Japanese phrasebookImage:Chingodo_Lanterns.JPG|thumb|240px|Japanese writing on a temple lantern, Tokyo/Asakusa|Asakusa, Tokyo '''Japanese''' (??? ''nihongo'') is spoken in Japan, and essentially nowhere else. The language is distinct from Chinese phrasebook|Chinese and Korean phrasebook|Korean, although the written form uses Chinese (''kanji'') characters, and is not known to be related to any other language. ==Grammar== Japanese generally employs a subject-object-verb order, using particles to mark the grammatical functions of the words: ???????????? ''watashi-ga hamburger-o taberu'', "I-''subject'' hamburger-''object'' eat". It is common to omit subjects and even objects if these are clear from previous context. Verbs and adjectives conjugate by tense and politeness level, but not by person or number. There is no verb "to be" as such, but the polite copula ''desu'' can be used in most cases: ''John desu'' ("I am John"), ''Ringo desu'' ("This is an apple"), ''Akai desu'' ("It is red"), etc. Note that the exact meaning will depend on the implied subject! The good news is that Japanese has none of the following: gender, declensions or plurals. Nouns never conjugate and almost all verbs are regular. ==Reading and writing== Reading and writing Japanese are advanced skills which take years of work to gain much real proficiency. Japanese themselves use three different writing systems of various complexity, two of which (''hiragana''' and ''katakana'') are syllabic and relatively easy to learn with 50 characters each, but the clincher is the set of over 2000 Chinese characters known as ''kanji''. The set of ''hiragana'' characters is illustrated below. There are also several competing systems for rendering Japanese in the Latin alphabet, although the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepburn Hepburn] system is the most common and is used on Wikitravel as well. Do not be surprised if you see these words romanized differently elsewhere. ==Pronunciation guide== Japanese is not a tonal language like Chinese or Thai, and is comparatively easy to pronounce. ===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 '''o''' represents "long O". {| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center;float:right;" |+Hiragana characters (????) |- style="background-color:#CCCCCC;" ! !!a!!i!!u!!e!!o |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"| ||? a||? i||? u||? e||? o |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|k||? ka||? ki||? ku||? ke||? ko |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|s||? sa||? shi||? su||? se||? so |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|t||? ta||? chi||? tsu||? te||? to |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|n||? na||? ni||? nu||? ne||? no |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|h||? ha||? hi||? fu||? he||? ho |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|m||? ma||? mi||? mu||? me||? mo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|y||? ya|| ||? yu|| ||? yo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|r||? ra||? ri||? ru||? re||? ro |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|w||? wa|| || || ||? (w)o |- ! colspan=6|? n |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|g||? ga||? gi||? gu||? ge||? go |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|z||? za||? ji||? zu||? ze||? zo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|d||? da||? ji||? zu||? de||? do |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|b||? ba||? bi||? bu||? be||? bo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|p||? pa||? pi||? pu||? pe||? po |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|ky||?? kya|| ||?? kyu|| ||?? kyo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|sh||?? sha|| ||?? shu|| ||?? sho |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|ch||?? cha|| ||?? chu|| ||?? cho |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|hy||?? hya|| ||?? hyu|| ||?? hyo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|gy||?? gya|| ||?? gyu|| ||?? gyo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|j||?? ja|| ||?? ju|| ||?? jo |- ! style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"|by||?? bya|| ||?? byu|| ||?? byo |} ; a ?/? : like 'a' in "f'''a'''ther" ; i ?/? : like 'i' in "mach'''i'''ne" ; u ?/? : like 'oo' in "h'''oo'''p" ; e ?/? : like 'e' in "s'''e'''t" ; o ?/? : like 'o' in "r'''o'''pe" ; n ?/? : 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. ===Consonants=== ; k ????? : 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" ===Particles=== Japanese uses certain hiragana characters as particles which mark the grammatical function of a word or phrase in a sentence. Some hiragana are pronounced differently when used as a particle. *? (topic marker) is pronounced '''''wa''''' *? (direction marker) is pronounced '''''e''''' *? (direct object marker) is pronounced '''''o''''' ===Accent and intonation=== Avoid placing too much emphasis on particular words or syllables. Japanese does have stress and intonation, but it is significantly flatter than English. Mastering word stress is a more advanced topic and neglecting it at this point should not interfere with meaning. Just trying to keep your intonation relatively flat will make your attempts to speak Japanese more comprehensible to local listeners. When asking questions, you can raise the tone at the end, as in English. ==Phrase list== {{infobox|What part of "no" don't you understand?|The Japanese are famously reluctant to say the word "no", and in fact the language's closest equivalent, ??? ''iie'', is largely limited to denying compliments you have received. ("Your Japanese is excellent! "''Iie'', it is very bad!"). But there are numerous other ways of expressing "no", so here are a few to watch out for. ; ????? ????? ''Ii desu. Kekko desu.'' : "It's good/excellent." Used when you don't want more beer, don't want your ''bento'' lunch microwaved, and generally are happy to keep things as they are. Accompany with teeth-sucking and handwaving to be sure to get your point across. ; ???????????? ''Chotto muzukashii desu...'' : Literally "it's a little difficult", but in practice "it's completely impossible." Often just abbreviated to sucking in air through teeth, saying "chotto" and looking pained. Take the hint. ; ???????????? ''Moshiwakenai desukedo...'' : "This is inexcusable but..." But no. Used by sales clerks and such to tell you that you cannot do or have something. ; ????? ''Dame desu.'' : "It's no good." Used by equals and superiors to tell you that you cannot do or have something. ; ????? ''Chigaimasu.'' : "It is different." What they really mean is "you're wrong". The casual form ''chigau'' and the Kansai contraction ''chau'' are also much used. }} ===Basics=== ; Hello. : ?????? Konnichiwa. (''kon-nee-chee-WAH'') ; How are you? : ??????? O-genki desu ka? (''oh-GEN-kee dess-KAH?'') ; Fine, thank you. : ????? Genki desu. (''GEN-kee dess'') ; What is your name? : ????????? O-namae wa nan desu ka? (''oh-NAH-mah-eh wah NAHN dess-KAH?'') ; My name is ____ . : ????? ____ ??? Watashi no namae wa ____ desu. (''wah-TAH-shee no nah-mah-eh wa ____ dess'') ; Nice to meet you. : ?????? Hajimemashite. (''hah-jee-meh-MOSH-teh'') ; Please. (request) : ??????? Onegai shimasu. (''oh-neh-gigh shee-moss'') ; Please. (offer) : ???? Dozo. (''DOH-zo'') ; Thank you. : ????????? Domo arigato. (''doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh'') ; You're welcome. : ????????? Do itashi mashite. (''doh EE-tah-shee mosh-teh'') ; Yes. : ??? Hai. (''HIGH'') ; No. : ???? Iie. (''EE-eh'') ; Excuse me. : ?????? Sumimasen. (''soo-mee-mah-sen'') ; I'm sorry. : ?????? Gomen-nasai. (''goh-men-nah-sigh'') ; Goodbye. (long-term) : ?????? Sayonara. (''sa-YOH-nah-rah'') ; Goodbye. (''informal'') : ????? Sore dewa. (''SOH-reh deh-wah'') ; I can't speak Japanese [well]. : ????????????? Nihongo [yoku] hanasemasen. (''nee-hohn-goh [yo-koo] hah-nah-seh-mah-sen'') ; Do you speak English? : ????????? Eigo o hanasemasuka? (''AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?'') ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : ???????????? Dareka eigo o hanasemasuka? (''dah-reh-kah AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?'') ; Help! : ????! Tasukete! (''tah-soo-keh-teh!'') ; Look out! : ????! Abunai! (''ah-boo-NIGH!'') ; Good morning. : ?????????? Ohayo gozaimasu. (''oh-hah-YOH go-zigh-moss'') ; Good evening. : ?????? Konbanwa. (''kohm-bahn-wah'') ; Good night (''to sleep'') : ???????? Oyasuminasai. (''oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh'') ; I don't understand. : ??????? Wakarimasen. (''wah-kah-ree-mah-sen'') ; Where is the toilet? : ?????????? Toire wa doko desu ka? (''toy-reh wah DOH-koh dess kah?'') ===Problems=== ; Leave me alone. : ?????? (''hottoite.'') ; Don't touch me! : ??????! (''sawaranaide!'') ; I'll call the police. : ???????? (''keisatsu o yobimasu'') ; Police! : ??! (''keisatsu'') ; Stop! Thief! : ??! ????! (''mate! dorobo!'') ; I need your help. : ????????? (''tasukete kudasai'') ; It's an emergency. : ????? (''kinkyu desu'') ; I'm lost. : ????? (''maigo desu'') ; I lost my bag. : ??????????? (''kaban o nakushimashita'') ; I dropped my wallet. : ?????????? (''saifu o otoshimashita'') ; I'm sick. : ????? (''byoki desu'') ; I've been injured. : ??????? (''kega shimashita'') ; Please call a doctor. : ??????????? (''isha o yonde kudasai'') ; Can I use your phone? : ???????????? (''denwa o tsukatte iidesuka'') ===Numbers=== While Arabic (Western) numerals are employed for most uses in Japan, you will occasionally still spot Japanese numerals at eg. markets and the menus of fancy restaurants. The characters used are nearly identical to Chinese numerals, and like Chinese phrasebook|Chinese, Japanese uses groups of 4 digits, not 3. "One million" is thus ?? (''hyaku-man''), literally "hundred tenthousands". There are both Japanese and Chinese readings for most numbers, but presented below are the more commonly used Chinese readings. Note that, due to superstition (''shi'' also means "death"), 4 and 7 typically use the Japanese readings ''yon'' and ''nana'' instead. ; 0 : ?, ? (''zero'' or ''rei'') ; 1 : ? (''ichi'') ; 2 : ? (''ni'') ; 3 : ? (''san'') ; 4 : ? (''yon'' or ''shi'') ; 5 : ? (''go'') ; 6 : ? (''roku'') ; 7 : ? (''nana'' or ''shichi'') ; 8 : ? (''hachi'') ; 9 : ? (''kyu'') ; 10 : ? (''ju'') ; 11 : ?? (''ju-ichi'') ; 12 : ?? (''ju-ni'') ; 13 : ?? (''ju-san'') ; 14 : ?? (''ju-yon'') ; 15 : ?? (''ju-go'') ; 16 : ?? (''ju-roku'') ; 17 : ?? (''ju-nana'') ; 18 : ?? (''ju-hachi'') ; 19 : ?? (''ju-kyuu'') ; 20 : ?? (''ni-ju'') ; 21 : ??? (''ni-ju-ichi'') ; 22 : ??? (''ni-ju-ni'') ; 23 : ??? (''ni-ju-san'') ; 30 : ?? (''san-ju'') ; 40 : ??(''yon-ju'') ; 50 : ?? (''go-ju'') ; 60 : ?? (''ro-ku-ju'') ; 70 : ??(''nana-ju'') ; 80 : ?? (''hachi-ju'') ; 90 : ?? (''kyu-ju'') ; 100 : ? (''hyaku'') ; 200 : ?? (''ni-hyaku'') ; 300 : ?? (''san-byaku'') ; 1000 : ? (''sen'') ; 2000 : ?? (''ni-sen'') ; 10,000 : ?? (''ichi-man'') ; 1,000,000 : ?? (''hyaku-man'') ; 100,000,000 : ?? (''ichi-oku'') ; 1,000,000,000,000 : ?? (''itcho'') ; number _____ (''train, bus, etc.'') : _____? (''____ ban'') ; half : ?? (''hanbun'') ; less (few) : ??? (''sukunai'') ; more (many) : ?? (''ooi'') ===Time=== ; now : ? (''ima'') ; later : ?? (''atode'') ; before : ?? (''mae ni'') ; before ___ : ___ ??? ('' ___ no mae ni'') ; morning : ? (''asa'') ; afternoon : ?? (''gogo'') ; evening : ?? (''yugata'') ; night : ? (''yoru'') ====Clock time==== For clock times, you will be understood if you simply substitute ''gozen'' ?? for "AM" and ''gogo'' ?? for PM, although other time qualifiers like ? ''asa'' for morning and ? ''yoru'' for night may be more natural. The 24-hour clock is also commonly used in official contexts such as train schedules. ; six o'clock AM : ?6? (''asa rokuji'') ; nine o'clock AM : ??9? (''gozen kuji'') ; noon : ?? (''shogo'') ; one o'clock PM : ??1? (''gogo ichiji.'') ; two o'clock PM : ??2? (''gogo niji'') ; midnight : ?12? (''yoru juniji'') ====Duration==== ; _____ minute(s) : _____ ? (''fun'' or ''pun'') ; _____ hour(s) : _____ ?? (''jikan'') ; _____ day(s) : _____ ? (''nichi'') ; _____ week(s) : _____ ?? (''shukan'') ; _____ month(s) : _____ ?? (''kagetsu'') ; _____ year(s) : _____ ? (''nen'') ====Days==== ; today : ??(''kyo'') ; yesterday : ??(''kino'') ; tomorrow : ??(''ashita'') ; this week : ??(''konshu'') ; last week : ??(''senshu'') ; next week : ??(''raishu'') ; Sunday : ??? (''nichiyobi'') ; Monday : ??? (''getsuyobi'') ; Tuesday : ??? (''kayobi'') ; Wednesday : ??? (''suiyobi'') ; Thursday : ??? (''mokuyobi'') ; Friday : ??? (''kin'yobi'') ; Saturday : ??? (''doyobi'') ====Days of the Month==== The 1st through the 10th of the month, and the 20th have special names. ; First day of the month : 1? (''tsuitachi'') ; Second day of the month : 2? (''futsuka'') ; Third day of the month : 3? (''mikka'') ; Fourth day of the month : 4? (''yokka'') ; Fifth day of the month : 5? (''itsuka'') ; Sixth day of the month : 6? (''muika'') ; Seventh day of the month : 7? (''nanoka'') ; Eighth day of the month : 8? (''yoka'') ; Ninth day of the month : 9? (''kokonoka'') ; Tenth day of the month : 10? (''toka'') ; Twentieth day of the month : 20? (''hatsuka'') The other days of the month follow an orderly pattern, just add the suffix ''-nichi'' to the ordinal number. ====Months==== Months are very orderly in Japanese, just add the suffix ''-gatsu'' to the ordinal number. ; January : 1? (''ichigatsu'') ; February : 2? (''nigatsu'') ; March : 3? (''sangatsu'') ; April : 4? (''shigatsu'') ; May : 5? (''gogatsu'') ; June : 6? (''rokugatsu'') ; July : 7? (''shichigatsu'') ; August : 8? (''hachigatsu'') ; September : 9? (''kugatsu'') ; October : 10? (''jugatsu'') ; November : 11? (''juichigatsu'') ; December : 12? (''junigatsu'') ====Writing time and date==== Dates are written in year/month/day (day of week) format, with markers: 2004?3?24?(?) Note that '''Imperial era years''', based on the name and duration of the current Emperor's reign, are also frequently used. 2004 in the Gregorian calendar corresponds to '''Heisei 16''' (??16?), which may be abbreviated as "H16". Dates like "16/03/24" (March 24, Heisei 16) are also occasionally seen. ===Colors=== Many of the English words for colors are widely used and understood by almost all Japanese. These are indicated after the slash. Note that some Japanese colors are normally suffixed with ''-iro'' (?) to distinguish between the color and the object. For example, ? ''cha'' means "tea", but ?? ''chairo'' means "tea-color" → "brown". ; black : ? / ???? (''kuro / burakku'') ; white : ? / ???? (''shiro / howaito'') ; gray : ?(?) / ??? (''hai(iro) / gure'') ; red : ? / ??? (''aka / reddo'') ; blue : ? / ??? (''ao / buru'') ; yellow : ?(?) / ???? (''ki(iro) / iero'') ; green : ? / ???? (''midori / guriin'') ; orange : ? / ???? (''daidai / orenji'') ; purple : ? / ???? (''murasaki / papuru'') ; brown : ?(?) / ???? (''cha(iro) / buraun'') ===Transportation=== ====Bus and train==== ; How much is a ticket to _____? : _____ ???????? (''_____ made ikura desuka?'') ; One ticket to _____, please. : _____ ??????????(''_____ made ichimai onegaishimasu'') ; Where does this train/bus go? : ??[??/??]???????? (''kono densha/basu wa doko yuki desuka?'') ; Where is the train/bus to _____? : _____ ???[??/??]??????? (''_____ yuki no densha/basu wa doko desuka?'') ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : ??[??/??]? _____ ??????? (''kono densha/basu wa _____ ni tomarimasuka?'') ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : _____ ???[??/??]??????????(''_____ yuki no densha/basu wa nanji ni shuppatsu shimasuka?'') ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : ??[??/??]???? _____ ?????? (''kono densha/basu wa nanji ni _____ ni tsukimasuka?'') ====Directions==== ; How do I get to _____ ? : _____ ???????? (''_____ wa dochira desu ka?'') ; ...the train station? : ?... (''eki...'') ; ...the bus station? : ???... (''basu tei..'') ; ...the airport? : ??... (''kuko...'') ; ...downtown? : ????... (''machi no chushin...'') ; ...the youth hostel? : ???·????... (''yusu hosuteru...'') ; ...the _____ hotel? : _____ ???... (''hoteru...'') ; ...the _____ embassy/consulate? : _____???/???... (''_____ taishikan/ryojikan...'') ; Where are there a lot of... : ...??????????? (''...ga ooi tokoro wa doko desuka?'') ; ...lodgings? : ?... (''yado...'') ; ...restaurants? : ?????... (''resutoran...'') ; ...bars? : ??... (''baa'') ; ...sites to see? : ??... (''mimono...'') ; Please show me on the map. : ?????????? (''chizu de sashite kudasai'') ; street : ? (''michi'') ; Turn left. : ??????????? (''Hidari e magatte kudasai.'') ; Turn right. : ???????????(''Migi e magatte kudasai.'') ; left : ? (''hidari'') ; right : ? (''migi'') ; straight ahead : ???? (''massugu'') ; towards the _____ : _____ ????? (''e mukatte'') ; past the _____ : _____ ?? (''no saki'') ; before the _____ : _____ ?? (''no mae'') ; Watch for the _____. : _____?????? (''ga mejirishi desu'') ; intersection : ??? (''kosaten'') ; north : ? (''kita'') ; south : ? (''minami'') ; east : ? (''higashi'') ; west : ? (''nishi'') ; uphill : ?? (''nobori''), also used for trains heading towards Tokyo ; downhill : ?? (''kudari''), also used for trains coming from Tokyo ====Taxi==== ; Taxi! : ????! (''Taxi!'') ; Take me to _____, please. : _____????????? (''_____ made onegai shimasu.'') ; How much does it cost to get to _____? : _____ ????????? (''_____ made ikura desuka'') ; Take me there, please. : ??????????? (''soko made onegai shimasu.'') ===Lodging=== ; Do you have any rooms available? : ???????????? (''Aiteru heya arimasuka?'') ; How much is a room for one person/two people? : ??/?????????????? (''Hitori/futari-yo no heya wa ikura desuka?'') ; Is the room Japanese/Western style? : ??/?????? (''Washitsu/yoshitsu desuka?'') ; Does the room come with... : ??? ... ?????? (''Heya wa ___ tsuki desuka?'') ; ...bedsheets? : ???????... (''beddo no shiitsu...'') ; ...a bathroom? : ??? (''furoba...'') ; ...a telephone? : ?? (''denwa...'') ; ...a TV? : ???? (''terebi...'') ; May I see the room first? : ???????????? (''heya o mitemo ii desuka?'') ; Do you have anything quieter? : ???[???]???????? (''motto [shizukana] heya arimasuka?'') ; ...bigger? : ?? (''hiroi'') ; ...cleaner? : ???? (''kirei na'') ; ...cheaper? : ?? (''yasui'') ; OK, I'll take it. : ???????????(''hai, kore de ii desu.'') ; I will stay for _____ night(s). : _____ ???????(''____ ban tomarimasu.'') ; Do you know another place to stay? : ??????????? (''hoka no yado wa gozonji desuka?'') ; Do you have [a safe?] : [??]?????? (''[kinko] arimasuka?'') ; ...lockers? : ...????? (''rokkaa (locker)'') ; Is breakfast/supper included? : ??/????????? (''choshoku/yushoku wa tsukimasuka?'') ; What time is breakfast/supper? : ??/????????? (''choshoku/yushoku wa nanji desuka?'') ; Please clean my room. : ???????????? (''heya o soji shite kudasai'') ; Please wake me at _____. : _____ ?????????? (''____ ni okoshite kudasai.'') ; I want to check out. : ??????????(''chekku auto (check out) desu.'') ===Money=== ; Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : ????/???????/??????????? (''Amerika/osutoraria/kanada doru ha tsukae masuka?'') ; Do you accept British pounds? : ?????????????? (''igirisu pondo wa tsukaemasuka?'') ; Do you accept credit cards? : ??????????????? (''kurejitto kaado (credit card) wa tsukaemasuka?'') ; Can you change money for me? : ?????????? (''okane ryogae dekimasuka?'') ; Where can I get money changed? : ?????????????? (''okane wa doko de ryogae dekimasuka?'') ; Can you change a traveler's check for me? : ?????·???????????? (''(traveler's check) ryogae dekimasuka?'') ; Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : ?????·???????????????? (''(traveler's check) wa doko de ryogae dekimasuka?'') ; What is the exchange rate? : ?????????????(''kawase reeto wa ikura desu ka?'') ; Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : ATM ?????????? (''ATM wa doko ni arimasuka?'') ===Eating=== ; A table for one person/two people, please. : ??/????? (''hitori/futari desu'') ; Please bring a menu. : ???????? (''menu kudasai.'') ; Can I look in the kitchen? : ????????????? (''choriba o mite mo ii desu ka?'') ; Is there a house specialty? : ????????? (''O-susume arimasuka?'') ; Is there a local specialty? : ???????????? (''Kono hen no meibutsu arimasuka?'') ; Please choose for me. : ??????? (''O-makase shimasu.'') ; I'm a vegetarian. : ????????? (''Bejitarian desu.'') ; I don't eat pork. : ???????? (''Butaniku wa dame desu.'') ; I don't eat beef. : ????????(''Gyuniku wa dame desu.'') ; I don't eat raw fish. : ?????????(''Nama no sakana wa dame desu.'') ; Please do not use too much oil. : ?????????(''Abura o hikaete kudasai.'') ; fixed-price meal : ?? (''teishoku'') ; a la carte : ???? (''ippinryori'') ; breakfast : ?? (''choshoku'') ; lunch : ?? (''chushoku'') ; light meal/snack : ?? (''keishoku'') ; supper : ?? (''yushoku'') ; Please bring _____. : _____ ????(''_____ kudasai.'') ; I want a dish containing _____. : _____??????????? (''____ ga haitteru mono kudasai.'') ; chicken : ?? (''toriniku'') ; beef : ?? (''gyuniku'') ; fish : ? (''sakana'') ; ham : ?? (''hamu'') ; sausage : ????? (''soseeji'') ; cheese : ??? (''chiizu'') ; eggs : ? (''tamago'') ; salad : ??? (''sarada'') ; (fresh) vegetables : (?)?? ('' (nama) yasai'') ; (fresh) fruit : (?)?? ('' (nama) kudamono'') ; bread : ?? (''pan'') ; toast : ???? (''tosuto'') ; noodles : ?? (''menrui'') ; pasta : ??? (''pasta'') ; rice : ?? (''gohan'') ; beans : ? (''mame'') ; May I have a glass/cup of _____? : _____ ??????? (''____ o ippai kudasai.'') ; May I have a bottle of _____? : _____ ??????? (''_____ o ippon kudasai.'') ; coffee : ???? (''kohii'') ; green tea : ?? (''o-cha'') ; black tea : ?? (''kocha'') ; juice : ?? (''kaju'') ; water : ? (''mizu'') ; beer : ??? (''biiru'') ; red/white wine : ?/???? (''aka/shiro wain'') ; Do you have _____? : _____ ?????? (''_____ arimasuka?'') ; chopsticks : ?? (''o-hashi'') ; fork : ???? (''foku'') ; spoon : ???? (''supun'') ; salt : ? (''shio'') ; black pepper : ?? (''kosho'') ; soy sauce : ?? (''shoyu'') ; ashtray : ?? (''haizara'') ; Excuse me, waiter? (''getting attention of server'') : ????? (''sumimasen'') ; (when starting a meal) : ???????(itadakimasu) ; It was delicious. (when finishing a meal) : ????????? (''Go-chiso-sama deshita.'') ; Please clear the plates. : ??????????? (''Osara o sagete kudasai.'') ; The check, please. : ??????? (''O-kanjo kudasai.'') ===Bars=== {{infobox|Sake talk|Sake, known in Japanese as ??? ''nihonshu'', has a vocabulary all its own. Here is a brief introduction. ; ''atsukan'' : ?? Heated sake. Recommended only in winter with cheap sake. ; ''choko'' : ??? A tiny gulp-sized ceramic cup for sake. ; ''hiyashi'' : ??? Chilled sake. The way to drink better sake. ; ''ichigo'' : ?? The standard measure for servings of sake, around 180 milliliters. ; ''isshobin'' : ??? The standard sake bottle, containing 10 ''go'', ie. 1.8 liters. ; ''masu'' : ? A square wooden box traditionally used to drink chilled sake, contains (approximately) one ''go''. Drink from the corner. ; ''tokkuri'' : ?? A small ceramic jug used to pour sake. }} ; Do you serve alcohol? : ???????? (''O-sake arimasuka?'') ; Is there table service? : ?????????????? (''Teburu sabisu arimasuka?'') ; A beer/two beers, please. : ?????/??????(''Biiru ippai/nihai kudasai.'') ; A glass of red/white wine, please. : ?/??????????(''Aka/shiro wain ippai kudasai.'') ; A mug (of beer), please. : ????????????(''Biiru no jokki kudasai.'') ; A bottle, please. : ?????. (''Bin kudasai.'') ; _____ (''hard liquor'') and _____ (''mixer''), please. : _____ ? _____ ????(''...'') ; sake : ??? (''nihonshu'') ; Japanese liquor : ?? (''shochu'') ; whiskey : ????? (''uisukii'') ; vodka : ???? (''wokka'') ; rum : ?? (''ramu'') ; water : ? (''mizu'') ; club soda : ??? (''soda'') ; tonic water : ????????? (''tonikku uota'') ; orange juice : ???????? (''orenji jusu'') ; cola (''soda'') : ??? (''kora'') ; with ice : ?????? (''onzarokku'') ; Do you have any bar snacks? : ?????????? (''o-tsumami arimasuka?'') ; One more, please. : ????????? (''Mo hitotsu kudasai.'') ; Another round, please. : ?????????? (''Mo ichi-mawari kudasai.'') ; When is closing time? : ????????? (''Heiten wa nanji desuka?'') ===Shopping=== ; Do you have this in my size? : ???????????? (''Watashi no saizu de arimasuka?'') ; How much is this? : ??????? (''Ikura desuka?'') ; That's too expensive. : ?????? (''Takasugimasu.'') ; Would you take _____? : _____???????? (''_____ wa do desuka?'') ; expensive : ?? (''takai'') ; cheap : ?? (''yasui'') ; I can't afford it. : ?????????????? (''Sono kurai o-kane wa mottenai desu.'') ; I don't want it. : ??????? (''Iranai desu.'') ; You're cheating me. : ??????? (''Damashiteru n da.'') '''Use with caution!''' ; I'm not interested. : ??????? (''Kyomi nai desu.'') ; OK, I'll take it. : ?????????? (''Hai, sore ni shimasu.'') ; Can I have a bag? : ???????????? (''Fukuro moratte mo ii desuka?'') ; Do you ship (overseas)? : ???????????? (''Kaigai made hasso dekimasuka?'') ; I need... : ___??????? (''____ ga hoshii desu.'') ; ...toothpaste. : ??? (''hamigaki'') ; ...a toothbrush. : ???? (''ha-burashi'') ; ...tampons. : ???? (''tanpon'') ; ...soap. : ?? (''sekken'') ; ...shampoo. : ????? (''shanpu'') ; ...pain reliever. (''e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen'') : ??? (''chintsuzai'') ; ...cold medicine. : ??? (''kazegusuri'') ; ...stomach medicine. : ??? (''ichoyaku'') ; ...a razor. : ?? (''kamisori'') ; ...an umbrella. : ? (''kasa'') ; ...sunblock lotion. : ????? (''hiyakedome'') ; ...a postcard. : ?? (''hagaki'') ; ...postage stamps. : ?? (''kitte'') ; ...batteries. : ?? (''denchi'') ; ...writing paper. : ? (''kami'') ; ...a pen. : ?? (''pen'') ; ...English-language books. : ???? (''eigo no hon'') ; ...English-language magazines. : ????? (''eigo no zasshi'') ; ...an English-language newspaper. : ????? (''eigo no shinbun'') ; ...a Japanese-English dictionary. : ???? (''waei jiten'') ; ...an English-Japanese dictionary. : ???? (''eiwa jiten'') ===Driving=== ; I want to rent a car. : ???????????? (''rent-a-car onegaishimasu.'') ; Can I get insurance? : ???????? (''hoken hairemasuka?'') ; stop (''on a street sign'') : ??? (''tomare'') ; one way : ???? (''ippo tsuko'') ; caution : ?? (''joko'') ; no parking : ???? (''chusha kinshi'') ; speed limit : ???? (''seigen sokudo'') ; gas (''petrol'') station : ???????? (''gasorin sutando'') ; petrol : ???? (''gasorin'') ; diesel : ??/????? (''keiyu / diizeru'') ===Authority=== In Japan, you can legally be incarcerated for twenty-three (23) days before you are charged, but you do have the right to see a lawyer after the first 48 hours of detention. Note that if you sign a confession, you ''will'' be convicted. ; I haven't done anything (wrong). : ??(????)??????(''Nani mo (warui koto) shitemasen.'') ; It was a misunderstanding. : ?????? (''Gokai deshita.'') ; Where are you taking me? : ????????????? (''Doko e tsurete yukun desuka?'') ; Am I under arrest? : ????????????? (''Watashi wa taiho sareterun desuka?'') ; I am a citizen of ____. : ____ ?????? (''____ no kokumin desu.'') ; I want to meet with the ____ embassy. : ____ ???????????? (''____ taishikan to awasete kudasai.'') ; I want to meet with a lawyer. : ????????????(''Bengoshi to awasete kudasai.'') ; Can it be settled with a fine? : ????????? (''Bakkin de sumimasuka?'') Note: You can say this to a traffic cop, but bribery is highly unlikely to work in Japan. ==Learning more== * [http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html WWWJDIC] — an excellent free English-Japanese-English dictionary including sentence translation, kanji lookup and place/personal name dictionary * [http://www.manythings.org/japanese/ Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials] — online study aids and quizzes fr:Guide linguistique japonais WikiPedia:Japanese language First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

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