Greet using these
Useful Japanese Phrases

The following is a list of the useful Japanese phrases for greetings.

Useful Japanese Phrases

You will use these phrases often when you first meet your Japanese friends or when you travel to Japan. Take some time to go through the list. I am sure you will find it useful.

Probably the first Japanese phrase that you will learn is こんにちは (konnichiwa). It means Hello or Good afternoon. So start saying konnichiwa to your friends.

Some of these useful Japanese phrases may seem complicated for beginners.

For example there are several meanings for the phrase すみません (sumimasen). In this case just remember it with the meaning of "Excuse me" when asking for help.

Let's check out what are the useful Japanese phrases in the following list.

Kanji/Hiragana
Romaji		 Meaning
1. お早うございます
ohayou gozaimasu		 Good morning
2. こんにちは
konnichiwa		 Hello/Good afternoon
3. こんばんは
konbanwa		 Good evening
4. ようこそ
youkoso		 Welcome (aboard)
5. さようなら
sayounara		 Good bye (This is only used if you are leaving for a long time, like going overseas)
6. また明日
mata ashita		 See you tomorrow
7. ではまた
dewa mata		 See you
8. すみません
sumimasen		 Excuse me (when asking for something)
9. すみません
sumimasen		 I am sorry (for my fault)
10. すみません
sumimasen		 Pardon me (for missing what you said)
11. すみません
sumimasen		 Thank you (for taking the trouble to do... for me)
12. ごめんなさい
gomen nasai		 I am sorry
13. 失礼ですが
shitsurei desuga		 Excuse me, but... (when asking for something)
14. ありがとうございます
arigatou gozaimasu		 Thank you very much
15. どういたしまして
dou itashimashite		 You are welcome/Don't mention it/Not at all
16. どうぞ
douzo		 Here you are. (Used when offering something to someone)
17. どうも
doumo		 Well, thanks
18. お休みなさい
oyasumi nasai		 Good night
19. おめでとうございます
omedetou gozaimasu		 Congratulations
20. お元気ですか
ogenki desu ka		 How are you?
21. はい、おかげさまで
元気です
hai, okagesamade
genki desu		 Yes, due to your kind thought, I am very good
22. 大丈夫ですか
daijoubu desu ka		 Are you OK?
23. 大丈夫です
daijoubu desu		 I am OK
24. はじめまして
hajimemashite		 How do you do? (Literally "I am meeting you for the first time". This Japanese phrase is usually used as the first phrase when introducing oneself)
25. マイクと申します
maiku to moushimasu		 My name is Mike (Assuming your name is Mike)
26. どうぞよろしくお願いします
douzo yoroshiku
onegaishimasu		 I am pleased to meet you. (Literally "Please make good relation with me" or "Please be kind to me". Usually used at the end of a self-introduction)
27. こちらこそよろしく
お願いします
kochira koso yoroshiku onegaishimasu		 I am please to meet you too. (Literally "Please be kind to me too")
(Response to "どうぞよろしくお願いします")
28. これからお世話になります
korekara osewani narimasu		 I hope for your assistance hereafter.
(Literally "Please take care of me hereafter")
29. ごめんください
gomenkudasai		 Anybody home?/May I come in?
(An expression used by a visitor)
30. いらっしゃい
irasshai		 How nice of you to come/Welcome
31. どうぞお上がりください
douzo oagari kudasai		 Please come in (the house)
32. お邪魔します
ojamashimasu		 Excuse me for disturbing you
(Greeting used when going to someone's house)
33. お名前は
o namae wa		 What is your name?
(The "お" in front makes the question more polite)
34. いただきます
itadakimasu		 You say this to express your gratitude before meals
35. ごちそうさまでした
gochisou sama deshita		 You say this to express your gratitude after meals
36. 行ってきます
ittekimasu		 I am going out now. See you later
(Phrase used when going out from home)
37. 行ってらっしゃい
itterasshai		 Take care. Have a nice day (Response to "行ってきます", used by people in the house)
38. ただいま
tadaima		 I am home (Phrase used when coming back to home)
39. お帰りなさい
okaerinasai		 Welcome back (Response to "ただいま", used by people in the house)
40. お気をつけて
o ki wo tsukete		 Be careful
41. お大事に
o daiji ni		 Take care of your body (say this to friend who is sick)

These are just some of the useful Japanese phrases collected so far. In future I will add more to this list when I find more useful Japanese phrases.

Although it's impossible for you to become perfect Japanese speaker just by remembering these phrases, learning some useful phrases in Japanese will definitely help you in many situations.

You will find them useful when you are meeting native Japanese in the airport, hotels, restaurants, etc.

Lastly, let's learn one more useful phrase: 道中ご無事に (dou chuu go buji ni) - Bon voyage!

If you want to learn more phrases so that you can talk to people at the bus or train stations, make sure you check out these phrases that help you communicate well at those places.

By the way, this link above is an affiliate link, which means that I would earn a commission if you do end up purchasing the related learning course. It's at no extra cost to you, and please if you have any questions related to this learning course, please let me know and I would be happy to answer them for you.

 

 

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