Beginning Everyday Set Phrases
EVERYDAY SET PHRASES
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Meeting for the First Time
はじめまして hajimemashite - meeting for the first time. Let's start on the right foot together.
どうぞ よろしく お願いします。 douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu - More polite than the above.
こちらこそ、 よろしく お願いします kochirakoso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu - Same here, nice to meet you too.
Introductions
私は＿＿＿です。 watashi wa _____ desu. I am ______.
私は＿＿＿と申します。 watashi wa ___ to moushimasu. I am _____. (more polite)
お名前は？ onamae wa? What is your name?
こちらは田中さんです。 kochira wa tanaka san desu. This is Mr. (or Ms/Mrs) Tanaka.
私はアメリカからきました。 watashi wa amerika kara kimashita. I am from America.
Greetings
おはようございます ohayou gozaimasu Good morning.
こんにちは konnichi wa Hello (during the day)
こんばんは konban wa Good evening
Conversation
元気ですか？ genki desu ka? How are you?
元気です。 genki desu. I'm fine.
英語が話せますか？ eigo ga hanasemasu ka? Can you speak English?
日本語が少し話せます。nihongo ga sukoshi hanasemasu. I can speak a little Japanese.
もっとゆっくり話してください。 motto yukkuri hanashite kudasai. Please speak slower.
もう一回話してください。 mou ikkai hanashite kudasai. Please repeat that again.
分かりますか？ wakarimasu ka? Do you understand?
分かりません。 wakarimasen. I don't understand.
分かります。 wakarimasu. I understand.
Holidays, Special Occasions:
あけまして おめでとう！ akemashite omedetou - Happy New Year!
今年も どうぞ よろしく kotoshi mo douzo yoroshiku - This year too, show me kindness.
( 本日は ) おめでとう ございます (honjitsu wa) omedetou gozaimasu - (On this day) Congratulations!!!
Thank You
どうも ありがとう ございます。 doumo arigatou gozaimasu - The long one.
ありがとうございます。arigatou gozaimasu - Shorter.
ありがとう arigatou - Shorter still.
どうも doumo - Shortest
どういたしまして douitashimashite You're welcome.
Other Non-Standard Thank yous
毎度 ありがとう ございます。 maido arigatou gozaimasu - Used mainly in shops. meaning: Thank you, every time.
毎度 あり maido ari - a shortened 'cute' form of the above.
おおきに ookini - Osaka dialect. Thanks
I'm Sorry
御免なさい gomen nasai -I am sorry. Used when you did a bad thing.
すみません sumimasen - I am sorry; Pardon, but... Used when you did a bad thing and when trying to get someones attention. Excuse me...
申し訳ありません moushi wake arimasen - I have no excuse for my bad bahavior, sorry.
Good-bye
バイバイ bai bai Bye bye
またね mata ne See you again
さようなら sayounara Good-bye
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Sometimes...
Sometimes, women voice the u at the end of Desu and masu. I think most japanese women do when trying to speak politely. Also, as for the good bye section on this page, i seldom hear "Ja Ne"or just "ja" as well.
easy
"nihongo ga sukoshi hanasemasu"
it is easier to say: " watashi wa hotondo nihongo o hanase-masen" (it means the same)
if you want to say i can't speak much japanese but do you speak english? than you say:
"watashi wa hotondo nihongo o hanase-masen demo donataka eigo o hanase-masu ka?"
i think it is easier to pronounce ...
-x-
No "Su" in sukoshi is not
No "Su" in sukoshi is not silent
There is a su, listen closely!
If you listen closely you can hear that she says almost like 'S-kosh-' Thats because in japanes 'U's Are almost always cut out of a word because they speak so quickly ^_^
Question
Hi, this page is helping me a lot. I have a question under the conversation part. When saying "nihongo ga sukoshi hanasemasu" is the "su" in sukoshi silent? When I listen to the audio, I hear her say koshi.
I think what you're
I think what you're referring to is an unvoiced u in the su. It sounds kind of like "skoshi".
This is similar to the u at the end of desu.
Another example would be "doushite desu ka?", which would sound like "doushte des ka?" due to the unvoiced i and u. There are general grammatical rules to unvoiced vowels, but I couldn't find a list off hand. I'm sure someone can point you to a good reference.
Put -very- basically, some vowel sounds, when following certain consonant sounds, are "unvoiced".
The only very rough explanation I found was the following: "The only time a vowel is pronounced differently from its usual value is when a high vowel i or u is between two voiceless consonants p t k s h. In this case the vowel becomes voiceless too: whispered, or effectively silent, just adding a whispery pause or prolongation between the consonants. So kisa is pronounced almost k'sa, and Yasukuni is almost Yas'kuni. This also happens at the ends of the grammatical endings desu and -masu. Effectively the u is silent. This devoicing effect only happens to short vowels, not long, and usually only to one of the syllables if two consecutive syllables could be affected."
Hope this helps!
Thank you. That help me a
Thank you. That help me a lot.
This is really helping it
This is really helping it sink in! I just have one question, why is it that you never say the "u" at the end of a word? Like desu in, "Watashi wa ____ desu"
Thanks! Errr.. I mean Arigatou!
The 'u' is there; it just
The 'u' is there; it just isn't stressed. It may sound like 'dess,' but keep the 'u' in mind.
Thanks for clarifying!
Thanks for clarifying!
thank you for this resources~
this is terrific.
i love it. and it really helps me learn japanese.
arigatou!