Japan uses three writing systems — hiragana, katakana and kanji — which can look intimidating, but the good news is that Japanese pronunciation is straightforward for English speakers. Every syllable is pronounced clearly, there are no tones, and vowel sounds are consistent. Major tourist infrastructure includes English signage, but daily interactions at local restaurants, shops and in rural areas will benefit enormously from basic phrases.
Greetings and Basics
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello | こんにちは | kon-ni-chi-wa |
| Good morning | おはようございます | o-ha-yo go-zai-mas |
| Goodbye | さようなら | sa-yo-na-ra |
| Please (offering) | どうぞ | do-zo |
| Please (requesting) | おねがいします | o-ne-gai shi-mas |
| Thank you | ありがとうございます | a-ri-ga-to go-zai-mas |
| Yes | はい | hai |
| No | いいえ | i-i-e |
| Excuse me | すみません | su-mi-ma-sen |
| Sorry | ごめんなさい | go-men-na-sai |
Getting Around
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Where is…? | …はどこですか？ | …wa do-ko des-ka |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ | i-ku-ra des-ka |
| Left | 左 (ひだり) | hi-da-ri |
| Right | 右 (みぎ) | mi-gi |
| Stop here | ここで止まってください | ko-ko-de to-mat-te ku-da-sai |
| Taxi | タクシー | ta-ku-shi |
| Bus stop | バスてい | ba-su-tei |
| Airport | くうこう | ku-ko |
| Train station | えき | e-ki |
| I don’t understand | わかりません | wa-ka-ri-ma-sen |
Food and Dining
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|
| The menu, please | メニューをおねがいします | me-nyu o o-ne-gai shi-mas |
| The bill, please | おかいけいおねがいします | o-kai-kei o-ne-gai shi-mas |
| Water | おみず | o-mi-zu |
| Delicious | おいしい | oi-shi |
| Not spicy | からくないもの | ka-ra-ku-nai mo-no |
| I am vegetarian | ベジタリアンです | be-ji-ta-ri-an des |
| Rice | ごはん | go-han |
| Beer | ビール | bi-ru |
| Tea | おちゃ | o-cha |
| Cheers! | かんぱい！ | kam-pai |
Numbers
| Number | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|
| 1 | いち | i-chi |
| 2 | に | ni |
| 3 | さん | san |
| 4 | よん | yon |
| 5 | ご | go |
| 6 | ろく | ro-ku |
| 7 | なな | na-na |
| 8 | はち | ha-chi |
| 9 | きゅう | kyu |
| 10 | じゅう | ju |
Emergency Phrases
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Help! | たすけて！ | ta-su-ke-te |
| Hospital | びょういん | byo-in |
| Police | けいさつ | kei-sa-tsu |
| I need a doctor | いしゃが必要です | i-sha ga hi-tsu-yo des |
| Call an ambulance | きゅうきゅうしゃを呼んでください | kyu-kyu-sha o yon-de ku-da-sai |
Japanese pronunciation follows simple rules: vowels sound like “ah, ee, oo, eh, oh” (a, i, u, e, o) and are always consistent. Double consonants (like “tt” in “matte”) require a brief pause before the consonant. One essential cultural note: when entering a restaurant, staff will greet you with “irasshaimase” (welcome) — you do not need to respond, just smile or give a slight nod. At the end of a meal, saying “gochisosama deshita” (thank you for the meal) as you leave is a polite gesture that staff will appreciate.
