Japanese Phrases
Hello in Japanese is こんにちは (Konnichiwa) and thank you is ありがとうございます (Arigatō gozaimasu). This page has 120 phrases you can hear, drill and print.
How to use
- In List, pick a situation (greetings, food, travel and so on), a politeness level, or type a word to search. Press the speaker to hear a phrase and switch between slow and normal speed.
- In Flashcards, read the Japanese, try to recall the meaning, then press Show answer. Use Next, or Shuffle to mix the order.
- In Quiz, choose the right meaning from four options for 10 phrases from the current filter. Print table opens a clean sheet you can print or save as PDF.
How it works
Romaji follows Hepburn style. A bar over a vowel (ō, ū) marks a long vowel held for two beats. The particle は is written wa, を is written o and へ is written e when they are particles.
Politeness is shown for each phrase. 丁寧語 (teineigo, polite) ends in desu or masu and suits strangers, shops and work. 普通 (futsū, plain) is the casual form for friends and family. 定型 (teikei) marks fixed phrases such as konnichiwa that are fine with anyone.
Audio comes from your device's Japanese text-to-speech voice, so it sounds a little different on each phone or computer.
Which phrases to learn first
- Hello: こんにちは (Konnichiwa) is safe all day. In the morning use おはようございます, and in the evening こんばんは.
- Thank you: ありがとうございます (Arigatō gozaimasu) is the polite default. ありがとう alone is for friends. After a meal, ごちそうさまでした.
- Sorry and excuse me: すみません (Sumimasen) works to get attention, to apologize and to thank someone for their trouble.
- In an emergency in Japan, dial 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance. Say 助けてください (Tasukete kudasai) if you need help.
Using the anime phrases
The anime section holds short, casual exclamations heard in shows and used between friends. They are plain speech. Do not use them with strangers, teachers or at work, and 行くぞ has a rough, masculine tone that sounds odd from a polite speaker.
FAQ
How do you say hello in Japanese?
こんにちは (Konnichiwa) is the standard hello. For morning use おはようございます (Ohayō gozaimasu), and for evening use こんばんは (Konbanwa).
How do you say thank you in Japanese?
ありがとうございます (Arigatō gozaimasu) is polite and works almost everywhere. ありがとう (Arigatō) is casual. どうも (Dōmo) is a short, casual thanks.
What is the difference between polite and plain Japanese?
Polite Japanese (丁寧語) ends sentences with です or ます and is used with strangers and in service or work. Plain Japanese (普通) is used with close friends and family. Mixing them up can sound rude or stiff.
Why are some phrases written partly in kanji?
Everyday Japanese uses kanji together with kana. The romaji line shows how it is read, so you can learn the sounds before the characters.
The speaker button says no Japanese voice is installed. What now?
Install a Japanese voice in your device's text-to-speech or language settings, then reload the page. Some browsers load voices only after the first click.
Are these phrases enough for travel?
They cover common situations such as food, shopping, trains and emergencies. Staff in tourist areas often understand simple English, and showing a phrase on your screen works well too.