Japanese Articles

Article / Updated 12-09-2021

When traveling in Japan, the words and phrases you'll use most frequently will be the common Japanese greetings (gashi). These Japanese greetings and goodbyes will quickly become second nature because you use them day in and day out with everyone you come across. In Japan, greetings are given great importance. It is considered rude to fail to greet someone or even to greet them in a lazy or offhand manner. The most common ways to greet someone in Japan are: Konnichiwa (Hi; Good afternoon.) Ohayō gozaimasu/Ohayō (Good morning [formal/informal]) Konbanwa (Good evening) Say Ohayō gozaimasu to your superior instead of Ohayō. And don't forget to bow when you greet them. As you've probably noticed, people in Japan also greet each other by bowing. A small head nod is a considered casual and is used when greeting family or friends. When greeting a superior, it is a sign of respect to use a deep, longer bow: roughly a 90-degree bend at the waist. Most Japanese people don't expect foreign travelers to understand bowing etiquette and so will usually accept a nod of the head or a handshake. How to ask "how are you?" How many times a day do you hear or say "How are you?" or "How's it going?" at the beginning of your conversations? So many times, in fact, that half the time, you don't even pay attention. These pleasantries are common in Japan as well. The Japanese phrase equivalent to “How are you?” is Genki desu ka, which literally means “Are you well?” Other common ways to ask how someone is doing are: Hajimemashite? (How do you do?) O-genki desu ka? (How are you? [formal]) Genki? (How are you? [informal]) Maiku-san wa? (How about you, Mike?) Responding to "how are you?" As you'd expect, when someone asks you how you're doing, there are many possible responses, such as: Hai, genki desu. (Yes, I'm fine.) Ē, māmā desu. (Well, so-so.) Hai, watashi mo genki desu. (Yes, I'm fine, too.) The particle mo in Watashi mo genki desu means "also." How to say goodbye in Japanese There are many ways to say goodbye in Japanese, such as: Mata ashita. (See you tomorrow.) Sayōnara. (Goodbye.) Oyasumi nasai. (Good night.) Say Shitsurei shimasu when you're parting from your superior. It literally means "I will be rude," but the general idea is to say "Excuse my rudeness of leaving you."

Article / Updated 11-08-2021

When making plans, appointments, and travel arrangements in Japanese-speaking countries, you need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Japanese. Understanding the days of the week, the months of the year, and how to tell time in Japanese can help you to avoid confusion. Days of the week The Japanese names for the days of the week all end with yōbi. Japanese Pronunciation English getsuyôbi geh-tsoo-yooo-bee Monday kayôbi kah-yooo-bee Tuesday suiyôbi soo-ee-yooo-bee Wednesday mokuyôbi moh-coo-yooo-bee Thursday kinyôbi keen-yooo-bee Friday doyôbi doh-yooo-bee Saturday nichiyôbi nee-chee-yooo-bee Sunday Other phrases used to indicate the days of the week include: kyō (kyohh) (today) kinō (kee-nohh) (yesterday) ashita (ah-shee-tah) (tomorrow) In Japanese, the words for the months of the year are based on the numbers 1–12 and end in the Japanese word for month: gatsu. ichi-gatsu (ee-chee-gah-tsoo) (January) ni-gatsu (nee-gah-tsoo) (February) san-gatsu (sahn-gah-tsoo) (March) shi-gatsu (shee-gah-tsoo) (April) go-gatsu (goh-gah-tsoo) (May) roku-gatsu (roh-coo-gah-tsoo) (June) shichi-gatsu (shee-chee-gah-tsoo) (July) hachi-gatsu (hah-chee-gah-tsoo) (August) ku-gatsu (coo-gah-tsoo) (September) jū-gatsu (juuu-gah-tsoo) (October) jūichi-gatsu (juuu-ee-chee-gah-tsoo) (November) jūni-gatsu (juuu-ni-gah-tsoo) (December) Days of the month When referring to the days of the month in Japanese, you'll see that they are full of irregularities: Days of the Month tsuitachi the first futsuka the second mikka the third yokka the fourth itsuka the fifth muika the sixth nanoka the seventh yôka the eighth Kokonoka the ninth tôka the tenth jûichi-nichi the 11th jûni-nichi the 12th jûsan-nichi the 13th jûyokka the 14th jûgo-nichi the 15th jûroku-nichi the 16th jûshichi-nichi the 17th jûhachi-nichi the 18th jûku-nichi the 19th hatsuka the 20th nijûichi-nichi the 21st nijûni-nichi the 22nd nijûsan-nichi the 23rd nijûyokka the 24th nijûgo-nichi the 25th nijûroku-nichi the 26th nijûshichi-nichi the 27th nijûhachi-nichi the 28th nijûku-nichi the 29th sanjû-nichi the 30th sanjûichi-nichi the 31st You can use the following phrases as a guide when talking about dates in Japanese: Kyō wa nan-nichi desu ka? (What is today's date?) Kyō wa jūroku-nichi desu. (Today is the 16th.) Kyō wa nanyōbi desu ka? (What day is it today?) Getsuyōbi desu. (It's Monday.) Telling time The time of day can be described in general terms or specific times. The following words can be used to describe the general time of day: asa (ah-sah) (morning) hiru (hee-roo) (noon) gogo (goh-goh) (afternoon) ban (bahn) (evening) yoru (yoh-roo) (night) When expressing time between the hours, use these terms to break things down: ji (o'clock) jikan (hour) gozen (a.m.) gogo (p.m.) yíkèzhōng (quarter hour) fun (minute) byō (second) han (half) Japanese commonly uses the 24-hour clock for all official listings, such as plane and train schedules. For every hour after noon, just add an hour. So, 2:15 p.m. is 14:15 (jūyo-ji jūgo-fun). When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask, "Ima nan-ji desu ka?" (What time is it now?) The following are some examples of specific times. On the Clock ichi-ji 1 o'clock ni-ji 2 o'clock san-ji 3 o'clock yo-ji 4 o'clock go-ji 5 o'clock roku-ji 6 o'clock shichi-ji 7 o'clock hachi-ji 8 o'clock ku-ji 9 o'clock jû-ji 10 o'clock jûichi-ji 11 o'clock jûni-ji 12 o'clock shichi-ji jûgo-fun 7:15 jûichi-ji go-fun mae 10:55 (5 minutes to 11) gozen jûichi-ji 11 a.m. You can use the following phrases as a guide when talking about time in Japanese: Jūichi-ji jūgo-fun desu. (It's 11:15.) Nan-ji kara desu ka? (From what time?) Nan-ji made desu ka? (Until what time?) Ni-ji kara go-ji made desu. (It's from 2 to 5.) Nan-ji ni demasu ka? (At what time are you leaving?) San-ji ni demasu. (I'll leave at 3.) Nan-jikan kakarimasu ka? (How many hours does it take?) Ni-jikan kakarimasu. (It takes two hours.)

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-11-2021

If you're learning Japanese, you need the basics — numbers, questions, and phrases—for meeting, greeting, and being polite. In Japanese, verbs change according to whether they're negative or affirmative but not according to the person who's the subject of the action. Japanese also has particles rather than the articles and prepositions of English — all of which adds up to a fascinating learning experience.

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Learning the proper way to make introductions in Japanese can help you get off to the right start. The Japanese language is more formal than American English. Consequently, introductions in Japanese follow more of a pattern than they sometimes do in the United States. If you know someone who can introduce you to the others in a group that is best. But if you don't know anyone, you can always introduce yourself. Say Totsuzen desu ga, jiko shōkai sasete kudasai (Pardon me, may I introduce myself.) to get things started. Start with a greeting. The simplest greeting is Konnichiwa, which means Hello or Good Afternoon. Introduce yourself. The two most common ways to introduce yourself are Watashi no namae wa __________ desu. (My name is __________.) or Watashi wa Sumisu __________ desu (I'm __________.). Inquire about his or her name. Use the more formal form because you're meeting the person for the first time: O-namae wa nan desu ka. (What's your name?) O-namae wa? (Your name?) Place a respectful title after other people's names, but not after your own name. San is the most commonly used respectful title placed after other people's family names or given names, regardless of their gender or marital status. Sama is a formal respectful title that you use after family names of your clients, customers, or those to whom respect is due. When addressing your superiors, place their job titles, if available, after their family name, instead of using respectful titles. After they tell you their name you should express pleasure. Common ways to express this are Yoroshiku. (Nice to meet you.) Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. (It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. These steps cover the basic introduction process. But you don't need to stop; there you could also take this opportunity to talk about where each of you is from. To tell them where you're from, say Amerika kara desu. (I'm from America.) To ask where the person is from, you can say Dochira kara desu ka. (Where are you from?) If you want to talk about where you live on the other hand, you can say Doko ni sunde imasu ka. (Where do you live?) Put the steps together and see how it comes together in a conversation. Angela: Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa Angela desu. (Hello. My name is Angela.) Kenji: Watashi wa Kenji desu. (I'm Kenji.) Angela: Yoroshiku. (Nice to meet you!) Kenji: Kochira koso. (Likewise.) Angela: Watashi wa Amerikajin desu. Dochira kara desu ka. (I'm American. Where are you from?) Kenji: Shusshin wa Tōkyō desu. Ôsaka de sodachimashita. (I was born in Tokyo. I grew up in Osaka.) Amerika no dochira kara desu ka. (Where in the United States are you from?) Angela: San Furanshisuko kara desu. (I'm from San Francisco.) Kenji-san, kochira wa watashi no tomodachi desu. Steven-san desu. (Kenji, this is my friend. This is Steven.) Kenji: Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. (It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.) Steven: Kochira koso. (Likewise.)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Phrases of gratitude and apology are the most important and essential phrases in Japanese. Suppose a stranger holds a door open for you when you're entering a building. What do you say? Suppose you accidentally step on someone's foot. How do you say I'm sorry? This articles answers these questions. Showing gratitude You may already know the Japanese word arigato (ah-ree-gah-tohh; thanks), but did you know that you can use it only with family, friends, co-workers, subordinates, or strangers who look easy-going and younger than you? When talking to teachers, bosses, strangers who look older than you, and strangers who look as if they're not so easy-going, don't say arigato to mean thank you, say one of the following: Arigato gozaimasu. (ah-ree-gah-tohh-goh-zah-ee-mah-soo) Domo arigato gozaimasu. (dohh-moh ah-ree-gah-tohh goh-zah-ee-mah-soo) Domo. (dohh-moh) The easiest phrase of gratitude is domo — an adverb that literally means indeed or very much but can be understood as thank you. It's a short, convenient, and yet polite phrase of gratitude that can be used in any context. If you want to express a greater-than-normal degree of gratitude, you can use one of the longer, more fully-spelled-out phrases, like Arigato gozaimasu or Domo arigato gozaimasu. Apologizing To apologize for something you've done or for causing someone pain or inconvenience, say Domo sumimasen (dohh-moh soo-mee-mah-sehn; I'm very sorry.) or just Sumimasen in Japanese. Domo is an interesting adverb. Its function is to make you sound serious, and it can be used with either Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you) or Sumimasen (I'm sorry.). If you just say domo by itself, it's interpreted as thank you, but not as sorry. So, watch out! In an informal context, Gomennasai (goh-mehn-nah-sah-ee; Sorry) is just fine. To get someone's attention, say Chotto sumimasen (choht-toh soo-mee-mah-sehn; Excuse me a little)or just Sumimasen. You may have noticed that Sumimasen means both I'm sorry and Excuse me, but the context and your facial expression will clarify which one you mean. Japanese even say Sumimasen in contexts where English speakers would say Thank you, as if to say Excuse me for making you feel that you had to go to all that trouble. Talkin' the Talk Paul bumps into a woman at the airport. Woman: Itai. ee-tah-ee. Ouch! Paul: A, domo sumimasen. Daijobu desu ka. ahh, dohh-moh soo-mee-mah-sehn. dah-ee-johh-boo deh-soo kah. Oh, I'm sorry. Are you all right? Woman: E, daijobu desu. ehh, dah-ee-johh-boo deh-soo. Yes, I'm fine. Paul picks up the little package on the floor right behind the woman. Paul: Kore wa otaku no desu ka. koh-reh wah oh-tah-koo noh deh-soo kah. Is this yours? Woman: Hai, so desu. Watashi no desu. Domo. hah-ee, sohh deh-soo. wah-tah-shee noh deh-soo. dohh-moh. Yes, it is. It's mine. Thank you. Words to Know Arigato ah-ree-gah-tohh Thanks Chotto sumimasen. choht-toh soo-mee-mah-sehn Excuse me. Daijobu desu ka. dah-ee-johh-boo deh-soo kah Are you okay? Domo dohh-mo Thank you Domo sumimasen. dohh-moh soo-mee-mah-sehn I'm sorry. Gomennasai goh-mehn-nah-sah-ee Sorry

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Choosing the right hoteru (hoh-teh-roo; hotel) can make any trip you take more enjoyable. Each day of your adventure starts and ends at the hotel. In the morning, a good hotel offers you a refreshing breakfast, and at night, it offers you a comfortable bed. Hopefully, the clerks at the furonto (foo-rohn-toh; front desk) are kind and helpful. Having a great experience at a hoteru can help make your trip a success. Checking into a hotel As soon as you tsuku (tsoo-koo; arrive) at a Japanese hotel, a bôi-san (bohh-ee-sahn; bell hop) helps you with your baggage. (If you're in Japan, there's no need to tip him. Isn't that amazing?) Conjugate the verb tsuku (tsoo-koo; to arrive). It's a u-verb. Form Pronunciation tsuku tsoo-koo tsukanai tsoo-kah-nah-ee tsuki tsoo-kee tsuite tsoo-ee-teh Go to the furonto (foo-rohn-toh; front desk). If you don't have a reservation, ask them whether they have an akibeya (ah-kee-beh-yah; vacancy). You can say Akibeya wa arimasu ka (ah-kee-beh-yah wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah; Any vacancies?). If you have a reservation or they have a vacancy, chekku-in suru (chehk-koo-een soo-roo; check in). Hotel clerks are trained to speak very politely. If you're in Japan, a hotel clerk will address you with your name and -sama (sah-mah; Mr./Ms.), which is the super-polite, business-like version of -san (sahn). The clerk will probably give you a yôshi (yohh-shee; form). Write your namae (nah-mah-eh; name), jûsho (jooo-shoh; address), and denwa-bangô (dehn-wah-bahn-gohh; telephone number) on it. If the clerk asks, show him or her your pasupôto (pah-soo-pohh-toh; passport). Finally, get a kagi (kah-gee; key) for your heya (heh-yah; room). Which floor is your room on? Is it on the nana-kai (nah-nah-kah-ee; seventh floor) or on the 37-kai (sahn-jooo-nah-nah-kah-ee; 37th floor)? Specify your floor using a numeral plus the counter -kai. Which room is yours? Refer to your room using a numeral plus the counter-gôshitsu (gohh-shee-tsoo).Is it 502-gôshitsu (goh-hyah-koo-nee-gohh-shee-tsoo; room #502) or 2502-gôshitsu (nee-sehn-goh-hyah-koo-nee-gohh-shee-tsoo; room #2502)? As you check in, you may want to ask where the parking garage is, whether the hotel has room service, and how to get a wake-up call. You may want to request kurîningu sâbisu (koo-reee-neen-goo sahh-bee-soo; laundry service) or use the hotel kinko (keen-koh; safe) to store your valuables. Ask all of your questions when you check in so that you can neru (neh-roo; sleep) well. Some or all of the following phrases may come in handy: Chekku-auto wa nan-ji desu ka. (chehk-koo-ah-oo-toh wah nahn-jee deh-soo kah; When is checkout time?) Chôshoku wa tsuite imasu ka. (chohh-shoh-koo wah tsoo-ee-teh ee-mah-soo kah; Is breakfast included?) Chûshajô wa doko desu ka. (chooo-shah-johh wah doh-koh deh-soo kah; Where is the parking garage?) Watashi ni dengon wa arimasen ka. (wah-tah-shee nee dehn-gohn wah ah-ree-mah-sehn kah; Are there any messages for me?) Rûmu sâbisu wa arimasu ka. (rooo-moo sahh-bee-soo wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah; Do you offer room service?) Ashita no roku-ji ni môningu kôru o onegaishimasu. (ah-shee-tah noh roh-koo-jee nee mohh-neen-goo kohh-roo oh oh-neh-gah-ee-shee-mah-soo; Give me a morning wake-up call at six o'clock tomorrow, please.) Conjugate the verb neru (neh-roo; to sleep). It's a ru-verb. Form Pronunciation neru neh-roo nenai neh-nah-ee ne neh nete neh-teh Words to Know chekku-in chehk-koo-een check-in -gôshitsu gohh-shee-tsoo room number [counter] kagi kah-gee key môningu kôru mohh-neen-goo kohh-roo wake-up call neru [ru] neh-roo to sleep rûmu sâbisu rooo-moo sahh-bee-soo room service tsuku [u] tsoo-koo to arrive Checking out of a hotel It's chekku-auto (chehk-koo-ah-oo-toh; checkout) time! Pack up your stuff and don't wasureru (wah-soo-reh-roo; forget) anything in your room. Go to the furonto (foo-rohn-toh; front desk) to chekku-auto and pay your bill. You may see some additional charges on your bill: denwaryô (dehn-wah-ryohh; telephone usage charge) inshokuryô (een-shoh-koo-ryohh; food and drink charge) kurîningudai (koo-reee-neen-goo-dah-ee; laundry charge) zêkin (zehh-keen; tax) If you need further assistance from the hotel staff after checking out, just ask them. Go-ji made nimotsu o azukatte kudasai. (goh-jee mah-deh nee-moh-tsoo oh ah-zoo-kaht-teh koo-dah-sah-ee; Please keep my baggage here until five o'clock.) Ryôshûsho o kudasai. (ryohh-shooo-shoh oh koo-dah-sah-ee; Please give me the receipt.) Takushî o yonde kudasai. (tah-koo-sheee oh yohn-deh koo-dah-sah-ee; Please call a taxi.) If the clerks can accommodate your request, they'll say kekkô desu (kehk-kohh deh-soo; it's good). Kekkô desu is the polite version of ii desu (eee deh-soo; it's good). Just be careful. Both kekkô desu and ii desu can mean either that's fine or no thank you, depending on the situation. If a clerk says kekkô desu as a reply to one of your requests, it means that's fine. But if someone says kekkô desu right after you offer him or her a drink, it means no thank you. By adding masen ka (mah-sehn kah)at the end of a request like tabete kudasai (tah-beh-teh koo-dah-sah-ee; eat please), you can make the request sound a bit softer and more polite. For example, tabete kudasai masen ka sounds much more polite than tabete kudasai. Masen is just a polite suffix in the negative form and ka is the question particle. It means something like Wouldn't you? or Would you mind? Use masenka when you ask a favor of a hotel clerk. Words to Know chekku-auto chehk-koo-ah-oo-toh checkout denwaryô dehn-wah-ryohh telephone usage charge harau [u] hah-rah-oo to pay inshokuryô een-shoh-koo-ryohh food and drink charge kurîningudai koo-reee-neen-goo-dah-ee laundry charge nimotsu nee-moh-tsoo luggage/baggage ryôshûsho ryohh-shooo-shoh receipt sêkyûsho sehh-kyooo-shoh bill

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Welcome to Japanese! To practice the language, work with your family, your close friends, or even your pets until you get the chance to talk with a Japanese person. The more you apply a language in your daily life, the better you grasp its essence. With this article, you can start forming a Japanese sentence in just five minutes — no joke! When you begin speaking in Japanese, don't be afraid of making mistakes and be sure to keep smiling. If you speak even a little bit of their language, Japanese people will open their hearts to you right away and appreciate your effort. Simply making the effort to communicate in another person's language is one of the best ways to act as an ambassador and contribute to international. Presenting the basic construction The basic word order in English is subject-verb-object, but the order in Japanese is subject-object-verb. Instead of saying I watched TV, you say I TV watched. Instead of saying I ate sushi, say I sushi ate. Now you know the pattern. So repeat after me: Put the verb at the end! Verb end! Verb end! Go ahead and try it! I sake drank, I karaoke did, and I money lost! Good, you the basic word order in Japanese have. Introducing particles Subject-object-verb is the basic word order in Japanese, but object-subject-verb is also okay. As long as the verb is at the end of the sentence, Japanese grammar teachers are happy. For example, if Mary invited John, you can say either Mary John invited or John Mary invited in Japanese. Like I said, as long as the verb is at the end, the order of other phrases doesn't matter. Although it sounds great, a smart person like you may be saying, "Wait a minute! How do you know who invited whom?" The secret is that Japanese use a little tag called a particle right after each noun phrase. The particle for the action performer is ga (gah), and the particle for the action receiver is o (oh). So, both of the following sentences mean Mary invited John: Marî ga Jon o sasotta. (mah-reee gah john oh sah-soht-tah) Jon o Marî ga sasotta. (john oh mah-reee gah sah-soht-tah) Actually, ga is the subject-marking particle, and o is the direct object-marking particle. They can't be translated into English. Sorry, it's just Japanese. Other Japanese particles include kara (kah-rah), made (mah-deh), ni (nee), de (deh), to (toh), and ka (kah). Luckily, they can be translated into English words like from, until, to, with, by, at, in, on, and, and or. But each particle is translated differently depending on the context. For example, the particle de corresponds to in, by, or with in English: Bosuton de benkyôsuru. (boh-soo-tohndeh behn-kyohh-soo-roo; I'll study in Boston.) Takushî de iku. (tah-koo-sheee deh ee-koo; I'll go by taxi.) Fôku de taberu. (fohh-koo deh tah-beh-roo; I eat with a fork.) Translation is not always the best way to figure out a foreign language, so remember the particles in terms of their general functions, not their exact English translations. Table 1 presents Japanese particles and their various meanings. Table 1: Particles Particle Translation General Function Example ga (gah) No English equivalent Specifies the subject of the sentence. Jon ga kita. (john gah kee-tah; John came.) o (oh) No English equivalent Specifies the direct object of the sentence. Mari ga Jon o sasotta. (mah-reee gah john oh sah-soht-tah; Mary invited John.) kara (kah-rah) from Specifies the starting point of the action. Ku-ji kara benkyoshita. (koo-jee kah-rah behn-kyohh-shee-tah; I studied from 9 o'clock.) made (mah-deh) until Specifies the ending point of the action. San-ji made benkyoshita. (sahn-jee mah-deh behn-kyohh-shee-tah; I studied until 3 o'clock.) ni (nee) to, on, at Specifies the target of the action. Nihon ni itta. (nee-hohn nee eet-tah; I went to Japan.) Tokyo ni tsuita. (tohh-kyohh nee tsoo-ee-tah; I arrived at Tokyo.) ni (nee) to, on, at Specifies the time of the event. San-ji ni tsuita. (sahn-jee nee tsoo-ee-tah; I arrived at 3 o'clock.) e (eh) to, toward Specifies the direction of the action. Tokyo e itta. (tohh-kyohh eh eet-tah; I went to/towards Tokyo.) de (deh) in, by, with, at Specifies how the action takes place; indicates the location, the manner, or the background condition of the action. Bosuton de benkyoshita. (boh-soo-tohn de behn-kyohh-shee-tah; I studied in Boston.) Takushi de itta. (tah-koo-sheee deh eet-tah; I went there by taxi.) Foku de tabeta. (fohh-koo deh tah-beh-tah; I ate with a fork.) no (noh) 's Creates a possessive phrase or a modifier phrase. Mari no hon (mah-reee noh hohn; Mary's book) nihongo no hon (nee-hon-goh noh hohn; a Japanese language book) to (toh) and, with Lists items. Sushi to sashimi o tabeta. (soo-shee toh sah-shee-mee oh tah-beh-tah; I ate sushi and sashimi.) to (toh) and, with Specifies an item with the same status as the subject noun. Jon ga Mari to utatta. (john gah mah-reee toh oo-taht-tah; John sang with Mary.) ka (kah) or Lists choices. Sushi ka sashimi o taberu. (soo-shee kah sah-shee-mee oh tah-beh-roo; I will eat sushi or sashimi.) You can have a bunch of particles in a sentence: Marî ga kuruma de Tôkyô e itta. (mah-reee gah koo-roo-mah deh tohh-kyohh eh eet-tah; Mary went to Tokyo by car.) Jon no otôsan kara bîru to osake to wain o moratta. (john noh oh-tohh-sahn kah-rah beee-roo toh oh-sah-keh toh wah-een oh moh-raht-tah; I received beer, sake, and wine from John's dad.) Japanese nouns need these particles; they don't need articles like a and the in English. Furthermore, there's no need to specify singular or plural. Tamago (tah-mah-goh) is either an egg or eggs. Telling the topic English doesn't have a topic phrase, but if you put a topic phrase at the beginning of whatever you say, you can sound a lot more like a native Japanese speaker. Japanese just love to mention topics at the beginning of their sentences. At the very beginning of a statement, clarify what you're talking about — state the topic of the sentence. You need to provide the listener with a heads up: What I will say from now is about topic, As for topic, or Speaking of topic. Use the particle wa (wah) to mark the topic word. Suppose you're talking about what you did yesterday. You start with the word for yesterday, kinô (kee-nohh), add wa after the word to alert the listener that yesterday is your topic, and then finish the sentence. The following sentences differ in what the speaker is talking about. The statement can be about what happened yesterday, about what happened to the teacher, or about what happened to John, depending on what precedes wa: Kinô wa sensê ga Jon o shikatta. (kee-nohh wah sehn-sehh gah john oh shee-kaht-tah; As for yesterday, what happened is that the teacher scolded John.) Sensê wa kinô Jon o shikatta. (sehn-sehh wah kee-nohh john oh shee-kaht-tah; As for the teacher, what he did yesterday was to scold John.) Jon wa sensê ga kinô shikatta. (john wah sehn-sehh gah kee-nohh shee-kaht-tah; As for John, what happened to him was that the teacher scolded him yesterday.) Any noun can be the topic. The subject noun can be the topic, and the object noun can be the topic too. When a noun is both the subject of the sentence and the topic of the sentence, you use only the topic particle wa — never ga wa — to mark the noun as both the subject and the topic.In the same way, when a noun is the direct object as well as the topic, mark it with just wa — never with both o and wa.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

An important form of Japanese courtesy is knowing how to refer to people. When meeting people in Japan, be sure to use the appropriate formal title. San is the most commonly used respectful title placed someone's first or last name, regardless of their gender or marital status. Sama is a more formal respectful title — use it after the family names of your clients, customers, or those to whom respect is due. san (a polite/neutral respectful title) Sumisu-san (Mr. Smith) Maikeru-san (Michael) Tanaka-san (Ms. Tanaka) Sandora-san (Sandra) sama (formal respectful title) Sumisu-sama (Mr. Smith) Tanaka-sama (Ms. Tanaka) Place a respectful title after the other people’s names, but not after your own name. When addressing your superiors at work or school, place their job titles after their family name instead of using respectful titles. For example, if Mr. Brown is your teacher, address him as Buraun-sensei (sensei means teacher) instead of Buraun-sama) Personal pronouns The next most common way to refer to people is by using personal pronouns. In Japanese, the pronouns (you and they) are complicated by gender and formality. You'll use slightly different variations of these words depending on who you are referring to and how well you know them. The personal pronouns in Japanese are Watashi (I) anata (you [singular]) kare (he) kanojo (she) watashi-tachi (we) anata-tachi (you [plural]) karera (they [M]) kanojora (they [F]) karera (they [M, F, or mixed group]) In Japanese conversations, pronouns are often dropped, and the use of anata especially is avoided. If anata can’t be dropped, it’s replaced by the person’s name. For example, instead of saying "Hey, Ken. Is this your book?" the Japanese say something like, "Hey, Ken. Is this Ken’s book?" It may sound strange to you, but it is perfectly fine and is preferred for Japanese. What to call family and friends It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary term for referring to people based on their age, gender, or relationship to you. In Japanese, family terms also have a plain form and a polite form. Use the plain form to refer to your own family members in front of others. Use the polite form to refer to someone else’s family members. For example, "my father" would be watashi no chichi and "Ms. Yamada’s father" would be Yamada-san no otōsan. And "My father met Ms. Yamada’s father" would be Watashi no chichi wa Yamada-san no otōsan ni aimashita. Plain forms and polite forms are also called humble forms and respectful forms. otoko no hito (man) otto/goshujin (husband) onna no hito (woman) tsuma/okusan (wife) otoko no ko (boy) onna no ko (girl) kazoku (family) kodomo/okosan (child [plain/polite]) chichi/otōsan (father [plain/polite]) haha/okāsan (mother [plain/polite]) musuko/musukosan (son [plain/polite]) musume/musumesan (daughter [plain/polite]) ani/onīsan (older brother [plain/polite]) otōto/otōtosan (younger brother [plain/polite]) ane/onēsan (older sister [plain/polite]) imōto/imōtosan (younger sister [plain/polite]) tomodachi (friend) In conversations, shujin is often used instead of otto to refer to one’s own husband, and kanai is often used instead of tsuma to refer to one’s own wife. However, when wives are talking to their husbands, they often address them with anata, which literally means "you," but actually means something like "honey" or "dear" in English. When addressing your older family members (other than your spouse), use the polite form. When addressing your younger family members or your spouse, use their first name or nickname. You really have to understand the difference between "addressing" and "referring to" to get this right. "Addressing" is when you’re talking to the person and calling him or her, mostly to get attention. "Referring" is when you aren’t talking to the person, but talking about him or her to someone else.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Know how to ask for help in Japanese before you have an actual emergency. Save valuable time in a crisis by knowing simple Japanese words and phrases to cover emergencies with illness or theft. The simplest way to ask for assistance is Tasukete! (tah-sue-keh-teh), which means Help! You can also use the phrase Tasukete kudasasimasen ka. (tah-sue-keh-teh coo-dah-sah-shee-ma-sen-ka) (Will you help me!) or Chotto tasukete kudasai. (Help me, please). Of course, you might need different kinds of help depending on the situation. Legal emergencies If you're experiencing a legal emergency of some kind, you want to ask for the police, which is keisatsu (kehh-sah-tsoo) in Japan. The following words and phrases might also come in handy. Keisatsukan (police officer) Dorobō (Thief!) Hittakuri ni aimashita. (I've been robbed.) Keisatsu o yonde kudasai. (Please call the police.) Ryōjikan wa doko desu ka. (Where is the consulate?) Taishikan no denwa bangō wa nan-ban desu ka? (What is the embassy's phone number?) Medical emergencies Most emergencies that happen in foreign countries are medical. The most efficient way to get the help you need is to know how to ask for the right kind of help and to be able to explain what's wrong. The following vocabulary words can help you get to the right person to assist you. To ask for a doctor say isha. To ask for a hospital say byōin. To call for an ambulance say kyuu-kyuu desu. To get medicine as for yakkyoku. To ask for a nurse say kangoshi. Once you are able to talk to the right person, you can use the following words to explain what's wrong. jiko (accident) byouki (sick) itami (pain) zutsuu (headache) kega (injury) ishiki fumei (unconscious) The following phrases might come in handy during an emergency. Tasukete kudasai. (Please help!) Chotto wakarimasen. (I don't know.) Iki ga dekimasen. (I can't breathe.) Byōin wa doko desu ka. (Where is a hospital?) Asupirin wa arimasu ka. (Do you have any aspirin?) Atama ga itai desu. (I have a headache.) Iki ga dekimasen. (I cannot breathe.) Kanojo wa kaidan kara ochimashita. (She fell down the stairs.) Kare wa kibun ga warukute, netsu ga arimasu. netsu ga arimasu. (He is feeling sick and has a high fever.) Byōin wa doko desu ka. (Where is the hospital?) Dono byōin ga ichiban chikai desu ka. (Which hospital is the closest?) Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai. (Please call the ambulance.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Develop a Japanese shopping vocabulary to gain a new cultural experience when traveling. Whether you're shopping for clothes, food, or souvenirs, you can use the following Japanese phrases to help you find just the right thing. The following phrases will be useful no matter what kind of shopping you plan on doing. Are ga ii desu. (I like that one over there.) Îe, ii desu. (No thank you.) Irasshaimase! (Welcome!) Nani o o-sagashi desu ka. (What are you looking for?) Ikura? (How much?) Shopping in Japan doesn't need to be expensive. There are a number of 100-yen shops throughout Japan that offer great prices on a wide variety of products. Daiso is one of the most popular 100-yen shop chains. The following words can be used in a variety of shopping situations. o-kane (money) genkin (cash) kurejitto kâdo (credit card) takai (expensive) ôkii desu (big; tall; large) genka (price) chîsai desu (small) kaban (bag) Places to shop Many people think of Japan as a shopping mecca. You can find a wide variety of stores that sell everything from traditional products and antiques to the latest electronic gadgets. The first step to a successful shopping expedition is to know where to shop. But if you need to go to a specific kind of store, the following terms can help. mise (store) Shobou (bookstore) Doraggusutoa (drugstore) Konbini (convenience store) Disukauntosutoa (discount store) depâto (department store) sôpâmâketto (supermarket) kanbutsuya (grocery store) Grocery shopping There are a variety of types of stores in Japan where people go grocery shopping. They range from small Mom and Pop stores in the residential neighborhoods to larger supermarkets and even a Costco or two in the larger towns. The following words can help you when shopping for food. kôhî (kohh-heee) (coffee) gyûnyû (gyooo-nyooo) (milk) bîru (beee-roo) (beer) wain (wah-een) (wine) o-kome (oh-koh-meh) (uncooked rice) niku (nee-koo) (meat) butaniku (boo-tah-nee-koo) (pork) toriniku (toh-ree-nee-koo) (chicken) sakana (sah-kah-nah) (fish) tamago (eggs) yasai (yah-sah-ee) (vegetables) kudamono (koo-dah-moh-noh) (fruit) pan (pahn) (bread) Japanese nouns don't have a singular/plural distinction or a masculine/feminine distinction. They are also not preceded by an article like a or the. You may wonder how the Japanese would know whether you want one fish or multiple fish when they hear you order sakana (fish). Actually, the only way to distinguish the number of the items you want is to either guess from the context or ask Ikura (how many?). Clothes shopping In Japan, most clothing is sold at either department stores (called depâto) or discount stores (Disukauntosutoa). The following words and phrases can help you shop for clothing in Japan. Kuroi doresu o sagashite imasu. (I am looking for a black dress.) Kore wa ikaga desu ka. (How about this one?) Ikaga is the polite version of the question word dô (how). Are ga ii desu. (I like that one over there.) Kite mite mo ii desu ka. (May I try it on?) Shichakushitsu wa doko desu ka. (Where is the fitting room?) Kore wa chîsasugimasu. (This one is too small.) Kore wa ôkisugimasu. (This one is too big.) Kore no eru-saizu wa arimasu ka. (Do you have this in size large?) Kore o kudasai. (I'll take this one.) Kore o onegai shimasu. (This one, please.) Kono shatsu wa ikura desu ka. (How much is this shirt?) Kono sukââto o kudasai. (I would like to purchase this skirt.) Kono tokei wa takai desu. (This watch is expensive.) Kurejitto kâdo de haratte mo ii desu ka. (May I pay by credit card?) Kore o henpin shite mo ii desu ka. (May I return this item?) Sçru wa itsu kara desu ka. (When will the sale start?) Many Japanese department stores offer huge discount sales during the two biggest gift-giving seasons: the months of June and July (O'chugen) and December and January (O'seibo). wanpîsu (wahn-peee-soo) (dress) bôshi (bohh-shee) (hat) shatsu (shah-tsoo) (shirt) burausu (boo-rah-oo-soo) (blouse) sûtsu (sooo-tsoo) suit jînzu (jeeen-zoo) (jeans) zubon (zoo-bohn) pants sçtâ (sehh-tahh) sweater jaketto (jah-keht-toh) jacket kutsu (koo-tsoo) shoe Common colors The following words describe the most common colors. Some colors are expressed by adjectives, although others are expressed by nouns. kuroi desu (black) aoi desu (blue) akai desu (red) shiroi desu (white) kiiroi desu (yellow) midori (green)