WORDS for SURVIVAL
SHOPPING
When arriving in a store you will hear “Iras-shai-mase” （いらっしゃいませ）、this means “Welcome”.
1. Do you have _________________?
_____________wa-arimasu-ka? (______________ありますか？)
2. How much is it?
Ikura-desu-ka? (いくらですか？)
3. Don’t you have a bigger one?
Motto-ookii-no-wa-arimasuka?
●Expensive — takai ●Cheap — yasui ●Small — chiisai ●Short — mijikai ●Long — nagai
RESTAURANT
Waiter will say “Nani-ni-shimasu-ka?” (What would you like to have?)
A. Popular food items:
TEN-PU-RA deep fried fish/vegetables/shrimp 天ぷら
YAKI-TORI grilled chicken on a stick 焼き鳥
SUKI-YAKI beef & vegetables cooked in pan すき焼き
RA-MEN Chinese noodles ラーメン
YAKI-SOBA fried noodles 焼きそば
TIP: I have to avoid food containing (name of the food).
(Name of the food) wo-nuite-kudasai. (___________をぬいて下さい)
M.S.G (aji-no-moto) 味の素 Pork dish (buta-niku) 豚肉
Ketchup (ke-cha-ppu) ケチャップ Mayonnaise (mayo-ne-e-zu) マヨネーズ
B. When ordering things in quantities:
1— Hitotsu 2— Futatsu 3— Mittsu 4— Yottsu 5 — Itsutsu
7— Muttsu 7— Nanatsu 8— Yattsu 9— Kokonotsu 10 — Jyuu or Tou
C. Useful Expressions:
Thank you Ari-ga-toh ありがとう
Excuse me Sumima-sen すみません
I’m sorry Gomen-nasai ごめんなさい
Yes Hai はい
No Iie いいえ
Chopsticks Hashi はし
Fork ho-ku フォーク
NORIMONO (Transportation)
A. Taxi:
1. Please take me to (name of the place).
(Name of the place) ni-itte-kudasai. (___________に行って下さい.)
2. How much will it cost to go to (name of the place)?
(Name of the place) made ikura desu ka? (___________まで いくら ですか？)
B. Train (densha):
1. How much is it to (name of the place)?
(Name of the place) made ikura desuka? (＿＿＿＿＿＿まで いくら ですか？)
2. Does this train go to (name of the station)?
(Name of the station) ni ikimasuka? (____________に 行きますか？)
3. Where do I have to transfer?
Doko de nori-kae masuka? (どこで乗り換えますか？)
4. Does this train stop at (name of the station)?
Kono densha wa (name of the station) ni tomari masuka? (この電車は＿＿＿＿＿＿に止まりますか？)
5. Do you have an English train/subway map?
Eigo no ROSENZU wa arimasuka? (英語の路線図はありますか？)
C. Other Useful Transportation Terms:
CHIKA-TETSU Subway 地下鉄
KAKU-EKI-TEISHA Local Train 各駅停車
KYU-KO Limited Express 急行
TO-KKYU Express 特急
EKI Train Station 駅
IRIGUCHI Entrance 入口
DEGUCHI Exit 出口
USEFUL JAPANESE PHRASES
1 Good morning 13 Yes, I understand
OHAYO GOZAIMASU HAI, WAKARIMASU
(O-ha-yo go-za-i-ma-su) (Ha-i, wa-ka-ri-ma-su)
2 Hello (Good afternoon) 14 No, I don’t understand
KONNICHIWA IIE, WAKARIMASEN
(Ko-n-ni-chi-wa) (I-i-e, wa-ka-ri-ma-se-n)
3 Good evening 15 Where is the ____________?
KONBANWA __________WA DOKO DESU KA?
(Ko-n-ba-n-wa) (__________ wa do-ko-de-su ka)
4 Good-Bye 16 What is your name?
SAYOUNARA ONAMAE WA NAN DESU KA?
(Sa-yo-u-na-ra) (O-na-ma-e wa na-n de-su ka?)
5 Good night 17 Do you speak English?
OYASUMI NASAI EIGO WO HANASHIMASU KA?
(O-ya-su-mi na-sa-i) (E-i-go wo hanashimasu a?)
6 Thank you very much 18 I don’t speak Japanese
DOUMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU NIHONGO WO HANASHIMASEN
(Do-u-mo A-ri-ga-to-u Go-za-i-ma-su) (Ni-ho-n-go wo ha-na-shi-ma-se-n)
7 How are you? 19 I am sorry
OGENKI DESU KA? GOMEN NASAI
(O-ge-n-ki de-su ka) (Go-me-n na-sa-i)
8 Fine, thank you 20 Please (Here you are)
HAI, GENKI DESU ONEGAI SHIMASU (DOUZO)
(Ha-i, ge-n-ki de-su) (O-ne-ga-i shi-ma-su Do-u-zo)
9 I’m pleased to meet you 21 Is that so (Really)?
HAJIMEMASHITE SOU DESU KA
(Ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te) (So-u de-su ka)
10 Nice to meet you 22 Please wait a moment
DOUZO YOROSHIKU CHOTTO MATTE KUDASAI
(Do-u-zo yo-ro-shi-ku) (Cho-tto ma-tte ku-da-sa-i)
11 Pardon me 23 Please say that again
SUMIMASEN MOU ICHIDO ITTE KUDASAI
(Su-mi-ma-se-n) (mo-u i-chi-do i-tte ku-da-sa-i)
12 Do you understand? 24 Please give me a __________
WAKARIMASU KA? ____________ WO KUDASAI
(Wa-ka-ri-ma-su ka) (___________ wo ku-da-sa-i)
25 I like it 28 How much?
SUKI DESU IKURA DESU KA?
(Su-ki de-su) (I-ku-ra de-su ka?)
26 I don’t like it 29 What time is it?
KIRAI DESU NANJI DESU KA?
(Ki-ra-i de-su) (Na-n-ji de-su ka)
27 What is this? 30 You are welcome
KORE WA NAN DESU KA? DOU ITASHIMASHITE
(Ko-re wa na-n de-su ka) (Do-u-i-ta-shi-ma-shi-te)
PRONUNCIATION OF JAPANESE
Consonants are generally pronounced as in English. Pronounce vowels follows:
Aa – as the ‘a’ in FATHER
Ii – as the long ‘e’ in HE
Uu – as the double ‘oo’ in TOO
Ee – as the ‘e’ in BET
Oo – as the long ‘o’ in GO
It is very important that you learn to pronounce the vowels correctly, to be understood.
Break words into syllables and pronounce each syllable clearly and with an even accent.
Each separate HIRAGANA or KATAKANA character is a syllable, either by itself or modified by the letter ‘n’. Syllables
always end with a vowel sound, except those ending with the letter ‘n’.
COMMON KANJI
一 ICHI ONE 男 OTOKO MALE
二 NI TWO 女 ONNA FEMALE
三 SAN THREE 駅 EKI TRAIN STATION
四 SHI FOUR (YON) 人 HITO PEOPLE
五 GO FIVE 入口 IRIGUCHI ENTRANCE
六 ROKU SIX 出口 DEGUCHI EXIT
七 SHICHI SEVEN (NANA) 日本 NIHON JAPAN
八 HACHI EIGHT 山 YAMA MOUNTAIN
九 KYU NINE (KU) 川 KAWA RIVER
十 JU TEN 木 KI TREE
百 HYAKU HUNDRED 林 HAYASHI WOODS
千 SEN THOUSAND 森 MORI FOREST
万 MAN TEN THOUSAND 横須賀 YOKOSUKA
円 EN YEN 横浜 YOKOHAMA
東京 TOKYO
葉山 HAYAMA
鎌倉 KAMAKURA
WRITTEN JAPANESE
The Japanese write their language using three different kinds of letters. Two are phonetic alphabets based on the same
principles as our own alphabet. These are called Hiragana and Katakana. Hiragana is used for particles, verb endings
and some words, while Katakana is generally used for writing the many words of foreign origin that have been introduced
into the Japanese language. Both Hiragana and Katakana express the same sounds. The third kind of letters are the
Chinese characters, called Kanji. They are used for most nouns, verbs, etc. A typical Japanese text would contain a
mixture of the three types of writing.
HIRAGANA
あ か さ た な は ま や ら わ ん
A Ka Sa Ta Na Ha Ma Ya Ra Wa N
い き し ち に ひ み り
I Ki Shi Chi Ni Hi Mi Ri
う く す つ ぬ ふ む ゆ る
U Ku Su Tsu Nu Fu Mu Yu Ru
え け せ て ね へ め れ
E Ke Se Te Ne He Me Re
お こ そ と の ほ も よ ろ を
O Ko So To No Ho Mo Yo Ro Wo
KATAKANA
ア カ サ タ ナ ハ マ ヤ ラ ワ ン
A Ka Sa Ta Na Ha Ma Ya Ra Wa N
イ キ シ チ ニ ヒ ミ リ
I Ki Shi Chi Ni Hi Mi Ri
ウ ク ス ツ ヌ フ ム ユ ル
U Ku Su Tsu Nu Fu Mu Yu Ru
エ ケ セ テ ネ ヘ メ レ
E Ke Se Te Ne He Me Re
オ コ ソ ト ノ ホ モ ヨ ロ ヲ
O Ko So To No Ho Mo Yo Ro Wo
Updated January 2013
All information is subject to change without notice. If you observe any information which needs updating, please call
the Information and Referral Desk of the Fleet and Family Support Center, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan at 243-
6716 or 243-3372. Thank you.