Here's all the Japanese you need to learn before going to Japan

Ah, Japan will forever be on the top of my greatest trips ever. Before my trip, I decided to challenge myself to learn Japanese in 30 days. It took me a good amount of research and fine-tuning to figure out what exactly I needed to learn in order to make the most out of my trip.

So I figured I'd share a summary of the most important Japanese to learn for your trip. Of course you can get by with English and having Google Translate handy, especially if you're visiting Tokyo; but isn't it more fun to learn a bit of another language?

I am truly fascinated by the Japanese language now and decided to continue to learn it. If I get to have a full conversation with someone in Japanese someday, that would go beyond my wildest dreams.

But back to reality: Japanese essentials to learn before your trip, coming right up!

General tips

• Don't underestimate the power of repetition: Build upon the words you've learned before and continue to review them.
• Keep it consistent: Try to learn something new every day, even if it's just a word.
• Make it fun: Find a way of rewarding yourself for learning, maybe it will be a sweet treat after your daily practice or even a special souvenir at the end of your trip! If you make mistakes, laugh at yourself too!

And now, let's go onto the actual Japanese...

Basic everyday words & essentials

You'll use and hear these a lot, so start here!

• Good morning (おはよう ございます) Ohayou Gozaimasu
• Hi/Good afternoon (こんにちわ) Konnichiwa
• Good evening (こんばんわ) Konbanwa
• Good night (おやすみなさい) Oyasuminasai
• Thank you (ありがと ございます) Arigato gozaimasu
• Yes (はい) Hai
• No (いいえ) Ie
• Excuse me/sorry/pardon me (すみません) Sumimasen
• Where is the restroom?(トイレはどこですか ) Toire wa doko desu ka?

Communicating language barriers

• I don’t understand (わかりません) Wakarimasen
• Could you say that one more time? (もう一度下さい) Mou ichido kudasai
• Can you speak English? (英語が話せますか) Eigo ga hanasemasu ka?
• Excuse me/sorry, I don’t understand Japanese. (すみません。日本語 がわかりません) Sumimasen. Nihongo ga wakarimasen

Directions & buying train tickets

The train stations in Tokyo can be quite intimidating (I thought it was worse than in Paris), often requiring transfers and you'll also need to buy your tickets from a machine or at a window. These sentences should be enough to help you make your way around.

• Excuse me, where is the subway? (すみません、地下鉄はどこですか) Sumimasen, chikatetsu wa dokodesu ka?
• Where can I buy tickets? (切符売り場はどこですか) Kippu uriba wa doko desu ka?
• Please give me a ticket to [place]. (までの切符をください) [Place] made no kippu o kudasai.
• Does this train stop at [name] station? (この電車は… 駅に止まりますか) Kono densha wa [name] eki ni tomarimasu ka?
• I got lost (道に迷いました) Michinimayoimashita
• Could you help me, please? (てつだって いただけます か) Tetsudatte itadakemasu ka?
• Where is it? (どこですか) Doko desu ka?

Ordering food

• State whatever you’d like to order, and follow it with … o kudasai. For beer, for example: ビールをください Bīru o kudasai
• Do you have an English menu? (英語のメニューはありますか) Eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka?
• Check, please (お会計 お願い します) Okaikei onegai shimasu
• You can also use Sumimasen to call the server
• Water (水) mizu
• Tea (お茶) ocha

Shopping

As soon as you enter a shop, you'll be greeted with irasshaimase, which means welcome.

• Excuse me, how much is this? (すみません、これはいくらですか) Sumimasen, kore wa ikura desu ka?
• Do you have [item]? ([item] はありますか) [item] wa arimasuka?
• Can I use a card (to pay)? (カードは使えますか) Kaado wa tsukae masuka?
• Would you like a bag? (袋にお入れしますか) Fukuro ni oiresimasu ka?

Important to note that a fair number of shops and restaurants (especially smaller ones, or less touristy ones) only accept cash, so make sure to have some on you.

Numbers from 1-10

• One (一) ichi
• Two (二) ni
• Three (三) san
• Four (よん) yon
• Five (ご) go
• Six (ろく) roku
• Seven (なな) nana
• Eight (はち) hachi
• Nine (きゅう) kyuu
• Ten (じゅう) juu

And that's a wrap. It can feel overwhelming at first, but keep practicing, I promise it becomes easier! If you'd like to check out my daily Japanese learning videos, you can find them on YouTube and Tiktok.