You do not need fluent Japanese to travel well in Japan — but a handful of phrases changes everything. Start with kon-ni-chi-wa (こんにちは) for hello, a-ri-ga-to go-za-i-ma-su (ありがとうございます) for thank you, and su-mi-ma-sen (すみません) for excuse me, and doors start opening from Tokyo to the smallest mountain town.
Japan runs on courtesy, and visitors who return even a little of it are treated wonderfully. English is hit-and-miss outside the big tourist routes, so these phrases are not just polite — they are practical.
The magic word: su-mi-ma-sen
If you learn one word, make it su-mi-ma-sen (すみません). It means "excuse me" when you need attention, "sorry" when you bump someone, and even "thank you" when someone goes out of their way for you. Flag a server with it, apologize with it, squeeze off a crowded train with it.
In a restaurant, you are expected to call the server — a clear "su-mi-ma-sen!" toward the staff is polite, not rude. Nobody will come to check on your table unasked in most casual places. Our guide to su-mi-ma-sen unpacks all its faces.
The essentials
These six carry you from the airport to almost any situation, all in the safe polite form.
こんにちは
kon-ni-chi-wa
Hello (daytime)
ありがとうございます
a-ri-ga-to go-za-i-ma-su
Thank you (polite)
すみません
su-mi-ma-sen
Excuse me / sorry
はい / いいえ
hai / ii-e
Yes / no
お願いします
o-ne-ga-i-shi-ma-su
Please (when requesting something)
わかりません
wa-ka-ri-ma-sen
I don't understand
Eating out
Food is half the reason to visit Japan, and the ordering ritual is easy once you know the pattern: point or name the dish, add ku-da-sa-i (ください) or o-ne-ga-i-shi-ma-su (お願いします), and you are done.
これをください
ko-re o ku-da-sa-i
This one, please (pointing at the menu)
おすすめは何ですか
o-su-su-me wa nan de-su ka
What do you recommend?
おいしいです
o-i-shii de-su
It's delicious
お会計お願いします
o-ka-i-kei o-ne-ga-i-shi-ma-su
The check, please
Before eating, Japanese people say i-ta-da-ki-ma-su (いただきます) — a small thanks for the meal — and close with go-chi-so-sa-ma de-shi-ta (ごちそうさまでした) on the way out. Saying that last one to the chef or staff as you leave a small restaurant is the compliment; read the story behind it in our i-ta-da-ki-ma-su guide.
Shopping and paying
Shops greet you with a chorus of i-ras-shai-ma-se (いらっしゃいませ) — welcome! You do not need to answer it. These three handle the rest.
いくらですか
i-ku-ra de-su ka
How much is it?
これはありますか
ko-re wa a-ri-ma-su ka
Do you have this? (showing a photo)
袋お願いします
fu-ku-ro o-ne-ga-i-shi-ma-su
A bag, please
Prices are fixed in Japan — there is no bargaining — and cash still matters in small places, so listen for numbers followed by en (円), yen. Our Japanese numbers guide gets you from i-chi to ten thousand quickly.
Getting around
Train stations are where you will use Japanese most. Signage is usually bilingual, but a question saves you when it is not.
すみません、駅はどこですか
su-mi-ma-sen, e-ki wa do-ko de-su ka
Excuse me, where is the station?
これは東京に行きますか
ko-re wa To-kyo ni i-ki-ma-su ka
Does this go to Tokyo?
トイレはどこですか
toi-re wa do-ko de-su ka
Where is the toilet?
Sa-yo-na-ra (さようなら) sounds like the textbook goodbye, but it carries a "farewell, perhaps for a long time" weight. Leaving a shop or restaurant, you do not need any goodbye at all — a nod and an a-ri-ga-to go-za-i-ma-shi-ta (ありがとうございました), thank you for what you did, is exactly right.
Keep learning Japanese
Six phrases open doors; a few dozen start conversations. Keep going with our free essential Japanese phrases, then practice speaking with audio and spaced repetition in the Pretalk app — a few minutes a day is enough to land at Narita sounding confident.
