Japanese vocabulary · 16 words
Japanese greetings and polite phrases
These are the set phrases you will use in your first conversations: introducing yourself, thanking people, apologising and answering yes or no. Many come in a casual and a polite version, and which one you use depends on who you are talking to.
Examples are written in kana. New to it? Start with the hiragana chart.
Good to know
- ありがとう is casual thanks. ありがとうございます is the polite version for strangers, staff and teachers.
- すみません covers excuse me and sorry, and opens almost any request to a stranger.
- うん is a casual yes between friends. はい is the neutral, polite yes.
Meeting people
| Japanese | Kanji | Romaji | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | Hello / good afternoon | ||
| はじめまして | hajimemashite | Nice to meet you | ||
| いらっしゃいませ | irasshaimase | Welcome (shop greeting) |
Thanks, apologies and requests
| Japanese | Kanji | Romaji | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatou | thanks | ||
| ありがとうございます | arigatou gozaimasu | Thank you | ||
| すみません | sumimasen | Excuse me | ||
| ごめんなさい | gomen nasai | I'm sorry | ||
| おねがいします | onegaishimasu | Please | ||
| ください | kudasai | please |
Yes, no and replies
| Japanese | Kanji | Romaji | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| はい | hai | yes | ||
| うん | un | yeah (casual yes) | ||
| いいえ | iie | no | ||
| そう | sou | that's right | ||
| わかりました | wakarimashita | I understand / got it | ||
| だいじょうぶ | 大丈夫 | daijoubu | all right | |
| おめでとう | omedetou | congratulations |
Practice this in Open Lingo
This page comes from the Open Lingo course. In the app it is a short interactive lesson with listening, speaking and spaced-repetition review. Free, and no account needed to try it.
Keep going
- NumbersJapanese numbers for beginners: Sino-Japanese いち, に, さん, the native ひとつ, ふたつ counting set, and hundreds, thousands and 万, with audio.
- Family wordsJapanese family vocabulary: the humble words for your own family (ちち, はは, あに) and the polite words for someone else's, plus counting people.
- Polite vs plain JapaneseWhen to speak polite Japanese (ます, です) and when to use the plain form, how each is built, and why the quoted clause always stays plain.