Prior to starting these lessons, you should be familiar with Japanese pronunciation, which is covered in the first part of this book.EditLesson 1
Overview: In this lesson, you will learn some basic greetings and words in Japanese. Hiragana is included in this lesson, but romanized Japanese (Romaji) is also included, so you do not need to learn the Hiragana until Lesson 6. However learning the Hiragana will help make learning faster.
Japanese Greetings (Aisatsu - あいさつ)| Greeting | Hiragana | Romaji |
|---|
| Good morning. | おはようございます。 | Ohayou gozaimasu. |
| Good day. | こんにちは。 | Konnichi wa. |
| Good evening. | こんばんは。 | Konban wa. |
| How do you do./Pleased to meet you." | はじめまして。 | Hajimemashite. |
| Welcome. | ようこそ。 | Youkoso. |
| Nice to meet you | よろしくおねがいします。 | Yoroshiku onegai shimasu. |
| Likewise | こちらこそ。 | Kochira koso |
| Thank you. | ありがとうございます。 | Arigatou gozaimasu. |
| Thank you very much. | どうも ありがとうございます。 | Doumo arigatou gozaimasu. |
| You're welcome./Don't mention it./No problem. | どういたしまして。 | Dou itashimashite. |
EditUsage Notes
- おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu) is used in the morning (till about 10am) or when waking up.
- こんにちは (konnichiwa) is used during the day.
- こんばんは (konbanwa) is used during the evening and at night.
- You should not use はじめまして(hajimemashite) if you have already met the person.
- These phrases are only used in greeting, never in parting.
Some Basic Words in Japanese| Words | Hiragana | Romaji |
|---|
| Book | ほん | Hon |
| Pen | ぺん | Pen |
| Pencil | えんぴつ | Enpitsu |
| Scissors | はさみ | Hasami |
| Ruler | ものさし | Monosashi |
| Glue | のり | Nori |
| Exercise Book | のうと | Nooto |
Edit Practice
The best way to learn these words is to practice. Use these phrases and words as often as possible within your vocabulary.