yt De Mente takes the 'inscrutable'

out of japan,"-BOOKLIST

How to express 1,000

different ideas with just
100 key words and phrases!
IRevised Edition I

TUTTLE PUBLISHING
Boston ' Rutland, V~rmont • Tok~'o
by Boye Lafayette De Mente
www.tuttlcpubli~hing.com
Printw in C.ln~~
Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions
with editorial offices at 153 Milk Street, Boston. MA 02109 and Contents
130 Joo Seng Road 106-01103, Singapore 368357

Copyright C 1993 by Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc. Preface 4

Copyright C 2003 Periplus Editions (HIQ ltd. Writing Japanese 5
All rights reserved. How to Pronounce Japanese words 6
lCC Card Number: 93-60054 Kana and Pronunciation Chart 7
ISBN 0-8048-3366-4
PART 1: Words 1-10 11
Printed in Canada Developing Verbal Skill 13
PART 2: Words 11-20 14
Distributed by: Double Consonants 17

Japan PART 3: Words 21-30 19

Tuttle Publishing More Notes on Pronouncing Japanese 22
Yaekari Building 3F
5-4-12 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku PART 4: Words 31-40 24
Tokyo 141 -0032, Japan Those Kanji Characters! 32
Tel : (03) 5437 0171 Fax: (03) 5437 0755
Email: tuttle-salesOgol.com PART 5: Words 41-50 33
North America, Latin America & Europe Writing Japanese "English" 40
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive PART 6: Words 51-60 42
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436, USA Dealing with Japanized English 51
Tel: (802) 773 8930 Fax: (802) 773 6993
Email: infoOtuttlepublishing.com PART 7: Words 61-70 52
www.tuttlepublishing.com Levels of Politeness in Japanese 59
PART 8: Words 71-80 62
Asia Pacific
Berkeley Books Pte ltd
130 Joo Seng Road, 06-01 /03
, Japanese Dialects 70

Singapore 368357 1 PART 9: Words 81-90 71

Tel: (65) 6280 1330 Fax: (65) 6280 6290 Giving Up on Japanese! 75

~
Email: inquiriesOperiplus.com .sg
www.periplus.com PART 10: Words 91-100 77
Special Set Phrases 80
08 0706 05
876543 j Common Everyday Expressions
Additional Vocabulary
83
84
1
i

1
 Preface Writing Japanese
A lillie language goes a long way! There are four different ways of writing the Japanese language
It is a well -established fact that most people of average - although one of them is generally limited to foreign words
intelligence and education use a vocabulary of only five or six written phonetically so they can be prono unced easily. These
hundred words in going about their daily lives. The reason for four ways are:
this is that it is possible to express a variety of thoughts by using
various fonns of a single word. Each additionaJ word exponen- 1. Kanji UJ\}v 1,;) o r logograms (origin all y imported from
tially increases the number of thoughts one can express. Ano- Ch ina), which are used togethe r with a pho netic script called
ther obvious reason why a limited vocabulary is enough to get hiragana <V 60 f./1tJ:)o This is the standard and most common
most people through a day is because they are primarily way of writing Japanese.
involved in basic situations that are repeated day after day.
The Japanese lang uage is especially flexible because there 2. Hiragana < D 60 f./t tJ:) is a phoneti c script that is used
are so many "set" expressions found in common , everyday situ- (together with ka nj i) for verb endings, prepositions, etc. In
ations. One can, for example, express over len complete texts wri tten for children it is commOn to use only hiragana ,
thoughts by using the different fonns of a single Japanese verb. because that is what they first learn to read.
Mastering just ten verbs and their fomls therefore makes it pos-
sible to say over one hundred things. 3. Katakana (tJ ~ tJ T) This is another phonetic script, and
This handy guide is designed to show how a very small is primarily reserved for tran sc ribing fo reign words into
vocabulary is enough to quickly and fluently communicate over Japanese sy llables. For exampl e, the Japanese word for
1,<X>O ideas in Japanese. And because Japanese can be easily "hote l" is hoteru (*T)("~ and is always written in katakana
rendered into English phonetics, virtually all problems with pro- script.
nunciation can be eliminated. With the exceptio n of the vowe ls a , i , D, e and 0 and the
[IJSUlnI Japanese contains a phoneticized pronunciation consonant n , all hiragana and katakana consist o f a conso-
guide and all the key words and ex pressions you need to cover nant-vowel combination.
most of the personal situations you are likely to encounter dur-
ing a visit to Japan . 4. Romaji (0 - ? 1,;), o r " Roman lette rs," was o rig inall y
used by and for the benefit of foreigners who could not read
kanji or hiragana. It is now co mmo nl y used on signs all
over Japan- us ually in conjunction with kanji, hiraga na , or
both . The reading and writing of Romanized Japanese
• (Romaji) is not taught as a regular co urse in public school s,

4 Writing Japanese 5
so only those who slUdy privately develop skill in reading it. Kana and Pronunciation Chart
Romaji is, however, commonly used on a variety of school
materials, advertising, shop signs and so on, though some·
times, it seems, just for exotic effect. This chart contains all of the syllables that make up the
sounds in the Japanese language, along with their hiraga na
in this book, all Japanese words and expressions are present· and katakana equivalents.
ed in Romaji as well as in hiraga na or katakana. For cor·
A U E 0
rect pronunciation, refer to the explanations and the chart on
the following pages. if> (7) ,,(..,. ) 01(07) X(I) tl(~)

KA KI KU KE KO
IJ'(;IJ) >!( ~ ) «:7) 'H'r) ;:(::1)
How to Pronounce Japanese
SA SHI SU SE SO
The Japanese language is very easy to pronounce. It is made up <'! (<7) [.. ( "') TC;<') tt (t) ~('.I)

of precise syllables that are based on just five vowel sounds: a (as
TA CHI TSU TE TO
in "ah"), i (as in "free"), u (as in "boo"), e (as in "met"), and 0 ::>(.y) <: ( 7') I: (1-)
" ( 9) "' (7')
(as in "so", only shorter).
When consonant sounds are added to these vowel sounds, NA NI NU NE NO
syllables are created which follow the same sound pattern: f~ (1-) 1:(=) 0(;> un t.l(*) (1)(/)
ka (I),) . ki (~). ku (O. ke Ot), ko ( ;: ) ,andsa (In,
shi ([..) , su (T ), se ( tt ). so (~) ,andsoforth. HA HI FU HE HO
11(1\) 1.'(1::) .s-(7) ,,( .1\,) "1'( *)
in Japanese, the H and G sounds are always pronounced
as in "how" and "go." There are no true L or V sounds in MA MI MU ME MO
Japanese; thus they do not appear in the list of syllables. When £( ? ) J;(,,) (!(.l.) IOU) t>('E)
the Japanese attempt to pronounce these sounds in English
words, the L comes Oul as R and the V comes out as B. YA YU YO
'I"(-v) 1<1>( ::1. ) .1:(3)
All you have to do to pronounce these syllables (and the
words Ihey make up) correctly, is to voice them according to
RA RI RU RE RO
the phonetics taught in this book. When you pronounce the G(:;) ~ ('J) >"(M tl ( v ) O',(D)
Japanese words and phrases phonetically, the sounds come
out "in Japanese." WA (W)O
b ('7) ~

6 How to Pronounce Japanese Words 7

 GA GI GU GE GO HYA HYU HYO
ti' un ~( "' ) «if) If (7') ;:'(:1) D"I'>( t 1') DI¢J ( t ;J.) DJ:( t 3)

ZA JI ZU ZE ZO MYA MYU MYO

~(-tf) [; (;) 9'CO tf (1:) :f ('/) .7;>"1'> (" -\,) .7;>(";J.) .7;>J:("3)

DA JI ZU DE DO RYA RYU RYO

15(7") -;1(,:/) "('(7') I:'(~) IJ"I'>(')-\') IJI¢J( I);J.) IJ J: ( I) 3)
t,,-(;/)
(Ro ll the R a bit)
8A 81 8U 810 80 GYA GYU GYO
It (1\) tJ ( 1::) "\~(:1) «(<<) 1£ (;j()
~"I'>( "' -\,) ~I<»("';J.) ~J:( "' 3 )

PA PI PU PE PO JA JU JO
It (I~) tJ(t:') ..\;(:1) « ( << ) 1£ (;j() [;"I'>(;)-\') [;I¢J(;);J.) [;J: (;)3)

The R sound in Japanese is close to the L sound in 8YA 8YU 8YO

Eng lish , requiring a slight trilling sound to get it right. It tJ"I'>( t:' -\, ) tJl<» ( I::;J.) tJJ: (1:: 3 )
resembles the R sound in Spanish.
The following syllables are combinations of some of PYA PYU PYO
tJ"I'>(t:'-\,) tJtl>(t:' ;J.) tJJ:(t:'3)
those appearing above. The two primary syllables are com-
bined into one simply by merging the pronunciations. N
Pronounce the Y here as you do in the word "yes." Iv (;,,)

KYA KYU KYO Keep in mind that the sound s in the chart above are to
~"I'>( 'f- -\,) ~1¢J( 'f- ;J.) ~J:( 'f- 3)
be pronounced as on e syllable , not two . Native Engli sh
SHA SHU SHO speakers ohen find rya I) ~. ryu f) loP. and ryo 1:J.t the
(.,"1'>(",-\,) (.,I¢J("';J.) (.,J:{"'3) hardest to pronounce as one syllable. Try asking a native
speaker to say them for you so you can hear how they
CHA CHU CHO should sound.
<;"I'>(f--\') <;1¢J(f-;J.) <;J:(f-3) There are long , short , and silent vowe ls in Japanese. as
well as double con sonants. Long vowels are shown in
NYA NYU NYO
I: I<» ('::;J. ) I:J: ( '::3) Romaji (that is, the We stern alphabet) by a macron (a little
1: "1'>('::-\' )
mark above the letter a means a doubled aa sound). In hira-

8 Kana and Pronunciation Chart 9

gaDa, they are represented by a following vowel (for a that is PART 1
always an extra i, for e and i another i, and for the others usu-
ally an u), while in katakana the sound is simply extended Words 1-10
by a small bar: - .

Examples: 1 ohayo gozaimasu (olr-hai-yoe go-zai-mahss)

sabisu -tt - ~ A (service) good morning t;J1J:? ;:"~"£"t
oishii ;t.)t,\I,...t,\ (delicious) Unlike the English " Good morning", which can be used
kiiko <?~? (airport) right up until lunchtime, ohayo gozaimasu is nonnally
eiga ~t,ltJt (movie) only said when you meet someone first thing in the
morning, up until about II a.m ..
To get the most out of this guide , first practice pronounc-
ing the syllables--out loud- until you can enunciate each 2 konnichi wa (kone-nee-chee wah)
one easily without having to think about it. Before long you good afternoon :: Iv I: " 11
will be able to recognize individual syllables in the Japanese
Note thai the wa (wah) .1, when it stands alone, is pro-
words you hear. nounced wa. See p. 16 for an explanation of the gram-
Then go to the key-word and key-phrase portion of the
matical particle wa.
book and practice pronouncing each word and sentence, repeat-
ing the words and sentences aloud until you can get them out in
3 konban wa (kome·bahn wah)
a smooth flow. good evening :: Ivlt Iv 11
You ' ll be happy to find that you can communicate in
Japanese instantly- simply by following the pronunciation
4 domo arigato (doe-moe ah-ree-gah-toe)
instructions consistently.
thank you very much I!.? t> if> ~ fl' I: ?

5 sumimasen (sue-me-mah-sen)
pardon me, excuse me, I am sorry, thank you.
"t.;;. £ tt lv
Because of its variety of meanings, sumimasen is an
extremely useful word. Use it liberally. It is often short-
ened to simasen.

10 Kana and Pronunciation Chart 11

 6 dozo (doe-zoe) 10 watakushi (wah-tock-she)
please I'. 'J-T! I (formal) b ~ < L-
This is one of the many words that means "please" in Walakushi can be used by both men and women in for-
Japanese. Dozo is used in the sense of "please go first ," mal as well as informal situations.
"please continue," or "after you."

7 kudasai (koo-dah-sai)
Developing Verbal Skill
please <t!.. ~ 1, \
This word for "please give me" is almost never used by In order to develop verbal fluency in Japanese, it is necessary
itself. Rather, it normally follows the command form of to train the mouth as well as the mind. Simply memorizing
verbs as in tabete kudasai (loh-bay-tay koo-doh-sai) words and sentences on a page is obviously nOI enough. You
~ '"'l. < t!. ~ t,. l , "please eat," or noode kudasai (noall- must be able to say the words or sentences clearly enough
d(IY koo-dah-sai) q) fv"1'! <t! ~ !') , "please drink." It is that they can be understood.
also used with nouns to convey the meaning of "please," This means that you must physically train your mouth
as in "please bring me water" or "please hand me that." and tongue to say the foreign words properly-to gel them
out in a smooth, even flow. In other words, language learning
8 mizu (me-zoo) (if you wish to speak the language) must be approached as a
water h~ physical skill, like juggling, playing the guitar, or singing.
For example, pronunciation of the Japanese word do
- Please give me (a glass of) water. h 1'" ~ <t:.t! Ir \ c
itashimashite (doe-ee-tah-she-mahssh-Iay) oj !,. \~ L, ~ L,
Mizu 0 kudasai. (me-zoo all koo-doh-sai)
L or "don't mention it," requires seven different tongue and
o (oh) ~ is a grammatical particle used to indicate that mouth positions. The on ly way you can master this phrase is
the preceding word is the direct object of the action- in to say it over and over again, preferably oul loud, because this
this examp le, water. There are no indefinite or definite
increases confidence in your ability to say it and trains your
articles (a, the) in Japanese, and only a few plural fonns.
hearing at the same time.
The key to learning how to speak Japanese is to speak it
9 watashi (wah-tah-she)
repeatedly-not just read it or read about it-until it comes
I b~L-
out automatically, without you having to work too hard.
There are several commonly used terms in Japanese for
Repeating words and sentences out loud, kurikaeshi
the word "I," based on gender and other factors, but
kurikaeshi (koo-ree-kai-eh-she koo-ree-kai-eh-she) < IJ tJ,,,-
watashi (wah-tah-she) b ~ t.., is common and can be
J., < IJ tJ\ "- J.,-"over and over again"-is the key to devel-
used by anyone in any situation.
oping verbal skill in any language.

12 13
 PART 2 15 de wa arimasen (day wah ah-ree-mah-sen)
am not, is not, are not -r ,t itJ rJ ~ it Iv
Words 11-20 Pla in fonns of thi s incl ude de wa nai (day wah nai) -r
It t.J.lt\ andjanai (jahflai) t;~ t.J.It\.

11 watashi ni (wah-tah-she nee) 16 deshita (desh-tah)

to me b"- L.I: was, were -r L 1'::
Ni (nee) I;: is a grammati ca l particle thai can indicate
The plain form of this is datta (doh-tah) t.'.? "-.
that the preceding word is the indirect object of the
action. In thi s instance ni changes " I" to " me" as in " to
me" or " for me,"
17 de wa arimasen deshita
(day wah ah-ree-mah-sen desh-tah)
12 watashi no (wah-tall-she no) was not, were not. --r 1;1 ~ rJ ~ it Iv --r L 1'::
my, mine b t.; L- 0) Plain fonn s of thi s include de wa nakatta (day wah
No (no) (]) is a grammatical particl e that can change "ah-kaht-tah) -r 1;1 t~ iJ> ? "- and ja nakalta (jah
what precedes it to the possessive case. In thi s example, nah-kaht-tah ) t; {> t.J. 'IF? 1'::.
adding no to watashi changes " I" to "my" or " mine,"
18 namae (na h-my)
13 watashi-tachi / watashi-tachi no name fJ:*A
(wah·tah·she·tah-chee / wah-tah-she-Iah-chee 110)
we / our,ours b"-L."-t; / b"-L.fot; (]) - My name is Boye De Mente.
Addi ng -tachi (-tah -chee) 1!. ~ to personal pronouns b"-L. (]) ~~~ ~ #~~~~~ -rT.
(" ' ," "you," "she" etc.) makes them plural. Watashi no namae wa Boy~ De Mente desu.
(wah-tall-she no nah -my wah Boye De Mente dess)
14 desu (dess) Wa (wall) 11 is a grammatical particle used to indicate
am, is, are 1:."1"" that the preceding word or words are the topic in a sen-
Desu (dess) 1:."T is a poli te word without meaning. but tence.
can be thought of as functio ning like the verb "to be" in
English. Neither desu nor any of its forms (see foll ow- - My name is not Smith.
ing page) are used by them selves, but they are as essen- b"-L. (]) t~~~ 1;1 A'3.A -r 1;1 if., Q~1tIv.
tial for making correct, complete sentences in Japanese Watashi no namae wa Sumisu de wa arimasen.
as the English " I am," "you are," " he is," and so fo nh. (wall-tall-sh e no nah -my wah sue-me-sue day wah ah-
The plain form of desu is da (da h) t.'.. ree-mah-sen)

14 15
17nan I nani (nalln/nalln-nee) - We are British.
what t~lv/t~l: bt.:.l.,t.:.t. I~ -(""J;>; t;1v -r-;.
Watashi-tachi wa Igirisu-jin desu.
(wah-tah-she-tah-chee wah ee-gee-ree-soo-jeen dess)
18 anat a I anata no (ah-nah-tall / ah-na/Hah no)
you / your, yours ~t~t.:. /~t~t.:. (/) - Iameanadian. bt.:.l., I~ :iJT1Yt;1v -r-;.
The word a nata (ah-nah-tah) it) t.;.."k is normally best Watashi wa Kanada-jin desu.
avoided, since it can convey inappropriate familiarity. (wah-tah-she wah kah-nah-dah-jeen dess)
Where possible, address people by their name, or drop
the word for "you" entirely (see examples 20 and 21). - We are Australian.
Another option is for you to use the honorific prefix 0 -.
bt.:.l.,t.:.t. ~ ~-A~'Y7t;1v -r-;.
Watashi-lachi wa 0sutoraria-ji n desu.
For example: (wah-tah-she-tah-chee oh-slle-toe-rah-ree-ah-jeen dess)

- What is your name? t3t.;.. £:;t let t.;..1v 1:.'1' 'IJ\.

O-namae wa nan desu ka?· (oh nah-my wah nahn dess kah) Double Consonants
Ka (kah) 'IJ\ at the end of a sentence makes it a question. Many words in Japanese have double consonants that begin-
ning speakers mispronounce. This can result in language that
19 Amerika-jin (ah-may-ree-kah-jeen) sounds like gibberish or something entirely different from
an American person or American people 7 j. I) j]!;A, what is intended. There is an easy way to overcome lhis prob-
lem because Japanese is a language made up of precise sy lla-
- I am American. bles. The doub le consonant is represented in hiragana by a
bt.:.l., I~ 7 j. 'J :iJ t; Iv -r-;. smaller-sized tsu (r'sue) -::>, which is not pronounced, but
Watashi wa Amerika-j in desu. which occupies a period of time (a "beat") equivalent to (hat
(wah-tall-she wah ah-may-ree-knh-jeen dess) of the other hi ragana.
All you have to do is mentally divide the sounds of such
20 Nihon-j in (nee-hone-jeen) words into their phonetic equivalents (as all Japanese words
a Japanese person or people I:: lilA, r.; Iv are in this book), and account for the double consonant
sounds by allowing for an extra "beat" for the small tsu. Try
Are you Japanese? pronouncing the fol lowing examples. To pronounce these
1:1~1vt;1v -r-; tJ' . words correctly, just say each of the individual phonetic sylla-
Nihon-jin desu ka? bles fully and clearly. You will hear a very slight pause before
(nee-hone-jeen dess knh) the doub le consonants, similar to the sound in the English
word '"bookkeeper."

'6 17
 kekko (keck-ko) PART 3
fine, alright It ? ::?
Words 21-30
matte kudasai (maht-tay koo-dah-sai)
please wait *- '? "( <t= ~ to \ 21 donata / donata no (doe-nah-tah / doe-nah-rah no)
who / whose ~ct.. / ct..
to (J)
itte kudasai (eeHay koo-doh-sai)
pleasego !,o\ ? "( <t:.~t.\ Whoareyou? cfJ..~ -r1"" '!J\ .
Donata desu ka? (doe-nah-tah dess kah)
tomatte kudasai (toe-maht-lay koo-doh-sai)
pleasestop t.i:.?"( <t:.~\,\ 22 kore (koe-ray)
this ;: t1
haitte kudasa i (hire-ray koo-doh-sai)
please come in 11 P ? L <1:."2 !,d - Whose is this? .:. tl 11 c. tJ..t:.. (J) -e T fJ\ .
Kor e wa donata no desu ka?
gakko (gahk-ko) (koe-ray wah doe-nah-tah no dess kah)
school tJt ? ;:?
- It is mine. bt:.. L. (J) "'rT .
yukkuri (yuke-koo-ree) Watashi DO desu. (wah-tall-she 110 dess)
(The " iI" is understood)
slow ~ ? < t)
- It is ours. h t::. l, f! !> (/) -C T .
Watashi-tachi no des-u. (wah-tah-she-tah-chee no dess)

23 sore (soe-ray)
that -t-tt

_ What is that? -t-t1 11 t.l./v ""C.'T '!J' .

Sore wa nan desu ka? (soe-ray wah naJm dess kah)

- Whose isthat? -t-tt 11 ct.. ~ (J) 1?T "'.

Sore wa donata no desu ka?
(soe*ray wah doe*nah-tah no dess kah)

18 19
 .. Is that yours? -i".t1 It ···~Iv (J) "'('"9 tJ\R Ga (gah) tJ1 is similar to wa (wah) l;t, but nonnally indi-
Sore wa (person's narne)-san no desu ka? cates the grammatica l subject of a sentence or phrase.
(soe-ray wah ... -san no dess kah) Once a subject or topic has been mentioned at the begin-
ning of a conversation, it is often deleted from subsequent
24 ana hito / ana hito no sentences, which is why you don 't always see a wa or ga
(ah-no-ssh-toe / ah-no-ssh-foe 110) in each sentence.
he, she, him, her / his, hers a; 0) "I:: / a; 0) 0-1:: 0)
26 itsu (eat-sue)
.. That is hers. -i".t1 l;t ~(J) Dc (J) "'('"9R when ~)::>
Sore wa ano hilo no desu.
(soe-ray wah ah-no-ssh-toe no dess)
.. Wheni s it ? ~)"? "'('"9 tJ'.
Itsu desu ka? (eat-sue dess koh)
.. Who is that? ~(J) Dc l;t c t.l..t.:.. L'"9 tJ).
Ano hilo wa donata desu ka?
(ah-llo-ssh-toe wah doe-nah-tah dess kah) 27 doko (doe-koe)
where c'::'
.. What is his name?
a;0) 0-1:: 0) g.~ ~ g~ ~~ ~. .. Where is it? c'::' ""('"9 tJ).
Ano hilo no namae wa nan desu ka? Doko desu ka? (doe-koe dess kah)
(ah-rlO-ssh-toe 110 noh-my wah nahn dess kall)
.. Where is the bathroom (toilet/washroom)?
.. His name is Green. if I) - /" l.'"9o t3""Ca;G" 11 cC: ~~ Il'.
Gurin desu. (goo-reen dess) O-tearai wa doko desu ka?
("his name" is understood) (oh-tay-ah-rai wah doe-koe dess kah)
There are specific words for bathroom and toilet, but the
25 messeji (may-say-jee) most common genera l tenn that is used is o-tearai (oh-
message j. "/ t - Y
tay-ah-rai) :13 --r if;) ~ l,.) . Literally it means "honorable
hand wash," (in other words, "wash room").
.. Do you have a message for me?
btoL. I: ,,·yt-;J Il' a;~.~Il'. 28 hai (hi)
Watashi ni messeji ga arimasu ka?
yes l;t~).
(wah-tah-she nee may-say-jee gah ah-ree-mahss kah)
The word hai (hi) l;t P does not always simply mean
"yes." It can have a variety of meanings, including "I' m

20 21
 listening," or even " Pardon me?" When confinning or The key to pronouncing Japanese properly is found in the
agreeing with something, it is beuer to use So desu (soh vowels: a, i, u, e and o. in Japanese the a is pronounced as ah,
dess) -f oj ""('9, or Hai, so desu (hi soh dess) ~1t.\. -f the i as ee, the u as 00, the e as eh, the 0 as oh-just as in the
-j 1:'"t. above languages. For example, Na r ita (Nall-ree-tall) tJ.1'J t:.,
the name of Tokyo 's international airport, would be pro-
29 So desu. (soh dess) nounced in a simi lar way in Spanish, and vice-versa. The
Yes, that's so, that's right. ~ -j 1:'"t. Spanish word "coso" is pronounced almost the same in both
languages, as are "mesa," "cora," "rio," "Maria, " and so on.
30 iie (eee-eh) A significant difference between the pronunciation of
no (,.l(,.},:t Spanish and Japanese words is found in the L and V sound s.
There is no true L or V sound in Japanese. The L comes out
- No. mat is not correct. as an R sound and the V as a B sound. So "Lolita" in
"~,,;to ~-j 1:' 11 <II ~ "'ttlv. Japanese is Rorlta 0 1) -~; "via" becomes bia ~7, etc.
lie, sO de wa arimasen.
(eee-ell soh day wah ah-ree-mah-sen)
The word "no" is not used as much in Japanese as it is
in English. Instead. the preferred way of expressing
"no" is to use the negative form of the key verb. For
example, iki masu ka? (ee-kee-mah -soo kah) 1,) ~ 9 *
"IJ\ meaning "are you going?" is generally answered
with the negative ikimasen (ee-kee-mah-sen) t.-)~ *tt
lv , "I'm not going," rather than iie (eee-eh) t.-)t.-).it. a
blunt " no."

More Notes on Pronouncing Jap anese

Anyone familiar with the pronunciation of Latin, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, or Hawaiian. has a head start in learning
how to pronounce Japanese correctly. In fact. when the sounds
of the Japanese language are transcribed into Roman letters
(the familiar ABCs). they are pronounced virtually the same as
in these languages.

22 23
 PART 4 Ikimashita. (ee-kee-mahssh-tah)
1went. He/she went. "<! '" G/:: .
Words 31-40
Ikitai desu. (ee-kee-ta; dess)
31 iku (ee-koo) I want to go. l-\ i! "k..l-\ ""('9".
to go (plain) "<
Ikimasho. (ee-kee-mall-show)
ikimasu (ee-kee-malzss) Let's go. "l! '" G J:?
to go (polite neutral) "i! iI; ..
Japanese verbs are regularly used alone in their present, Itte kudasai. (eat-toy kao-dah-sa;)
past, and future tenses as well as in their negative and
Please go_ l- l ? "C <t:!.~l-\ .
interrogative fonns. as complete sentences. The rest of
the meaning is understood from the context.
Japanese verb endings do not change when the sub- Where are you going? C;:, I: l-\'i!*-r tJ' .
jects change as they do in English. Therefore ikimasu Doko oi ikimasu ka? (doe-koe nee ee-kee-mahss kalt)
(ee-kee-mahss) v) ~ £"9 can also mean "I go," "yo u
go," "he goes," "she goes," "it goes," "we go" or "they - Where is he going?
go."
In the following example sentences only one sub-
;1;17) "'I: I~ C::' I: "<!"' .. fi' .
Ano hito wa doko ni ikimasu ka?
ject is translated into English for simplicity, but don't (all-no ssh-toe wah doe-koe nee ee-kee-mahss kah)
forget that a variety of subjects is possible.
32 hoteru (hoe-lay-rue)
Ikimasu. (ee-kee-mahss) hotel $7')~
1go, 1am going. I shall go. "<!"' ...
Jwanttogotomyholel. *7")l" I: l-\i!"k..~\ ""("1'".
Ikimasen. (ee-kee-mah-seTl) Hoteru oi ikitai desu_ (hoe-lOy-rue nee ee-kee-tai dess)
1do not go, 1am not going. 1shall not go.
"<!"'ttA,. - J want to go to the New Otani Hotel.
The plain form is ikanai (ee-kall-nai) ~~tJ,t.l.l-\.
=.3.- ;;t-~= *7")l" I: Pi!~!'" ""("1'".
Nyu Otani Hoteru oi ikita i desu_
Ikimasu ka? (ee-kee-mahss kall) (knew olt-tah-Ilee hoe-toy-rue nee ee-kee-ta; dess)
Are you going? l-\~*T 'IJ' .

24 25
 _ My holel is the Miyako Holel Tokyo. - Where do you wanl 10 eal?
tJr.:1.- il) *7)~ 11 ,,-\':J *7)~ c':>>! .. ':> c;: ""(' 'k..r.tt.:.ltl ""('9 f)\ .
Doko de tabetai desu ka?
""('T.
(doe-koe day tah-hay-ta; dess kall)
Watashi no hoteru wa Miyako Hoteru Tokyo desu.
(wah-tah-she 110 hoe-tay-me wah Me-yah-koe Hoe-tay-
- What do you wanl to eat?
rue Tokyo dess) t",l: €" 'k..r.tl:..ltl ""('T f)\.
Nani 0 tabetai desu ka? (nah-llee all tah-bay-ta; dess kah)
33 taberu (rah-bay-rue)
toeat t:..r.t;" 34 shokuji (show-koo-jee)
food, meal 1.- .. < t:
Tabemasu . (tall-bay-mallss)
I eat (it). I shall eat. I am ready to eat. r.: '" £ T . - Let's (go and) eat. Let's have a meal.
1.- .. < t: ~ 1.-£1.- .. ':> .
Shokuji 0 shimashO. (show-koo-jee ali sliee-mali-show)
Tabemasu ka? (rah-bay-mahss kah)
Will you eat (it)? Do you eat (that)? r.: '" £ T ~,
35 washoku (wah-show-koo)
Japanese food tJ I.- .. <
Tabemasen. (lall-bay-mah-sen)
I am not going to eat. I do not eat (that). r.: '" £ tt A, .
I want to eat Japanese food.
tJl.- .. < ~ r.:"'r.:~' ""(,T.
Tabemashita. (rah-bay-mahssh-rah) Washoku 0 tabetai desu.
I ate. He/she ate, we ate. r.: '" £ I.- r.: . (wa-show-koo oli tali-hay-ta; dess)
As mentioned earlier, 0 (oh) ~ is a grammatical particle
Tabetai desu. (rah-bay-rai dess) used to indicate that the preceding word is the direct
I want to eat. t.:. r.tt:..I,) "r"9. object of the sentence.

Tabemasho. (rah-bay-mah-show) 36 yoshoku (yoh-show-koo)

Let's eat. I:.. r.t ~ L.. .t oj . Western food J: ':> I.- .. <

- Let's eat western food.

Tabete kudasai. (rah-bay-ray koo-dah-sai) J:?I.- .. < ~ r.:"'£I.- .. ':> .
Please eat. 'k..r.t-C < t:.t!. It).

26 27
 Yfishoku 0 tabemashO. Mo nomimashita. (mo no-me-mahssh-tah)
(yoh·show·koo oh tah·bay·mah·show) I drank (already). b:) 0)"'''' Gt,.
_ Whereshallweeat? C!..;:' I: "f=.«.*l.t? tJ\o
Nomitai desu. (no-me-ta; dess)
Doko de tabemasho ka? I want to drink. (J)1:J.~(,} 1:90
(doe-koe day tah-bay-mah-show kah)
Nomimasho. (no-me·mah-show)
_ Have you already eaten? t;,? ~ ~ £: l"f=. '/)\. Let's drink. (J)JJ.. £: l.t j .
Mo tabemashita ka? (moe tah·bay-mahssh·tah kah)
Mo means "already."
Nonde kudasai. (noan-day koo-dah-sa;)
_ I don't want to eat. ~ ~~ <t,;. (,) 1:90 Please drink. (J)lvl: <t!.~(,)o
Tabetaku nai desu.
(tah·bay·tah-koo na; dess)
Nomanai de kudasai. (no-mail-na; day /wo-dah-sa;)
_ I don't want to eat Western food. Please don't drink. O)"'t~"1? <"''''''.
J::)GJo< ~ ~"'t,<t~" 1?"9.
Yoshoku 0 tabetaku nai desu. - Would you like something to drink?
(yoe-show-koo oh tah·bay·tah-koo lIa; dess) tJ:l:tJ\ (J)h-t::..(,} 1:9 '/)\"
Nani ka nomitai desu ka?
37 nomu (no-moo) (noh-nee kah no-me-tai dess kah)
to drink ont Putting ka (kah) tJ\ after nani (nah-nee) tJ.. I: changes
the meaning from "what" to "something."
Nomimasu. (no-me-mailss)
I drink. I shall drink. 0).,. "'"9. - I'd like to drink a cola. ~-7 ~ (J)1:J.t:..(,} 1:9.
Kora 0 nomitai desu. (koe-rah oh no-me·tai dess)
Nomimasen. (no-me-mah-sen)
I do not drink. I shall not drink. 0)'" '" tt 1<,. - I'd like (10 drink) a beer. I:-)v ~ O).,.~"
Biro 0 nomitai desu. (bee-rue oh no-me-ta; dess)
1?"9.
This phase may also be used for " I don't want anything to
drink."
- I do not drink sake. ~ ~t ~ (J):Jj.. £: it Iv 0

Sake 0 nomimasen. (sah-kay oh no-me·malz-sen)

Nomimasu ka? (no-me-mahss ka)
Will you (have a) drink? 0)"''''"9 ~'.

28 29
 Nomitakunai desu. (no·me·tah·ku nai dess) Uisuki ga suki de wa arimasen.
I don't want to drink I I don't want anything to (oo· iss·key gah ski day walr ah-ree·mah-sen)
drink. Q)iIj.~<f~" -e1'.
39 Itadakimasu (ee-tah-dah-kee-mahss)
to receive, accept ~\'kt=~*9 .
38 suki (ski)
like (be fond of, love) l' ~ This expression is invariably said just before begin ning a
meal (panicu larly when you are a guest). The literal
meaning of it is " I receive/accept (this food)." In generaJ
- Do you like sushi? T l,.. tJ1 T ~ "'("T tJ\ .
Sushi ga suki desu ka? (sue·she gah ski dess kah) this is also a fonnal , polite way of expressing apprecia-
tion and thanks . Prior to taking the first drink , the tradi-
- Idon ',Jikeit. 1'll' -e 1;1: I>~"'ttlu .
tional Japanese salutation is kampai! (kahm-pai) tJ'Jv,;r
Suki de wa arimasen. (ski de wah ah-ree-mah·sen) t. '. "Cheers! "

_ I want (would like) to eat sushi. GochisOsama deshita (go-chee-solr-sah-mllh desli-tall)

1'1.- ~ ~"'~" -e1'. Thank you for the meal (or drinks).
Sushi 0 tabetai desu. (sue·she 011 tah·bay-ta; dess) ;:-!,~?;!!'" -el.-~ .
This is a fonna l and common way of expressing thanks
_ I don 't like that.
and appreciation to the person who has prepared. hosted,
~n ~ 1'~ -e ~ I>~"'ttlu .
Sore ga suki de wa arimasen. or paid for a meal or drinks.
(soe·ray gah ski day wall all·ree·mah-sell)
40 oishii (oh-ee-she-e)
- I like this. ;:n ~l 1'll' -e1'. (it is) delicious .:at.) l,.. t.)
Kore ga suki desu. (koe·ray gall ski dess)
- Is it good? t:H' l,.. t.) l.'T n\.
_ Idon" Jikethis. ;:n ~l 1'l! -e 1;1: I>~"'ttlu. Oishii dt"Su ka? (oh-ee-she-e dess kah)
Kore ga suki de wa arimasen.
(koe-ray gah ski day wah ah·ree·mah-sen) Oishikatta desu. (oh-ee-she-knht-tah dess)
(It was) delicious. :l.H' I.-~'? ~ -e1'.
- I don't like whiskey.
~.~.- ~ 1'll' -e ~ m~"'ttlu .

30 31
 Those Kanji Characters! PART 5
Originally the Japanese imported over 60,000 Chinese char·
acters kanji, (kahn·jee) 'IJ~1v 1;, but only a small percentage Words 41-50
of this number is commonl y used today. Successive language
reforms that began in Japan shortly after the fall of the 41 au (ah-oo)
Tokugawa shogunate in 1868 have greatl y red uced the num· to meet if)?
ber of kanji taught in schools and used for official purposes. Remember that subjects are often unex pressed in
In 198 1 the number of c haracters was officially set at Japanese. The following sentences are tran slated into
1,945. Thi s list is referred to as the Joyo Kanji (joe·yoh English usi ng the subject " I ," but could also be under·
kahn .jee) [; ..t ? J::: ? tJ\ Iv [; or "Chinese Characters in stood to mean " he," "she," " they," "we," "i t," " that per·
General Use:' The last major reform occurred in 1989, when son," and so forth .
the lotal number of characters children are required to learn
during Iheir first six years of school was increased to 1,006. Aimasu. (eye-ma hss)
I shall meet (someone). <I; P *1".
Aimasen. (eye·mah·sen)
I shall not meet (someone). <l;1'*ttA,.

Aimasu ka? (eye-ma hss koh)

Will you meet me? il;t-~*"'t tJ\ .

(Person's name)·san ni aimashita.

(... ·sahn nee eye·mahssh·tah)
I met (person's name) . ... t! A, I: <1;1'* L.I:: .

Aitai desu. (eye·tai dess)

I want to meet (you). <I; PI:: I' <:1" .

Aimasho. (eye·mah show)

Let's meet. ®" '" L. J: ?

32 33
 .. Where shall we meet? .. What time do you eat? What time are we going to eat?
c ;: <? ,M ' £ L, Jo ? Ii'. t~luJ; I: t:"' £-; tJ' .
Doko de airnasho ka? Nanji ni tabernasu ka? (nahn~jee nee tah-bay~mahss ko.h)
(doe-koe day eye-mah-show kah) . .
The word preceding the particle de (day) --r: often mdl~ .. When shall we meet? ~ ) :J ~ !t \*L ct? f)).
cates a place where the action of the verb happens. Itsu airnashO ka? (eat-sue eye~mah~show koh)

.. Please meet meat the hotel. *7)V ""7: ~~\ * L ct? .. 43 aru (ah-rue)
Hotero de airnasho. to be, have (for objects) <\; <>
(Hoe·tay~rue day eye~mah·show)

Arimasu. (ah-ree~mahss)
.. Please meet me in the lobby. Let's meet in the lobby. There is. There are. I have. ~ t) *'9 "
0 1:::- ""7: .:f) ~ \*l" ct?
Robi de airnasho. (roe-bee day eye~mah-show)
Arimasen. (ah-ree~mah~sen)
There is not. There are not. I do not have (it, any).
42 nanji? (llahn~jee) <\; ~ £ttlu .
what time? tJ.1u t.:
Arimashita. (ah-ree~mahssh-Iah)
.. What time shall we meet? There was. There were. I had. <\; ~ £ L, t: .
t~luJ; I: ,M '£ L,Jo? Ii' .
Nanji oi airnasho ka? .. Do you have some (any/it)? Is there any?
(llahn~jee nee eye-mah~show kah)
<\;~£-; tJ' .
Arimasu ka? (ah-ree~mahss koh)
.. Where shall we meet tonight?
;:lu lilu c;: <? ,M' £ L, Jo?
Kornban doko de airnasho ka?
tJ'. .. No, I don't have any (it). There is none.
Arimasen. (llh~ree~mah-sen)
~ t) *it Iu ..

(kone -bahn doe~koe day eye-mah-show kllh)

44 ikura (ee-koo-rah)
.. What time do you want to go?
tJ.IuG 1= ~\~t.:!t) --r:'9 tJ\.
how much v) < ~
Nanji oi ikitai desu ka?
(nahn-jee nee ee~ kee~tai dess kllh) .. How much is it? ~ \ < ~ ""7: '9 tJ\ "
[kura desu ka? (ee-koo-rah dess koh)

34 3S
 How much is this? ;::tl. ~1 L-\< 6 "('"'9 tJ\ o Shimasu ka? (she-mahss kah)
Kore wa ikura desu ka? Do you do (it)? Will you do? I., £~ to'.
(koe-ray wah ee-koo-rah dess kah)
Shimashita. (she-mahssh-tah)
• How much is that? -ttl. 11 L-~< 6 "('"'9 IJlo I did (it). I., £ I., to.
Sore wa ikura desu ka?
(soe-ray wah ee-koo-rah dess kah)
Shitai desu. (she-rai dess)
45 takai (tah-kai) I want to do (it). I.,t:" -e~.
high, expensive ~tJ\P
Shimasho. (she-mah-show)
• That is expensive. -ttl. ~1 t=.tJ\L-) "('-t. Let's do (it). I., £ I., J: Ol.
Sore wa takai desu. (soe-ray wah tah-kai dess)
Shite kudasai. (she-toy koo-dah-sai)
46 yasui (yah-sue-e) Please do (it). VC <to""'.
cheap, inexpensive ~-tL-)

Shinaide kudasai. (she-nai day koo-dah-sai)

• Do you have a cheap one? Please don't do (it). I.,t~,,-e < "'''' ".
~~" ~ 11 ;;~;Jo~ to'.
Yasui no wa arimasu ka?
(yah-sue-e no wah ah-ree-mahss kah) • What shall we do? tJ: I: ~ L- ~ L J:. '5 tJ\ .
Nani 0 shimasho ka? (noh-nee oh she-mall-show kah)
47 suru (sue-rue)
• What are you doing? tJ:l: ~ L--C L-)~"'9 tJl .
to do ~~
Nani 0 shite imasu ka?
(noh-nee oh ssh.tay ee-mahss koh)
Shimasu. (she-mahss)
I do (it). I shall do. I am going to do. 1.,;Jo ~.
Shite imasu (ssh-tay ee-mahss) (V-r L-\~T) is the
present progressive fonn of shimasu, which changes
"do" into "doing."
Shimasen. (she-mah-sen)
I do not do (it). I shall not do. I am not going to
.. What are you (we) going to do? What shall we do?
do. l.,;Jottlv. COl 1.,£, to' .
DO shimasu ka? (doh she-mahss kah)

36 37
 _ How should it be done? / How should 1 do it? Kore wa ii desu ka? (koe-ray wah eee dess kah)
C'5 t,..~5 ..s..,5 I:: L*"t~).
Do iu m ni shimasu ka? (doh yoo fuu nee she-mahss kah) - That's tine. -i"tt ~i ~)~) 1."'9.
Sore wa ii desu. (soe-ray wah eee dess)
Do (doh) C' ? can mean "what," " how," or "why,"
depending on the usage. Do iu fii oi (doh yoofuu nee)
- Is it okay togo? ~)?"( 'b ~ \ t,.. \ "r"t tJ).
C'? ~~?..s,? I:: means "How," "In what manner."
Ute rno ii desu ka? (eo Hay moe eee dess kah)
Ute (eat-toy) ~)? "'( is the so-called "te-form" form of
_ What is he (it/that person) doing?
~O) U/: I~ f~l: ~ V[ "£, ~'.
the verb ikimasu (meaning go) that by itself is a com-
mand. Mo ii desu kat (moe eee dess kah) ... 'b ~)~)
Ano hilo wa nani 0 shite imasu ka?
(ah-no ssh-roe wah nah-nee oh ssh-ray ee-mahss kah) -r"t ~) after the "te-form" of a verb adds the sense of
" May I. .. ?" or "Is it alright to ... ?"
_ What do you want to do? fl.!:: ~ Lt::..~) "r"t tJ\~
Nani 0 shitai desu ka? (noh-nee oh she·tai dess kah) - Is it okay to eat? t=.«."( 'b ~\~) -r"t tJ)~
Tabete rno ii desu ka? (tah-bay-tay moe eee dess kah)
_ I don't want to do anything. fJ.l:: 'b L t::.. < tJ. ~~ -r"t ~
Nani rno shitakunai desu. - Is it okay to do it? f....-r 'b ~\I"l "r"t tJ) .
(noh-nee moe she-tah-koo naj dess) Shite rno ii desu ka? (ssh-tay moe eee dess kah)

• What did you do? f~I:~ l- £ lJ.:~'. - What time are we (you) going?
Nani 0 shirnashita ka? (nah·nee oh she-mahssh-tah kah) f~A,t; I: "<!£, ~'.
Nanji oi ikimasu ka? (nahn-jee nee ee-kee-mahs kah)
• I didn't do anything. t~I:'b l-£ttA, -el-t.:.
Nanimo shimasen deshita. 49 dochira (doe-chee-rah)
(nah-nee moe she-mah-sen desh-tah) which (of two) c!; '"

48 ii (eee)
- Which one (of these two) is the best?
good (fine, acceptable) ,,', C'"tS ~ IJ1 1,,\1,,) 1."'9 tJ) o
Dochira ga ii desu ka? (doe-chee-rah gah eee dess kah)
- Is it okay? ~ ) ~\ "r"t tJ)o
Ii desu ka? (eee dess kah) - Which one is the more expensive (out of these two)?
C'"5 t> IJ1 t:;/J)I,,) "r"t tJ).

38 39
 Dochira ga takai desu ka? such dictionary, played a key role in introducing Japan to the
(doe-ellee-rall gah tah-kai dess kah) outside world. Dr. Hepburn returned to the U.S. in 1892 and
died in 1911.
50 dore (doe-ray) Some Japanese educators and scholars did not appreciate
which (of many) e tl the fact that a foreigner had played a leading role in the
development of Romaji. and came up with a number of sys-
_ Which one (out of all of them) is yours? tems based on Japanese perspectives. But these systems did
e tl ~, ... t! h" (J) -e -; ~' . not win popular support because foreigners could not pro-
Dore ga (person's name)-san no desu ka? nounce many of the Romanized syllables correctly.
(doe-ray gah ... -sahn no dess kah) The Hepburn System is used in Japan by most govern-
ment and private institutions, and almost exclusively outside
of Japan.
The main reason that the Japanese romanizing systems
Writing Japanese "English" have not succeeded in competing with or replacing the
The earliest Western visitors to Japan faced an enormous Hepburn system is because they make use of Chinese style
challenge in trying to learn the Japanese language because it romanization in which several sounds are represented by let-
was written in a script they could not pronounce. Several of ters that are quite different from their use in English and the
the more scho larl y inclined of these early visitors created Romance languages of Europe. For example, ti stands for the
phonetic systems based on the familiar ABCs for writing the sound chi, tu for the sound ISU, z for). and so on.
language. Unfortunately, each of these systems was designed
for speakers of a specific language (Portuguese, Dutch,
German, English). and was therefore not universally applica-
ble to all foreigners wanting to learn Japanese.
Finally. an American medical missionary named Dr.
James Curtis Hepburn, who went to Japan in 1859 afterearli-
er spending fourteen years in Singapore and Amoy, collabo-
rated in the development of a system for romanizing Japanese
that was eventually to become the standard. This is known as
the "Hepburn System of Romanization."
While in Japan , Dr. Hepburn also helped found Meiji
Gakuin University and served as its first president. His publi-
cation in 1867 of A Japanese-English Dictionary, the first

40 41
 _ Do you have a smaller one?
PART 6 'b ? C !>"~~' Q) 11 <l;~*, ~' .
Motto chiisai no wa arimasu ka?
Words 51-60 (mote·lOe chee·e·sai,1O wah ah-ree-mahss koh)

51 chiisai (chee-e-sa;) 53 ichiban (ee-chee-bahn)

small, littler !>~,~~, number one, most v\'S111v
When used before adjectives, the phrase ichiban (ee-
_ Ilike the s mallone .""5t.\(~·t.\ Q) ,;t 1"-$ 1."T. chee-bahll) t,.\ 'S.;t Iv marks the superlative form ("-est",
Chiisai no wa suki desu. (chee-t-sa; 110 wah ski dess) as in " biggest" , "best", "cheapest").

_ Which one is the smaller (out of these two)?

c.-;~ tJt -;t.\~ !, \ 1."1" f)\ .
Dochira ga chiisai desu ka?
_ Which one is the cheapest?
etl ~, ,'!> 11;" ~,~,
Dore ga ichiban yasu! desu ka?
-C, ~' .

(doe-chee-rah gah chee-e-sa; dess kah) (doe -ray gall ee-chee·bahll yah-sue·ee dess kah)

_ This istoo small. ;:tl 11 !>~,~,>,!,*, . _ Which one is the best?

Kore wa chiisa-sugimasu. ctl tJ1 t,.\!>I;t1v t.\v\ '"("9" tJ) .
(koe-ray wah chee-e-sah sue-ghee-mahss) Dore ga ichiban ii desu ka?
(doe-ray gall ee·chee-bahn eee dess koh)
_ I shall take the small one.
!>~,~ "
Chiisai no 0
Q) '" "~£;!*' .
itadakimasu.
(chee-e-sa; no oh ee- tah-dah-kee-mahss)
etl ~, ,'I! -C,
_ Which one do you prefer?
~' .
Dore ga suki desu ka? (doe-ray gall ski dess koh)

_ I shall take that one. How much is it?

52 okii (o h-kee-e)
large, big Ss;!" ttl '" < £~ " . ~,<"
Sore 0 kudasai. [kura desu ka?
-C, ~'.

(soe-ray oh koo-dah·sai, ee-koo-rah dess koh)

_ Do you have a bigger one?
'b ? C ssi!~' Q) 11 <l;~*, ~' . 54 dasu (dah-sue)
Motto okii no wa arimasu ka? to send, mail £,
(mote-toe oh-kee-e no wah ah -ree-mahss ka")
The verb dasu (dah-sue) t:'T has a ge neral meaning of
Motto adds the meaning of more; in thi s examp le it is " to pUI out ," " to take oUI". It is often used 10 express
literally "more bi g," meaning " larger" or " bi gger." "posting a leiter or parcel."

43
42
 Dashimasu. (dah-she-mahss) - Is this place Okay? .::..::. ti v) v) 1."1" i"J\ .
I shall mail (it). t::: I.- *"t. Koko wa ii desu ka? (koe-k.oe wah eee dess kah)

Dashimasen. (dah-she-mah-sen) 56 tomaru (toe-mah-rue)

I do not send (it). I shall not send (it). t::: I.- *
"It A, . to stop (come to rest). To stay (overnight). I:: * Q

Dashimashita. (dah-she-mahssh-tah) Tomarimasu. (toe-mah-ree-mahss)

*
I sent (it). I mailed it. t:::1.- I.-~. I stop. I shall stop. It (the train, etc.) stops. I shall
stay (overnight). I:: * ~ *"t.
Dashita i desu. (dah-she-ta; dess)
I want to mail (this). t:::1.-~" 1?"t. Tomarimasen. (toe-mah-ree-mah-sen)
I do not stop. I shall not stop. It does not stop. I
Dashite kudasa;' (dah-ssh-tah koo-dah-sai) shall not stay (overnight). I:: * ~ * "It A, .
Please send (this). Please mai l (it).
t:::VC <t~~". Tomarimashita. (toe-mah-ree-mallssh-tah)
lilt stopped. I stayed (overnight). I:: * ~ * I.-~.
- Please mail this today.
;:11 ,., ,!!",-; t:::VC <t:::~". Tomarimasu ka? (toe-mah-ree-mahssh kah)
Kore 0 kyo dashite kudasai. Do you stop? Will you/it stop? Will you stay
(koe-ray oh k'yoe dah-ssh-tah koo-dah-sai) (overnight)? I:: * ~ *"t 11'.

55 koko (koe-koe) Tomaritai desu. (toe-mah-ree-tai dess)

here.::. .::.
I want to stop. I want to stay (overnight).
I::*~~" 1?"t.
- Let's have something to drink here.
;:;:1? IJ:I:II' 0);"*1.-",-;.
Koko de nani ka nomimasho. Tomarimasho. (toe- mah-ree-mah-show)
(koe-koe day nah -nee kall no-me-mah-show) Let's stop. Let's stay. I:: * ~ * I.- '" ?

Where am I? (literally: Where is this?) Tomatte kudasa i. (toe-mah-tay koo-dah-sai)

.::..::. Ii c'::' -r'-ri"J'. Please stop. 1::*-:>1:" <t~~".
Koko wa doko desu ka?
(koe-koe wah doe-koe dess kah)

44 45
 _ Please stop here. ;::.:: 1.' C:.. * "? L <t.:'2' \,lo Machimashita. (mah-chee-mahss-tah)
Koko de tomaUe kudasai. I waited. He/She waited. £ t. £ G t=.
(koe-koe day toe-mah-tay koo-dah-sai)

_ I want (you) to stop here . .:::. 1.' c:.. * I) t~ \,) 1.'9"0

Machitai desu. (mah-chee-tai dess)
I want to wait. *-;t~\,) 1.'90
Koko de tomaritai desu.
(koe-koe day toe-mah-ree-tai dess)
Machimasho (mah-chee-mah-show)
_ Where shall we stop? c':: -r: C:.. * *I) L, ~ oj ,/)). Let's wait. £ t. £ G ... oj.
Doko de tomarimasho ka?
(doe-koe day toe-mah-ree-mah-show kah) Matte kudasai. (mahl-Iay koo-dah-sai)
Please wait. * "? L <t:!..'2' \,~o
_ Where are we stay ing tonight ?
C:1v1;(1v I'.c: I: I:£ry£-; ~'.
Konban doko ni tomarimasu ka? - I shall wait for you here.
(kome-bahn doe-koe nee toe-mah-ree-mahss kah) ~ ~ l? £t. £-;.
Koko de machimasu. (koe-koe day mah-chee-mahss)
Konban (kome-bahn) ::: A" It' Iv (tonight) is the same
komban that you saw earlier in komban wa , which 1.' *"? L
Wait here . .::.:: <t~'2' \,~o
means "good evening." You can use komban wa as Koko de matte kudasai.
soon as it 's dark. (koe-koe day maht-tay koo-dah-sai)

57 matsu (maht-sue) - I shall wait at the hotel. "' T )v l? £ t. £ -;.

to wait *-:J Hoteru de machimasu. (hoe-tay-rue day mah-chee-mahss)

Machimasu. (mah-chee-mahss)
- I shall wait in my room. '"' ~ 1.' !) *"9 0 *
Heya de machimasu. (hay-yah day mah-chee-mahss)
I shall wait. £ t. £ -; •
- Is it okay if I wait here?
Machimasen. (mah-chee-mah-sen) '-'- 1.' *"?L 't> \,)\,) 1.'9" '11)1
I shall not wait. £t.£itlv. Koko de matte mo ii desu ka?
(koe-koe day maht-tay moe eee dess kah)
Machimasu ka? (mah-chee-mahss kah)
- Please don't wait. *t:..tJ.\'~1.' <t.:~\,)o
Will you wait? £ t. £ -;~'. Matanaide kudasai. (mah-tah-na; day koo-dah-sai)

46 47
58 kuru (koo-rue) 59 kau (kah-oo)
to come < .Q to buy fi'?

Kimasu. (kee·mahss) Kaimasu. (kai-mohss)

I shall come. He/She will come. >!;Io-;. I shall buy (it). fi' ~';Io -; •

Kimasen. (kee-mah-sen) Kaimasen. (kai-mah-sen)

I shall not come. He/She will not come. >!;Ioitlv . I shall not buy (it). fi"';10 it Iv.

Kimasu ka? (kee-mahss leah) Kaimasu ka? (kai-mams kah)

Will you come? Are you coming? ~~T tJ' . Will you buy (it)? Are you going to buy (it)?
n)(/\£1" '!J'.
Kimashita. (kee-mahssh-Iah)
I/He/She came. l! 'I:l.. ~ . Kaimashita. (kai-mahssh -tah)
I bought (it). He/She bought (it) fi"';10 t...~ .
Kite kudasai. (kee-Iay koo-dah-sai)
Please come. ~"'( <r.:t!~\ . Kaitai desu. (kai-tai dess)
I want to buy (this). fi'~'~~''t'-; .
- Is he coming here? Are you coming here?
.......... I;: ~;l;9 tJ' . Kaimasho. (kai-mah-show)
Koko ni kimasu ka? Let's buy (it). fi'~';10 L.. J: '5.
(koe-koe nee kee-mallss kall)

- Is she coming this afternoon? Are you coming this after- Katte kudasai. (kahl-tay koo-dah-sai)
noon? ~.t.? q) :::::::: I:: ~ £"9 '!J' . Please buy (it). fi' ? c <t.:'~".
Kyo no gogo oi kimasu ka?
(k'yoe no go-go nee kee-mahss leah) - I want to buy that. .0{- tl ~ IJ\ ~l*"- ~\ "r9 .
Sore 0 kaitai desu. (sore-ray oh kai-tai dess)
- I am not coming. They are not coming. ShelHe is not
coming. ~ it it Iv. - What do you want to buy?
Kimasen. (kee-mall-sen) tJ.l: ~ 7'.l1~1*"-~1 ""('9 7'.llo
Nani 0 kaitai desu ka? (noh-nee oh kai-ta; dess kah)

48 49
 - Please buy it forme. bt::.L, I: tJ'?L <t:.<5.~'. Dealing with Japanized English
Watashi ni katte kudasai. Some 25,000 foreign words , mostly from English, have
(wah-tah-shee nee kaht-tay koo-dah-sai) been merged into the Japanese language, and are now as com-
monly used as native Japanese terms. But this massive adop-
_ Where did you buy that? tion of English vocabulary has not made it much easier for
-t-It ,;, cO: 1? ~'~'*L-t.: ~'. non-Japanese speaking people to understand or learn the lan-
Sore 0 doko de kaimashita ka? guage.
(soe-ray oh doe-koe day kai-mahssh-tah kah) The reason for this rather odd problem is that all of the
adopted English words are written and pronounced according
- Did you buy this at a department store? to Japanese pronunciation. That is, each word is broken up
.:.tt ~ 7/'(-1-- -r tJ,~,*L,t::. n\o into Japanese syllables that are then written or pronounced in
Kore 0 depito de kaimashita ka?
(koe-ray oh day-pah-to day kai-mahssh-tah kah) the normal Japanese way. This means that a simple English
word like "strike" becomes sutoraiki (sue-toe-rey-kee) A r-
- What did you buy? t.;.l: ~ n' ~,* L, t::. 1'.1\ . 71';:F, "milk" becomes miruku (miruku) ~)v 7, "blue"
Nani 0 kaimashita ka? becomes burfi (boo-rue) -:I )v - , "sex" becomes sekkusu
(nah-nee oh kai-mahssh-tah kah) (say-koo-sue) -t 'Y 7 .7..-all of which are absolutely mean-
ingless to a native English speaker until the meanings of the
60 kaimono (kai-moe-no) words are explained-or unless the foreigner is familiar
shopping 1'.1\ ~,t> (J) enough with this Japanization process to convert it back to
English automatically.
- I want to go shopping. 1'.1\ ~, t> (J) I: v' 'i! t::. ~) -r '9. Other foreign words are abbreviated as they are
Kaimono ni ikitai desu. Japanized, making them even harder to understand. A recent
(kei-moe-no nee ee-kee-tai dess) news issue is that of sekuhara, which mean s "sexual harass-
ment" and was created by combining the first parts of the two
- Let'sgoshopping.tJ\~'t>(J) I: ~ '~*L,.t5 .. English words.
Kaimono oi ikimasho. When Japanized English words are used by them se lves,
(kai-moe-no nee ee-kee-mah show)
or in abbreviated contexts in which the meaning is not obvi-
ous, they are like any other foreign language that one has to
- Did you go shopping? n\~'t>(J) I: V)~*L,t::. 1'.1\.
Kaimono oi ildmashita ka?
learn in order to understand.
(kai-moe-no nee ee-kee-mahss/z-tah kah) My daughter Demetra, who spent six months in Tokyo
studying Japanese, went shopping one day and was stumped
J like shopping.~,~,'b0) ~, -;>'! 1?-;. for hours by the term berubetto (bay-rye-bait-toe) ~)v~'Y
Kaimono ga suki desu! (kai-moe-no gah ski dess) 1--. A bi-lingual girlfriend solved the mystery for her-velvet!

50 51
 PART 7
.. Do you have any dollars?
Words 61-70 ~ )" '" t>"c ">lOT 11'.
Doru 0 motte imasu ka?
(doe-rue oh moat-lay ee-mahss kah)
61 o-kane (oh-kah-nay)
money ~iptJ
.. Yes, I have. V?L !" \£.9 0
Motte imasu. (moat-tayee-mahss)
.. Is this your money?
~tl 1;1···,,1., ([) ;>;11'1;> -rT 11'. .. What do you have?
Ko ..e wa (person's name)-san no o-kane desu kat f~l : ~ 'El ?"'C 1; \*9 tp.
(koe-ray wah ... -sahn no oh-kah-nay dess kah) Nani 0 motte imasu ka?
(nah-nee oh moat-tay ee-mahss kah)
.. Yes, it is. Ii ~ \, -t- oj ""(' "9 ..
Hai, sO desu. (hi, soh dess) 63 yobu (yoe-boo)
to call (out to someone, call a taxi, etc.) J::. .-S'
62 motsu (moat-sue)
to have 'b '?
Yobimasu. (yoe-bee-mahss)
I shall call (someone). ,U'< >IOT .
Motte imasu. (moat-taye-mahss)
IIHe/ShefThey have. t>"c ">lOT.
Yobimasen. (yoe-bee-mah-sen)
I do not calLI shall not call. J:1J>IO-ttA, .
Motte imasen. (moat-taye-mah-sen)
I do not have. 'b"?T ~ \*tUtJo
Yobimasu ka? (yoe-bee-mahss kah)
Will you call? J:1J>IOT 11'.
.. Do you have any Japanese money?
1:1;t/v (J) f:jtJ\tJ. ~ 'b?L ~1 *9 n\.
Nihon no o-kane 0 motte imasu ka? Yobimashita. (yoe-bee-mahssh-tah)
(nee-hone no oh-kah-nay 0 moaHay e-mahss kah) I called. J:1J>IO 1.,"'.

.. No, I don't (have any). 'El"?"'( v\*ttlu o Yobimasho. (yoe-bee-mah-show)

Motte imasen. (moat-tay-e-mah-sen) Let's call (someone). J: 1J>IO 1., .. ?

52 53
 (person's name) -san 0 yonde kudasai ... Denwa 0 shitai desu. (den-wah oh she-rai dess)
( . .. sahn oh yoan-day koo-dah-sa;) I want to telephone. I want to make a call.
Please call (person's name). 1:/v b "" Gto" 1:"t .
"'2 /v "" J::/V 1: <1::'2 ".
Denwa 0 shimasho. (den-wah oh she-mah-show)
.. Did you call me? J: lJ. *- t..,. t;:. tJ\ . Let's telephone. 1: /vb "" G ~ G,t oj.
Yobimashita ka? (yoe-bee-mahssh-tah kah)

- Was there a telephone call (for me)?

.. Who called me? 1:/vb 7l' iI; ~ ~ G ~ 7l'.
eg~ ~ b~G "" J::lj~ G ~ ~. Denwa ga arimashita ka?
Donata ga watashi 0 yobimashita ka? (den-wah gah ah-ree-mahssh-tah kah)
(doe-nah-tah gah wah-tah-she oh yoe-bee-mahssh-tah
kah)
Please telephone me. I! Iv b ~ l L < t~ 2" \, ~ 0

Denwa 0 shite kudasai. (den-wah ali she-tay koo-dah-sai)

64 denwa (den-wah)
telephone 1: /vb .. Please telephone him (her).
iI;(j) V-I: I: 1:/vb "" vr < 1::' 2".
Denwa 0 shimasu. (den-wah oh she-mahss) Ano hito ni denwa 0 shite kudasai.
(ali-no ssh-toe flee den-wall all ssh-tay koo-dah-sa;)
I shall telephone (you/him/her/the company)
1:/vb "" G~"t . .. Please telephone my hotel.
b t~G (j) ", 7")1> I: 1:/v b "" VC < t~ 2".
Denwa 0 shimashita. (den-wah oh she-mahssh-tah) Watashi no hotero ni denwa 0 shite kudasai.
(wah-tah-she 110 hoe-tay-rue nee den-wah ah ssh-tay
I/He/She telephoned. 1: /vb "" G ~ Gto .
koo-dah-sai)

Denwa 0 shimasen. (den-wah oh she-mah-sen) .. Mr. Smith, telephone (for you).

I do not telephone. I shall not telephone. A~7.2/v. 1:/v b 1:"t.
Sumisu-san, denwa desu.
1: /vb "" G ~-tt /v.
(sue -me-sue-sahfl, den-wah dess)

Denwa 0 shimasen deshita. Who is the telephone call for?

(den-wah all she-mah-sen dessh-tah) 1:/vb ~ eg~ ~ 1:"t ~.
I did not call. He/She did not call. Denwa W3 donata ni desu ka?
1:/v b "" G ~-tt /v 1:G ~ . (den-wah wah doe- flah-tall fl ee dess kah)

54 55
65 kaku (kah-koo) - It is written down. tJ\ \, l""( ~ I') £: '9.
to write tJ, < Kaite arimasu. (kai-tayah-ree-mahss)

- Please write it down. tJ\\,\"'( < tf.~ t,l .

Kakimasu_ (kah-kee- mahss) Kaite kudasai. (ka i-tay koo-dah-sa;)
I write. I shall write. ~'i!*"t .
66 dekiru (day-kee -rue)
Kakimasen. (kah-kee-moh-sen) to be able to do, can do 1? '<! Q
I do not write. I shall not write. tJ'~*1tIv .
Dekimasu. (day-kee-mahss)
Kakimasen deshita. (kah-kee-mah -sen dessh -tah) I can do (it). 1? i! *"t •
Ididnotwrite. ~'i!*ttlv 1?1..-1.:.
Dekimasen. (day-kee-mah-sen)
Kakimasu ka? (kah-kee-mahss kah) I cannot do (it). 1?~*ttlv.
Do you write? Will you write? tJ,~ £: '9 tJ' .
Dekimasu ka? (day-kee-mahss kah)
Kakimashita. (kah-kee-mahssh-tah) Can you/he/she do (it)? 1?'<!*"t~,.
I/He/She wrote. ~'i! * I..- 1.:.
Dekimashita. (day-kee-mahssh-tah)
- I want to write a book. I/He/ She did (it). 1?i!* 1..-1.:.
1~1v ~ ~'i!I.:" 1?"t.
Hon 0 kakitai desu. (hone 011 kah-kee-rai dess)
- Can you do something (about it)?
t~I:~' 1?'<!*"t ~'.
- Please write your name here. Nanika dekimasu ka?
............ I.: tJ.£.:t 'f tJ\~\-C <tf.~ .. , . (nah-nee kah day-kee-mahss kah)
Koko ni namae 0 kaite kudasai.
(koe-koe nee nah -my 011 kai-lay koo-dah-saO
- Can you do it? "1'."~*Tt.l\ .
Dekimasu ka? (day-kee-mahss kah)
_ Where do I write my name?
t~*;t ~ 1:.:::. I: ~'i!*"t ~'.
Namae 0 doko ni kaklmasu ka?
- I/He/She cannOl do it 1? '<! * tt Iv.
Dekimasen. (day-kee-mah-se'l )
(nah-my oh doe-koe lIee kah-kee-mahss kah)

56 57
 - l/He/She cannot do anything (about it). - Where would you like to go tomorrow?
t~l:to <:'>!>Iottlv. ", Gt;: I!: I: ">!Io" <:'T "1;'.
Nanimo dekimaseo. (nah·nee moe day-kee·mah-sen) Ashita doko oi ikitai desu ka?
(ahssh-tah doe·koe nee ee-kee-tai dess kah)
67 kyo (k'yoe)
today ~ J: "5 69 Eigo (a-e-go)
English ;U \ ;:"
- Can you do it today? ~.t:j 1!~*9 "/)). Pronounce the ei of eigo like "a" in the familiar ABCs,
Kyo dekimasu ka? (k'yoe day-kee·mahss kah) or as in "hay."

Remember iku (ee·koo) !,\ <. meaning "to go?" - Can you speak (literally: "do") English?
;t!,.l':" "/)1 L'~;tT "/)) .
Ikimasu (ee-kee-mahss) Eigo ga dekimasu ka? (a-e-go gah day·kee-mahss kah)
I/ He/She is going. ">! >10 T .
70 Nihongo (llee-holie-go)
- Where are you/we/they going today? Japanese I:: 1~1v.::'
>!.<? I!: I: ">!>IoT "1;' .
Kyo doko oi ikimasu ka?
(k'yoe doe-koe nee ee·kee·mahss kah) .. I can not speak (literally: "cannot do") Japanese.
1:1~1v:- "1;' <:'>!>Iottlv .
- Today I'm (we're/they're) not going anywhere. Nihongo ga dekimasen.
(nee·hone·go gah day-kee-mah-sen)
>!.<? I!: I: to ">!>Iottlv.
Kyo doko ni mo ikimasen.
(k'yoe doe·koe nee moe ee·kee·mah·sen)
levels of Politeness in Japanese
68 ash ita (ailssil-tail) Japanese, like a number of other languages, has more than one
tomorrow 1> L- 1":; level of polite speech that involves vocabu lary, word endings,
and even a change in tone and physical posture. Among friends
- Can you do it by tomorrow? and family the so·called "plain fonn" is used, but for situations
", Glo >10<:' I: <:'>!>IoT "1;'. outside these immediate circles, the Japanese nonnall y use the
Ashita made ni dekimasu ka? "poli te·neutral" form. This is also the appropriate level to be
(ahssh-tah mah-day nee day-kee-mahss kah) used by for non·Japanese in most situations.
Made (mah·day) *I! means "until," but made oi Un less otherwise indicated, all phrases in this OOok are pre·
sented in the polite·neutra] fonn. For very formal occasions,
(mah·day nee) *I!I:: means "by."

58 59
 ultra-polite forms of Japanese are used. These are referred to as geisha (gay-e-sha) '1 Ii \ l., ~, have thier own language with a
keigo (kay-e-go) ,t Ii};::, which is generally translated as "hon- distinctive vocabulary and ways of speaki ng.
orifics," in reference to "high level" Japanese people. Humble The ubiquitous -san (sahli) ~ Iv that is attached to the
Japanese, which you use when referring to yourself, is also a end of names is the equivalent of Mr., Mrs., or Miss. It is very
kind of keigo. On the ullra-polite level, "to be" (desu) be- important to use -san even in situations calling for ordinary,
comes de gozajrnasu (daygo-zaj-mahss) 1? ;::2'lil£9. polite speech because not using it may be considered rude,
There are many other extremely polite forms and words. insulting, arrogant, or worse. However, you should note that
For example, there are three different words for "say": the honorific prefixes and words are generally not used when
humble mosu (moe-sue) tJ '? 9. the standard iu (yoa) lil,? referring to oneself or one's family members. For example,
and the ultra-polite ossharu (oh-shah-rue) .a ":;J l., 'f> ~ • you should never introduce yourself as "So & So-san."
Adding 0- or go- before some nouns, adjectives and adverbs
makes them (and your speech) extra polite. Japan's famous
rice wine, sake (soh-kay) ~ ,t is often called o·sake (oh-sah-
kay) 13 t! It.
Japan's different levels of speech developed because of a
feudal social system in which rank was expressed by both
speech forms and rituals, including kneeling or sitting on the
floor and bowing. The level of speech that was appropriate in
any situation was determined by the social positions of the
people involved. Age and gender were also key elements.
The physicaJ etiquette and manner of speaking developed
by the ruling samurai class was so precise and comprehensive
that it took years to learn and required constant attention for
it to be performed properly. Failure to speak in an accepted
manner to a superior was a very serious offense. In some
cases it could result in the death penalty.
Women, especially older women, will nonnally use
a higher level of speech than men even in ordinary circum-
stances. In infonnal situations. men (except those who are
highly cultured) commonly use a rougher, coarser level of
Japanese that may sound like a dialect to untutored ears. A
number of Japan 's traditional occupations, such as that of the

60 61
 PART 8 .. Do you need this? Do you want this?
.:.t1 f.l1 !,.dJ£:T t;lo
Words 71-80 Kore ga irimasu ka? (koe-ray gah ee-ree-mahss kah)

71 ikutsu (ee-koOl-sue) .. I don', want it. I don't need it. /,.) IJ £:ttA.. o
Irimasen. (ee-ree-mah-sen)
how many ~) < J

73 wakaru (wah-kah-rue)
- How many do you have? How many are there?
to understand, to know, to be clear bb' ~
!,.l<,? "'I)£:"9 fJl .
[kntsu arimasu ka?
(ee-koot-sue ah-ree-mass kah) Wakarimasu. (wah-kah-ree-mahss)
I know. Vll> 0'" -;-.
72 iru (ee-rue)
to need, want !,.L~
Wakarimasen. (wah.kah·ree·mah·sen)

Irimasu. (ee-ree-mahss)
I do not understand. I don't know. bip fJ *it No
I need (something). ~> 0 "'-;-.
Wakarimasu ka? (wah·kah·ree·mahss kah)
Do you understand? bf.J) t) *"9 f.J\o
Irimasen. (ee-ree-mah-sen)
I don't need (it). ~> 0 "'ttlv.
Wakarimashita. (wah·kah·ree·mahssh·tah)
I (have) understood. I understand. vll> 0 '" 1..,1::.
Irimasu ka? (ee-ree-mahss kah)
Do you need (it)? ~> 0 "'-;- IJ> .
- *
Did you understand (me)? btJ) t) L- t=. tJ\o
Wakarimashita ka? (wah·kah·ree·mahssh-tah kah)
Irimashita. (ee-ree-mahssh-tah)
I needed (it). ~> 0 '" l-to. - *
I did not understand. btl\ t) it N -r L- t=.o
Wakarimasen deshita. (wah·kah·ree·mah·sen dessh·tah)
.. How many do you need? How many do you want?
!,.l<-:J !; d)a::"9 t)' o - Do you know her name?
[kutsu irimasu ka? m~ Dt ~ ~"'~ ~ v~O"'-;- ~.
(ee-koot-sue ee-ree-mahss kah) Ano hito no namae ga wakarimasu ka?
(ah·no·ssJHoe no nah·may gah wah·kah·ree·mahss kah)

62 63
 - No, I don'l know (il). t>~'~£1tIv.
Wakarimasen. (wah·kah-ree-mah-sen)
After ten only the Chinese numbers are used. Eleven is a
combination of ten plus one jii-ichi Uoo-ee-chee) t.; lIP '5
t..}~, twelve is len plus Iwo ju-ni Uoo-nee) t.:.1IP oj I:, and
so on. Twenty is two lens ni-ju (neejoo) I: t.; lIP '5, thirty
74 ban/bango (balm/bahn-go)
number/numbers Iflv/ lflv<:'? is three tens san-jii (shan-joo) ~ Iv t.; rp '5. and so on.
There are two sets of numbers in Japanese. One set
11 ju-ichi ljoo-ee-chee) t.;rpjt,.l~
(made up of original Japanese terms) goes only from ju-ni (joo-nee) t: .. -5I:
12
one through ten . The other sel, which was adopted from 13 ju-san (joo-shan) t: .. -51!1v
China. is complete. 14 ju-yon (joo-),oon) t: .. -5J:1v
jO-shi (joo-she) t: .. -51.-
15 jli-go (j00-80) t.;rp?.:'
JAPANESE NUMBERS 16 ju.roku (joo-roe-koo) t: .. -5OS<
V-I:? 17 ju-nana (joo-nah-nah) t; loP? t.it.£.
1 hitotsu (he-toe-t'sue)
~,,,, ? ju-shichi ljOQ-she-chee) t: .. -5I.-1o
2 futatsu (fuu- tah-t'sue)
.. -,? 18 ju-hachi ljoo-hah-chee) t: .. ?f~1o
3 mittsu (meet-sue)
J:-,? 19 ju-kyu ljoo-cue) t: .. ?;! .. ?
4 yottsu (yoot-sue)
v~ -:J-:J ju-ku (joo-koo) t: .. :;<
5 itsutsu (eat-sue-t'sue)
(J-,? 20 ni-ju (nee-joo) I: t: .. ?
6 muttsu (moot-sue)
t.£. tJ. -:J 21 ni-ju-ichi (nee-joo-ee-chee) 1:t: .. -5~'1o
7 nanatsu (nah-nah-t'sue)
~-,?
22 ni-ju-ni (nee-joo-nee) 1:t: .. -5I:
8 yattsu (yaht-sue)
':'':'O)-:J 23 ni-ju-san (nee-joo-sohn) 1:t: .. :;1!1v
9 kokonotsu (lwe-koe-no-t'sue)
1::; 24 nj.ju-yon (nee-joo-yoan) 1:t: .. -5J:1v
10 to (I. .) ni-ju-shi (nee-joo-she) 1:t: .. -51.-
25 ni-ju-go (nee-joo-go) 1:t: .. -5;:-
NUMBERS OF CHINESE ORIGIN 30 san-ju (sahn-joo) 1!1vt: .. -5
1 ichi (ee-chee) ,,10 31 san-ju-ichi (sahn-joo-ee-chee) 1!1vt: .. -5~'1o
2 ni (nee) I: 32 san-ju-ni (sahn-joo-nee) 1!1vt: .. -5I:
3 san (sahn) I! Iv 40 yon-ju (yoon-joo) J:1vt: .. -5
4 shi/ yon (she/yoan) 1.- / J:1v 50 go-ju (go-joo) .:.'L:loPj
5 go (go) <:' 60 roku-ju (roe-Iwo-joo) OS<t: .. :;
6 roku (roe-koo) OS< 70 shichi-ju (she-chee-joo) 1.-1ot: .. -5
7 shichi/ nana (she-cheelnah-nah) I.- 1o/f~f~ nana-ju (noh-llah-joo) f~f~t: .. ?
8 hachi (hah-chee) f~1o 80 hachi-ju (hah-chee-joo) 1~1ot: .. :;
9 kyu/ku (kooklle) ;! .. ? / < ;! .. -5t: .. -5
90 kyu-ju (cue-joo)
10 ju Uoo) t: .. :;

65
64
 100 hyaku (h'yah-koo) "' .. < 75 hitori (shh -Ioe- ree)
101 hyaku-ichi (h 'yoh-koo-ee-chee) ", .. <c't> one person t> c I:J
102 hyaku-ni (h 'yah-too-nee) ", .. <I:
120 hyaku ni-ju (h 'yah-koo nee-joo) 'O~<I:t.:tP-j
76 futari (fu -Iah-r ee)
121 hyaku-ni-ju-ichi "' .. <1:1.: .. ,,~,t> two persons ;',t::.1:J
(h ')'llh-koo nee-joo-ee-chee)
130 hyaku-san-ju When referring to one or two persons, the native
(h 'yah-koo sahn-joo) Japanese counting system is used.
140 hyaku-yon-ju
(h 'yah-too yoan-joo)
- (We are) two persons. .,s,.t.; t) ""r"9.
200 ni-hyaku (nee h 'yah-koo) 1:"' .. < Futan desu. (fu- tah-ree dess)
300 san-byaku (sahn b'yah-koo) "A,rJ .. <
500 go-hyaku (go h 'ya h-koo) .=''O~<
roppyaku (rope-p'yah-koo) 0?rJ .. < The Chinese number system is used when counting peo-
600
800 happyaku (hape-p 'yah-koo) 1: ?rJ .. < ple from three on up. When you enter a restaurant , the
host will use nan mei sarna desu ka ? (nahn may sah -
1,000 sen (sen)
issen (ee-ssen)
mah dess kah ) t,J.A..~'v\ ~ *""r"9 t)\ . 10 ask, " How
many persons are there?" In thi s instance nan means
1,100 sen-hyaku "how many" instead of "what ," mei is another way of
(set/-h 'ya h-koo)
saying "person," and -sarna is an honorific fonn of san.
1,200 sen-ni-hyaku
(sen-nee-h 'yah-koo) If you are a party of two you can answer futari desu or
2,000 ni-sen (nee-sen) I: "It A, ni mei desu.
3,000 san-zen (sahn-:.en) "A,tfA,
5,000 go-sen (go-sen) .='t!A.. 77 san-nin (sahn neen)
8,000 hassen (hah-ssen) I: ? "It A, three persons ~ A.. I: A..

10,000 ichi-man (ee-chee-mahn)

11 ,000 ichi-man-issen _ (We are ) three persons. ~ A.. I: A.. ""r"9 •
(ee-chee-mahn-ee-ssen) Sannin desu. (sahli lleen dess)
20,000 ni-man (nee-mahn) I: '" A,
50,000 go-man (go-mahn) ::::",A, 78 yo-nin (yo- neen)
100,000 ju-man ljoo-mallll} 1.: .. "",A, f our persons J:.I: A..
200,000 ni-ju-man (nee-joo-mahll) 1:1.: .. "",A,
500,000 go-ju-man (go-joo-mahn) ::::t: .. "",A,
1,000,000 hyaku-man ", .. <",A, - (We are) four persons. J:.I: A.. "'e-r-.
(II 'yah-koo-mahn) Yonin desu. (yo-'Ieell dess)

66 67
 j u-ichi-ji eleven o'clock GI'tl5t,.}t,L;
79 jikan Uee-kahn)
(joo ee-chee jee)
time, hour !; tJ, Iv
jfi-ni-ji (joo nee jee) twelve o'clock [; .. ?IO[;
nan-ji? (nahnjee) what time? f~A,[;?
ichi-jikan (ee-chee jee-kahn)
one hour 1,)-;' 1,;1))1\.,
80 fun/ pun (hoonlpoon)
minute, minutes Jr.A,/Ji.A,
nHikan (nee jee-kahn)
two hours I: r.;tJ\}u
ippun (eep-poon) one minute ('\?.¢.:Iv

san-jikan (sahn jee-kahn) ni-fun (nee-hoon) two minute 10 Jr. A,

three hours '2" Iv I,; tJ\ Iv san-pun (salm-poon) three minute ~A,.liA,

yon-pun (yoan-poon) four minute JoA,.liA,

yo-jikan (yo jee-kohn)
go-fun (go-hoon) five minutes ~ "s,1u
four hours ~ t.:!J'!v
roppun (rope-poon) six minutes '5?.liA,
nana-fun seven minutes f~f~;',A,
go-jikan (go jee-kahn) (nah-fUlh-hoon)
five hours, etc. :,- t; fJ\ Iv happun (hahp-poon) eight minutes Ii? Ji.A,
kyU-fun (cue-hoon) nine minutes '!1I>?Jr.A,
nan-jikan? (nahn jee-kahn) juppun (joo-poon) ten minutes [; II> ? -\'A,
how many hours? tJ.Jv t; fJ'lv? jii-ippun eleven minutes 1;+p~(,\?.s.1v

ljoo-eep-poon)
Time is expressed the following way: jii-ni-fun twelve minutes [; .. ?10Jr.A,
ichi-j i (ee-cheejee) one o'clock I,.'!;,C (joo-nee-hoon)
ni-ji (neejee) two o'clock 10 [; ni-j uppun twenty minutes 10 [; 1I> ?.li A,
san-ji (sahnjee) three o'clock ~A,[; (nee-joop-poon)
san-juppun thirty minutes ~ A, [;II>? ;"A,
yo-ji (yojee) four o'clock Jo[;
go- ji (gojee) five o'clock .::'t.: (sohn-joop-poon)
roku-j i (roekoojee) six o'clock '5<[; yon-ju-go-fun forty-five minutes J: Iv I; tP? ~ ..s. .1v
shichi-ji (shee-cheejee) seven o'clock L- 1; [; (yoan-joo-go-hoon)
nan-pun? how many minutes? t~A,Ji.A,?
ha chj.ji (hah-cheejee) eight o'clock 111; [;
ku-ji (koojee) nine o'clock <[; (nan-poon)
ju-ji (joojee) ten o'clock [;II>?[;

68 69
 Japanese Dialects PART 9
Students of the Japanese language and especially short-
term visitors who attempt to learn just enough to gel by, gen- Words 81-90
erally do not have to worry about Japanese dia lects because
virtually all Japanese understand hyojungo (h 'yoe-june-go) 81 gozen (go-zen)
V. .t '? t; $ Iv -:: whi ch is the standard language spoken in morning (AM) :::: t! Iv
Tokyo.
However, even beginning students of the language wi ll 82 gogo (go-go)
immediately pick up on differences in the accents and vocab- afternoon (PM) :::::::
ulary of residents of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, K~be, and other
cities. Dialects that are basically unintelligible to st udents of
- It is ten-thirty in the morning.
standard Japanese include those spoken in Kagoshima on the :::t!1v t;op:;t.: <'!1vt.:op?.o:1v 1?1".
southern end of Kyushu island and Aomori in northeastern Gozen jii-ji san-juppun desu.
Honshu (the main island). (go-zen juu-jee saJIfI-joop-poon dess)
There are dozen s of other regional dialects different
enough that the speakers are instantly recognizable as natives - I shall meet (you) thi s afternoon at two o'clock.
of certai n areas. Some of these dialects are so different from ~.t. '? (/) -::-:: I.: t; I.: ~t,.\*T .
standard Japanese that people who are not from those areas Kyo no gogo ni-ji ni aimasu.
(k'yoe no go-go nee-jee lIee aye-mahss)
often do not understand what is being said.

- Let's go this afternoon.

~.t.'? (/) ;::..--:: I.: t,.\~*l,.t'?
Kyo no gogo oi Ikimasho.
(k'yoe no go-go nee ee-kee-mah-show)

- Let's go tomorrow afternoon.

~l,t.: (J) ~:: I: t,.\~*l,.t'?
Ashita no gogo oi ikimasho .
(ahssh-tah no go-go nee ee-kee-mah-show)
Han (hahn) tilv. meaning "half' is also used to ex press
the half hour, as in ni -ji han (nee-jee hahn) I: t; Ii Iv or
2:30.

70 71
83 takush ii (tahk-she) - Shall we go by train? -r Iu L., ~ -r It ~ t! 1: L., .t -:j tJ\ .
taxi ~ ~y- Densha de ikimasho ka?
(den-shah day ee-kee-mah-show ka")
- I want 10 go by taxi. ~~ y- "'r t- \~It. !, ' "(' 9 .
Takushi de ikitai desu. (tahk-she day ee-kee-ta; dess) - Let's go by tmin, -rIvLd' -r ~' >,!* L,.t?
Densha de ikJmasho. (den-shah dayee-kee-mah-show)

- Please call a taxi. ~ -7 y- ~ .l lv -r! <t.: ~ 1, ) "

Takushi 0 yonde kudasai. - Is it bener to go by train?
(tahk-she oh yoall-day koo-doh-sai) -r 1u L,~ -r It ~ < I; ? tJt ~ ~ ~~ "T!-t tJ' .
Densha de iku ho ga ii desu ka?
- Let'sgobytaxi.lI!7 Y- -r! p ~;tL.. ~? (den-shah day ee-koo hoh gah ee dess kah)
Takushi de ikimashO. (tahk-she day ee-kee-mah-show)
86 eki (eh-kee)
84 chikatetsu (chee-kah-tet-sue) stat ion .:t t!
subway, metro, und e rground ~ n'-C?
- Where is the station? At! 1'1 c. ;: -r "t tJ\ .
Eki wa doko desu ka? (eh-kee wah doe-koe dess kah)
- Where is the subway? -s. tJ'L? I~ c ;: \? '9 tJ' .
Chika letsu wa doko desu ka?
(chee-kah-tet-sue wah doe-koe dess kah) 87 chikai (chee-kai)
near ~ tJ\ {.\
- I want togo by subway. "5tJ\ "'C'? "t' (, \ ~ t:. L ' 1? 9 .
Chikatetsu de ikitai desu. - Where is the nearest subway station?
(chee-kah-tet-sue day ee-kee-tai dess) ~ '!>I;flv !>71'~' !> 71'"L:J 11 c C: -r o 7l'.
Ichiban chikai chikatetsu wa doko desu ka?
- Shall we go by subway? "51J\"'(-:> "t' !, \ ~ * l., J:.? IJl . (ee-chee-ba/III ehee-kai ehee-kah-tet-slle wah doe-koe
Chikatetsu de ikimashO ka? dess kah)
(chee-kah-tet-sue day ee-kee-mah-show kah)
- How much is it by subway from here to the G inza?
- Let's go by subway. "511\",(-::> "t' !,~~* t...J::? ~ ~ 7l' ''' '!! Iv -t! * -r !> 71' "L:J -r ~ , <'" -r
Chika tetsu de ikimasho. T tJ\"
(chee-kah-tet-slle dayee-kee-mah-show) Koko ka ra G inza made chikatetsu de ikura desu ka?
(koe-koe kah-rah geen-zah mah-day chee-kah-tet-sue
85 densha (dell-shah) day ee-koo-rah dess kah)
train -r Iu L., ~ Kara (kah-rah) tJ\ ~ means "from."

72 73
 88 shinkansen (sheen.kahn·sen) - Il'shottoday, isn't it! 1!.t? .;1: it)?I,.\ '1.'1'" t.:l.
Bullet Train L.lvn'lvttlv Kyo wa atsui desu net (k 'yoe wah ahr-sue-ee dess flay)
Shinka nse n literally means "New Trunk Line;' but it is Ne (nay) t.:l. when it occurs at the end of a sentence, is
almost always translated into English as "Bullet Train" or equivalent to an English "question tag," such as
"Bullet Trains". Some of these famous trains, launched in ..... isn't it!" or" ... don't they!" etc.
1964, cruise a( over 32 I .869 kph (200 miles per hour).
- Is the sake hot? ~~t '/)1 it>"::JI,.\ "'("1'" '/)\.
- I want to go by Bullet Train. Sake ga atsui desu ka? (sake gah ahr-sue-ee dess leah)
L.lvn'lvttlv -C ,,~t.:" -CT.
Shinkansen de ikitai desu. 90 samui (sah-moo-ee)
(sheen·leahn·sen day ee·kee-tai Jess) cold (weather), to feel cold t! t'"

- Does the Bullet Train stop in Shin Yokohama?

- It'scold,isn'tit! ~(J'I,.~ "'("1'" tl.
L.1v~1v;t1v a L.1v ~~a* ~ ~*O*T~ . Samui desu net (sah-moo-ee dess nay)
Shinkansen wa Shin Yokohama ni tomarimasu ka?
(sheen·leahn·sen wah sheell Yokohama lIee toe-mah-ree-
mahss kah) - Are you cold? ~trt.~ 't"1'" tJ\ .
Samui desu ka? (sah-moo-ee dess kah)
* *
Yes, i( does SlOp «(here). ~ I) T .
- No, I'm not cold. f..Hr~;t. ~tr<t.f..' "'(""9.
Toma rimasu. (toe-mah-ree·mahss)
lie, samukunai desu. (eee-eh, sah-moo-koo na; dess)
Actually, some do and some don't, depending on which
category.
Giving Up on Japanese!
89 atsui (aht·sue-ee) Prior to the dissolution of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868.
hot (weather and to the touch) ~ c:",
Japan was divided into more than 200 fiefs presided over by
hereditary lords called Daimyu (daimeyoe) t:.f..'J.J...t ?, literal-
- It is really hot today! ly "Great Names." Many of these fiefs functioned more or less
~.t? I~ 1~1v~? I: ~:>" -CT . as autonomous districts, with their own unique dialects. Travel
Kyo wa honto ni atsui desu.
was tightly controlled and there was no national mass media to
(k'yoe wah hone-toe flee aht-sue-ee dess)
bind the people or languages together.
Honto (hOlle-roe) 111ti c? means "real" and hooto oi The diversity of dia lects and the difficulty encountered in
(hone-toe nee) I;!vc? I: means "really." learning how to write the complicated Chinese characters

74 75
(adopted between the 4th and 6th centuries A.D.) was such an PART 10
enormous problem that some of the leaders of the early Meiji
period (which followed the Tokugawa shogunate system of Words 91-100
government) suggested that the nation give up Japanese and
adopt English as the official language of the country. Need- 91 tsumetai «('sue-may-ra;)
less to say, this was not a very popular suggestion. cold (to the touch ) ':)/I)t.:."
Now, Japanese is widely taught around the world, and
many fore igners have become fluent in the language.
- This water is cold! ~Q) h"9 ~;t ? at>t:. 1.-\ -c.'1".
Kono mizu wa tsumetai desu.
(koe-no mee-zoo wah t'sue-may-tai dess)

92 kohii (koe-hee)
coffee ::I-l:::.-

- Hot coffee, please. *.:;,... :J-l:::.- ~ < t:.1:. 1.-\0

Hotto kohi 0 kudasai. (hot-toe koe-hee 011 koo-dah-sai)

- Iced coffee, please. 7-1''A ::I-l:::.- ~ <1:.1:.1.-\ .

Aisu kohi 0 kudasai. (eye-sue koe-hee oil koo-dah-sai)

93 miruku (me-me-koo)
milk ~ J~?

- Coldmi lk,please. ':)/I)t.:." ~J~? ~ <"';':".

Tsumetai miruku 0 kudasai.
(t'sue-may-tai me-me-koo oh koo-dah-sai)

94 arne (ah-may)
- rain iY.l~

95 yuki (yoo-kee)
snow \1)~

76 77
96 furimasu (juu-ree-mahss)
to fall, come down ..' Q *, Arukimasen. (ah-rlle-kee-mah-sen)
I shall not walk. iJ;; 0 i! * tt Iv.

- It is raining. ~ () tJt . .5-? -r "\ ~ T . Arukimasu ka? (ah-rue-kee-mahssh kah)

Arne ga (utte imasu. (ah-may gahfuut-tay ee-mahss) Do we walk? Shall we walk? iJ;;0 ~"'II' .

_ It is snowing. i¢l c! tJt ..s..? -r r,. \ £: 9 •

Arukitai desu. (ah-rue-kee-tai dess)
Yuki ga ruUe imasu. (yoo-kee gahfulll-tay ee-mahss)
I want to walk. iJ;;0l!t.:~, -r'.
- Will it rain tomorrow? if!) L.~ ""M; fJt ..&-fJ £:9 tJ\.
Ashita arne ga furimasu ka? Arukimasho ka? (ah-rue-kee-mah-sllOw kah)
(ahsslHa h ah-may gahfuu-ree-mahss kah) Shall we walk? iJ;; 0 ~ " L- .t? 11'.

- No, it will not rain. r,.\r,.\;t • .&-fJ ~ttlu . Arukimasho. (ah-rue-kee-mah-sllow)

lie, furirnasen. (ee-eh, fUll-ree-mah-sen) Let's walk. iJ;; 0 ~ " L- .t -j .

97 byoki (b'yoe-kee)
Arukimashita. (ah-rue-kee-mahssh-tah)
sick U.t? ~
I walked. <l;0~*L-t.: .

98 isha (ee-shah)
doctor r,.\ L.-t-> Arukemasen (ah-rue-kay-mah-sen)
I cannot walk. iJ;;olt*ttlv .
_ I'm sick, please ca ll a doctor.
U.t?~ -r,. ~'L-" .r J:.1v-r <""~~' . 100 toi (toy)
8yoki desu. Isha 0 yonde kudasai. far, distant C:B r,. \
(b ,>,oe-kee dess, ee-shah oh yoan-day koo-dah-sai)
- Is it (very) far? C:Br,.\ "('9 n\o
99 a.uku (ah-rue-koo) Toi dE'S U ka ? (toy dess kall)
to walk iJ;;0<
- Is it possible to walk from here?
Arukimasu. (ah-rue-kee-mahss) ~~ lI'e. iJ;;olt", 11'.
I shall walk. iJ;; 0 i! " , . Koko kara arukemasu ka?
(koe-koe kah-rall ah-me-kay-mahss kall)

78 79
 _ Yes,itisnotfar.I ;tt.~. c.a<t.tt.} "r't Shitsurei shimasu. (sheel-sue-ray she-mallSs)
Hai, tokunai desu. (hi, toe·koo nai dess) Excuse me. I'm sorry. L.,"':)tH~ L.,*-'9 .
This term is used when you pass in front of someone (as
- No, it is (too) far. t.\t.~;t. cJ3t.~ "r't. in a theater or whi le walking through a crowd). It is also
lie, toi desu. (eee·eh, lOY dess) used when entering or leaving someone's office, and
when hanging up the phone.

Special Set Phrases Shitsurei shimashita. (sheel-sue-ray she-mahssh-Iah)

Sorry for disturbing (bothering) you.
There are a number of set expressions in Japanese that are an I.-"::>IH' L-iIOL-t.:. .
important part of the country's formal etiquette system. These This is said when you interfere with some person or situa-
terms are used daily and contribute significantly to the flavor tion (as when you bump into someone, mistakenly walk
of the culture. Using them adds a very polite and natural into an office or meeting room that is being used, or cause
nuance to your speech. any kind of minor disturbance).

Itadakimasu. (ee-tah-dah-kee-mahss)
Irasshaimase! (ee-rah-shy-mah-say)
I receive, accept (the food, drink). I't.:.t.;;!! iIO-;.
Welcome! t.~~? L.,~t.\a:tt.
Mentioned earlier in the 100 Key Word Section as " I
Tadaima! (tah-dai-mall) shall receive (something)," this term is used regularly just
I'm home! (I've returned!) t.:.t.;I"t'-. before beginning to eat or drink, especially when some-
one else is the host, and also by family members in their
O-kaeri nasai! (oh-kai-eli-ree nah-sai) own home. It is a courteous expression of thanks and
Welcome back (home)! iln',,- ~ t~<'! I'. appreciation and, although it is not religious in nature, it
has the same ritualistic feel as the saying of grace before
O-jama shimasu. (oli-jah-mah she-mahss) a mea!.
I am intruding. Excuse me. ;t3!.,; ~ *- L., *- 1'".
This is a polite term used when you enter someone's O-somatsu sarna. (oh·so-maht-sue soh-mall)
home, office, or private room. It was nothing. il-tilO-:><,! iIO .
When you have a meal at a private home and thank the
O-jama shimashita. (oh-jah-mah she-mahssh-tah) cook, this is the term he or she is most likely to use in
I have intruded. I have bothered you. Goodbye. response. Its figurative meaning is " It was nothing, but
';(;<>iIO L-iIOL-t.:. . thank you for mentioning it,"
This is said when you leave a home or office you have
been visiting.

80 81
 O-kagesama de. (oh-kah-gay sah-mah day) Yoroshiku o-negai itashimasu.
Thanks to you. Thank you for asking. (yoe-roe-she-koo oh-nay-guy ee-tah-she-mahss)
Sb' W2">Io -e. Please (do something for the speaker) (very
This is often said as a response when someone asks you polite). J:'5L-< s lo b'" L- >Io T.IJ:'5L-< s lo
how you are, or how a friend or family member is doing, tJ1p ~ \ t,: L, ~9 .

or how things are going. In essence it means "Thank you Both o-negai shimasu and o-negai itashimasu are
for asking ..." and is followed by "I'm doing fine," " He or commonly preceded by yoroshiku (yoe-roe-she-koo) J:
she is fine ," etc. ~ L. < and a bow, which significantly increases the
power of the request and turns it into a serious appeal.
Gokurosama deshita.
(goe·koo-roe-sah-mah desh-tah)
Thanks for all your hard work. Well done.
Common Everyday Expressions
.:"<'55 2">10 -e lJo .
This ceremonial expression literally means something O-genki desu ka? (oh·gen-kee dess kah)
like "It has been a situation of honorable bitter toil." It is How are you? Are you well? S'j'Iv>! -eT b'.
commonly used as a way of expressing thanks to some-
one who worked hard and is finished for the day. Like the
Genki desu. {person's name)-san wa?
English "Well done," it should not be used to people one
(gen-kee dess, ... sahn wah)
has to be especially polite to.
I'm fine. And you? 'j'1v 1! -eT •. .. 2" Iv I~ .
O-negai shimasu. (oh-nay-guy she-mahss)
O-negai itashimasu (oh-nay-guyee-tah-she-mahss) O-tenki wa ii desu, ne!
Please (do something for the speaker). I beg of (oh-ten-kee wah eee dess nay)
you. slJ b' ~ > L- >IoT. IslJb'" ~' ''' L- >IoT . The weather is fine, isn't it!
s-r Iv>! I~ ~,~, -eT 10.
These polite terms are used, virtually interchangeably,
when asking a favor from someone or some kind of spe-
Sho-sho o-machi kudasai.
cial consideration or help. They are complete sentences in
(show-show oh-mah-chee koo-duh-sai)
themselves and are generally used after the speaker has
asked the other party to do something or accept some Just a moment, please. (polite)
obligation. L-.<-')~.<-') S>lo"l; <t"2"~'.

Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu. Chotto matte! (choat-toe malit-ray)

(yoe-roe-she-koo oh-nay-guy she-mahss) Just a second! Hang on! (informal)
"1;.<-:>1: >Io-:>-r.

82 83
 DO itashimashite o (doe-ee-tah-she-mahssh-tay) box lunch (Japanese-style)
Don 't mention it . You're welcome. o-bento (oh-ben-toe) S "'fv c. 3
bread pan (pahn) 1'\ ;-
c-j ,,>,-,,1.-"'1.-"[.
breakfast asagohan (ah-sah-go-hahn) ~ ~ '::°f1fv
bridge hashi (hah -she) ~1 L
Hajimemashite_ (hah-jee-may-mahhssh-tay) building biru (be-rue)
Pleased to meet you_ 1;1 t.: II; '" I.- "[ • bus basu (bah-sue)

Additional Vocabulary c
cabaret kyabare (k'yah-bah-ray) :::l=-i"/\v-
camera kamera (kah-may-rah) nj."j
A
address jiisho ljuu-show) t..:l¢>?LJ::.
car
chair
kuruma (koo- rue-mah j
isu (ee-sue) <"''''
".,
age toshi (toe-she) cl.- change (money returned)
air-conditioning o-tsuri (oh-t'sue-reej
eakon (ayj-ah kone) I.7.:J;- change (small coins)
airmail kokiibin (koe-koo-bean) ;: -j < -j"(Jfu kozeni (!we-lOy-nee) .:: "ttl:
airplane hikoki (he-!we-kee) 'O.::?~ children kodomo (!we-doe-nwe) '::ct>
airport kiiko (koo-koe) <3.::3 chopsticks o-hashi (oh-hah-she) t31;1 L-
April shigatsu (she-got-sue) L- ~,::> cold (illness) kaze (kah-lOY)
arrive tsukimasu ::><!"'., catch a cold kaze 0 hikimasu
(t'sue-kee-mahss) (lwh-lOY oh he-kee-mahss)
August hachigatsu 1;1 ~ ~'::> congratu lations
(hah-chee-got-sue) omedeto gozaimasu SMJL' c. 3 .::·tf~\~1"
automobile jidOsha ljee-doe-shah) [;c-jl.-."
(oh-may-day-toe go-lOi-mahss)
corner kado (kah-doe) tJ\ c
B cover charge kabachaji 'hI\' - Ti"-:';
bank ginko (geen-koe) €fu;:-j (kah-bah- chah-jee)
bar bii (bnh) 1,-
bath o-ruro (oh-fuu-roe) t3.!>0
D
beautiful utsukushii 3:J< L~\
date (time of the month)
(oo-t'sue-koo-shee )
hizuke (he-zoo-kay)
beef biru (bee-fou) t:-7
daughter musume (moo-sue-may)
birthday tanjobi (tahn-Joe-bee) >'-"fut.:",-jrJ
daytime hiruma (he-rue-mah)
book hon (hone) 11fu
bookstore hon'ya (hone-yah) 11fu~
day after tomorrow
asatte (ah-sahr-ray)

84 85
December ju-ni-gatsu evening yugata (yuu-gah-tah) i<))? ~'to
ljuu-nee-gOl-sue) this evening konban (kome-bahn) ;: lui;!, Iu
deliver todokemasu exit deguchi (day-goo-chee) -r<<;
(toe-doe-kay-mahss) cclti/'T express train kyuko (cue-koe) ~~?;:?
dentist ha-isha (hai-shah) ItldL- ~ expressway, motorway
departure shuppatsu (shupe-pot-sue) l-." ?I;!'-:> kOsokudoro
deposit (for room) (koe-soe-koo -doe-roe)
tetsukekin eye me (may)
(tay-tslle-kay-keen) glasses, spectacles
dessert dezito (day-zah-toe) megane (may-gah-nay)
dining car shokudOsha
(show-koo-doe shah)
dining room shokudo (show-koo-doe) F
dinner, evening meal fall, autumn aki (ah-kee) ;;<!
yftshoku February ni-gatsu (nee-got-sue) I: '/)1-:)
(Yllil-show-koo) fee tesuryo (tay-slle-r'yoe) "LT?O.<?
drink nomimono festival o-matsuri 8£-:>0
(no-me-moe-no) (oh-maht-sue-ree)
discount waribiki fever netsu (neh-t'sue)
(wah-ree-bee-kee) first -class (tickets)
dollar dorn (doe-rue) ~Jv Casuto kurasu 77-;<1-777,
double room daburn rumu Y:1Jv Jv-L. fish sakana (sah-kah-nah) ~ '/)\t6.-
(dah-boo-rue rue-moo) foreign gaikoku no ,/)1-,.. l;: < (J)
(g lly-koe-koo)
driver untenshu (oon- ten-shoo) -3 Iv -C Iv L- ~ foreigner gaikokujin
drugstore yakkyoku (yahk-k'yoe-koo) "\"'>? ~ J: < (guy-koe-koo-jeen)
drycleaning dorai kuriiningu ~ '7 -1 (7 IJ - .= / ~ France Furansu (fuu-rohn-sue) 7'7/A
(doe -rye koo-ree-neen-goo) front desk, reception desk
Curonto (fuu-roan-toe) 70/r-
E fruit kudamono < t~t,(j)
east higashi (he-gah-she) 1}~' l- (koo-dall-moe-no)
eel unagi (oo-nah-ghee) ? t~ If
embassy taishikan (tai-slle-kahn ) ~-"'l L-tJ'1v G
egg tamago (tah-mah-go) t::..~~ gallery gyarari (g 'yah-rall-ree) ¥ -r 5' IJ-
England
entrance
(girisu (ee -ghee-ree-sue)
iriguchi (ee-ree-goo-chee)
1''' 'J
"0 <<;
;< garden
garlic
niwa (nee-wah)
ninniku (neen-llee-koo)
let:>
lelule <
86 87
genu ine honmono no 111u" 0) 0)
(home-mae-no no) inn (Japanese style)
Germany Doitsu (doe-ee-t 'sue) ryokan (r 'yoe-kahn )
get off (disembark) international kokusai (coke-sai)
orimasu (oh-ree-mahss) international telephone (call)
I get on, embark kokusai denwa
norimasu (no-ree-mo.hss) (koke-sai den-woh )
glasses (spectacles) intersection, crossroads
megane (mo.)'-gah-nay) k6saten (koe-sah-len) C:-5<'!""[1u
gram guramu (goo -rah-moo) introduce shokai shimasu L..~ 5tJ\ !;\1.,£T
guest o-kyakusan introduction (written)
(oh-k '),ah-koo sohn ) shokaijo (show- kai-joe)

H J
hand te (toy) January ichi-gatsu
hanger (for clothing) (ee-chee-got-slle)
hangi (hahn-goh ) Japan Nihon (nee-hone) 1:lllu
heart attacks shinzO mahi Japanese-style bed
(sheen-zoe mo.h-hee) futon (fuu-tone) J,,1:.1u
heavy omoi (owe-moy) .Btl!;\ Japanese-style room
holiday kyfijitsu (cue-jee-t 'sue) .!>l>-5L:-:> nihon-ma 1:lllu£
home uchi (oo-chee) (nee-hone-mllh)
-5~
horseradish wasabi (wah -soh-bee) b<'!U' job shigoto (she-go-toe)
hospital byoin (b 'yoe-een) rJ.~ :>!;\/v July shichi-gatsu
hot (spicy) karai (kah -r)'e) tJ\ ~!;\ ( she-chee-gol -sue)
hot spring onsen (own -sen) tlluitlu June roku-gatsu
house (structure) (roe -koo-gol-sue)
ie (ee-eh)
hungry onaka gasukimasu at"f1\ 7)f "'t!'lt-t K
(oh-nllh-kah goh ski-mass) key kagi (ko ll-ghee)
hurry isogimasu !;\-ri!£:T kilogram kiro (kee-roe)
(ee-so-ghee-mass) kilometer kiro (kee-roe)
painful , sore itai (ee-tai) !;\"k.!; \ kind (nice) shinsetsu (s hin -sel -sue)

88 89
Korea (South) Kankoku (kllhn-koe-koo) iJ)Iv;::'< N
Korean (language) name card meshi (may-she) 1!6~)l,
Kankokugo iJ\Iv;::'<:::: napkin napukin (nahp-keen) -r -:lot' :/
(kolm-koe-koo-go) New Year's o-shO-gatsu i:3 l, .t.. ? iJt-:J
Korean (person) (oh-show-got-sue)
Kankoku-jin 1J'!v~ < t:!v next tsugi (t'sue-ghee) -:;'I!'
(kllhn-koe-koo-jeen) next month raigetsu (rye-get-sue) ~ t,)~f-:J
next week raishii (rye-shoo) ~t,)l,IP'5
next year rainen (rye-nane) ~ t,)tJlv

l night yoru (yoe-rue) 4:{>

last (fina l) saigo (so;-go) ~ ~);,:- nightclub naito kurabu -r1" " 77-:1
last day saigo no hi (sa;-go no hee) ~II);::'- <T) U (nai-toe koo-rah-boo)
last month sengetsu (sen-get-sue) tt !vlf::> north kita (kee-tah) iY~
last week senshii (sen-shoo) tt!vL- .. ? November ju-ichi-gatsu t.: ~ '5 t,)t:.1.l1 -:J
last year kyonen (k'yoe-nen) ~.<;,!v Uuu-ee-chee-got-sue)
laundry sentakumono tt !vtc < t, <T)
(sen-rah-koo-moe-no)
left (direction/side) 0
hidari (he-dah-ree) Ut:'.~ October ju-gatsu Uuu-got-sue) t.:1<P'51.l1 -:J
letter tegami (teh-gah-me) -r: IJ';;" once ichido (ee-chee-doe) "t, I:'
luggage nimotsu (nee-moat-sue) I:t,::> one-way (street)
lunch hirugohan U{> ~· I;t!v ippO tsiiko 1I)-:J1£'5-:J5'::5
(he-rue-go-hahn) (eep-poe t'sue-koe)
one-way (ticket)
M kata-michi tFt:;;;,. t,
maid meido (may-e-doe) ;1-1" ~ (kah-tah-mee-chee)
man (male) otoko (oh- toe-koe) .Be;::'
manager maneji (mah-nay-jah) "*-OJ,,- onions tamanegi t~ *;, '!f
map chizu (chee-zoo) t,<f (rah-mah-"ay-ghee)
March san-gatsu (sahn-got-sue) ;, !v IJ'-:;
May go-gatsu (go-got-sue) ;:,.' iJt-:J P
meal ticket shokken (shoke-ken) L-.<"It!v package, parcel
meat niku (nee-koo) I: < kozutsumi ;::.-:J-:JJ.}.
medicine kusuri (koo-sue-ree) <,~ (koe-zoot-sue-me)
mcnyu (men-yuu)
menu
morning asa (ah-soh) ...,;,
;1.=.:1.- paper kami (kah-me)
park, recreational area
fJ';;"

movie eiga (o-e-goh) .:t t, \ 1'11 kOen (koe-en) '::5.:t1v

90 91
parking chiishajo rice (cooked white rice)
(choo-shah-joe) gohan (go-hahn)
passport pasupfito right (direction/side)
(pah-sue-poe-toe) migi (mee-ghee)
pearls shinju (sheen-juu) L-1vJ:0J> road michi (mee-chee)
pepper koshO (koe-show) ::lJ:? room heya (hay-yah)
platform (train) hOmu (hoe-moo) $-1. room (Japanese-style)
police box (small sub-station on street) nihon-ma 1:1~1v£

koban (koe-bahn) (nee-hone-mah)

policeman o-mawari-san room (Western-style)
( oh-mah-wah-ree-sahn)
yo-rna (yoe-mah) J:?£
porter pOti (poe-tah)
room number rumu namba )v-L, -r ://\-
(rue-moo nahm-bah)
post office yiibinkyoku
room service rumu sibisu
(yuu-bean k 'yoe-Iwo)
(rue-moo sah-bee-sue)
potatoes jagaimo
(jah-guy-ee-moe)
pottery toki (toe-kee)
public telephone
5
salt shio (she-oh) L-$;
k6shu denwa
schedule (plan) yotei (yoe-tay) J::"'C\'\
(koe-shoo den -wah)
school gakko (gahk-koe) tJ1 '? ::5
sea (ocean) umi (oo-me) 7;;"
seamail funabin (Juu-nah-bean) h-t,HJIv
R seasick funayoi (fim-nah-yoe-e) ...s"tJ: J:: \,)
refrigerator reiz6ko (ray-e-zoe-koe) tH\~5 :: seaside kaigan (ka i-gahn) b\\,\tJ1Ju
refund harai-modoshi I;tG"BcL- season kisetsu (kee-set-sue) ~tt~
(hah-rye-moe-doe-she) seat seki (sell-kee) tt~
rent yachin (yah-eheen) seat number zaseki bango ~tt~ Itlv;:' 7
repair naoshimasu (zah-say-kee)
(nah-oh-she-mahss) September ku-gatsu (koo-got-sue)
reservation yoyaku (yoe-yah-koo) service center sibisu senta
reserved seat shiteiseki (ssh-tay-seh-kee) (sah-bee-sue sen-tah)
restaurant (Japanese) ship fune (fu l/-nay) ~,t.l
ryoriya (rio-ree-yah) shirt shatsu (shah-t'sue) ;/1>'./
restaurant (Western) shrine jinja (jeen-jah) J:1vJ:."
resutoran (res-toe-ran) single room shinguru (sheen-goo-rue) ;//-!:f)l,-

92 93
slow yukkuri (yuke-koo-ree) !1>'?<~ temple o-tera (oh-ray-rah)
soap sekken (sek-ken) it'? It Iv theater (movies)
son musuko (moo-sue-koe) (I";: eigakan (a-e-gah-kahn)
south minami (me-nah-me) ;;,.t.<;;,. ticket kippu (keep-poo)
souvenir (gift) omiyage (oh-me-yah-gay) to;;""I'>lf ticket wi ndow (vending machines)
soy sauce shOyu (show-yoo) C",:i!1> kippu uriba
spicy karai (kah-rye) tJ) .; p (keep-poo oo-ree-bah)
spoon supon (su-poon) 7--;1-:- toilet o-tearai (oh-wy-ah-rye) .s-c.;t;.;t,..)
spring haru (hah-rue) I~'-' konban (kome-bahn)
tonight ;:M!1v
st amp (for mail) traffic kotsii (kate-sue) '::5-:>-5
kine (keer-lay) traffic light shingo (sheen-go) l,/v,::'?
stop (b us/train) leiryiijo (wy-e-r'yoo-joe)
traveler's checks
straight (direction)
toraberiizu chekku
massugu
(toe-rah-bay-rah-'l.oo
(mahss-sue-goo)
check-ku)
sugar sato (sah-lOe)
natsu (not-sue) twin room (two persons, two beds)
summer
supermarket supa (sue-pah) tsuin (t'sue-ween)

T V
t ab le leburu (ray-boo-rue) vegetables yasai (yah-sai)
tag (labe l) harigami visa biza (bee-zah)
(hah-ree-gah-me)
taxi stand takushi noriba
(lOck-she lIo-ree-bah) w
t ea (black/brown) waiter ueta (way-wh) '/X.-9-
kOcha (koe-chah) washroom o-tearai (oh-tay-ah-'Je) .s-C~6t,..)

tea (Japa nese g reen tea) way (direction) iku michi ~,< ;;,.1;
nihon-cha (ee-koo me-chee)
( nee-hone-chah) weather tenki (ten-keel
television terebi (ray-ray-bee) weather forecast
temperature (body) tenki yohO
taion (raj-own) (rafle-kee Joe-hoe)
temperature (weather) west nishi (flee-she)
ondo (own-doe) window mado (mah-doe)

94 95
 Other Japanese language learning books from Tuttle Publishing
winter fuyu (juu-yoo)
women onna no hito
(own-nah no ssh-toe) Reading P.
wonderful subarashii -=-=-Wn tl ng
(sue-bah-rah-she)

y
yesterday kino (ku-no) i!0)?
young wakai (wah-Iwi) b:f.l\P
youth hostel yiisu hosuteru .:1-A*ATiv
(yoo-sue hos-toy-rue)
ISBN- 0-8048-3365-6 ISBN: 0-8048-1588-7

z
zoo dobutsuen
(doe-boot-sue-en)

----
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Write
Your Nome
in KANJI

96
tS8N: 0-8048-3334-6 ISBN 0-8048-3396-6 tS8N 0-8048-3345-1