Basic Japanese Phrases for Travelers and Beginners 

Are you traveling to Japan soon? Perhaps you feel scared that you might get lost or buy the wrong item because of the language barrier?

In this article, we will help you make your trip hassle-free by listing some of the basic words and phrases that you can use while in Japan.

Basic Japanese Greetings

こんにちは　(konnichiwa)
This means “good afternoon” or “hello”. This is the most common greeting and can be used anytime before the sun sets.

おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu)
This means “good morning”. If you want to make it less formal, you can just say おはようor ohayou.

こんばんは (konbanwa)
This means “good evening”.

さよなら (sayonara)
This is the most formal way of saying “good bye” and could mean as a final goodbye. To make it more casual, you can say じゃねー (ja ne) meaning “bye”, or じゃあまたね (jaa mata ne) meaning “see you later”.

おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai)
This means “good night”. To make it casual, you can say おやすみ or oyasumi.

ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)
This means “thank you”. To make it more polite, you may add どうも (doumo) in the beginning. To make it more casual, you can say ありがとうor arigatou.

すみません (sumimasen)
This word has different meanings and usages. You can say this when you want to excuse yourself, call the attention of a restaurant or a boutique staff, to ask a question (“pardon me”), or even say ‘thank you’.

どういたしまして (dou itashimashite)
This means “You’re welcome”.

はい (hai) / いいえ (iie)
These mean “yes” and “no”, respectively.

おげんきですか (genki desu ka)
This means “How are you?”

Introducing Oneself in Japanese

Here are some ways to introduce yourself in Japanese:

Examples

Let's take a look at other important phrases:

Ordering at a Restaurant in Japanese

Let's check out some common vocabulary first.

Common Food Vocabulary in Japanese

Sentence Pattern

For example:

Other Useful Phrases

Basic Shopping Phrases

Common vocabulary

Sentence patterns

Examples

Other Useful Phrases

Asking for Directions in Japanese

If you are lost or would like to go to a certain place, you can use the following sentence patterns to ask for directions.

Sentence Patterns

Common vocabulary

Examples

Other Phrases

Conclusion

Now that you have learned these travel-related and beginner-friendly words and phrases, you are now ready to navigate and discover the breathtaking views and colorful culture of Japan!

Other than that, learning these basic words and phrases will surely earn you comments like すごい(sugoi) meaning “awesome”, or にほんごじょうず (nihongo jouzu) meaning “good at Japanese” from the locals.