15 Japanese phrases for your first trip (and how people in Japan really use them)
Short version: learn sumimasen, onegaishimasu and daijōbu desu first. Those three cover more situations than any others, and most textbooks underplay how often people in Japan say them.
The big three
| Phrase | Meaning | How it's really used |
|---|---|---|
| すみません sumimasen | Excuse me / sorry / thank you | Calling staff in a restaurant, getting past someone on a train, and as a light "thank you" when someone does something for you. You will hear it constantly. |
| お願いします onegaishimasu | Please (I'd like…) | Point at the menu and say kore, onegaishimasu ("this one, please"). Works for ordering almost anything. |
| 大丈夫です daijōbu desu | I'm fine / no, thank you | The polite way to decline: a plastic bag, a receipt, a sample. Said with a small wave of the hand, it means "no thanks". |
Shops and restaurants
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| これください kore kudasai | This one, please | A little more direct than onegaishimasu, still polite in a shop. |
| お会計お願いします okaikei onegaishimasu | The check, please | In many restaurants you pay at the register by the exit instead of at the table. |
| 袋はいりません fukuro wa irimasen | I don't need a bag | Plastic bags usually cost a few yen at convenience stores, so you will be asked. |
| カードで払えますか kādo de haraemasu ka | Can I pay by card? | Small shops and some restaurants are still cash only. |
| いただきます / ごちそうさまでした itadakimasu / gochisōsama deshita | Said before / after eating | Saying gochisōsama deshita to the staff as you leave a small restaurant is a nice touch. |
Getting around
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 〜はどこですか … wa doko desu ka | Where is …? | Toire wa doko desu ka = Where is the restroom? |
| この電車は〜に行きますか kono densha wa … ni ikimasu ka | Does this train go to …? | Useful on platforms where several lines share a track. |
| 英語は話せますか eigo wa hanasemasu ka | Do you speak English? | Many people read English better than they speak it; showing your phone screen often helps. |
Being polite
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとうございます arigatō gozaimasu | Thank you (polite) | Use the full form with strangers and staff; plain arigatō is for friends. |
| ごめんなさい gomen nasai | I'm sorry | For a real apology, like bumping into someone hard. For small things, sumimasen is more common. |
| わかりません wakarimasen | I don't understand | Add sumimasen in front to soften it. |
| もう一度お願いします mō ichido onegaishimasu | One more time, please | Ask people to repeat; most will happily slow down. |
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