50 Everyday Japanese Phrases for Life in Japan (Konbini, Restaurants, Trains & More) — TokyoHelp
50 Everyday Japanese Phrases for Life in Japan (Konbini, Restaurants, Trains & More)
Around 50 high-frequency Japanese phrases grouped by scene: greetings & politeness, convenience store & shopping, restaurants, trains & directions, phone & delivery, neighbours, and 'I don't understand / please repeat / do you speak English'. Each phrase has reading + English meaning so you can read it aloud and get things done.
9 min readChecked against official sources 2026-06-16
What trips you up first in Japan usually isn't grammar — it's the konbini clerk's quick 'atatamemasu ka?' or a restaurant's 'nan-meisama desu ka?'. This guide collects the roughly 50 phrases you'll hear and use most, grouped by everyday scene, each with a reading and an English meaning. You don't have to memorise them all — pull up the right section when the moment comes and read it aloud. Start with the 'greetings' and 'when you don't understand' groups.
Readings are romanised so you can sound them out. Long vowels (the macron ō / ū, or 'ー') get held an extra beat, and a small 'tsu' (っ) is a short pause. Saying it slowly actually sounds clearer and more polite.
1. Greetings & basic politeness
Japan runs on polite set phrases. A single 'sumimasen' opens almost any interaction. You'll use these every day.
ohayō gozaimasu (おはようございます) = good morning
konnichiwa (こんにちは) = hello (daytime)
konbanwa (こんばんは) = good evening
arigatō gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) = thank you (polite)
sumimasen (すみません) = excuse me / sorry / to get a clerk's attention — the all-purpose opener
gomennasai (ごめんなさい) = I'm sorry (apology)
onegaishimasu (お願いします) = please / I'd appreciate it
daijōbu desu (大丈夫です) = it's fine / no thanks (also a polite way to decline)
shitsurei shimasu (失礼します) = excuse me (entering/leaving a room, ending a call)
otsukaresama desu (お疲れさまです) = thanks for your hard work (workplace and neighbourly greeting)
2. Convenience store & shopping
At the konbini or supermarket register, the clerk fires off a few fixed questions. Recognise them and you only need 'hai' (yes), 'iie' (no) or 'daijōbu desu' (no thanks).
fukuro wa irimasen (袋はいりません) = I don't need a bag (or 'fukuro kudasai' = a bag, please)
kādo de (カードで) = by card ('genkin de' = with cash)
atatamemasu ka? (温めますか?) = shall I heat it up? → 'onegaishimasu' to say yes, 'daijōbu desu' to say no
ohashi wa irimasu ka? (お箸はいりますか?) = do you need chopsticks?
pointo kādo wa omochi desu ka? (ポイントカードはお持ちですか?) = do you have a point card? → 'naidesu' if not
kore, ikura desu ka? (これ、いくらですか?) = how much is this?
shichaku shite mo ii desu ka? (試着してもいいですか?) = may I try this on?
betsubetsu de onegaishimasu (別々でお願いします) = please charge us separately
Related guides
'~en ni narimasu' or '~en desu' just means 'that'll be ~ yen'. After you hear the amount, place your money in the little tray (torē) by the register.
3. Ordering at restaurants
Get seated, order, pay — these phrases cover all three. Pointing at the menu and saying 'kore o kudasai' is the safest order.
○○ o kudasai (〇〇をください) = please give me ○○ (the universal order; point at the menu if needed)
kore o onegaishimasu (これをお願いします) = this one, please
osusume wa nan desu ka? (おすすめは何ですか?) = what do you recommend?
menyū o kudasai (メニューをください) = the menu, please
omizu o kudasai (お水をください) = water, please (usually free in Japan)
okaikei onegaishimasu (お会計お願いします) = the check, please (also 'okanjō')
mochikaeri dekimasu ka? (持ち帰りできますか?) = can I take this to go?
tabako wa suemasu ka? (たばこは吸えますか?) = can I smoke here?
Staff will ask: nan-meisama desu ka? (何名様ですか?) = how many people? → answer '○ nin desu', e.g. 'futari desu' (two)
Staff will ask: tennai de omeshiagari desu ka, omochikaeri desu ka? (店内でお召し上がりですか、お持ち帰りですか?) = eat in or take out? → 'koko de' (here) or 'mochikaeri de' (to go)
4. Trains & directions
Tokyo's transfers are complex, but asking is simple. Drop a station name into these patterns.
○○ eki wa doko desu ka? (〇〇駅はどこですか?) = where is ○○ station?
Shinjuku ni ikitai desu (新宿に行きたいです) = I want to go to Shinjuku
kono densha wa ○○ ni tomarimasu ka? (この電車は〇〇に止まりますか?) = does this train stop at ○○?
norikae wa doko desu ka? (乗り換えはどこですか?) = where do I transfer?
kippu wa doko de kaemasu ka? (切符はどこで買えますか?) = where can I buy a ticket?
toire wa doko desu ka? (トイレはどこですか?) = where is the toilet?
massugu (まっすぐ) = straight ahead / migi (右) = right / hidari (左) = left
aruite dono kurai desu ka? (歩いてどのくらいですか?) = how long does it take on foot?
5. Phone & delivery
Phone calls and parcel deliveries stress many people out — you can't see the other person. These few phrases carry you through, and if you genuinely don't understand, saying so makes most people slow down or simplify.
moshimoshi (もしもし) = hello (answering the phone)
○○ desu (〇〇です) = this is ○○ (give your name)
shōshō omachi kudasai (少々お待ちください) = please wait a moment (you'll also hear this)
takuhaibin desu / otodokemono desu (宅配便です / お届け物です) = delivery / you have a parcel (the courier's line)
hanko ga hitsuyō desu ka? (印鑑が必要ですか?) = do you need a stamp? (a signature usually works — 'sain demo ii desu ka?')
fuzaihyō ga haitte imashita (不在票が入っていました) = there was a missed-delivery slip in my mailbox
saihaitatsu o onegaishimasu (再配達をお願いします) = please redeliver
nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu (日本語が少しわかります) = I understand a little Japanese
A missed-delivery slip (fuzaihyō) usually has an automated redelivery phone number or QR code — just pick a time slot via the prompts. You rarely need full sentences to rebook.
6. Neighbours
Moving in, taking out the rubbish, passing in the hallway — a word or two with neighbours is both polite and a way to avoid friction. Japan values an 'apologies for any trouble' posture.
hajimemashite (はじめまして) = nice to meet you
tonari ni hikkoshite kimashita, ○○ desu (隣に引っ越してきました、〇〇です) = I've moved in next door, I'm ○○
korekara yoroshiku onegaishimasu (これからよろしくお願いします) = I look forward to being your neighbour
gomeiwaku o okakeshimasu (ご迷惑をおかけします) = sorry for any trouble (say this before a move or noisy work)
gomi no hi wa itsu desu ka? (ゴミの日はいつですか?) = which day is rubbish collection?
yoru wa shizuka ni shimasu (夜は静かにします) = I'll keep it quiet at night
7. When you don't understand: please repeat / do you speak English
This is the group to actually memorise — with these as a safety net, you won't panic when stuck. Admitting you don't understand isn't rude in Japan; most people will slow down or switch to simpler words.
sumimasen, wakarimasen (すみません、わかりません) = sorry, I don't understand
mō ichido onegaishimasu (もう一度お願いします) = once more, please
eigo ga hanasemasu ka? (英語が話せますか?) = do you speak English?
koko ni kaite moraemasu ka? (ここに書いてもらえますか?) = could you write it here?
yasashii nihongo de onegaishimasu (やさしい日本語でお願いします) = simple Japanese, please
chotto matte kudasai (ちょっと待ってください) = one moment, please (while you check your phone)
honyaku apuri o tsukatte mo ii desu ka? (翻訳アプリを使ってもいいですか?) = may I use a translation app?
Many public counters (ward office, tax, immigration) offer a free interpretation phone line or multilingual support. Just ask '○○-go no tsūyaku o onegai dekimasu ka?' (could you arrange a [language] interpreter?) and staff will usually connect you.
From reading aloud to actually speaking
Run through these 50 phrases and you'll handle most daily errands. But to truly speak up and understand the replies, the key is repeated out-loud practice and copying the intonation. Our own app, Nihongo Ride, is built for exactly that: short, scene-based dialogues you shadow with instant pronunciation feedback — a few minutes on your commute turns 'I can read it' into 'I can say it'.
For a structured foundation, free official materials work well too. The Japan Foundation's 'Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan' is aimed squarely at everyday situations here, with free PDFs and audio. If you're aiming for a certificate, the official JLPT site has sample questions and registration details.
As a total beginner, which phrases give the most value first?
Learn 'sumimasen' (excuse me/sorry), 'arigatō gozaimasu' (thank you), 'onegaishimasu' (please), 'wakarimasen' (I don't understand) and 'mō ichido onegaishimasu' (once more, please). These five cover the opening and the safety net of almost any situation.
The konbini clerk said 'atatamemasu ka?' and I froze — what do I say?
It means 'shall I heat it up?'. Say 'onegaishimasu' for yes, 'daijōbu desu' for no. A nod or head-shake works too — the clerk will understand.
My Japanese is weak — can I get someone to come along or make a call for me at the ward office or hospital?
Yes. This article is Japanese-learning information and does not handle any procedures for you. Many municipal counters offer free multilingual or interpretation-phone services. If you simply want a Japanese-speaking neighbour to come along to a counter with you for free, or to help make a call to book a slot, you can post a mutual-aid request on this site so neighbours can lend a hand. For procedure details, always rely on the official counter's guidance.
I keep mispronouncing long vowels and the small 'tsu' — does it matter?
You'll usually still be understood, so don't stress. To sound more natural, hold long vowels (ō/ū) an extra beat and pause briefly on the small 'tsu' (っ). The most effective fix is shadowing real audio out loud.
