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A must for all Japanese learners! 11 Japanese words often used when making requests　

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Hi there. The number of people infected with the coronavirus is decreasing in Japan now, and we are gradually getting back to normal lives. However, there still is a fear that the virus may recur again, so it seems that we have to stay/work home for a little longer…

This time, I have compiled a list of eleven Japanese expressions that are often used when making requests. When using Japanese, it is important to learn how to phrase things in a way that is considerate of the others.

So, when making a request, don’t directly say, “Do it for me”. When making a request, it is normal to add preface words before making the request with something like, “I’m sorry to bother, but could you -?”

Let’s learn how to request in Japanese, and practice so that you can communicate naturally!

Before learning them… regarding request expressions

When making a request to someone who is close to you, or to someone who does not require much consideration,

「～て」（～te）is used at the end.

Example:
パソコンの使い方を教えて。
（Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te)
Teach me how to use the computer.

When giving instructions or making a request to a colleague or subordinate at work,

「～てください」（~te kudasai) is used at the end. 

Example sentence:
パソコンの使い方を教えてください。
（Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te kudasai)
Please teach me how to use the computer.

If you want to be polite to your boss or other people「～てくださいませんか」”~te kudasai masenka” is used at the end.

Example:
パソコンの使い方を教えてくださいませんか？
（Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te kudasai masenka)
Would you please teach me how to use the computer?

11 Preface words often used when making a request

3 casual expressions

1.悪いんだけど、（Waruindakedo)
I’m sorry,

2.ごめん、(Gomen)
I’m sorry,

3.あのね、(Anone)
I have a favor to ask you,

*Gomen is also used to apologize and Anone is also used when explaining something.

Example sentence:
悪いんだけど、パソコンの使い方を教えて。
(Waruindakedo, Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshiete)
Sorry, but can you teach me how to use the computer?

8 polite expressions

4.すみませんが、(Sumimasenga)
Excuse me,

5.恐れ入りますが、(Osoreirimasuga)
Excuse me,

6.恐縮ですが、(Kyoushukudesuga)
Excuse me,

7.お手数ですが、(Otesuudesuga)
Sorry to trouble you,

8.申し訳ございませんが、(Moushiwake gozaimasenga)
I’m really sorry, but

9.ご迷惑かとは存じますが、(Gomeiwaku katowa zonzimasuga)
I know it might be annoying,

10.お忙しいところ申し訳ありませんが、(Oisogashiitokoro Moushiwakearimasenga)
I’m sorry to bother you,

11.ご都合の良い時で構いませんが、(Gotsugouno yoitokide kamaimasenga)
I’d appreciate it if you could help this when you are free,

Example:
すみませんが、パソコンの使い方を教えてください。
(Sumimasenga, Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te kudasai)
I’m sorry to bother, but please teach me how to use the computer.

There are many other expressions that can be used, but if you know the phrases listed here, you will have no problem carrying on/understanding conversations. If you like watching anime/comics, I recommend that you check how the characters change the way they request according to the situation/based on whom they are requesting to. On a side note, in many Asian countries including Japan, people often put hands together  to express gratitude, but in Japan this is also done when making a request. 

Enjoy learning Japanese! 
Taka

7 new Japanese slang words (2020-2021)

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Here is the recent and up-to-date Japanese slang phrases that you can’t find in textbooks. They are very interesting and if you know them, you will be able to understand what Japanese young people these days are saying in casual conversation!

1. オン飲み (On-nomi)

This is an abbreviated phrase for Online and Nomi (drinking). It became common to stay home and drink talking with friends over Zoom after the spread of COVID-19, and people started to use this phrase to do the online-drinking meeting. 

Example sentence: 
今夜、オン飲みしよう！（Konya, On-nomi shiyou!)
Let’s do the online-drinking tonight. 

2. ぴえん (Pien)

It is a popular internet slang that expresses the crying emoji “🥺”. Mainly young girls use this phrase when there is something depressing or sad. 

Example sentence: 
彼氏と別れた。ぴえん。(Kareshi to wakareta. Pien)
I broke up with my boyfriend. Pien(Crying). 

※Stronger version (more crying/depressing) of pien is ぴえん超えてぱおん (Pien koete paon) and the strongest version as of today is ぴえんヶ丘どすこい之助 (Pien ga oka dosukoinosuke). 

3.盛れる (Moreru)

This is another phrase that young girls use. 盛る (Moru) means to make things look better. 盛れる (Moreru) means “It can make it look better/more beautiful” and often used when photo filter apps work well. 

Example sentence: 
このアプリのフィルター、盛れる！(Kono apuri no firuta, moreru!)
This filter on this app can make the picture look better/more beautiful.

4. 〜しか勝たん（ – shika katan)

This phrase means “Nothing can beat – “. It can only mean “- won’t let you down”. 

Example sentence: 
やっぱり、ラーメンしか勝たん (Yappari, Ramen shika katan).
After all, nothing can beat Ramen. 

5. 推し (oshi)

This is used when you support someone or you are a big fan of a person. It is often used when people talk about favorite idols, anime characters, and classmates. To ask “Who do you like the most?” , you can say 誰推し? (Dare oshi?)

Example sentence: 
あの人は、橋本環奈推しだって。(Anohito wa, Hashimoto-Kanna oshi datte).
I heard that the person likes Kanna Hashimoto the most.

6.飛ぶぞ (Tobuzo)

飛ぶ means to fly. 飛ぶぞ is used when you talk about food that is extremely delicious and mind blowing. This phrase can be used to talk about something that is super. 

Example sentence: 
これ食ってみな、飛ぶぞ (Kore kutte mina, Tobuzo)
Try eating this. It’s amazing. 

7.量産型ヲタク (Ryousangata otaku)

量産型 means “Mass production type”. The phrase is often used to talk about common girl fashion style with make-up that many boys like (the make-up style is often called 地雷メイク/Zirai make-up with thick-soled shoes, and black&pink clothes). 量産型ヲタク can also be used to refer to Otaku who is crazy about idol groups. 

Example sentence: 
私、量産型ヲタクになりたい。(Watashi, Ryousangata otaku ni naritai)
I want to have the common girly style. 

Another slang that is often used is きゅんです (Kyun desu). It means “My heart skipped a beat”. Every year, many new expressions are made and used mainly by young girls and they are often very funny and interesting. 

I will introduce new slangs on this blog sometimes.
Have fun learning Japanese words and phrases!
Taka

7 useful phrases to cheer someone up in Japanese

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Good friends and families support one another. It’s always good to encourage and cheer up each other especially when we are in a difficult situation. Here are 7 most common and useful phrases to cheer someone up in Japanese. 

1.頑張って!
Ganbatte! 
(Good luck!/ Keep it up!/ Do your best!)

This is one of the most common ways to cheer someone up.
頑張る(Ganbaru) means to try. If you would like to be a bit more polite, you can add ください (kudasai) at the end and say 頑張ってください(Ganbatte kudasai). And if you would like to say “Let’s do our best” to your colleagues or friends working together, 頑張ろう(Ganbarou) can be used.

2.幸運を祈ります　
Kouun wo inori masu
(Best of luck to you/I’ll keep my fingers crossed)

This is a very formal way of wishing someone’s luck. 幸運(Kouun) means good luck, and 祈ります (Inorimasu) means “I pray”. Together, the phrase means “I pray for your good luck/Best of luck to you”.

3.大丈夫ですよ
Daijoubu desuyo
(It will be alright/You’ll be OK)

大丈夫(Daijoubu) means “Alright”. You can add certainty to it by saying よ(Yo) at the end. Another way of saying it is 大丈夫だよ(Daoijoubu dayo), or you could simply say 大丈夫.

4.考えすぎないで
Kangae suginaide
(Don’t think/worry too much)

考える(Kangaeru) means to think, and 考えすぎる(Kangae sugiru) is to think too much. To make it a negative sentence, 〜ない(nai) can be added. で(de) at the end is like saying, “Please”.

5.元気を出して
Genki wo dashite 
(Cheer up)

It is often said to someone who’s feeling down to cheer him/her up.

6.応援しています
Ouen shiteimasu 
(I’m cheering you on)

応援(Ouen) is to cheer. 〜しています(shiteimasu) means “I’m -ing”. The phrase can be used to cheer up your friends and many fans of idols/athletes use this to tell that they are rooting for them.

7.あきらめないで
Akirame naide
(Never give up)

あきらめる(Akirameri) means to quit or give up. By adding 〜ないで(Naide/Do not) at the end, you can get the phrase “Never give up” .

There is another useful phrase, which is 気をつけて(Kiwotsukete/Be careful)

This phrase is often used with 〜に (Ni) right infront to specify what to be careful. For example, you could say 風邪に気をつけて(Kaze ni kiwotsukete), which means be careful of the cold/Don’t catch a cold (風邪 means cold). So if you would like to say, “Be careful of the coronavirus”, you could say コロナウィルスに気をつけて(Coronavirus ni kiwotsukete).

Thank you for reading today’s post. 
See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

How to introduce yourself in Japanese: 6 useful phrases and more!

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Self-introduction is called 自己紹介 (Jiko shoukai) in Japanese. 
How to do it is pretty simple and not difficult at all. Here are some of the most used words and phrases when you introduce yourself in Japanese.

1.はじめまして
(Hajimemashite : Nice to meet you)

This is the most common phrase used to greet someone you meet for the first time.

2.私は〜です。
(Watashiwa – desu : I’m – )

This phrase is used to introduce your name. To make it a little more casual, you can omit 私は(Watashiwa) and just say “- desu”. 
In Japan, people introduce themselves by their family names or full names. If you want to be very polite, you can say 私は〜と申します(Watashiwa – to moushimasu).But in many cases, this is too formal and not commonly used. If you want to be called by your nickname, you can say  〜 と呼んでください ( – to yondekudasai : Please call me – ).

3.〜から来ました。
( – kara kimashita : I’m from – )

You can tell where you are from by using this phrase.
Another way of saying this is 〜出身です( – shushin desu).

4.〜が好きです
( – ga suki desu : I like – )

This is a common phrase when you want to talk about what you like. 
You could talk about your favorite activities, food, places, and just about anything you like using the same expression. If you say 〜が大好きです( – ga daisuki desu), the meaning will be “I love -”.

5.仕事は〜です
(Shigoto wa – desu: My job is -)

Shigoto means Job. When you want to talk about your job, you can say like this. If you want to talk about the company or the place where you work, you can say, 〜で働いています ( – de hataraite imasu: I’m working at  – ).

6.よろしくお願いします
(Yoroshiku onegai shimasu: Nice to meet you/Please treat me well)

This is a phrase that you use at the end of a self-introduction to express politeness especially to whom you will be working with.

Example self-introduction

1.はじめまして。　　 (Nice to meet you)
2.私はジョンです。    (I’m John)
3.アメリカから来ました。 (I’m from America)
4.日本のアニメが好きです。(I like Japanese anime)
5.仕事は英語の先生です。 (My job is to teach English)
6.よろしくお願いします。 (Nice to meet you/Please treat me well)

To keep the conversation going

You can use あなたはどうですか？/あなたは？(Anata ha doudesuka?/Anata ha? : How about you? /And you?) to keep the conversation flowing.
You can talk about yourself and then ask the person the same questions like below.

私は旅行と音楽が好きです。あなたはどうですか？
(Watashi wa ryokou to ongaku ga suki desu. Anata wa dou desuka? :
I like travelling and music. How about you?)

Next time when you have a chance to meet and talk to a Japanese, try using these phrases! If you would like to work more on Japanese or have any questions, feel free to contact me :  [email protected]

Thank you for reading today’s post. 
See you next time! 
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

3 things all Japanese learners should know

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Japanese is a difficult language to learn. In fact, the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S Department of States categorizes Japanese as an exceptionally difficult language to learn for a native English speaker (along with Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Pashto). Why is it so difficult? One reason is that Japanese culture is a high context, meaning that it is a culture where everyone shares and understands common concepts so if you don’t know the way people see or the meaning behind words and phrases, you can easily lost during the conversation. Another reason is that there are 3 ways to write: Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana. Depending on the situation, people choose to use one of them to express their thoughts.

If you are thinking about starting learning Japanese, you might get scared to hear that it’s not easy to acquire the language. But if you know these 3 things below about Japanese, mastering it will get a lot easier!

1.Nouns (Subjects and Objects) often get omitted

As Japanese is a high context language, when speakers know what they are talking about, Nouns often get cut off during the conversation. For example, at a school when a teacher is collecting homework, he/she could just say “Did?(やった?)” instead of saying “Did you do your homework?” because it is obvious what the teacher is asking the student in the situation. When communicating in Japanese, you need to comprehend what people are talking about (what the Subject or Object is on talk) based on the circumstances you are in and expect that they get omitted.

2.The last part of a sentence is important

In English, Subject usually comes first and then Verb. If you are negative about something, you use “Not” when you use a Verb so it’s very direct and clear.
However in Japanese, you need to listen till the end of a sentence to know what the speaker is saying. For example, when you want to say “I won’t go to work tomorrow” in Japanese, you could say like “私は明日仕事に行きません (Watashi wa, ashita, shigoto ni, ikimasen: I, tomorrow, work, don’t go) “. If you say 行きます (Ikimasu: I will go) at the end (like, “私は明日仕事に行きます”), the meaning will be completely different so you need to pay attention to the last part of a sentence. In other words, it gets easier to understand if you focus on the tails of sentences.

3.People change the words they use depending on a situation/relationship

People care relationships a lot in Japan. Depending on the person you are talking to, you need to change the words you use. There are 3 ways: 尊敬語(Sonkei go:Respectful/Honorific language.),謙譲語(Kenjo go:Humble language), and 丁寧語(Teinei go: Simply polite language). We use 尊敬語 when talking to someone in higher position to show that the person is superior to you, 謙譲語 when making ourselves lower to be humble, and 丁寧語 when we want to be polite. For example, a word for “Eat”, 食べる (Taberu) becomes 召し上がる(Meshiagaru 尊敬語), 頂く(Itadaku 謙譲語), or 食べます(Tabemasu 丁寧語). So, what you should be careful when you talk in Japanese is the situation and relationship between you and the person.
Next time when you read a manga or watch a Japanese anime, you could check the different expressions characters use based on the situation/relationship. For the list of the word changes, check “敬語” (Kei go) listed here: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Japanese/Grammar/Honorifics

If you know these 3 things above, learning a Japanese will get a lot easier. If you would like to master it, it is the best to attend a language school to learn Japanese. But you could use an app/textbook to study vocabulary to take the first step. A good way to study is to learn words in context and in conversation (and also to think about the situation/relationship between the speakers). I also recommend that you write a diary in Japanese everyday. Maybe a few sentences about what happened the day or what you did. 

Learning a new language is very exciting at first but the main problem is burnout. Don’t push yourself too much or try to master it within a few months! It just takes time so study little by little, at your own pace.
I teach Japanese online and can check your work so if you are interested in taking a class, send me a message to [email protected]

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

How to be nice and polite using Japanese honorifics

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Hi, How’s it going?
We Japanese use many honorifics in conversation.
It is said that the idea of using honorifics came from the Japanese culture of honoring/showing respect to superior ones.

If you are planning to visit or stay in Japan, knowing how to use basic honorifics will help you make good relationships with locals. Here are some of the commonly used honorifics that you should know!

4 most commonly used honorifics (suffixes)

These 4 major honorific suffixes are attached to the end of names. They can be added either the first or last name, and are used to refer to the person one is talking to or a third person in speech.

They are hardly ever used to refer to oneself (except when trying to be arrogant or cute using -Sama or -Chan).

Calling someone without the honorific suffix is called Yobisute. 
People usually use Yobisute if they are talking about someone who is close like a friend, one’s spouse, younger family, and younger person/social inferior (such as new co-workers, younger students, etc).

As a sign of the close relationship, some people prefer to be called without honorifics. However, dropping them is a sign of informalities and not preferred at workplaces.  Below are the 4 major honorific suffixes.

-San （さん）

It is the most common of the 4 as it is a gender neutral (and often used for adults). If you are not sure what to call someone politely, you can simply add this at the end of the person’s name. It can be used to talk about a business/workplace/animal/ politely (such as Sushiya-san/Sushi restaurant) as well.

japanese lady
I would use -San for her as she looks mature.

-Sama （さま/様）

It is used to talk about someone who is respectful or of a higher rank, and is a very polite word.  Also, it is used toward one’s guests or customers (they are called お客様/Okyaku-sama. It is the most commonly used -sama in regular conversation). Christian God and Shinto “Kami” are referred to as Kami-sama. 

King
A king can be called – Sama.

-Chan （ちゃん）

It is used to express that the speaker finds a person/animal charming or cute. It is commonly used for babies, young children (especially for girls), friends, lovers, and adorable female. It is not usually used for adults so it can be seen as offensive if you use. 

A little cat
A cat(Neko) can be call Neco-chan.

-Kun （くん/君）

It is generally used for males, often to refer to younger ones like male children or teenagers (or among them when they call each other).If it is used for an adult male, it can mean that the speaker finds the male charming/cute.
Although it is not common, it can be used for females. Calling a female with Kun is not insulting, and it is often more respectful than -Chan. 

A little asian boy
A little boy is -Kun.

Other honorifics 

Common honorifics used in a company are 係長/Kakari chou :Subsection Chief, 課長/Ka chou :Section Chief, 部長/Bu chou :General manager, 社長/Sha chou :President, 会長/Kai chou :Chairman. As you can see, they are used to refer to a specifically ranked person.

A business man
It is always good to be polite at a workplace in Japan.

先輩(Senpai), 後輩(Kouhai), 先生(Sensei) are used in school (Senpai and Kouhai can also be used in a workplace as well).
Senpai is used to refer to one’s senior in a social circle, and Kouhai is for younger(when calling a senior, people use -Senpai at the end of the person’s name, but don’t use -Kouhai when calling someone younger. Instead, -Kun/Chan or Yobisute are normally used). Sensei means teacher or one with a lot of knowledge. More about Senpai, Kouhai, please refer to https://hidanotaka.com/japanes-student/

A school girl
A school girl.

お/O- and ご/Go- prefixes are used for nouns/verbs to call them politely or make the sentence polite. (お茶/O-cha : Tea, お水/O-mizu : Water, ご家族/Go-kazoku : Family, ご覧になる/Go-ranninaru : (He/She) takes a look at something, etc). 

Business men
A Kouhai of a company is asking something to a Senpai.

You may find it a little confusing at first, but just knowing them will help you understand how people are treating each other.

Even for a foreigner, -San can be normally used to make it polite so don’t be surprised to be called with -San. 

Peple are very friendly here, so you don’t have to be too scared about making mistakes. Just have fun learning Japanese and enjoy communicating with locals!

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

21 Famous Japanese proverbs

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Hi, How are you?
I’ve been busy working as usual… But I’m making my living doing what I love so I have no complaint! Life is great.
I teach Music and English every week, and I’m getting ready for new music project.
Oh, and me and my friend are planning to start a Youtube channel.
I will inform here when we are ready!

This time I listed some of the most popular Japanese proverbs.
I like learning proverbs because we can learn important teachings.
While I was doing some research, I found that there are a lot of similar sayings in English.
It is very interesting to know different words (often animals or objects) are used to express the same meaning, and see the different way of seeing the world.
Here is the list of them.
Have fun learning Japanese and expressions!

kids learning

1.船頭多くして船山に上る/ Sendou ookushite funeyama ni noboru.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Sendou means “A leader on a ship”.
If there are too many leaders on a ship, it will sail to a wrong place.

2.ちりも積もれば山となる/Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru.

Many drops make a shower.
Chiri means “Dust” and Yama means “A mountain”.
Even a very small/little thing like dust, it will be like a mountain if it piles.
It is used to talk about either good or bad result that a habit/practice brings.

3.藪をつついて蛇を出す/Yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu.

Let sleeping dogs lie.
Yabu means “Bush”, and Hebi means “a snake”.
If you do unnecessary thing like poking at the bush, a snake (or a trouble) will come out, so just let well alone.

4.笑う門には福来たる/Warau kado niwa fuku kitaru.

Good fortune and happiness will come to the home of those who smile.

5.嘘つきは泥棒の始まり/Usotsuki wa dorobou no hazimari.

Lying leads to stealing (and it gets worse, so don’t form a bad habit).

6.二度あることは三度ある/Nido aru koto wa sando aru.

What happens “Nido” (twice) will happen “Sando” (three times).

7.明日は明日の風が吹く/Ashita wa ashita no kaze ga fuku.

Tomorrow is another day.
The direct translation is, “There will be different wind blowing tomorrow”.
This is often used to tell someone to take it easy and be optimistic.

blowing

8.終わり良ければすべて良し/Owari yokereba subete yoshi.

All is well that ends well or It will all come good in the end.

9.百聞は一見にしかず/Hyakubun wa iken ni shikazu.

A picture is worth a thousand words or Seeing is believing.

10.二兎を追う者は一とも得ず/Nito wo oumono wa itoumo ezu.

He who runs after two hares will catch neither.

11.残り物には福がある/Nokori mono niwa fuku ga aru.

There is fortune in leftovers.
It is often used to tell someone that there is unexpected good in what others have left behind, so don’t give up/let’s be positive even if you are (or something is) left behind.

12.七転び八起き/Nana korobi ya oki.

Ups and downs.
The direct translation is, “Fall seven times, stand up eight times”. Even if you fall seven times, you can be successful by standing up eight times and keep on going, so never give up.

13.石の上にも三年/Ishi no ue nimo sannen.

Perseverance prevails.
The direct translation is, “Three years on a stone (will make the stone warm)”. Be patient and you will achieve your goal.

14.猿も木から落ちる/Saru mo ki kara ochiru.

Even homer sometimes nods.
Saru means “A monkey”. The direct translation is, “Even monkeys fall from trees”.

15.芸は身を助ける/Gei wa mi wo tasukeru.

Art brings bread.
Gei means “Art”. Mi wo tasukeru means, “Help someone”.

16.将を射んと欲すれば、先ず馬を射よ/Shou wo inn to hosureba, mazu uma wo iyo.

Do not shoot straight for the top (instead, see things well first and start with something that will lead to success/goal).
The direct translation is, “If you want to shoot the general, first shoot his horse”.

17.初心忘れる可からず/Shoshin wasuru bekarazu.

Don’t forget your first resolution or Never lose your humility.

18.千里の道も一歩から/Senri no michi mo ippo kara.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Sen means “A thousand”, and Ri is an old unit of measure which is about 4 kilometers.
So, Senri is 4,000 kilometers. “Senri” is used to talk about a long journey.

a lot of books

19.泣きっ面に蜂/Nakittura ni hachi.

It never rains but it pours.
The direct translation is, “A bee comes to someone crying”.
One misfortune rides upon another’s back.
Well, that happens a lot, doesn’t it?

20.出る釘は打たれる/Deru kugi wa utareru.

A nail that stands will be hammered down.
This one explains Japanese society well I think.
If you don’t conform to the rest, you’ll get hammered down….Ouch

21.猫に小判/Neko ni koban.

Cast pearls before swine.
Neko is “A cat”, and Koban is “Gold”, so the Japanese version is “Cast gold before cat”.

cat

Thank you for reading!
If there’s anything that you want me to write, let me know!

Have a great month,
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
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Lost in Japan? 17 useful Japanese phrases ≪with audio≫

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So many people, and so many narrow streets… It’s very easy to get lost in Japan! Things are very convenient and safe here, but the transportation system is a bit complicated and if you can not read/speak Japanese, you might have hard time finding the best way to get to your destination even using Google map.
Here are some of the useful phrases that you can use when you get lost and want some help in Japan. Learn these expressions and enjoy your travel in Japan!

Japan

・When you want to ask

すみません/ Sumimasen

Excuse me.

（ここは/今）何処ですか？/ (Kokowa/Ima) doko desuka?

Where is this place/am I now?

〜は何処ですか？/ – Wa doko desuka?

Where is -?

道に迷いました。/Michi ni mayoi mashita.

I’m lost my way. “Michi” means “Way”.

〜へはどうやって行ったら良いですか？/ – He wa douyatte ittara ii desuka?

What is a good way to get to -? “Douyatte” means “How to”.
When you don’t know how to do something, you could ask like, “どうやってするのですか？Douyatte suru no desuka?”

〜への行き方を教えて下さい。/ – He no ikikata wo oshiete kudasai.

Please tell me how to get to -. “Oshiete” means “Tell me” or “Teach me”.

〜が見つかりません。/ -Ga mitsukari masen.

I can’t find -. This phrase can be used when you lost something and you are looking for it. For example, “Tokei ga mitsukari masen” meaning, “I can’t find my watch.”

ここから何分くらいかかりますか？/Kokokara nanfun kurai kakarimasuka?

How long does it take to get there from here?

lost

・Other useful expressions

右/左 / Migi/Hidari

Right/Left

ここ/そこ/あっち / Koko/Soko/Attchi

This place(or here)/That place(or there)/Over there

(この/あの)道をまっすぐです / (Kono/Ano) michi wo massugu desu.

Go straight (this/that) way. “Massugu” is “Straight”.

(右に/左に/角を)曲がる / (Migini/Hidarini/Kadowo) Magaru.

Turn (right/left/at the corner). “Magaru” means “To turn”.

(歩いて/車で/バスで/電車で) 〜分くらいです。/ (Aruite/Kuruma de/Bus de/Densha de) – fun kurai desu.

It takes about – min (on foot/by car/by bus/by train).

遠い/近い / Toui/Chikai

Far/Close

案内しますよ。/ Annai Shimasuyo.


I will take you there.
Lucky you if you get this phrase from the person you are talking to!

〜で乗り換えて下さい。 / – de norikaete kudasai.

Please transfer at -. “Norikae” means “Transfer”.

助かりました！ / Tasukarimashita!


You saved me! /That was a help!
You could use this phrase to say thank you.

walking on the street

By the way, we don’t usually use “Block” in Japan when we talk about the directions.
So, you rarely hear someone says things like “Go straight this way for 2 blocks…”.

It is hard for Japanese people who can not speak English well to explain the direction.
But if you can use the Japanese words and phrases here, it will be much easier for you to get the right information when you are lost/looking for a place.

This reminds me of the time when I visited the U.K.
When I went to the U.K for the first time (about 4 years ago), I couldn’t find the hostel I was staying, so I asked for a help and a very friendly local drove me there.
I was very thankful for that! And I try to do the same every time I see someone who needs help in Japan now.

Japanese people are generally friendly and helpful, so don’t be afraid to talk to locals when you need some help.
If you know some Japanese, it is most likely that they will try to help you as much as they can.

Hope this post will be of your help.
If there’s anything that you want me to write, feel free to send me a message to [email protected]
Or you could simply give me a comment.

See you next time!
Taka 

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below!
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

Informal Japanese:8 most used slang words

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Hi, It’s Taka. How’s everything?
It is getting really cold in Japan and we sometimes have snow in this season.
It is beautiful and I like it sometimes, but I prefer warmer weather…
Can’t wait for the Spring to come!

As a lot of visitors of my page are interested in learning Japanese, I decided to write something about Japanese language this time.
It is kinda boring to just write about regular phrases, so I wrote about slangs that are often used among young people.
Below are the words and phrases that we use in informal situations like with friends.

  1. ウケる Ukeru (Funny,Hilarious)

    Ukeru is a very casual way of saying “Funny” or “Hilarious”.
    It could be used by both men and women and the subject can be anything(About someone, something,or whatever).

    Ex.
    この人ウケるわ! (Konohito Ukeru Wa!)
    This guy is funny!

    この漫画ウケるよね！(Kono Manga Ukeru Yone!)
    This Manga is hilarious, isn’t it!?

    ※受ける, which has the exactly the same pronunciation with different writing,
    means to receive btw.

  2. ヤバい Yabai (Dangerous, Oh crap/damn/shit/shoot/OMG, Super/Crazy)

    Yabai could be pronounced ヤバっ（Yaba),ヤベー（Yabee), ヤベっ（Yabe) as well.
    It originally means “dangerous” used in a bad situation.

    Ex.
    あの場所はヤバいよ。(Ano Basho Wa Yabai Yo)
    That place is dangerous.

    The phrase can be used when you want to say things like, oh crap/damn/shit/shoot/OMG.

    Ex.
    ヤバい、寝坊した！（Yabai, Nebou Shita!)
    Damn, I overslept!

    Young people use Yabai to exaggerate things like below.

    Ex.
    この歌手、ヤバい人気だよ！（Kono Kashu Ninki Dayo!)
    This singer is crazy popular!

    ※These days, ヤバみ (Yabami) is often used to express the same meaning as Yabai.
    The use of 〜み (-mi) is getting really popular among young people.
    Here are the examples.

    つらい(Tsurai:Hard, Sad）＋ み(mi) = つらみ（Tsurami: Something Hard/Sad)

    良さそう(Yosasou:Looks good) + み(mi) = 良さみ（Yosami: Something that looks good)

    Ex.
    失恋が悲しすぎてつらみ。(Shitsuren Ga Kanashisugite Tsurami)
    I’m heartbroken and feel really sad.

  3. マジで　Majide、ガチで　Gachide、超 Chou、めっちゃ Mettcha (Very, Really, Super, Seriously ,Extremely)

    Majide and Gachide originally mean “For real” and used to put emphasis on something.

    Ex.
    今度のテスト、マジで難しいらしいね。(Kondo No Test, Majide Muzukashii Rashii Ne)
    I heard that the next test will be super difficult.

    Chou and Mettcha are used the same way.

    Ex.
    二日酔いで、超気持ち悪いわ〜、、。(Futsukayoi De, Chou Kimochi Warui Wa~,,,)
    I’m hang over and feel extremely bad.

  4. ウザい Uzai (Annoying. It is often used to describe an annoying person)

    This word is getting less popular,but still used in casual conversation.
    ウザい comes from the word うるさい(Urusai, annoying, noisy).

    Ex.
    あの先生、マジでウザいよね。(Ano Sensei, Majide Uzai Yo Ne)
    That teacher is really annoying, isn’t he?

  5. キモい Kimoi (Gross)

    This expression comes from 気持ち悪い (kimochi warui, bad feeling).
    It is used to talk about someone/something that is gross.

    Ex.
    私の隣の男、めっちゃキモいわ。(Watashi No Tonari No Otoko, Mettcha Kimoi Wa)
    The man next to me is really gross.

  6. 微妙 Bimyou (Not very good, Delicate, Subtle, or Fine)

    This expression is often used to give an opinion on something that is not very good.
    Similar expression is まあまあ (Maa Maa).

    Ex.
    この映画、微妙だったよ。(Kono Eiga, Bimyou Datta Yo)
    This movie was not very good.A:そのドラマ、どうだった？(Sono Drama, Dou Datta?)
    B:まあまあだね。(Maa Maa dane)

    A:How did you like the drama?
    B:Not very good.

  7. 神ってる Kamitteru (Godslike)

    This word is used among teens especially when they talk about a miraculous performance like saying a big “WOOW!”.
    This slang is based on the Japanese word 神 (Kami, God) with ってる(~ing) ,making it a present progressive expression.

    Ex.
    あの子の歌声は神ってるね！(Anoko No Utagoe Wa Kamitteru Ne!）
    That girl’s singing voice is godslike!

  8. あざす Azasu (Thanks)

    This expression is used by young men, and is specially popular among sporty people.
    It is a very casual and friendly way of saying thank you to someone (usually a man to another man). Like saying, “Thanks, dude” or “Thanks bro”.

    Ex.
    A: お前、サッカー上手くなったな。(Omae, Soccer Umaku Natta Na)
    B: あざす。 (Azasu)

    A:You became good at soccer.
    B:Thanks bro.

Above are the most common phrases but there are a lot more informal words/phrases used in Japan. You might be confused to hear or see those words in Japan.
When you encounter something like that, you could ask like
これはどういう意味ですか？ (Kore Wa Douiu Imi Desk, What does this mean?)

I hope this helps you understand more about Japan.

Have a nice day!
Taka

*Need more info about Japan?
Give me a comment here or send me a message to
[email protected]