Japanese Phrases
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Japanese Phrases
English Greetings
Japanese Greetings:
Hi!
Yaa. *1 やあ。
Good morning!
Ohayou gozaimasu. おはようございます。
Good evening!
Konbanw こんばんは。
Welcome! (to greet someone)
Youkoso irasshai mashita. ようこそいらっしゃいました。
How are you?
Ogenki desuka? お元気ですか？
I'm fine, thanks!
Watashi wa genki desu. Arigato! わたしは元気です。ありがとう 。
And you?
Anatawa? あなたは？
Good/ So-So.
元気です。/ Genki desu. / maa-maa desu. 元気です。 / まあまあです。
Thank you (very much)!
Arigatou! *2 ありがとう！
You're welcome! (for "thank you")
Dou itashi mashite. どういたしまして。
I missed you so much!
Samishi katta desu. *3 さみしかったです。
What's new?
Saikin dou desuka? 最近どうですか？
Nothing much
Kawari nai desu. 変わりないです。
Good night!
Oyasumi nasai. おやすみなさい。
See you later!
Mata atode aimashou! またあとで会いましょう！
Good bye!
Sayonara! さようなら！
Asking for Help and Directions I'm lost
Mayotte shimai mashita. 迷ってしまいました。
Can I help you?
Otetsudai shimashouka? お手伝いしましょうか？
English Phrases
Japanese Phrases
Can you help me?
Tetsudatte kuremasuka? *4 手伝ってくれますか？
Where is the (bathroom/ pharmacy)?
トイレ/ 薬局)) はどこですか (Toire/yakkyoku) wa doko desuka? (トイレ /薬局 ？
Go straight! then turn left/ right!
Massugu itte kudasai. Soshite, hidari / migi ni magatte kudasai まっすぐ行ってください。そして、 左／右にまがってください。
I'm looking for john.
John wo sagashite imasu. Johnを探しています。
One moment please!
Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと待ってください。
Hold on please! (phone)
Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと待ってください。
How much is this?
Kore wa ikura desuka? これはいくらですか？
Excuse me ...! (to ask for something)
Sumimasen! すみません！
Excuse me! ( to pass by)
Sumimasen! すみません！
Come with me!
Watashi to issho ni kite kudasai. 私といっしょに来てください。
To Save this Page Press ( CTRL D) or E-mail this Page! ۩ Free Translation How to Introduce Yourself
Do you speak (English/ Japanese)?
Just a little.
Anata wa eigo/nihongo wo hanashimasu ka? あなたは（英語／日本語）を話しますか？ Sukoshi dake. 少しだけ。
What's your name?
Namae wa nandesu ka? 名前は何ですか？
My name is ...
Watashi no namae wa ….. 私の名前は・・・
Mr.../ Mrs.…/ Miss…
*5 “san” is adequate for all. ・・・さん
Nice to meet you!
Hajimemashite! or Oai dekite ureshii desu. *6 はじめまして！／お会いできてうれしいです！
You're very kind!
Anata wa totemo shinsetsu desu. あなたはとてもしんせつです 。
English Phrases
Japanese Phrases
Can you help me?
Tetsudatte kuremasuka? *4 手伝ってくれますか？
Where is the (bathroom/ pharmacy)?
トイレ/ 薬局)) はどこですか (Toire/yakkyoku) wa doko desuka? (トイレ /薬局 ？
Go straight! then turn left/ right!
Massugu itte kudasai. Soshite, hidari / migi ni magatte kudasai まっすぐ行ってください。そして、 左／右にまがってください。
I'm looking for john.
John wo sagashite imasu. Johnを探しています。
One moment please!
Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと待ってください。
Hold on please! (phone)
Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと待ってください。
How much is this?
Kore wa ikura desuka? これはいくらですか？
Excuse me ...! (to ask for something)
Sumimasen! すみません！
Excuse me! ( to pass by)
Sumimasen! すみません！
Come with me!
Watashi to issho ni kite kudasai. 私といっしょに来てください。
To Save this Page Press ( CTRL D) or E-mail this Page! ۩ Free Translation How to Introduce Yourself
Do you speak (English/ Japanese)?
Just a little.
Anata wa eigo/nihongo wo hanashimasu ka? あなたは（英語／日本語）を話しますか？ Sukoshi dake. 少しだけ。
What's your name?
Namae wa nandesu ka? 名前は何ですか？
My name is ...
Watashi no namae wa ….. 私の名前は・・・
Mr.../ Mrs.…/ Miss…
*5 “san” is adequate for all. ・・・さん
Nice to meet you!
Hajimemashite! or Oai dekite ureshii desu. *6 はじめまして！／お会いできてうれしいです！
You're very kind!
Anata wa totemo shinsetsu desu. あなたはとてもしんせつです 。
How to Introduce Yourself Where are you from?
Doko no shusshin desu ka? どこの出身ですか？
I'm from (the U.S/ Japan)
Amerika/Nihon kara desu. アメリカ／日本からです。
I'm (American)
Watashi wa Amerika jin desu. 私はアメリカ人です。
Where do you live?
Doko ni sun de imasu ka? どこに住んでいますか？
I live in (the U.S/ Japan)
Watashi wa amerika / nihon ni sundeimasu. 私はアメリカ／日本に住んでいます。
Did you like it here?
Kokowa suki ni narimashita ka? ここは好きになりましたか？
Japan is a wonderful country
Nihon ha subarashii kuni desu. 日本は素晴らしい国です。
What do you do for a living?
Osigoto wa nandesu ka? お仕事は何ですか？
I work as a (translator/ businessman)
Osigoto wa nandesu ka? ほんやく／会社員として働いています 。
I like Japanese
Watashi wa nihongo ga suki desu. 私は日本語が好きです。
I've been learning Japanese for 1 month
Watashi wa nihongo wo ichikagetu narrate imasu. 私は日本語を一ヶ月習っています。
Oh! That's good!
Sorewa iidesu ne. それはいいですね。
How old are you?
Toshi wa ikutsu desu ka? 年はいくつですか？
I'm (twenty, thirty...) years old.
Watshi wa (20, 30) sai desu. 私は（２０，３０）才です。
I have to go
Ikanakutewa narimasen. 行かなくてはなりません。
I will be right back!
Sugu modori masu. すぐ戻ります。
Wish Someone Something Good luck!
Ganbatte ne! *7 がんばってね！
Happy birthday!
Tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu! 誕生日おめでとうございます ！
Happy new year!
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. あけましておめでとうございます。
Merry Christmas!
Merii Kurisumasu! *8 メリークリスマス！
How to Introduce Yourself Congratulations!
Omedetou! おめでとう！
Enjoy! (for meals...)
(noun, etc) wo tanoshinde kudasai. ( ) を楽しんでください。
I'd like to visit Japan one day
Ituka nihon wo otozure tai. いつか日本を訪れたい。
Say hi to John for me
John ni yoroshiku to tsutaete kudasai. Johnによろしくと伝えてください。 John によろしくと伝えてください。
Bless you (when sneezing)
Odaiji ni. お大事に。
Good night and sweet dreams!
Oyasumi nasai. おやすみなさい。
Solving a Misunderstanding I'm Sorry! (if you don't hear something)
Sumimasen. すみません。
Sorry (for a mistake)
Gomenasai. ごめんなさい。
No Problem!
Daijyoubu desu. 大丈夫です。
Can You Say It Again?
Mouichido itte kuremasuka? もういちど言ってくれますか？
Can You Speak Slowly?
Yukkuri shabette kuremasuka? ゆっくりしゃべってくれますか ？
Write It Down Please!
Kaite kudasai. 書いてください。
I Don't Understand!
Wakarimasen. わかりません。
I Don't Know!
Shirimasen. 知りません。
I Have No Idea.
Wakarimasen. わかりません。
What's That Called In Japanese?
Arewa nihongo de nanto iimasu ka? あれは日本語で何といいますか？
What Does "gato" Mean In English?
“Omedeto” wa eigo de douiu imi desu ka? Omedeto は英語でどういう意味ですか？
How Do You Say "Please" In Japanese? What Is This?
“Please” wa nihongo de nanto iimasu ka? “Please” は日本語で何と言いますか？ Korewa nandesu ka? これは何ですか？
How to Introduce Yourself My Japanese is bad.
Watashi no nihongo wa heta desu. 私の日本語はへたです。
I need to practice my Japanese
Nihonn go wo renshu suru hitsuyou ga arimasu. 日本語を練習する必要があります。
Don't worry!
Goshinpai naku. ご心配なく。
Japanese Expressions and Words Good/ Bad/ So-So.
Yoi / Warui / maa-maa よい／悪い／まあまあ
Big/ Small
Ookii/Chiisai 大きい／小さい
Today/ Now
Kyou / Ima 今日／今
Tomorrow/ Yesterday
Ashita / Kinou 明日／昨日
Yes/ No
Hai / iie はい／いいえ
Here you go! (when giving something)
Hai, douzo! はい、どうぞ。
Do you like it?
Suki desu ka? 好きですか？
I really like it!
Honto ni suki desu. ほんとに好きです。
I'm hungry/ thirsty.
Onaka ga suki masita. / Nodo ga kawaki mashita. おなかが空きました。／のどがかわきました。
In The Morning/ Evening/ At Night.
Asa ni, yuugata ni, yoru ni 朝に／夕方に／夜に
This/ That. Here/There
Kore / Are Koko / Asoko これ／あれ
Me/ You. Him/ Her.
Watashi / anata Kare / Kanojyo 私／あなた
Really!
Honto! ほんと！
Look!
Mite！ 見て！
Hurry up!
Isoide! 急いで！
What? Where?
Nani? Doko? 何？
What time is it?
Nanji desu ka? 何時ですか？
どこ？
ここ／あそこ 彼／彼女
How to Introduce Yourself It's 10 o'clock. 07:30pm.
Jyuji desu. Gogo hichi ji sanjyu pun desu. 十時です。午後７時３０分です。
Give me this!
Kore wo kudasai! これをください。
I love you!
Daisuki desu./ Anata wo aishite imasu. *9 大好きです。/あなたを愛しています。
I feel sick.
Choshi ga warui desu. 調子が悪いです。
I need a doctor
Byouin ni ikitai. 病院に行きたい。
One, Two, Three
Ichi, ni, san いち、に、さん
Four, Five, Six
Yon, go, roku よん、ご、ろく
Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten
Nana (shichi) hachi, kyuu, jyuu なな（ひち）、はち、きゅう、 じゅう
*1 This may be a kind of literary/writing expression… and it’s seldom used in conversation. But never is unnatural.
*2 Arigato and Arigato gozaimasu. There’s no big difference between them, “Arigato gozaimasu” is more polite. *3 (Anata ga inakute) Samishi katta desu : Abbreviated Anata ga inakute.
*4 Usually we just say “Excuse me/ Sumimasen”, and “Can you help me” is included in this “Sumimasen”. *5 ...san is a very normal way. Add after both first and family name like Koizumi san or Jyunichiro san. *6 This sentence can directly be Oai dekite ureshii desu. If you meet person for the first time, you can say Hajimemashite. *7 Direct translation is Kouun wo inorimasu. *8 Christmas is not really celebrated by the Japanese and therefore Merry Christmas is not a common greeting you would hear. *9 This is one of the Japanese language mysteries, I love you is expressed in progressive aspect
like “I am loving you”. But basically it’s seldom used. Instead, Daisuki desu is used casually. I hope the content of this page was useful to you, and that you learned some Japanese phrases , expressions and words. Make sure to memorize them to be able to use them in your daily conversation. If you want to practice what you have learnt here, go to Language Test. To add this page to your favorite pages simply press (Ctrl+D) on your keyboard for Internet Explorer and Firefox. You can also link to us here: Link to Us.
Japanese Alphabet
This page contains a table including the following: Japanese alphabet, including Kana, Hiragana, and Katakana, letters which help you pronounce the words in a given language, you will also learn about the different consonants and vowels. Make sure to check our Learn Japanese page, which contains several lessons that might help you in your learning process. Japanese Alphabet
The Japanese alphabet is usually referred to as kana, specifically hiragana and katakana. While the Hiragana consists of 48 syllables, it is a phonetic alphabet where each alphabetic combination represents just a single sound. Thus any Japanese word can be written in a way that can be read without having to remember how the word is pronounced. So the Japanese kana are much simpler, the way something is written is the way it sounds. Ther e is also Kanji, a Japanese system of writing based on borrowed or slightly modified Chinese characters.
Hiragana Syllables (Alphabet) The table below shows the 48 Hiragana syllables:
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EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
a
あ
ka
か
sa
さ
ta
た
na
な
i
い
ki
き
shi
し
chi
ち
ni
に
u
う
ku
く
su
す
tsu
つ
nu
ぬ
e
え
ke
け
se
せ
te
て
ne
ね
o
お
ko
こ
so
そ
to
と
no
の
ha
は
ma
ま
ya
や
ra
ら
wa
わ
hi
ひ
mi
み
ri
り
wi
ゐ
fu
ふ
mu
む
ru
る
n
ん
he
へ
me
め
re
れ
we
ゑ
ho
ほ
mo
も
ro
ろ
wo
を
yu
yo
ゆ
よ
Maybe you have noticed that many sounds are missing, that’s why Japanese added some additional sounds using diacritics or combinations of syllables, the table below shows the additional sounds in Hiragana:
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EN
JP
EN
JP
ga
が
gi
ぎ
gu
ぐ
zu
ず
ge
げ
ze
go
ご
kya
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
だ
ba
ば
pa
ぱ
ぢ
bi
び
pi
ぴ
zu
づ
bu
ぶ
pu
ぷ
ぜ
de
で
be
べ
pe
ぺ
zo
ぞ
do
ど
bo
ぼ
po
ぽ
きゃ
sha
しゃ
cha
ちゃ
hya
ひゃ
pya
ぴゃ
kyu
きゅ
shu
しゅ
chu
ちゅ
hyu
ひゅ
pyu
ぴゅ
kyo
きょ
sho
しょ
cho
ちょ
hyo
ひょ
pyo
ぴょ
gya
ぎゃ
ja
じゃ
nya
にゃ
bya
びゃ
mya
みゃ
gya
ぎゅ
ju
じゅ
nyu
にゅ
byu
びゅ
my
みゅ
gyo
ぎょ
jo
じょ
nyo
にょ
byo
びょ
myo
みょ
rya
りゃ
りゅ
ryu
りょ
(ja)
ぢゃ
(ju)
ぢゅ
za ji
ryu
ざ
EN
じ
da ji
Katakana Syllables (Alphabet) Katakana are most often used for transcription of words in foreign languages. used to represent sounds, technical and scientific terms.
Katakana's main feature is short straight strokes and angular corners, that’s why Katakana is considered the simplest of the Japanese scripts.
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EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
a
ア
ka
カ
sa
サ
ta
タ
na
ナ
i
イ
ki
キ
shi
シ
chi
チ
ni
ニ
u
ウ
ku
ク
su
ス
tsu
ツ
nu
ヌ
e
エ
ke
ケ
se
セ
te
テ
ne
ネ
o
オ
ko
コ
so
ソ
to
ト
no
ノ
ha
ハ
ma
マ
ya
ヤ
ra
ラ
wa
ワ
hi
ヒ
mi
ミ
ri
リ
(wi)
ヰ
fu
フ
mu
ム
ru
ル
n
ン
he
ヘ
me
メ
re
レ
(we)
ヱ
ho
ホ
mo
モ
ro
ロ
(w)o
ヲ
ユ
yu
ヨ
yo
For a modern Katakana there was a necessity to add some sounds, below is a list of additions to the katakana, used mainly to represent sounds from other languages:
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EN
JP
EN
JP
ga
ガ
gi
ギ
gu
グ
zu
ズ
ge
ゲ
ze
ゼ
za ji
ザ ジ
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
ダ
ba
バ
pa
パ
ヂ
bi
ビ
pi
ピ
zu
ヅ
bu
ブ
pu
プ
de
デ
be
ベ
pe
ペ
da ji
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
go
ゴ
zo
ゾ
do
ド
bo
ボ
po
ポ
kya
キャ
sha
シャ
cha
チャ
hya
ヒャ
pya
ピャ
kyu
キュ
shu
シュ
chu
チュ
hyu
ヒュ
pyu
ピュ
kyo
キョ
sho
ショ
cho
チョ
hyo
ヒョ
pyo
ピョ
gya
ギャ
ja
ジャ
nya
ニャ
bya
ビャ
mya
ミャ
gya
ギュ
ju
ジュ
nyu
ニュ
byu
ビュ
my
ミュ
gyo
ギョ
jo
ジョ
nyo
ニョ
byo
ビョ
myo
ミョ
rya
リャ
リュ
ryu
リョ
(ja)
ヂャ
(ju)
ヂュ
ryu
Kanji Characters (Alphabet) Kanji are used together with three other systems to write modern Japanese, Kanji which is a Japanese system of writing based on borrowed or slightly modified Chinese characters is used to write parts of the language such as nouns, adjective stems and verb stems. For Kanji ch aracters refers to the Chinese characters.
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EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
ye
イェ
va
(ヷ)
va
ヴァ
wi
ウィ
vi
(ヸ)
vi
ヴィ
we
ウェ
vu
ヴ
ve
ヴェ
wo
ウォ
ve
(ヹ)
vo
ヴォ
vo
(ヺ)
vya
ヴャ
tsa
ツァ
fa
ファ
ti
ティ
EN
she je che
JP
シェ ジェ チェ
EN
JP
EN
JP
EN
JP
tu
トゥ
tsi
ツィ
fi
フィ
tyu
テュ
tse
ツェ
fe
フェ
di
ディ
tso
ツォ
fo
フォ
du
ドゥ
fyu
フュ
dyu
デュ
EN
JP
Japanese Cardinal Numbers Numbers in Japanese can either be written in the usual "Arabic numbers" fashion (0...9), or using kanji. 0...9 is more often used when writing horizontally, kanji when writing v ertically, although there are plenty of exceptions to both. When using kanji to write numbers, a positional system is employed. 25 is "two ten five", 3479 is "three thousand four hundred seven ten nine", etc. Note that there is a character and word for 10,000 (man), but not for a million. To say a million, you have to say "one hundred ten-thousand". Cardinal numbers are digits like 1, 2, 3, 4 … There are two ways of writing the numbers in Japanese, in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) or in Chinese numerals ( 一, 二, 三). The Arabic numerals are more often used in horizontal writing, and the Chinese numerals are more common in vertical writing.
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Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji
Kanji
0
rei [rei]
零
1
Iti [ichi]
一
2
ni
二
3
san
三
4
Shi
四
5
go
五
6
roku
六
English
Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji
Kanji
7
nana
七
8
hati [hachi]
八
9
kyu
九
10
jyu
十
11
jyu ichi
十一
20
ni jyu
二十
100
hyaku
百
Here are some examples of some other numbers which will give you an idea on how the structure of several numbers is made:
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Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji
Kanji
17
jyu nana, jyu shichi
十七
151
hyaku go-jyu ichi
百五十一
302
san-byaku ni
三百二
469
yon-hyaku roku-jyu kyu
四百六十九
2025
ni-sen ni-jyu go
二千二十五
Japanese Ordinal Numbers Ordinal numbers are used to determine a position or a rank, for example: first, second, third ... please look at the table below:
Katakana's main feature is short straight strokes and angular corners, that’s why Katakana is considered the simplest of the Japanese scripts.
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Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji
Kanji
English
Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji
Kanji
first
tuitati
1日
second
hutuka
2日
third
mikka
3日
fourth
yokka
4日
fifth
ituka
5日
sixth
muika
6日
seventh
nanoka
7日
eight
youka
8日
ninth
kokonoka
9日
tenth
touka
10日
eleventh
zyuuitiniti
11日
twentieth
hatuka
20日
hundredth
hyakka
100日
Japanese Verbs
This page contains a table including the following: Japanese Verbs and tenses. Try to memorize the way they're used because they're very important in communication, and might be very helpful to convey your most important expressions. Make sure to check our Learn Japanese page, which contains several lessons that might help you in your learning process. Japanese Verbs When it comes to learning the Japanese Verbs, there is good news, unlike English or most European language, Japanese verb conjugation is the same for all subjects, first person ("I", "we"), second person ("thou", "you") and third person ("he/she/it" and "they"), singular and plural. The plain form of all verbs ends in u. There are very few irregular verbs, but if you master the regular verbs and how to use them, then you would have taken care of 98% of the verbs use.
Japanese Present Tense More good news is that the present and the future are the same in Japanese. To understand that better we will take examples in English, in English sometimes you can refer to the future using the present tense, for example a person might say: I'm taking the kids with me next time, even though the present tense was used here, it still refer to the future, usually it's understood by context or using words refering to the future "next time", "tomorrow"... The same goes with the Japanese future tense. For example: (私は)買い物をする (watashi wa) kaimono wo suru: "(I) shop", or "(I) will shop". ( 私は)明日 勉強す
る (watashi wa) ashita benkyou suru: "Tomorrow, (I) will study". (Japanese pronouns usually are omitted when it is clear about whom the speaker is talking.) (check the list of verbs below)
Japanese Past Tense The easiness of the Japanese Verbs doesn't stop with the present and future tense. Even the past tense is very easy to conjugate. The past tense is very similar in conjugation to the "te" form. Most of the past tenses are formed by replacing "te" with "ta". Examine the table below:
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Past Form
Raw Example
Past Form
うu
った tta
使う tsukau (use)
使った tsukatta
く ku
いた ita
焼く yaku (burn)
焼いた yaita
ぐ gu
いだ ida
泳ぐ oyogu (swim)
泳いだ oyoida
す su
した shita
示す shimesu (show)
つ tsu
った tta
待つ matsu (wait)
待った matta
ぬ nu
んだ nda
死ぬ shinu (die)
死んだ shinda
示し た shimeshita
Verbs Ending
Past Form
Raw Example
Past Form
ぶ bu
んだ nda
呼ぶ yobu (call)
呼んだ yonda
む mu
んだ nda
読む yomu (read)
読んだ yonda
る ru (consonant stem)
った tta
走る hashiru (run)
走った hashitta
いる iru, える eru (vowel
いた ita, えた
着替える kigaeru (change
stem)
eta
clothes)
着替えた kigaeta
As you can see, the table above shows the Japanese verbs in the raw format and then when it's in the past tense very straight forward method. There are some irregular forms but they're not too many, here are some examples:
する suru (do) becomes した shita. 来る kuru (come) becomes 来た kita. 行く iku (go) becomes 行った itta.
Japanese Verbs in the Negative Form To use the negative with verbs it's very easy as well. The basic pattern is that "u" becomes "anai", for example: 焼く yaku (to burn) becomes 焼かない yakanai (not to burn). 読む yomu (to read) becomes 読まない yomanai (not to read), easy right?
Japanese Verb List One of the characteristics of the Japanese language is that the verb generally comes at the end of the sentence. Japanese has two types of regular verbs:
consonant stem, godan katsuyō ( 五段活用?), Group I, or u verbs.
Vowel stem, ichidan katsuyō ( 一段活用?), Group II, or ru verbs.
Here is a list of verbs ending in "eru" which are Group 1 Verbs:
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English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to act violently
takeru
to attend on
haberu
to be absorbed in
fukeru
to be crooked
kuneru
to be hatched (see kaeru above)
kaeru
to be overturned
kutsugaeru
to be slippery
numeru
to become cloudy
kageru
to become damp
shikeru
to carve
eru
to chatter
daberu
to choose (see eru above)
eru
to compete
seru
to decrease
heru
English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to decrease
meru
to fall forward
nomeru
to feel hot
hoderu
to flatter
omoneru
to flush, to feel hot
hoteru
to grow thick
shigeru
to hide, lie in ambush
fuseru
to humble oneself
heru
to hurry
aseru
to kick
keru
to lie sprawled
soberu
to pick, play with
seseru
to pinch
tsumeru
to pinch
tsuneru
to return (see kaeru above)
kaeru
English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to ridicule
azakeru
to ridicule (see eru above)
eru
to rise from the dead
yomigaeru
to root with the nose
useru
to shine
teru
to slip
suberu
to soar
kakeru
to talk, to chat
shaberu
to temper, to refine, to knead
neru
to turn over
kaeru
to turn over, to wave
hirugaeru
to twist
hineru
to undulate
uneru
This is a list of verbs ending in "iru" which are Group 1 Verbs
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English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to abuse verbally
nonoshiru
to be frightened
tamagiru
to be greasy
aburagiru
to be surprised
bibiru
to become misty
kishiru
to become misty
kiru
to become sultry
ikiru
to belittle; to despise
mikubiru
to boil down
iru
to boil, to seethe
tagiru
to come/go - humble
mairu
to curse
kashiru
to cut (see kiru above)
kiru
to dare to
omoikiru
English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to edge forward
nijiru
to enter
hairu
to fall, sink
ochiiru
to feel depressed
meiru
to fiddle with
ijiru
to gnaw
kajiru
to go in (see iru above)
iru
to gouge, scoop
kujiru
to gouge, wrench
kojiru
to grasp
nigiru
to grip, strangle
kubiru
to grumble
guchiru
to gush
tobashiru
to gush, spurt
hotobashiru
to jeer at
yajiru
English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to know
shiru
to limit
kagiru
to mess up
dojiru
to mingle
majiru
to muff lines
tochiru
to need (see iru above)
iru
to overflow
minagiru
to parody, to twist
mojiru
to pass by, to drop in
yogiru
to pester for
sebiru
to pick, dig out
hojiru
to pledge
chigiru
to pluck, to pick, to tear
mushiru
to ponder, to contemplate
omoiiru
to rebuke
najiru
English
Group I Japanese Verbs
to roast (see iru above)
iru
to run
hashiru
to scatter
chiru
to slander
soshiru
to squeak, creak
kishiru
to torment, roast
ibiru
to traverse
yokogiru
to twist
nejiru
to twist, distort
yojiru
to winnow
hiru
to wrench
mogiru
to wriggle
sujiru
This is a list of the most commonly used verbs:
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Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
Verbs
Arrive
到着
touchaku
Live
生活する
seikatsu suru
Ask
尋ねる
tazune ru
Look
見る
miru
Be
存在する
sonzai suru
Love
愛
ai
Become
〜になる
~ ninaru
Make
作る
tsukuru
Begin
開始する
kaishi suru
Mean
意味する
imi suru
Break
壊す
kowasu
Meet
会う
au
Bring
持ってくる
motte kuru
Need
必要性
hitsuyousei
Build
建てる
tate ru
Open
開く
hiraku
Burn
燃える
moe ru
Play
遊ぶ
asobu
Buy
買う
kau
Push
プッシュ
pusshu
Call
呼ぶ
yobu
Read
読む
yomu
Choose
選ぶ
erabu
Remember
思い出す
omoidasu
Clean
汚れのない
yogore nonai
Return
戻る
modoru
English
Japanese
English
Romaji
Japanese
Romaji
Close
閉じる
toji ru
Run
走る
hashiru
Come
来る
kuru
Say
言う
iu
Cut
切る
kiru
See
見る
miru
Dance
ダンス
dansu
Sell
売る
uru
Do
する
suru
Send
送る
okuru
Dream
夢
yume
Sit
座る
suwaru
Drink
飲む
nomu
Sleep
眠る
nemuru
Eat
食べる
tabe ru
Speak
話す
hanasu
Fall
落ちる
ochiru
Take
取る
toru
Find
見つける
mitsu keru
Talk
離す
hanasu
Forget
忘れる
wasure ru
Teach
教える
oshie ru
Get
手に入れる
teniire ru
Tell
教える
oshie ru
Go
行く
iku
Think
考える
kangae ru
Hear
聞く
kiku
Understand
理解する
rikai suru
Help
ヘルプ
herupu
Wait
待つ
matsu
English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
Kiss
キス
kisu
Want
欲しい
hoshii
Know
知っている
shitte iru
Work
働く
hataraku
Laugh
笑う
warau
Japanese Adjectives
An adjective is a word whose main role is to modify a noun or pronoun, giv ing more information about the noun or pronoun's definition. Some examples are : That is a green tree. I met a very old man. However in Japanese it's a bit different. There are three types of words that can be considered to be a djectives in Japanese:
Adjectival verbs (Japanese: 形容詞, keiyōshi, "(true) adjective"), or i-adjectives These have a conjugating ending -i which can become, for example, past or negative. For example, atsui (暑い) "hot":
暑い日 (Atsui hi) ("a hot day") 今日は暑い。(Kyō wa atsui.) ("Today is hot.") Adjectival nouns (形容動詞, keiyō-dōshi, "adjectival verb"[1]), or na-adjectives. These attach to a form of the copula, which then inflects. For example, hen (変) "strange":
変な人 (Hen na hito) ("a strange person") 彼は変だ。(Kare wa hen da.) ("he is strange.") attributives (連体詞, rentaishi, "attributive") These may only occur before nouns, not in a predicative position. They a re various in derivation and word class. For example, ōki na (大きな) "big":
大きなこと(Ōki na koto) ("a big thing"). Japanese Adjectives Types
So Basically Japanese adjectives come in two main forms: "t rue" and "adjectivial nouns." In some circles they are also known as "i adjectives" and "na adjectives" because those are the suffixes they get when they're followed by a noun. Nevertheless, we can call them "true" and "adjectivial nouns" in this page, here are some examples of both types:
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Adjectivial Nouns
True Adjectives
Adjectivial Nouns
ii: good
kantan na: easy, as in easy to do
yoi: good
raku na: easy, as in an easy situation; comfortable
warui: bad
kara na: empty
takai: expensive; high; tall
kirei na: pretty; clean
yasui: cheap
kechi na: stingy (not generous)
hikui: low
binbou na: poor; destitute
nagai: long
hinpan na: frequent
mijikai: short
benri na: convenient
katai: hard
fuben na: inconvenient
yawarakai: soft
busaiku na: clumsy; awkward
atsui: hot
tanki na: impatient; quick-tempered
samui: cold
ganko na: stubborn
tsumetai: cold
byouki na: sick
hiroi: wide; spacious
genki na: healthy; to be feeling well
True Adjectives
Adjectivial Nouns
semai: narrow; cramped
shizen na: natural, proper
tsuyoi: strong
yutaka na: full; abundant
yowai: weak
anzen na: safe
kitsui: strong
kanzen na: perfect
abunai: dangerous
akarui: bright
kurai: dark
karui: light
omoi: heavy
furui: old
hayai: fast; early
osoi: slow; late
omoshiroi: interesting
Here is a list of the most used Japanese adjectives, try to memorize them because they're used very often:
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English
Japanese Adjectives
Pronunciation
Bad
悪い
warui
Beautiful
美しい
utsukushi i
Cheap
安い
yasui
Clean
汚れのない
yogore nonai
Cold
冷たい
tsumeta i
Different
異なる
kotonaru
Difficult
困難
konnan
Early
早く
hayaku
Easy
簡単な
kantan na
Friendly
フレンドリー
furendori^
Good
良い
yoi
Heavy
重い
omoi
Important
重要な
Married
結婚
juuyouna
kekkon
English
Japanese Adjectives
Pronunciation
Natural
自然
shizen
Nice
素敵な
suteki na
Open
開く
hiraku
Polite
丁寧
teinei
Poor
貧しい
mazushii
Rich
リッチ
ricchi
Sad
悲しい
kanashi i
Simple
単純な
tanjunna
Slow
ゆっくりした
yukkurishita
Small
小さな
chiisa na
Sweet
甘い
amai
Tall
背が高い
sega takai
Warm
暖かい
atataka i
Well
上手に
jouzu ni
Worse
悪化
akka
English
Japanese Adjectives
Pronunciation
Worst
最悪
saiaku
Wrong
間違った
machigatta
Japanese Vocabulary
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Japanese
Animals
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
Adjectives
Bear
熊
kuma
Angry
怒って
ikatte
Bird
鳥
tori
Bad
悪い
warui
Cat
猫
neko
Beautiful
美しい
utsukushi i
Cow
牛
ushi
Cheap
安い
yasui
Dog
犬
inu
Clean
汚れのない
yogore nonai
Fish
魚
sakana
Cold
冷たい
tsumeta i
Horse
馬
uma
Different
異なる
kotonaru
Monkey
サル
saru
Difficult
困難
konnan
Mouse
マウス
mausu
Early
早く
hayaku
Pig
豚
buta
Easy
簡単な
kantan na
Sheep
羊
hitsuji
Friendly
フレンドリー
furendori^
Good
良い
yoi
Heavy
重い
omoi
Important
重要な
Body Parts Arm
腕
ude
juuyouna
English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
Back
後ろの
ushiro no
Married
結婚
kekkon
Chest
金庫
kinko
Natural
自然
shizen
Ear
耳
mimi
Nice
素敵な
suteki na
Eye
アイ
ai
Open
開く
hiraku
Face
顔
kao
Polite
丁寧
teinei
Finger
指
yubi
Poor
貧しい
mazushii
Fingers
指
yubi
Rich
リッチ
ricchi
Foot
足
ashi
Sad
悲しい
kanashi i
Hair
髪
kami
Simple
単純な
tanjunna
Hand
手
te
Slow
ゆっくりした
yukkurishita
Head
頭
atama
Small
小さな
chiisa na
Heart
心臓
shinzou
Sweet
甘い
amai
Leg
脚
ashi
Tall
背が高い
sega takai
Mouth
口
kuchi
Warm
暖かい
atataka i
Neck
首
kubi
Well
上手に
jouzu ni
Nose
鼻
hana
Worse
悪化
akka
Shoulder
肩
kata
Worst
最悪
saiaku
Stomach
胃
i
Wrong
間違った
machigatta
Teeth
歯
ha
Tongue
舌
shita
Tooth
歯
ha
To Save this Page Press ( CTRL D) or E-mail this Page! ۩ Free Translation English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
English
Romaji
Objects
Romaji
Food バスルー
Bathroom
Japanese
ム
basuru^mu
Apple
リンゴ
ringo
Bed
ベッド
beddo
Apricot
あんず
anzu
Bedroom
寝室
shinshitsu
Banana
バナナ
banana
Ceiling
天井
tenjou
Bread
パン
pan
Chair
椅子
isu
Breakfast
朝食
choushoku
Clothes
衣類
irui
Butter
バター
bata^
Coat
コート
ko^to
Candy
キャンディ
kyandei
Cup
カップ
kappu
Carrot
ニンジン
ninjin
Desk
デスク
desuku
Cheese
チーズ
chi^zu
Dress
ドレス
doresu
Chicken
チキン
chikin
Floor
床
toko
Dessert
デザート
deza^to
Fork
フォーク
fo^ku
Dinner
夕食
yuushoku
Furniture
家具
kagu
Fish
魚
sakana
Glass
ガラス
garasu
Food
食べ物
tabemono
Hat
帽子
boushi
Fruit
フルーツ
furu^tsu
House
家
ie
Grapes
ブドウ
budou
Ink
インク
inku
Ice cream
アイスクリー ム
ジャケッ Jacket
ト
jaketto
Lamb
aisukuri^mu
子羊
kohitsuji
Kitchen
台所
daidokoro
Lemon
レモン
remon
Knife
ナイフ
naifu
Lunch
昼食
chuushoku
English
Japanese
English
Romaji
Japanese
Romaji
Lamp
ランプ
ranpu
Meal
食事
shokuji
Letter
手紙
tegami
Meat
精肉
seiniku
Map
地図
chizu
Onion
タマネギ
tamanegi
Newspaper
新聞
shinbun
Orange
オレンジ
orenji
Notebook
ノート
no^to
Pork
豚肉
butaniku
Pants
パンツ
pantsu
Potato
ジャガイモ
Paper
紙
kami
Salad
サラダ
sarada
Pen
ペン
pen
Salt
塩
shio
Pencil
鉛筆
enpitsu
Sandwich
チ
sandoicchi
Pharmacy
薬局
yakkyoku
Sausage
ソーセージ
so^se^ji
Picture
写真
shashin
Soup
スープ
su^pu
Plate
プレート
pure^to
Sugar
砂糖
satou
Refrigerator
冷蔵庫
reizouko
Supper
夕食
yuushoku
jagaimo
サンドイッ
レストラ Restaurant
ン
resutoran
Turkey
トルコ
toruko
Roof
屋根
yane
Vegetables
野菜
yasai
Room
部屋
heya
Rug
敷物
shikimono
Scissors
はさみ
hasami
Art
アート
a^to
hon
Miscellaneous Objects
シャンプ Shampoo
ー
shanpu^
Book
本
Shirt
シャツ
shatsu
Dictionary
辞書
jisho
Shoes
靴
kutsu
Geography
地理
chiri
English
Japanese
Romaji
English
Japanese
Romaji
Soap
せっけん
sekken
History
歴史
rekishi
Socks
靴下
kutsushita
Math
数学
suugaku
Spoon
スプーン
supu^n
Music
音楽
ongaku
Table
テーブル
te^buru
Science
科学
kagaku
Toilet
トイレ
toire
Bank
銀行
ginkou
Toothbrush
歯ブラシ
haburashi
Beach
浜辺
hamabe
Toothpaste
歯磨き粉
hamigakiko
By bicycle
自転車で
Towel
タオル
taoru
By bus
バスで
basu de
T-shirt
Tシャツ
shatsu
By car
車の場合
kuruma no baai
Umbrella
傘
kasa
By train
電車で
densha de
Underwear
下着
shitagi
Cafe
カフェ
kafe
Wall
壁
kabe
Country
国
kuni
uoretto
Desert
砂漠
sabaku
uindou
Flowers
花
hana
Football
フットボール
futtobo^ru
Forest
森
mori
ウォレッ Wallet
ト ウィンド
Window
ウ
People
jitensha de
Aunt
叔母
oba
Game
ゲーム
ge^mu
Baby
赤ちゃん
akachan
Garden
庭
niwa
Brother
兄弟
kyoudai
House
家
ie
Cousin
いとこ
itoko
Island
島
shima
Daughter
娘
musume
Lake
湖
mizuumi
Dentist
歯医者
haisha
Library
図書館
toshokan
English
Japanese
English
Romaji
Japanese
Romaji
Doctor
医師
ishi
Mountain
山
yama
Father
父
chichi
Movies
映画
eiga
Granddaughter
孫娘
magomusume
Ocean
オーシャン
o^shan
Grandfather
祖父
sofu
Office
オフィス
ofisu
Grandmother
祖母
sobo
On foot
徒歩で
toho de
Grandson
孫
mago
Player
プレーヤー
pure^ya^
Husband
夫
otto
River
川
kawa
Mother
母
haha
Sea
海
umi
Nephew
甥
oi
Soccer
サッカー
sakka^
Niece
姪
mei
Supermarket
スーパーマー ケット
su^pa^ma^ketto
Nurse
看護師
kango shi
Swimming pool
スイミングプ ール
suimingupu^ru
Policeman
警官
keikan
Theater
劇場
gekijou
Postman
ポスト
posuto
Tree
木
ki
Professor
教授
kyouju
Son
息子
musuko
Teacher
先生
sensei
Uncle
叔父
oji
Wife
妻
tsuma
Arrive
到着
touchaku
Live
生活する
seikatsu suru
Ask
尋ねる
tazune ru
Look
見る
miru
Be
存在する
sonzai suru
Love
愛
ai
Verbs
English
Japanese
English
Romaji
Japanese
Romaji
Become
〜になる
~ ninaru
Make
作る
tsukuru
Begin
開始する
kaishi suru
Mean
意味する
imi suru
Break
壊す
kowasu
Meet
会う
au
Bring
持ってく る
motte kuru
Need
必要性
hitsuyousei
Build
建てる
tate ru
Open
開く
hiraku
Burn
燃える
moe ru
Play
遊ぶ
asobu
Buy
買う
kau
Push
プッシュ
pusshu
Call
呼ぶ
yobu
Read
読む
yomu
Choose
選ぶ
erabu
Remember
思い出す
omoidasu
Clean
汚れのな い
yogore nonai
Return
戻る
modoru
Close
閉じる
toji ru
Run
走る
hashiru
Come
来る
kuru
Say
言う
iu
Cut
切る
kiru
See
見る
miru
Dance
ダンス
dansu
Sell
売る
uru
Do
する
suru
Send
送る
okuru
Dream
夢
yume
Sit
座る
suwaru
Drink
飲む
nomu
Sleep
眠る
nemuru
Eat
食べる
tabe ru
Speak
話す
hanasu
Fall
落ちる
ochiru
Take
取る
toru
Find
見つける
mitsu keru
Talk
離す
hanasu
Forget
忘れる
wasure ru
Teach
教える
oshie ru
Get
手に入れ る
teniire ru
Tell
教える
oshie ru
English
Japanese
English
Romaji
Japanese
Romaji
Go
行く
iku
Think
考える
kangae ru
Hear
聞く
kiku
Understand
理解する
rikai suru
Help
ヘルプ
herupu
Wait
待つ
matsu
Kiss
キス
kisu
Want
欲しい
hoshii
Know
知ってい る
shitte iru
Work
働く
hataraku
Laugh
笑う
warau
Japanese Sayings
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
悪妻は百年の不作。 (Akusai wa hyaku-nen no fusaku) Literally: A bad wife spells a hundred years of bad harvest. Meaning: A bad wife is a ruin of h er husband.
残り物には福がある。 (Nokorimono ni wa fuku ga aru) Literally: Luck exists in the leftovers. Meaning: There is luck in the last helping.
虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず。 (Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu) Literally: If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch its cub. Meaning: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. / You can't do anything without risking somethin g.
夏炉冬扇 （karo tōsen) Literally: Summer heater winter fan Meaning: Something which is out of season and therefore rendered useless.
花鳥風月 (Kachou Fuugetsu) Literally: Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon Meaning: Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself.
起死回生 (kishi kaisei) Literally: Wake from death and return to life
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
Meaning: To come out of a desperate situation and make a complete return in one sudden burst.
自業自得 (Jigou Jitoku) Literally: One's Act, One's profit/Advantage. Meaning: That's what you get, Just desserts, You reap what you sow.
瓜田李下 (kaden rika) Literally: Melon field, under a plum tree Meaning: Stepping into a melon field, standing under a plum tree (, such behavior causes misunderstanding that you want to steal those fruits); implying that you must avoid actions which could be taken on a bad faith.
晴天の霹靂 (Seiten no heki-reki) Literally: Thunderclap from a clear sky. Meaning: A bolt from the blue. / A complete surprise.
猿も木から落ちる。 (Saru mo ki kara ochiru) Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees. Meaning: Everyone makes mistakes. / Nobody's perfect.
蓼食う虫も好き好き (Tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki) Literally: There are even bugs that eat knotweed. Meaning: There's no accounting for taste. / To each his own.
井の中の蛙大海を知らず。 (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu) Literally: A frog in a well does not know the great sea. Meaning: People are satisfied to judge things by their own narrow experience, never knowing of the wide world outside.
蛙の子は蛙。 (Kaeru no ko wa kaeru) Literally: Child of a frog is a frog. Meaning: Like father, like son.
鳶が鷹を産む。 (Tonbi (or Tobi) ga taka wo umu) Literally: A kite breeding a hawk. Meaning: A splendid child born from common parents.
覆水盆に帰らず。 (Fukusui bon ni kaerazu) Literally: Spilt water will not return to the tray. Meaning: It's no use crying over spilt milk. / A separated couple can never go back to as it was.
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず。 (Ni usagi wo ou mono wa ichi usagi wo mo ezu) Literally: One who chases after two hares won't catch even one. Meaning: Trying to do two things at once will make you fail in both.
継続は力なり。 (Keizoku wa chikara nari) Literally: Continuance (also) is power/strength. Meaning: Don't give up. Just continuing to hold on will yield/reveal strength and power. Continuing on after a setback is its own kind of strength. Perseverance is power.
門前の小僧習わぬ経を読む。 (Mon zen no kozō narawanu kyō wo yomu) Literally: An apprentice near a temple will recite the scriptures untaught. Meaning: The environment makes our characters.
知らぬが仏 (Shiranu ga hotoke) Literally: Not knowing is Buddha. Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / It's better to not know the truth.
見ぬが花 (Minu ga hana) Literally: Not seeing is a flower. Meaning: Things will never be as you imagine, so you're better off not seeing them. / Reality can't compete with imagination.
猫に小判 (neko ni koban) Literally: gold coins to a cat. Meaning: Giving a gift to someone who can't appreciate it; A useless gesture; "Pearls before swine."
猫に鰹節 (neko ni katsuobushi) Literally: fish to a cat. Meaning: A situation where one can not l et their guard down (because the cat can't resist stealing your fish).
七転び八起き (nanakorobi yaoki) Literally: stumbling seven times but recovering eight. Meaning: perseverance is better than defeat.
三日坊主 (mikka bōzu) Literally: a monk for (just) three days. Meaning: Giving up at the first sign of difficulty.
案ずるより産むが易し。 (Anzuru yori umu ga yasashi) Literally: Giving birth to a baby is easier than
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
worrying about it. Meaning: Fear is greater than the danger. / An attempt is sometimes easier than expected.
馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない。 (Baka wa shinanakya naoranai) Literally: Unless an idiot dies, he won't be cured. Meaning: Only death will cure a fool. / You can't fix stupid.
出る杭は打たれる。 (Deru kui wa utareru) Literally: The stake that sticks out gets hammered down. Meaning: Don't make waves / Apply your effort where it will do the most good / Excellence breeds envy and/or enmity / It's better to conform than to stick out.
挨拶は時の氏神。 (Aisatsu wa toki no ujigami) Literally: A greeting is the local deity who turns up providentially. Meaning: Arbitration in a quarrel is a godsend.
秋茄子は嫁に食わすな。 (Akinasu wa yome ni kuwasuna) Literally: Don't let your daughter-in-law eat your autumn eggplants. Meaning: Don't let yourself be taken advantage of.
花よりだんご (hana yori dango) Literally: dumplings over flowers Meaning: The person to whom it is directed prefers practical gain to aesthetics.
水に流す (mizu ni nagasu) Literally: let flow in the water Meaning: Forgive and forget; water under the bridge
雤降って地固まる (ame futte chi katamaru) Literally: after the rain, earth hardens Meaning: Adversity builds character./After a storm, things will stand on more solid ground than they did before.
油を売る (abura o uru) Literally: to sell oil Meaning: to spend time chitchatting or to waste time in the middle of a task.
竜頭蛇尾 (ryuutou dabi) Literally: dragon, head, snake, tail
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
Meaning: Anticlimax, the beginning is like a dragons head, great and majestic and the ending is like a snakes tail, tiny and pathetic.
晴耕雤読 (seiko udoku) Literally: clear sky, cultivate, rainy, reading Meaning: Farm when it's sunny, read when it rains.
四面楚歌 (Shimen soka) Literally: Chu songs on all sides Meaning: Defeat is clear; Situation is desperate beyond hope.
十人十色 (jūnin toiro) Literally: ten men, ten colors Meaning: To each his/her own. / Different strokes for different folks.
三日坊主 (mikka bouzu) Literally: 3 day monk. Meaning: Someone who gives up easily or is adverse to work.
大同小異 (daidō shōi) Literally: big similarity, small difference Meaning: Similarities outweigh the differences.
一石二鳥 (isseki nichō) Literally: one stone, two birds Meaning: Killing two birds with one stone; Doing 2 things with one action.
雲散霧消 (unsan mushō) Literally: scattered clouds, disappearing mist Meaning: Disappear without a trace.
我田引水 (gaden insui) Literally: pulling water to my own rice paddy Meaning: Doing/speaking about things in a way to benefit yourself.
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Other Japanese Proverbs
Other Japanese Proverbs
Ayamachitewa aratamuruni habakaru koto nakare. If you make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct it.
Aho ni toriau baka. It is foolish to deal with a fool.
Aite no nai kenka wa denkinu. One cannot quarrel wi thout an opponent.
Ame futte ji katamaru. Rained on ground hardens (Adversity builds character).
Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice inside the ceiling laugh (Nobody knows what tomorrow might bring).
Baka ga atte riko ga hikitatsu. Due to the presence of fools wise people stand out.
Baka na ko hodo kawaii. The more stupid the child the dearer it is.
Bushi wa kuwanedo taka-yoji. A samurai, even when he has n ot eaten, uses his toothpick.
Chisa wa madowazu, yusha wa osorezu. A wise man does not lose his way, a brave man does not fear.
Deta-toko shobu. To gamble as the dice fall.
Doku kurawaba sara made. If eating poison finish up the plate (or, If eating poison don't forget to lick the plate)..
Gaden insui. To draw water into one's own rice field
Inu o mikka kaeba san-nen on o wasurenu, neko wa san-nen katte mikka de on o wasureru. Feed a dog for three days and it is gratefull for three years. Feed a cat for three years and it forgets after three days.
Ippai-me wa hito sake o nomi, nihai-me wa sake sake o n omi, sanbai-me wa sake hito o nomu. With
Other Japanese Proverbs
the first glass a man drinks wine, with the second glass the wine drinks the wine, with the third glass the wine drinks the man.
Koji ma Oshi. Good things, many devils.
Ko-in ya no gotoshi. Time flies like an arrow.
Kuni yaburete, sanga ari. The country is in ruins, and there are still mountains and rivers.
Kokai saki ni tatazu. Repentance never comes first.
Me wa kuchi hodo ni mono o ii . The eyes speak as much as the mouth.(love needs no words)
Me wa kokoro no kagami. The eyes are the mirror of the soul.
Mime yori kokoro. Heart rather than appearance.
Mimi o oute, suzu o nusumu. Cover the ears and steal the bell.
Migi no mimi kara hidari no mimi. to go in the right ear and out the l eft.
Mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made. The soul of a three year old until a hundred.
Mizukara boketsu o horu. to dig one's grave
Muri ga toreba, dori hikkomu. If unreason comes, reason goes.
Muyo no cho-butsu. a useless long object
Naite kurasu mo issho, waratte kurasu mo issho. It is the same life whether we spend it crying or
Other Japanese Proverbs
laughing.
Nana korobi, ya oki. to fall seven times, to rise eight times
Nurenu saki koso tsuyu omo itoe. People want to avoid the dew before the y become wet.
Shunsho ikkoku, atai senkin. Half an hour in a spring evening is worth a thousand gold pieces.
Sode fure-au mo tasho no en. Even when our sleeves brush together it is our karma.
Sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi. Let what is past flow away downstream.
Tazei ni buzei. Few against many.
Nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu. The hawk with talent hides its talons (The person who knows most often says least).
Hotoke no kao mo san-do made. Even the Buddha's face, only until the th ird [slap], meaning even the most mild-mannered person will lose his/her temper eventually.
Saru mo ki kara ochiru. Even monkees fall from trees (Even an expert can make mistakes).
Tonari no shibafu wa aoi. The neighbour's lawn is green (The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence).
Gou ni itte wa, gou ni shitagae. Entering the village, obey the village (When in Rome, do as the Romans do)
Iwanu ga hana. Not-speaking is the flower (Silence is golden)
Fuku sui bon ni kaerazu. Overturned water doesn't return to the tray (There's no use crying over spilt
