Japanese For Dummies

Numbers in Japanese

One of the most basic skills in picking up any new language, including Japanese, is learning to count. The following table shows Japanese numbers from 1 to 20 and select higher numbers along with the pronunciation in parentheses.

Polite Phrases in Japanese

The Japanese place a premium on politeness, so it follows that the Japanese language includes key phrases to keep conversation on a polite footing. The following list sets out common courteous phrases and questions:

• Excuse me. Chotto sumimasen (choht-toh soo-mee-mah-sehn)

• I’m sorry. Dōmo sumimasen. (dohh-moh soo-mee-mah-sehn)

• Is it okay? Iidesu ka. (eee deh-soo kah)

• Thank you very much. Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu. (dohh-moh ah-ree-gah-tohh goh-zah-ee-mah-soo)

Japanese Phrases for Meeting and Greeting

The whole point of learning Japanese is to be able to converse, right? And, before you can carry on a conversation with someone, you have to meet them. The phrases in the following list are ones you need when you’re meeting and greeting in Japanese.

• How do you do? Hajimemashite. (hah-jee-meh-mah-shee-teh)

• I’m pleased to meet you. Dōzo yoroshiku. (dohh-zoh yoh-roh-shee-koo)

• My name is Eriko. Watashi no namae wa Eriko desu. (wah-tah-shee noh nah-mah-eh wah Eriko deh-soo)

• What’s your name? O-namae wa? (oh-nah-mah-eh wah)

• Good morning! Ohayō gozaimasu! (oh-hah-yohh goh-zah-ee-mah-soo)

• Good afternoon! Konnichiwa! (kohn-nee-chee-wah)

• Good evening! Konbanwa! (kohn-bahn-wah)

• Good night. Oyasuminasai. (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sah-ee)

• See you again. Jā, mata. (jahh, mah-tah)

• Good-bye. Sayōnara. (sah-yohh-nah-rah)

How to Ask Questions in Japanese

As you travel in Japan and speak Japanese to everyone you meet, you need to ask questions. The standard who, what, when, where and why are in the following list along with a few other useful questions in Japanese.

• How? Dō desu ka? (dohh deh-soo kah)

• How much? Ikura desu ka? (ee-koo-rah deh-soo kah)

• What? Nan desu ka? (nahn deh-soo kah)

• What happened? Dō shimashita ka? (dohh shee-mah-shee-tah kah)

• What time? Nan-ji desu ka? (nahn-jee deh-soo kah)

• When? Itsu desu ka? (ee-tsoo deh-soo kah)

• Where? Doko desu ka? (doh-koh deh-soo kah)

• Which one? Dore desu ka? (doh-reh deh-soo kah)

• Who? Dare desu ka? (dah-reh deh-soo kah)

• Why? Dōshite desu ka? (dohh-shee-teh deh-soo kah)

Japanese Noun Particles

English has articles and prepositions, Japanese has noun particles to convey the subject of the sentence, the start point, end point, and direction of the action, and even the subject of the sentence. The following table shows the Japanese particles with pronunciation in parentheses, their English equivalent, if they have one, and their role.

Japanese Verb Forms

To understand any language, including Japanese, you need to know verbs — the words that convey action. And just as English verbs have a few eccentricities, it pays to keep a few facts in mind when you’re dealing with Japanese verbs:

• Present and future tenses use the same verb form, so taberu means “I eat” and “I will eat.”

• You don’t conjugate according to person. It doesn’t matter who’s eating — you use taberu for Ieat, you eat, he or she eats, we eat, and they eat.

• Use the stem form if you’re adding a suffix to show politeness or another condition.

• Use the te-form if you are adding another verb or an auxiliary verb to the main verb.

In Japanese, you don’t conjugate verbs according to person, but you use different forms for present and past tenses, for affirmative and negative statements, for formal and informal speech, and to convey respect. The following table shows the various forms of taberu, to eat: