At a Glance
- Hello: こんにちは (konnichiwa)
- Thank you: ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)
- Excuse me / sorry: すみません (sumimasen)
- Yes / no: はい (hai) / いいえ (iie)
- Introducing yourself: 私は [name] です (watashi wa [name] desu)
Basic Japanese vocabulary includes the words that come up most often in everyday conversation: greetings, politeness, numbers, days, family, colors, verbs, and food. This list covers well over 100 essential words, organized by theme for gradual memorization.
Greetings
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | おはようございます | ohayou gozaimasu |
| Hello (daytime) | こんにちは | konnichiwa |
| Good evening | こんばんは | konbanwa |
| Good night | おやすみなさい | oyasuminasai |
| Goodbye | さようなら | sayounara |
| See you soon | またね | mata ne |
| See you tomorrow | また明日 | mata ashita |
| Welcome | ようこそ | youkoso |
Politeness Phrases
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you (formal) | ありがとうございます | arigatou gozaimasu |
| Thank you (informal) | ありがとう | arigatou |
| Please | お願いします | onegaishimasu |
| Excuse me / sorry | すみません | sumimasen |
| I’m sorry | ごめんなさい | gomen nasai |
| You’re welcome | どういたしまして | dou itashimashite |
For a more complete overview of politeness nuances, one article details expressions for saying thank you in Japanese, while another covers phrases for apologizing depending on the severity of the situation.
Introducing Yourself
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Nice to meet you | はじめまして | hajimemashite |
| My name is [name] | 私は[name]です | watashi wa [name] desu |
| What is your name? | お名前は何ですか | onamae wa nan desu ka |
| Nice to meet you, thank you in advance | よろしくお願いします | yoroshiku onegaishimasu |
| I am French | 私はフランス人です | watashi wa furansujin desu |
Numbers from 0 to 20
| Number | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零 / ゼロ | rei / zero |
| 1 | 一 | ichi |
| 2 | 二 | ni |
| 3 | 三 | san |
| 4 | 四 | yon / shi |
| 5 | 五 | go |
| 6 | 六 | roku |
| 7 | 七 | nana / shichi |
| 8 | 八 | hachi |
| 9 | 九 | kyuu / ku |
| 10 | 十 | juu |
| 11 | 十一 | juuichi |
| 12 | 十二 | juuni |
| 13 | 十三 | juusan |
| 14 | 十四 | juuyon |
| 15 | 十五 | juugo |
| 16 | 十六 | juuroku |
| 17 | 十七 | juunana |
| 18 | 十八 | juuhachi |
| 19 | 十九 | juukyuu |
| 20 | 二十 | nijuu |
Days of the Week
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 月曜日 | getsuyoubi |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 | kayoubi |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 | suiyoubi |
| Thursday | 木曜日 | mokuyoubi |
| Friday | 金曜日 | kinyoubi |
| Saturday | 土曜日 | doyoubi |
| Sunday | 日曜日 | nichiyoubi |
Months of the Year
| Month | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| January | 一月 | ichigatsu |
| February | 二月 | nigatsu |
| March | 三月 | sangatsu |
| April | 四月 | shigatsu |
| May | 五月 | gogatsu |
| June | 六月 | rokugatsu |
| July | 七月 | shichigatsu |
| August | 八月 | hachigatsu |
| September | 九月 | kugatsu |
| October | 十月 | juugatsu |
| November | 十一月 | juuichigatsu |
| December | 十二月 | juunigatsu |
Family Vocabulary
| English | One’s own family | Someone else’s family |
|---|---|---|
| Father | 父 (chichi) | お父さん (otousan) |
| Mother | 母 (haha) | お母さん (okaasan) |
| Older brother | 兄 (ani) | お兄さん (oniisan) |
| Older sister | 姉 (ane) | お姉さん (oneesan) |
| Younger brother | 弟 (otouto) | 弟さん (otoutosan) |
| Younger sister | 妹 (imouto) | 妹さん (imoutosan) |
Colors
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Red | 赤 | aka |
| Blue | 青 | ao |
| Yellow | 黄色 | kiiro |
| Green | 緑 | midori |
| White | 白 | shiro |
| Black | 黒 | kuro |
| Pink | ピンク | pinku |
| Purple | 紫 | murasaki |
Common Adjectives
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Big | 大きい | ookii |
| Small | 小さい | chiisai |
| Good / delicious | おいしい | oishii |
| Hot | 暑い | atsui |
| Cold | 寒い | samui |
| New | 新しい | atarashii |
| Old (object) | 古い | furui |
| Difficult | 難しい | muzukashii |
| Easy | 簡単 | kantan |
| Fast | 速い | hayai |
Common Verbs
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| To eat | 食べる | taberu |
| To drink | 飲む | nomu |
| To go | 行く | iku |
| To come | 来る | kuru |
| To see / to watch | 見る | miru |
| To do | する | suru |
| To speak | 話す | hanasu |
| To read | 読む | yomu |
| To write | 書く | kaku |
| To sleep | 寝る | neru |
Food
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | ご飯 | gohan |
| Water | 水 | mizu |
| Tea | お茶 | ocha |
| Fish | 魚 | sakana |
| Meat | 肉 | niku |
| Vegetable | 野菜 | yasai |
| Fruit | 果物 | kudamono |
| Egg | 卵 | tamago |
| Bread | パン | pan |
| Enjoy your meal | いただきます | itadakimasu |
Yes, No and Everyday Useful Words
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | はい | hai |
| No | いいえ | iie |
| I don’t understand | わかりません | wakarimasen |
| Where is…? | …はどこですか | …wa doko desu ka |
| How much does it cost? | いくらですか | ikura desu ka |
| Today | 今日 | kyou |
| Tomorrow | 明日 | ashita |
| Yesterday | 昨日 | kinou |
This list covers the most common categories of basic Japanese vocabulary. To structure these words into complete sentences and progress in grammar, a complete Japanese course allows you to go further step by step.
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