Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
doubutsu - animal
tori - bird
niwatori - chicken
uma - horse
buta - pig
ushi - cow
hitsuji - sheep
inu - dog
neko - cat
nezumi - mouse, rat
hari nezumi - hedgehog (needle rat)
shishi - lion
tora - tiger
hebi - snake
kaeru - frog
ahiru - duck
kuma - bear
risu - squirrel
usagi - rabbit
tokage - lizard
zou - elephant
taka - hawk
washi - eagle
shika - deer
yagi - goat
dachou - ostrich
rakuda - camel
karasu - crow, raven
itachi - skunk
gachou - goose
hakuchou - swan
kitsune - fox
saru - monkey
mujina - badger
wani - alligator
Aquatic Animals
kame - turtle
iruka - dolphin
kingyou - goldfish
sakana - fish
same - shark
azarashi - seal
tako - octopus
kujira - whale
kurage - jellyfish
unagi - eel
hamaguri - clam
ika - squid
kani - crab
seiuchi - walrus
Insects
mushi - insect
hachi - bee
ka - mosquito
mimizu - earthworm
imomushi - caterpillar
chou - butterfly
kumo - spider
gokiburi - cockroach
hae - fly
ari - ant
inago - grasshopper
sasori - scorpion
namekuji - slug
hiru - leech
Note: A group of ANY animal is a mure (pronounced moo RAY). In English, we have a school of fish, a herd of cattle, a flock of geese, a murder of crows, etc. In Japanese, it's much easier!
Parts of the Body
Above the Neck
hana - nose
me - eye
medama - eyeball
kuchi - mouth
mimi - ear
kuchibiru - lips
kubi - neck
atama - head
ke - hair
hidai - forehead
hou - cheek
kao - face
ha - tooth
In the Middle
hiji - elbow
ude - arm
te - hand
tekubi - wrist (kubi = neck)
yubi - finger
oyayubi - thumb (oya = parent)
naizou - internal organs
shinzou - heart
mune - chest
hara - stomach
kinniku - muscle
hone - bone
Below the Waist
ashi - leg, foot
momo - thigh
sune - shin
hiza - knee
ashikubi - ankle
kotsuban - pelvis
ketsu - butt
ashi no yubi - toe
daichou - large intestine
Colors
kuroi - black
kasshoku - brown
akai - red
enshoku - orange
kiiro - yellow
midori - green
aoi - blue
murasaki - purple
haiiro - grey
shiroi - white
momoiro - pink
makka - deep red
Video Game Words
Nouns
shujinkou - main character
zukan - picture book (used for Pokedex)
PUREI jikan - time elapsed (in a game)
katsuyaku - activity
tensou - a transfer, transmission
PASOKON - PERSonal COMputer
SUICHI - switch
shoubu - match, contest
waza - technique
kusuri - medicine
dougu - equipment
mahou - magic
koumoku - item
mahi - paralysis
kizu - wound, injury
kougeki - attack
kouka - result, effect
joutai - condition
sugu ni - right away
yatta! - "All right!" (literally, "I did it!")
koko made - up till now, up to here
sei ippai - at the limit
yuke! - go!
-hiki, -piki, -biki - "counter" for animals (depends on number)
Technique Names
denkou sekka - lightning quick
kage bunshin - shadow offshoot
denki SHOKKU - electric shock
kaze okoshi - create wind
tai atari - body blow
hikkaku - scratching
kyuuketsu - suck blood
chou onpa - super sound wave
sunakake - sand trap
tsutsuku - to pick at, poke
nirami tsukeru - to glare at
nakigoe - crying voice
Problems
What part of "no" don't you understand?
The Japanese are famously reluctant to say the word "no", and in fact the language's closest equivalent, いいえ iie, is largely limited to denying compliments you have received. ("Your Japanese is excellent! "Iie, it is very bad!"). But there are numerous other ways of expressing "no", so here are a few to watch out for.
いいです。 結構です。
Ii desu. Kekkō desu.
"It's good/excellent." Used when you don't want more beer, don't want your bentō lunch microwaved, and generally are happy to keep things as they are. Accompany with teeth-sucking and handwaving to be sure to get your point across.
ちょっと難しいです･･･
Chotto muzukashii desu...
Literally "it's a little difficult", but in practice "it's completely impossible." Often just abbreviated to sucking in air through teeth, saying "chotto" and looking pained. Take the hint.
申し訳ないですけど･･･
Mōshiwakenai desukedo...
"This is inexcusable but..." But no. Used by sales clerks and such to tell you that you cannot do or have something.
駄目です。
Dame desu.
"It's no good." Used by equals and superiors to tell you that you cannot do or have something.
違います。
Chigaimasu.
"It is different." What they really mean is "you're wrong". The casual form chigau and the Kansai contraction chau are also much used.
Leave me alone.
ほっといて。 (hottoite.)
Don't touch me!
さわらないで! (sawaranaide!)
I'll call the police.
警察をよびます。 (keisatsu o yobimasu)
Police!
警察! (keisatsu)
Stop! Thief!
待て! どろぼう! (mate! dorobō!)
I need your help.
たすけてください。 (tasukete kudasai)
It's an emergency.
緊急です。 (kinkyū desu)
I'm lost.
迷子です。 (maigo desu)
I lost my bag.
かばんをなくしました。 (kaban o nakushimashita)
I dropped my wallet.
財布をおとしました。 (saifu o otoshimashita)
I'm sick.
病気です。 (byōki desu)
I've been injured.
けがしました。 (kega shimashita)
Please call a doctor.
医者を呼んでください。 (isha o yonde kudasai)
Can I use your phone?
電話を使っていいですか? (denwa o tsukatte iidesuka)
Numbers
While Arabic (Western) numerals are employed for most uses in Japan, you will occasionally still spot Japanese numerals at eg. markets and the menus of fancy restaurants. The characters used are nearly identical to Chinese numerals, and like Chinese, Japanese uses groups of 4 digits, not 3. "One million" is thus 百万 (hyaku-man), literally "hundred ten-thousands".
There are both Japanese and Chinese readings for most numbers, but presented below are the more commonly used Chinese readings. Note that, due to superstition (shi also means "death"), 4 and 7 typically use the Japanese readings yon and nana instead.
0
〇, 零 (zero or rei)
1
一 (ichi)
2
二 (ni)
3
三 (san)
4
四 (yon or shi)
5
五 (go)
6
六 (roku)
7
七 (nana or shichi)
8
八 (hachi)
9
九 (kyū)
10
十 (jū)
11
十一 (jū-ichi)
12
十二 (jū-ni)
13
十三 (jū-san)
14
十四 (jū-yon)
15
十五 (jū-go)
16
十六 (jū-roku)
17
十七 (jū-nana)
18
十八 (jū-hachi)
19
十九 (jū-kyuu)
20
二十 (ni-jū)
21
二十一 (ni-jū-ichi)
22
二十二 (ni-jū-ni)
23
二十三 (ni-jū-san)
30
三十 (san-jū)
40
四十(yon-jū)
50
五十 (go-jū)
60
六十 (ro-ku-jū)
70
七十(nana-jū)
80
八十 (hachi-jū)
90
九十 (kyū-jū)
100
百 (hyaku)
200
二百 (ni-hyaku)
300
三百 (san-byaku)
1000
千 (sen)
2000
二千 (ni-sen)
10,000
一万 (ichi-man)
1,000,000
百万 (hyaku-man)
100,000,000
一億 (ichi-oku)
1,000,000,000,000
一兆 (itchō)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
_____番 (____ ban)
half
半分 (hanbun)
less (few)
少ない (sukunai)
more (many)
多い (ooi)
Time
now
今 (ima)
later
後で (atode)
before
前に (mae ni)
before ___
___ の前に ( ___ no mae ni)
morning
朝 (asa)
afternoon
午後 (gogo)
evening
夕方 (yūgata)
night
夜 (yoru)
Clock time
For clock times, you will be understood if you simply substitute gozen 午前 for "AM" and gogo 午後 for PM, although other time qualifiers like 朝 asa for morning and 夜 yoru for night may be more natural. The 24-hour clock is also commonly used in official contexts such as train schedules.
six o'clock AM
朝6時 (asa rokuji)
nine o'clock AM
午前9時 (gozen kuji)
noon
正午 (shōgo)
one o'clock PM
午後1時 (gogo ichiji.)
two o'clock PM
午後2時 (gogo niji)
midnight
夜12時 (yoru jūniji)
Duration
_____ minute(s)
_____ 分 (fun or pun)
_____ hour(s)
_____ 時間 (jikan)
_____ day(s)
_____ 日 (nichi)
_____ week(s)
_____ 週間 (shūkan)
_____ month(s)
_____ ヶ月 (kagetsu)
_____ year(s)
_____ 年 (nen)
Days
today
今日(kyō)
yesterday
昨日(kinō)
tomorrow
明日(ashita)
this week
今週(konshū)
last week
先週(senshū)
next week
来週(raishū)
Sunday
日曜日 (nichiyōbi)
Monday
月曜日 (getsuyōbi)
Tuesday
火曜日 (kayōbi)
Wednesday
水曜日 (suiyōbi)
Thursday
木曜日 (mokuyōbi)
Friday
金曜日 (kin'yōbi)
Saturday
土曜日 (doyōbi)
Days of the Month
The 1st through the 10th of the month have special names:
First day of the month
1日 (tsuitachi)
Second day of the month
2日 (futsuka)
Third day of the month
3日 (mikka)
Fourth day of the month
4日 (yokka)
Fifth day of the month
5日 (itsuka)
Sixth day of the month
6日 (muika)
Seventh day of the month
7日 (nanoka)
Eighth day of the month
8日 (yōka)
Ninth day of the month
9日 (kokonoka)
Tenth day of the month
10日 (tōka)
The other days of the month are more orderly, just add the suffix -nichi to the ordinal number. Note that 14, 20, and 24 deviate from this pattern.
Eleventh day of the month
11日 (jūichinichi)
Fourteenth day of the month
14日 (jūyokka)
Twentieth day of the month
20日 (hatsuka)
Twenty-fourth day of the month
24日 (nijūyokka)
Months
Months are very orderly in Japanese, just add the suffix -gatsu to the ordinal number.
January
１月 (ichigatsu)
February
２月 (nigatsu)
March
３月 (sangatsu)
April
４月 (shigatsu)
May
５月 (gogatsu)
June
６月 (rokugatsu)
July
７月 (shichigatsu)
August
８月 (hachigatsu)
September
９月 (kugatsu)
October
１０月 (jūgatsu)
November
１１月 (jūichigatsu)
December
１２月 (jūnigatsu)
Writing time and date
Dates are written in year/month/day (day of week) format, with markers:
2006年3月21日(火)
Note that Imperial era years, based on the name and duration of the current Emperor's reign, are also frequently used. 2006 in the Gregorian calendar corresponds to Heisei 18 (平成18年), which may be abbreviated as "H18". Dates like "18/03/24" (March 24, Heisei 18) are also occasionally seen.
94 hits
Bus and train
How much is a ticket to _____?
_____ までいくらですか (_____ made ikura desu ka?)
One ticket to _____, please.
_____ まで一枚お願いします(_____ made ichimai onegaishimasu)
Where does this train/bus go?
この[電車/バス]はどこ行きですか (kono densha/basu wa doko yuki desuka?)
Where is the train/bus to _____?
_____ 行きの[電車/バス]はどこですか? (_____ yuki no densha/basu wa doko desuka?)
Does this train/bus stop in _____?
この[電車/バス]は _____ に止まりますか (kono densha/basu wa _____ ni tomarimasuka?)
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
_____ 行きの[電車/バス]は何時に出発しますか(_____ yuki no densha/basu wa nanji ni shuppatsu shimasuka?)
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
この[電車/バス]は何時に _____ に着きます? (kono densha/basu wa nanji ni _____ ni tsukimasuka?)
Driving
I want to rent a car.
レンタカーお願いします。 (rent-a-car onegaishimasu.)
Can I get insurance?
保険入れますか? (hoken hairemasuka?)
stop (on a street sign)
止まれ (tomare)
one way
一方通行 (ippō tsukō)
caution
徐行 (jokō)
no parking
駐車禁止 (chūsha kinshi)
speed limit
制限速度 (seigen sokudo)
gas (petrol) station
ガソリンスタンド (gasorin sutando)
petrol
ガソリン (gasorin)
diesel
軽油/ディーゼル (keiyu / diizeru)
Authority
In Japan, you can legally be incarcerated for twenty-three (23) days before you are charged, but you do have the right to see a lawyer after the first 48 hours of detention. Note that if you sign a confession, you will be convicted.
I haven't done anything (wrong).
何も(悪いこと)してません。(Nani mo (warui koto) shitemasen.)
It was a misunderstanding.
誤解でした。 (Gokai deshita.)
Where are you taking me?
どこへ連れて行くのですか？ (Doko e tsurete yukun desuka?)
Am I under arrest?
私は逮捕されてるのですか？ (Watashi wa taiho sareterun desuka?)
I am a citizen of ____.
____ の国民です。 (____ no kokumin desu.)
I want to meet with the ____ embassy.
____ 大使館と会わせて下さい。 (____ taishikan to awasete kudasai.)
I want to meet with a lawyer.
弁護士と会わせて下さい。(Bengoshi to awasete kudasai.)
Can it be settled with a fine?
罰金で済みますか？ (Bakkin de sumimasuka?)
Note: You can say this to a traffic cop, but bribery is highly unlikely to work in Japan
Raw JLPT family words
兄 [あに] /(n) (hum) older brother/(P)/
