry 御免なさい。 Gomen-nasai. (goh-men-nah-sigh)
Goodbye さようなら。 Sayōnara. (sa-YOH-nah-rah)
Goodbye それでは。 Sore dewa. (SOH-reh deh-wah)

I can't speak Japanese [well].

日本語「よく」話せませ Nihongo [yoku] hanasemasen. (nee-hohn-goh [yo-
ん。 koo] hah-nah-she-mah-sen)
Eigo o hanasemasuka? (AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-
Do you speak English? 英語を話せますか。
moss-KAH?)
Is there someone here who speaks だれか英語を話せます Dareka eigo o hanasemasuka? (dah-reh-kah AY-
English? か。 goh oh hah-nah-she-moss-KAH?)
Help! たすけて! Tasukete! (tah-soo-keh-teh!)
Look out! あぶない! Abunai! (ah-boo-NIGH!)
Good morning おはようございます。 Ohayō gozaimasu. (oh-hah-YOH go-zigh-moss)
Good night おやすみなさい。 Oyasuminasai. (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh)
I don't understand わかりません。 Wakarimasen. (wah-kah-ree-mah-sen)
Toire wa doko desu ka? (toy-reh wah DOH-koh
Where is the toilet? トイレはどこですか。
dess kah?)
Leave me alone. 
ほっといて。 (hottoite.)
Don't touch me! 
さわらないで! (sawaranaide!)
I'll call the police. 
警察をよびます。 (keisatsu o yobimasu)
Police! 
警察! (keisatsu)
Stop! Thief! 
待て! どろぼう! (mate! dorobō!)
I need your help. 
たすけてください。 (tasukete kudasai)
It's an emergency. 
緊急です。 (kinkyū desu)
I'm lost. 
迷子です。 (maigo desu)
I lost my bag. 
かばんをなくしました。 (kaban o nakushimashita)
I dropped my wallet. 
財布をおとしました。 (saifu o otoshimashita)
I'm sick. 
病気です。 (byōki desu)
I've been injured. 
けがしました。 (kega shimashita)
Please call a doctor. 
 医者を呼んでください。 (isha o yonde kudasai)
Can I use your phone? 
電話を使っていいですか? (denwa o tsukatte iidesuka)

Guide to Japanese Pronunciation

Japanese is not a tonal language like Chinese or Thai, and is comparatively easy to pronounce.

Japanese Pronunciation Vowels

Japanese has both short and long vowels and the distinction is often important. In romanized
Japanese, long vowels are marked with a macron, so that ō represents "long O".

Japanese characters (ひらがな)

  a i u e 0

  あ い う え お

k か き く け こ

s さ し す せ そ

t た (ち) (つ) て と

n な に ぬ ね の

h は ひ ふ へ ほ

m ま み む め も

y や   ゆ   よ

r ら り る れ ろ

w わ       を

ん (n)

g が ぎ ぐ げ ご

z ざ じ ず ぜ ぞ

d だ (ぢ) (づ) で ど

b ば び ぶ べ ぼ

p ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ

ky きゃ 　 きゅ 　 きょ

sy しゃ 　 しゅ 　 しょ

ty (ちゃ) 　 (ちゅ) 　 （ちょ）

hy ひゃ 　 ひゅ 　 ひょ

gy ぎゃ 　 ぎゅ 　 ぎょ

zy じゃ 　 じゅ 　 じょ

by びゃ 　 びゅ 　 びょ

ch ちゃ ち ちゅ 　 ちょ

j じゃ じ じゅ 　 じょ

sh しゃ し しゅ 　 しょ

ts 　 　 つ 　  
 f 　 　 ふ 　 　

a あ/ア 
like 'a' in "father"
i い/イ 
like 'i' in "machine"
u う/ウ 
like 'oo' in "hoop"
e え/エ 
like 'e' in "set"
o お/オ 
like 'o' in "rope"
n ん/ン 
short 'n' at the end of a syllable, pronounced as 'm' before 'b', 'p' or 'm'.

Note that "u" is often weak at the end of syllables. In particular, the common endings -desu and
-masu are pronounced as "des'" and "mas'" respectively.

Japanese Pronunciation Consonants

k かきくけこ 
like 'k' in "king"
g 
like 'g' in "go"
s 
like 's' in "sit"
z 
like 'z' in "haze"
t 
like 't' in "top"
d 
like 'd' in "dog"
n 
like 'n' in "nice"
h 
like 'h' in "help"
p 
like 'p' in "pig"
b 
like 'b' in "bed"
m 
like 'm' in "mother"
y 
like 'y' in "yard"
r 
like 'r' in "row" (actually a sound between 'l' and 'r', but closer to 'r')
w 
like 'w' in "wall"
ch 
(t before i) like 'ch' in "touch"
sh 
(s before i) like 'sh' in "sheep"
ts 
(t before u) like 'ts' in "hot soup"
f 
(h before u) like 'f' in "far"
j 
(d before i) like 'j' in "jar"