A1 Survival phrases and words in Japanese
The minimum Japanese you need to navigate Japan as a tourist or newcomer — from convenience stores to train stations to restaurants. Japanese people are generally very willing to help foreign visitors, and even a few words in Japanese are met with genuine appreciation. These phrases are chosen for their real-world usefulness and for how often they'll save you from a stuck moment.
12 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“すみません”
Excuse me / I'm sorry / thank you for your trouble. The single most important word in Japanese. Use it to get someone's attention before asking a question, to apologize for bumping into someone, or to thank someone who has gone out of their way. It does the work of many English phrases simultaneously. Mastering the delivery — a slight bow and a genuine tone — takes you very far.
- You need to ask a station attendant for help finding the right platform — 'すみません' to get their attention, followed by your question.
- You accidentally brush past someone in a narrow convenience store aisle — 'すみません' with a slight bow.
- A waiter has brought you the wrong dish — 'すみません' catches their attention politely before you explain.
“もう少しゆっくり話してください”
Please speak a little more slowly. 'もう少し' means 'a little more', 'ゆっくり' means slowly. This is the full, polite form using the て-form plus ください. Japanese can come at you very fast, especially in service situations. People almost always respond warmly to this request.
- A hotel receptionist in Tokyo is giving you detailed check-in instructions — 'もう少しゆっくり話してください' and she immediately slows to a clear, measured pace.
- A tour guide at a temple in Kyoto is speaking quickly — 'もう少しゆっくり話してください' mid-explanation gets you the slower version.
- A pharmacist at a drugstore is explaining how to take medicine — this phrase before she finishes means you'll actually understand the dosage.
“日本語がまだあまり得意じゃないんです”
My Japanese isn't very good yet. A natural, humble way to let someone know you're a learner. The 'mada' (still/yet) and 'amari...ja nai' (not very) construction is the kind of honest understatement Japanese people appreciate. It often prompts the other person to speak more slowly, use simpler words, or even help you find an alternative solution.
- You're at a government office in Tokyo and the official is about to explain a complex form — say this first so she knows to take it step by step.
- Someone at a restaurant is asking follow-up questions about your reservation — this phrase gets you the patient, simplified version.
- A shop assistant is about to give you detailed product advice — say this so she uses simpler vocabulary and checks you've understood.
“おいくらですか”
How much is it? The 'お' prefix makes it polite — standard for speaking to shop staff and vendors. In casual contexts you'll also hear just 'いくら？' (ikura?) which is fine between friends but slightly too blunt for strangers in a service setting. Japan is a country where prices are almost always clearly labelled, but markets and some small shops are the exception.
- At a small antique market (骨董市) in Kyoto where the pottery has no price tags — 'おいくらですか?' to the vendor.
- A street food stall at a matsuri festival has various options without clear prices — 'おいくらですか?' for the yakitori.
- A handmade craft shop in Nara where the artisan makes each piece individually — 'おいくらですか?' before you fall in love with something expensive.
“トイレはどこですか”
Where is the toilet/bathroom? Japan has some of the best public toilets in the world — clean, free, and often high-tech. They are usually well signposted, but this phrase covers you when they aren't. 'トイレ' is the standard word; 'お手洗い' (o-tearai) is the slightly more formal/polite version used in restaurants and hotels.
- You're in a large department store in Osaka and can't find the floor map — 'トイレはどこですか?' to the nearest staff member.
- At a temple complex in Nikko where the facilities aren't obvious — 'トイレはどこですか?' to a shrine attendant.
- You're at a highway service area (SA) and the building has multiple wings — 'トイレはどこですか?' gets you pointed in the right direction immediately.
“もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか”
Could you say that one more time? A polite and complete way to ask for a repetition. 'もう一度' means 'one more time', 'おっしゃって' is the respectful form of 'to say'. If this feels like too much to remember, 'もう一度お願いします' (mō ichido onegai shimasu — one more time please) works just as well and is slightly easier.
- A train conductor makes an announcement about a delay and you only caught part of it — you approach and say 'もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか?'
- A restaurant host is explaining the reservation details — 'もう一度お願いします' before she moves on.
- An official is explaining a process at the immigration desk — this phrase, said politely, always results in a clear, slower repetition.
“見ているだけです”
I'm just looking. Essential for browsing shops in Japan, where staff greet every customer at the door and often offer assistance immediately. This phrase signals politely that you want to browse freely. Staff will then usually leave you alone — though they'll be nearby if you need help. Very common and completely expected to say.
- You walk into a clothing shop in Harajuku and the staff member bows and offers help — '見ているだけです' with a smile and you're left in peace.
- In a ceramics shop in Kyoto the owner looks up from his work — '見ているだけです' with a nod is all you need.
- At a bookshop in Tokyo where English books are stocked — '見ているだけです' lets you browse the shelves at your own pace.
“お会計をお願いします”
The bill / check, please. The standard polite way to request the bill at a restaurant. Many Japanese restaurants have a register at the front where you pay on the way out — in that case you don't need to ask. But in sit-down restaurants and izakayas you may need to catch the staff. Some places also have a call button at the table.
- You've finished a kaiseki meal in Kyoto and want to settle up — 'お会計をお願いします' to the server.
- At an izakaya in Shinjuku after a long evening — you press the call button and say 'お会計をお願いします' when the server arrives.
- In a ramen shop where you pay at the table rather than the front — 'お会計をお願いします' catches the staff member's attention.
“___アレルギーがあります”
I have a ___ allergy. Fill in the blank with the allergen: えび (ebi, shrimp), そば (soba, buckwheat), ピーナッツ (pīnattsu, peanuts), 乳製品 (nyūseihin, dairy), 卵 (tamago, eggs), 小麦 (komugi, wheat/gluten). Japanese food culture values precision and hospitality — telling staff about an allergy is taken seriously. Cards listing your allergens in Japanese are also widely available and very helpful.
- In a soba restaurant in Tokyo where you're allergic to buckwheat — '蕎麦アレルギーがあります' to the waiter before even looking at the menu.
- At a tempura restaurant where the batter contains wheat — '小麦アレルギーがあります' so the chef knows before cooking.
- In a convenience store asking a staff member to check an ingredient — 'えびアレルギーがあります — これに入っていますか?' (Is this in this item?)
“___ってどういう意味ですか”
What does ___ mean? The most natural colloquial way to ask for a definition in Japanese. The 'tte' particle quotes the word you're asking about — just say or point to the word, add 'tte', then the rest of the phrase. This is how Japanese people actually ask each other about words.
- A menu in an izakaya says 'おまかせ' and you want to know before agreeing — 'おまかせってどういう意味ですか?' and the waiter explains it means 'leave it to the chef'.
- A sign at a temple says '禁止' — 'これってどういう意味ですか?' and a passer-by tells you it means prohibited.
- Someone uses the word 'なるほど' in conversation and you've heard it a lot — 'なるほどってどういう意味ですか?' and you learn it means 'I see' or 'that makes sense'.
“ちょっと待ってください”
Please wait a moment. Buy yourself a few seconds when you need to find something, check your phone, or think. 'ちょっと' (a little / a moment) is extremely versatile in Japanese and softens requests generally. The casual version is just 'ちょっと待って' without ください.
- The cashier at a convenience store is waiting while you fumble for your IC card — 'ちょっと待ってください' while you find it.
- A taxi driver is asking for your exact destination and you need to pull up the address — 'ちょっと待ってください' while you find it on your phone.
- A waiter arrives to take your order and you haven't decided yet — 'ちょっと待ってください' and he'll return in a moment.
“カードで払えますか”
Can I pay by card? Japan has historically been a cash-heavy society, and while major chains and hotels accept cards, smaller restaurants, temples, some taxis, and local shops may be cash-only. Always have yen on you, but this phrase is worth asking before a meal in a smaller establishment. IC cards like Suica work for many everyday purchases too.
- A small ramen shop in Sapporo that looks cash-only — 'カードで払えますか?' before you sit down to eat.
- A temple entrance fee desk — 'カードで払えますか?' before you queue.
- A local taxi in Kyoto that may not have a card reader — 'カードで払えますか?' before the journey begins.
