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- Sumimasen: Versatile for “excuse me,” getting attention, apologizing, or asking someone to make way.
- Daijōbu: Means “fine”; used to say you’re okay, refuse politely, or confirm arrangements are satisfactory.
- Mata ne!: Casual farewell meaning “see you later,” preferred over dramatic sayonara.
- Pronunciation & intonation: Clear enunciation changes meaning—loud for attention, soft/elided for polite requests.
- Bonus travel words: Useful words like hōdai, manseki, nihonshu, sugoi, and Nihongo jōzu!
While translation apps have made traveling abroad a great deal easier, it never hurts to have a few phrases memorized for politeness and convenience. If you are headed to Japan, you probably already know konnichiwa (hello) and arigatō (thank you), but what other phrases come in handy? As a long-term resident, here’s my short list of what every traveler should know.
Sumimasen
Just like English “Excuse me,” this versatile word can be used to get someone’s attention, to ask them to repeat something you didn’t catch, to apologize for small errors, and to ask someone to make way. Which means this is an actual conversation you might hear on the train:
A: Sumimasen.
B: Sumimasen?
A: [gestures at blocked exit]
B: Oh, sumimasen!
Intonation and pronunciation are key here. Speaking up with clear enunciation is more likely to be a call for attention, a softly spoken and elided suimasen probably a request to get by.
Daijōbu
Possibly the most useful word in the entire Japanese language, daijōbu means something like “fine” and has a wide range of applications. If you bump into someone, for example, you can ask if they are OK with Daijōbu? The response: Daijōbu! If someone offers you something you don’t want, you can gently refuse with daijōbu. If someone asks if arrangements are satisfactory? Daijōbu! If someone apologies? Daijōbu! Can you eat raw fish? You guessed it: Daijōbu!
Mata ne!
You may have heard that sayonara means goodbye in Japanese, but that word is not used much in daily life because it actually means something closer to “Farewell, forever! We may never meet again!” So, unless you are headed off to war or want to come across as a total drama queen, the more casual mata ne (see you later) will suffice.
A Few Bonus Bits
In Japanese, a vocabulary list is sometimes called kotoba no takarabako or a treasure box of words. Here are a few jewels travelers may want to have in their hoard.
- hōdai (all-you-can): As in nomihōdai (all-you-can-drink) and tabehōdai (all-you-can-eat). These budget-friendly options are commonly found at bars and restaurants.
- manseki (fully booked): Signs with the characters 満席 mean don’t even bother coming in, we’re full up.
- nihonshu (sake): In Japanese, sake means alcohol broadly, not just the brewed rice beverage the country is famous for. Walking into a bar and asking for sake is like walking into a Starbucks and just asking for coffee.
- sugoi (incredible/amazing): An all-purpose reaction word for anything you like
- Nihongo jōzu! (Your Japanese is great!): Prepare to hear this every time you use even the most basic Japanese with any competency …
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