You Don't Need Much Japanese to Begin.

A polite morning greeting. Natural with neighbours, colleagues, hotel staff and people you meet at the beginning of the day.

One of the most useful doorways into a Japanese interaction. It can get attention, soften an interruption, apologise, and sometimes acknowledge the trouble someone took for you.

Useful when making a request or entrusting something to another person. It is more than simply attaching the English word “please” to a sentence.

A wonderfully practical beginner sentence when pointing to an item, ticket, dish or option.

The direct word for “no,” although everyday Japanese often softens refusals through context rather than relying on いいえ alone.

A high-value expression whose meaning comes partly from the situation. Listen to the person, look at what is being offered, and do not translate it mechanically as “yes.”

A complete, useful sentence. Saying this is not failure; it is how you keep the conversation alive.

Use this when you need the speaker to repeat what they said.

Useful when you can understand some Japanese but the speed is defeating you.

これは points to “this”; なんですか asks what it is. A tiny pattern that opens a surprising amount of everyday Japan.

A compact question for finding places. Add the place before は to ask where a particular thing is.

Reserve this for a genuine need for help rather than every small uncertainty. ください turns the request into “please help.”