Japanese phrases for travellers: the short list that does the work

You do not need to learn Japanese for a two-week trip. You need about a dozen phrases, said politely and a little slowly, and a willingness to point. Staff in the cities are used to visitors. A greeting and a please in their language still changes the tone of the whole exchange.

The ones you will use every day

• Sumimasen: excuse me. It gets a server’s attention, works as a light sorry when you squeeze past, and often stands in for thanks when someone has gone to trouble for you.
• Arigatou gozaimasu: thank you, the polite form. Plain arigatou is casual, for friends and family.
• ... onegaishimasu: ... please, when asking for something. Okaikei onegaishimasu asks for the bill.
• ... o kudasai: ... please, when asking for a thing. Kore o kudasai is this one, please, with a point.
• Ikura desu ka?: how much is it?
• ... wa doko desu ka?: where is ...? Put the place first.
• Wakarimasen: I don’t understand.
• Eigo o hanasu hito wa imasu ka?: is there anyone who speaks English?
• Mou ichido itte kudasai / Yukkuri itte kudasai: please say that again / please speak slowly.
• Iie, kekkou desu: no, thank you. Polite for the bag you do not need.
• Ohayou gozaimasu, konnichiwa, konbanwa: good morning, good afternoon, good evening.
• Oishii: it’s delicious. Said at the counter, it lands.

How to say them

Give each syllable roughly the same weight and do not rush. The final u in desu and -masu is usually barely voiced, so arigatou gozaimasu ends closer to gozaimas. Nobody will mark you down for an accent. Getting the polite form right matters more than getting the sound perfect.

Pair the words with the small physical habits: a nod with the thanks, both hands when you pass a card across, and a pause before you start speaking English at someone. Manners worth learning before you land covers the rest of that list.

Save

When the words run out

Point and say kore, this one. Ask for it in writing: JNTO’s Tourist’s Language Handbook includes sore o koko ni kaite kudasai, please write that here. A price or a time on paper beats a number you half heard.

Let an app do the long sentences. JNTO points visitors to VoiceTra, a free speech translation app built for travel conversations. Plan Sakura also translates text, your voice, or a photo of a sign or menu, which is handy when the menu has no pictures.

In restaurants, the bill is usually the moment you need a phrase most. How to order in an izakaya walks through the rest of the evening, from the first drink to leaving.