Must-Have Survival Phrases, Part 1
It's our first travel lesson!
In this series of lessons, we're going to be looking at all kinds of Japanese that will come in handy while traveling around Japan.
We'll start with the very basic survival phrases and whatnot, then work our way up to situation-specific language for things like hotels, trains, restaurants, eating etiquette, asking for directions―the works.
If you wanted to learn some travel Japanese only so that you can get around a bit in Japan, you could probably just buy a pocket phrasebook and carry it around with you wherever you go.
This series of lessons is going to be a bit different than a phrasebook, though. While we will cover a lot of the language that is likely to show up in a Japanese phrasebook for travelers, we're also going to be breaking down the mechanics of various language that is introduced.
Long story short, the goal of these lessons will be to get you traveling around Japan without flipping through a phrasebook or a translation app every time you want to interact with a Japanese person.
Along the way, we can also fantasize about all the cool stuff we're going to do the next time we're adventuring about in this beautiful and fascinating country.
Speaking of which, our NDL schedule for the foreseeable future is as follows:
Monday: JLPT N4 Grammar
Tuesday: JLPT N4 Grammar
Wednesday: JLPT N3 Grammar
Thursday: JLPT N2 Grammar
Friday: JLPT N1 Grammar
Saturday: Travel Japanese
Sunday: Travel Destinations & Activities in Japan
Sometime in early spring, we should have completed all of the JLPT N4 grammar. If we continue doing only JLPT grammar on weekdays (which I'm leaning towards doing), then we will most likely have completed all JLPT grammar for all levels sometime around the end of next year.
That might sound like a long way off, but in reality that means that we're covering all of the grammar you need to pass every level of the JLPT (so that you can become a translator, work in a Japanese company, etc.) in the span of about two years. Nice!
☢ Note ☢
Although our travel lessons will be covering some very basic introductory language (in the beginning, at least), we will still be avoiding the use of romaji (=Japanese words written in Latin script).
As with all NDL's, you need to be able to read hiragana and katakana to read these lessons. If you still can't do so, go study this free course for a couple of days:
Then come back here and get you some travel-Japanese goodness...
Must-Have Japanese Survival Phrases, Part 1
We'll start with the absolutely necessary words and phrases that everyone should know when traveling to Japan.
You know, saying hello, thank you, excuse me, and sorry.
A Note About Formality
Japanese has a variety of levels of formality.
Generally speaking, a Japanese speaker has the choice of using honorific language, humble language, standard polite language, somewhat casual language (=what your textbooks say is casual language but is actually still pretty stiff-sounding), truly casual language, and, of course, rude language.
For the most part, in our travel lessons we'll be using "standard polite" language. Accordingly, you'll notice a lot of our verbs ending in -ます and a lot of our other sentences ending in です.
In the vast majority of cases, standard polite language is a good choice when traveling about Japan. It is formal enough to use with strangers, but not too formal to use with acquaintances. And even if you're speaking standard polite language to friends, it won't bother them.
In short, "standard polite language" is a safe choice, so it's perfect for travel lessons.
If you want to master the really casual stuff, then we have a ton of past NDL'scovering it.
Saying Hello
First, you'll want to be able to say hello to people, yeah?
As many of you may know, "Hello" is:
こんにちは。
Hello.
Literally: “hello.”
A lot of people incorrectly pronounce this as こにちは (ko-ni-chi-wa), but note that it should be pronounced こんにちは (kon-ni-chi-wa).
We don't just say "Hello" in English, right? We say "Hey," "Hi," "Yo," and so on. Japanese, too, has several variations on "Hello."
For the most part, you're good just sticking with こんにちは.
If you're curious about your other options, though, check out this article: How to Say "Hello" in Japanese: Slang, Audio, & More.
Saying Thank You
I was looking at a travel phrasebook when preparing this lesson, and I was surprised that this was their main entry for "Thank you:"
ありがとう。
Thanks. // Thank you.
Literally: “thank you.”
There's nothing wrong with that. It is, indeed, a very common way to say "Thank you."
But if I were teaching someone how to say "Thank you" in preparation for their upcoming trip to Japan, I would probably recommend learning:
ありがとうございます。
ありがとう ございます。
Thank you.
Literally: “thank you.”
Adding ございます after ありがとう makes it sound a bit more formal. Accordingly, it makes you sound more grateful.
You can also opt to use the longer:
どうもありがとうございます。
どうも ありがとう ございます。
Thank you (very much).
Literally: “thank you (very much).”
...but if that seems to long, I wouldn't really worry about it.
Saying Excuse Me
This is the standard way to say "Excuse me:"
すみません。
Excuse me.
Literally: “excuse me. / I’m sorry. / pardon me.”
It can also mean "I'm sorry" in certain situations.
On the few occasions on which I've acted as a tour guide for family members and friends, I've found that すみません is the word that they find the most useful.
I know this because I have to teach it to them about 3,200 times. They try to learn it just by listening to me say it, while knowing nothing about the pronunciation of Japanese, which tends to result in poor retention. Yet another reason to do our free kana and pronunciation course!
As you travel around Japan, you'll notice that a lot of Japanese people don't seem to be saying すみません (su-mi-ma-sen). Rather, they'll be pronouncing it like すいません (sui-ma-sen). Feel free to do the same.
And if you're sitting at an izakaya and want to get your server's attention, try calling out:
すいません！
Excuse me!
Literally: “excuse me!”
It's not rude, so don't be too shy about yelling out to a waitress or waiter. Well, it might be a little strange if you're at a fancy restaurant or if your table has a call button for the servers. If you're just chilling at an izakaya, though, then feel free to call out すいません！
If you don't know what an izakaya is, by the way, check out this previous lesson of ours: [NDL #56] - Cool Phrases for Izakaya & Restaurants.
I'm sure we'll come across izakaya many times in this travel series, since I'm kind of obsessed with these lovely dining establishments.
How to Say Sorry
ごめんなさい。
I’m sorry.
Literally: “I am sorry. / I beg your pardon.”
Step on someone's shoe? ごめんなさい。
Spill someone's coffee? ごめんなさい。
Break a fancy vase at your hotel? ごめんなさい。
Needless to say, this phrase is invaluable.
It can be shortened to ごめん in casual language. I wouldn't use that unless you're talking to a friend, though. We explained why in this lesson: [NDL #621] - "I've had enough of this!"
How to Offer Your Seat to Old People
If you're on a full train and you see an elderly person or a pregnant woman standing, it is common courtesy to offer them your seat in Japan.
Sadly, a lot of people don't do this. But since we're polite visitors in Japan, we will, yeah?
When you get up from your seat, gesture to it with an open palm and say:
どうぞ。
Please. (Go ahead.)
Literally: “by all means / feel free / here you are.”
I've found that old people tend to be very impressed when I, as a foreigner, offer my seat to them like this.
Of course, if you're elderly or pregnant yourself, then feel free to hold onto that seat!
Speaking of seats, it's also a good idea to avoid sitting in the 優先席 (ゆうせんせき // priority seats):
As you can see, these seats are for the old, injured, and sun-bellied passengers. Oh, and people with babies.
The seats will typically be a different color than the regular seats:
It's not a big deal if you sit in these seats, particularly if the train isn't all that full. But you'll be expected to get up if the train is full and there are elderly people, pregnant women, and so on.
With the small collection of phrases in this lesson, you now have the tools to at least not come across as entirely rude and inconsiderate while traveling in Japan.
In fact, by just knowing the words in this lesson, you will have learned more Japanese than the majority of people that visit Japan. Props to you.
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