Scribd
Upload
33 views3 pages

Japanese Language Basics and Phrases

The Japanese language is spoken primarily in Japan and is unrelated to other languages. While it uses Chinese characters (kanji) for writing, the grammar follows a subject-object-verb structure and uses particles to mark grammatical functions. Japanese has no gender, declensions, plurals, or irregular verbs. Reading and writing Japanese requires learning three different writing systems including over 2,000 complex kanji characters, which takes years to gain proficiency.

Uploaded by

Roxanne Reyes
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
33 views3 pages

Japanese Language Basics and Phrases

The Japanese language is spoken primarily in Japan and is unrelated to other languages. While it uses Chinese characters (kanji) for writing, the grammar follows a subject-object-verb structure and uses particles to mark grammatical functions. Japanese has no gender, declensions, plurals, or irregular verbs. Reading and writing Japanese requires learning three different writing systems including over 2,000 complex kanji characters, which takes years to gain proficiency.

Uploaded by

Roxanne Reyes
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Japanese Language: Japanese ( nihongo) is spoken in Japan, and essentially nowhere else.

The Japanese language is distinct from Chinese and 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 in the Japanese Pronunciation Guide.
Hello.
Konnichiwa. (kon-nee-chee-WAH) O-genki desu ka? (oh-GEN-kee dess-KAH?)

How are you?

Fine, thank you.


Genki desu. (GEN-kee dess) (oh-NAH-mah-eh wah NAHN dess-KAH?)

What is your name?


O-namae wa nan desu ka?

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) Onegai shimasu. (oh-neh-gigh shee-moss)

Please. (request)

Please. (offer)
Dzo. (DOH-zo)

Thank you.
Dmo arigat. (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh)

You're welcome.
D 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)
Saynara. (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-mossKAH?)

Help!
! Tasukete! (tah-soo-keh-teh!)

Look out!
! Abunai! (ah-boo-NIGH!)

Good morning.
Ohay 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?)

Leave me alone.
(hottoite.)

Don't touch me!


! (sawaranaide!)

I'll call the police.


(keisatsu o yobimasu)

Police!
! (keisatsu)

Stop! Thief!
! ! (mate! dorob!)

I need your help.


(tasukete kudasai)

It's an emergency.
(kinky desu)

I'm lost.
(maigo desu)

I lost my bag.
(kaban o nakushimashita)

I dropped my wallet.
(saifu o otoshimashita)

I'm sick.
(byki desu)

I've been injured.


(kega shimashita)

Please call a doctor.


(isha o yonde kudasai)

Can I use your phone?

? (denwa o tsukatte iidesuka)

You might also like