Most travel phrasebooks hand you a list of 100 phrases and wish you luck. The problem is not the phrases — it is the order. When you have seven days before your flight, you do not need 100 random phrases. You need the right twelve phrases in the right sequence. This article gives you exactly that: a study plan built around how much time you actually have, what situations you will actually face, and what you will need to say — and hear — when you get there.
Whether you have a week, a month, or three months, this guide will tell you what to learn first, what to skip for now, and how to walk into Japan feeling genuinely prepared.
At a Glance
| Days Before Trip | Plan | Key Skills |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Survival mode — master 12–15 phrases across 6 situations | Greetings, ordering, transport, payment, emergencies |
| 30 days | Practical fluency — build situation scripts and basic listening | All 7-day skills + pronunciation, numbers, listening |
| 90 days | Confident traveler — add grammar, kana, and role-play practice | All 30-day skills + hiragana/katakana, basic grammar, real-world listening |
What Japanese Travelers Actually Need
The core rule: learn situations, not random words
The biggest mistake travelers make when studying Japanese is learning vocabulary in isolation. Knowing the word for “umbrella” (雨傘（かさ）, kasa) is useless if you do not know how to ask a convenience store clerk whether they have one. Situation-based learning means grouping phrases around the moments you will actually face: walking into a restaurant, tapping a transit card, handing over cash at a register.
Every minute of study time before your trip should serve a real scene you are going to encounter.
Greetings and politeness
Japanese service culture is built around politeness. You do not need to master keigo (敬語（けいご） — formal speech), but a few respectful phrases go a long way. Staff will respond more warmly, and you will feel less like a tourist and more like a guest.
Asking for help
The single most useful phrase you can learn is すみません (sumimasen — excuse me). It opens every interaction: getting a waiter’s attention, stopping someone on the street, asking a station attendant a question.
Ordering food
Japan’s restaurant culture involves reading menus, pointing at plastic models, using ticket machines, and sometimes speaking to staff. You will eat at least two or three meals a day, so ordering food is your highest-frequency situation.
Transportation and directions
Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto all have complex train systems. Knowing how to read basic signs, ask for directions, and confirm your stop will save you hours of confusion.
Shopping and payment
Cash is still widely used in Japan. Knowing how to ask the price (いくらですか（ikura desu ka） — how much is it?), confirm a total, and decline a bag will make every shop interaction smoother.
Emergencies and health
You hope not to need these phrases, but knowing how to say you have an allergy (アレルギーがあります, arerugii ga arimasu — I have an allergy) could be critical.
Basic listening comprehension
Travelers are often surprised to find they cannot understand anything staff say even after studying phrases. This is because listening is a separate skill from speaking. The 30-day and 90-day plans include dedicated listening practice so you are not caught off guard.
7-Day Japanese Plan Before Your Trip
If your flight leaves in a week, focus entirely on high-frequency survival phrases. Do not try to learn grammar. Do not study kanji. Learn these phrases, practice them out loud, and you will be fine.
| Day | Focus | Key Phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Survival greetings + すみません | こんにちは, ありがとうございます, すみません |
| Day 2 | Ordering food and drinks | これをください, これは何ですか, おすすめは何ですか |
| Day 3 | Train stations + directions | この電車はここに止まりますか, どこですか, 左/右/まっすぐ |
| Day 4 | Shopping + payment | いくらですか, 现金でお願いします, レシートはいりません |
| Day 5 | Hotel and check-in | チェックインお願いします, Wi-Fiはありますか |
| Day 6 | Emergencies + allergies | アレルギーがあります, 病院はどこですか, 警察を呼んでください |
| Day 7 | Review and role-play | Practice all 6 scenarios out loud — at minimum once each |
Day 1: survival greetings and すみません
Learn three phrases and make them automatic:
- こんにちは (konnichiwa) — Hello / Good afternoon
- ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) — Thank you (polite)
- すみません (sumimasen) — Excuse me / I’m sorry to bother you
Say each one aloud ten times. Then say them in sequence as if you just walked into a shop.
Day 2: ordering food and drinks
Focus on the point-and-order method:
- これをください (kore o kudasai) — This one, please
- ひとつください (hitotsu kudasai) — One, please
- おすすめは何ですか (osusume wa nan desu ka) — What do you recommend?
Practice pointing at something imaginary and saying これをください until it feels natural.
Day 3: train station and directions
Three essential direction words:
- 左（ひだり） (hidari) — left
- 右（みぎ） (migi) — right
- まっすぐ (massugu) — straight ahead
Plus the key question: どこですか (doko desu ka — where is it?). You can point at a map and ask this about anything.
Day 4: shopping and payment
- いくらですか (ikura desu ka) — How much is it?
- 现金でお願いします (genkin de onegai shimasu) — Cash payment, please
- カードでもいいですか (kaado de mo ii desu ka) — Is card okay?
Day 5: hotel and check-in
- チェックインお願いします (chekkuin onegai shimasu) — Check-in, please
- Wi-Fiはありますか (wai-fai wa arimasu ka) — Is there Wi-Fi?
- お風呂はどこですか (ofuro wa doko desu ka) — Where is the bath/bathroom?
Day 6: emergency and allergy phrases
These could matter most. Memorize them carefully:
- アレルギーがあります (arerugii ga arimasu) — I have an allergy
- 病院（びょういん）はどこですか (byouin wa doko desu ka) — Where is a hospital?
- 警察（けいさつ）を呼んでください (keisatsu o yonde kudasai) — Please call the police
Day 7: review and role-play
Do not study new material on Day 7. Run through all six scenarios out loud at least once each. If possible, use a language exchange app to have a short conversation with a native speaker.
30-Day Japanese Plan Before Your Trip
With a month, you can move beyond phrase memorization into situation-based confidence. You will also start recognizing what people say to you — not just producing phrases yourself.
| Week | Focus | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Pronunciation + essential phrases | Master hiragana vowels, core greetings, numbers 1–10, すみません |
| Week 2 | Food, convenience stores, shopping | Ordering scripts, これをください, payment phrases, bag refusal |
| Week 3 | Transport, hotel, directions | Train vocabulary, check-in script, direction words, ticket machines |
| Week 4 | Listening + role-play | Staff phrases, number listening, 3 full scenario role-plays |
Week 1: pronunciation and essential phrases
Japanese pronunciation is consistent once you learn the five vowels: a (ah), i (ee), u (oo), e (eh), o (oh). Every syllable ends in a vowel or n. Spend Days 1–3 drilling vowel sounds and the core greeting phrases from the 7-day plan. On Days 4–7, add numbers 1–10: ichi, ni, san, shi/yon, go, roku, nana/shichi, hachi, kyuu, juu. Learn to tell the time in simple form: ご午前三時（gozen sanji） — 3 a.m.
Week 2: restaurants, convenience stores, and shopping
Build a full ordering script: walk in, get seated, ask for the menu, point and order, ask about ingredients (for allergies), pay, and leave politely. Convenience stores (konbini) have their own scripts — staff will ask if you want your food heated and whether you want a bag (袋（ふくろ）はいりますか, fukuro wa irimasu ka). Prepare short yes/no answers for all of them.
Week 3: transportation, hotel, and directions
Study the basic layout of a Japanese train station: 改札口（かいさつぐち） (kaisatsuguchi — ticket gate), ホーム (hoomu — platform), 出口（でぐち） (deguchi — exit), 北口（きたぐち） (kitaguchi — north exit). Practice saying your destination name and asking which platform to use: この電車はどのホームですか (kono densha wa dono hoomu desu ka — which platform is this train on?).
Week 4: listening practice and role-play
Your last week before the trip should be mostly ears. Watch YouTube videos of Japanese train announcements. Listen to convenience store staff phrases on repeat until you can catch the question even if you cannot answer it immediately. Run through the mini role-plays in this article with a timer.
Final pre-trip checklist
Before you board:
- Can you say all 7-day survival phrases without hesitation?
- Can you count to 100 in Japanese?
- Do you know your hotel name in Japanese (or at least in katakana)?
- Have you downloaded a Japanese offline dictionary (e.g., Takoboto or Jisho)?
- Have you saved your hotel address as a screenshot in Japanese?
90-Day Japanese Plan Before Your Trip
Three months is enough to build real travel confidence: you can read basic signs, understand simple questions, and hold short conversations. This is also enough time to learn hiragana and katakana — both of which are genuinely useful on menus, signs, and station boards.
| Month | Focus | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Kana, pronunciation, travel phrases | Master hiragana and katakana, core travel vocab, greetings |
| Month 2 | Basic grammar + situation scripts | です/ます, ください, どこですか, all 7 situations scripted |
| Month 3 | Role-play, listening, real-world practice | Podcasts, italki sessions, full scenario role-plays |
Month 1: kana, pronunciation, and travel phrases
Start with hiragana (平仮名（ひらがな）). It takes most learners about a week to learn all 46 characters with daily practice. Then move to katakana (片仮名（かたかな）) — critical for menus, as many food items are written in katakana (コーヒー, koohii — coffee; サラダ, sarada — salad; チキン, chikin — chicken). In weeks 3 and 4, add all travel phrases from the 7-day plan plus numbers up to 10,000 (ichiman).
Month 2: basic grammar and situation scripts
Learn these four grammar patterns and you can handle most travel interactions:
- [Noun] + をください — Please give me [noun]
- [Noun] + はどこですか — Where is [noun]?
- [Noun] + はありますか — Do you have [noun]?
- [Verb te-form] + もいいですか — Is it okay to [verb]?
With these patterns, you can build hundreds of travel phrases from a small base vocabulary.
Month 3: role-play, listening, and real-world practice
In the final month, shift from studying to practicing. Book at least 4–6 sessions with a Japanese tutor on italki and role-play specific scenarios (ordering ramen, buying a train ticket, checking into a hotel). Listen to NHK Web Easy or Erin’s Challenge for 15 minutes a day. At least two weeks before your trip, switch your phone language to Japanese — even partially. This forces you to read signs and menus without panic.
Optional kanji for signs and menus
You do not need to study hundreds of kanji before a trip. But learning 20–30 high-value characters will let you read critical signs:
- 入口（いりぐち） — entrance
- 出口（でぐち） — exit
- 女（おんな） — women (restroom)
- 男（おとこ） — men (restroom)
- 大（おお/だい） — large
- 小（こ/しょう） — small
- 水（みず） — water
- 火（ひ） — fire / closed (as in 火曜日定休 — closed Tuesdays)
- 成人（せいじん） — adult (for ticketing)
Travel confidence checklist
- Can you read hiragana and katakana at reading speed?
- Can you say and understand numbers up to 10,000?
- Can you complete a full ordering and payment sequence without stopping?
- Have you done at least 4 role-play sessions with a native speaker?
- Can you understand train announcements at 70% or better?
Phrases You Will Say Most Often
すみません (sumimasen)
すみません | sumimasen | Excuse me / I’m sorry to bother you
Use this to get any staff member’s attention, to apologize for bumping into someone, or to signal that you need help. It is the most versatile phrase in your arsenal. Say it with a slight bow and you will almost always get a helpful response.
お願いします (onegai shimasu)
お願いします | onegai shimasu | Please / I would appreciate it
This softens any request. 英語のメニューをお願いします (eigo no menyuu o onegai shimasu — An English menu, please) is more natural than just demanding メニュー.
ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)
ありがとうございます | arigatou gozaimasu | Thank you very much
Use the full polite form with strangers and staff. The casual ありがとう (arigatou) is fine with people your age who you are on friendly terms with, but in service situations the full form is always safer.
これをください (kore o kudasai)
これをください | kore o kudasai | This one, please
Point at a menu item, a product on a shelf, or anything visible. This phrase handles 80% of ordering situations without knowing the name of anything.
どこですか (doko desu ka)
どこですか | doko desu ka | Where is it?
Attach any place name in front: トイレはどこですか (toire wa doko desu ka — where is the restroom?). You can also point at a map or sign and ask ここはどこですか (where is this?).
英語でもいいですか (eigo de mo ii desu ka)
英語でもいいですか | eigo de mo ii desu ka | Is English okay?
This phrase is polite, and it frames your request as a question rather than an assumption. Many hotel and restaurant staff in tourist areas can assist in English, but asking first is good manners.
もう一度お願いします (mou ichido onegai shimasu)
もう一度お願いします | mou ichido onegai shimasu | Could you say that again, please?
You will need this. Japanese is spoken quickly and with contracted sounds in natural speech. Nobody will be offended if you ask them to repeat. Say it with a slight bow to keep the interaction warm.
Phrases You Will Hear Most Often
いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)
いらっしゃいませ | irasshaimase | Welcome (to our shop/restaurant)
You do not need to respond. A small nod or a smile is the correct reply. This phrase is said by staff when you enter almost every shop, restaurant, or hotel in Japan.
こちらへどうぞ (kochira e douzo)
こちらへどうぞ | kochira e douzo | This way, please
A staff member saying this is guiding you somewhere — to your table, to a fitting room, to the checkout counter. Simply follow them.
少々お待ちください (shoushou omachi kudasai)
少々お待ちください | shoushou omachi kudasai | Please wait a moment
You will hear this at hotel check-ins, restaurants, and any time a staff member steps away. What to do: stand and wait. You can say はい (hai — yes/understood) to acknowledge.
店内ですか、お持ち帰りですか (tennai desu ka, omochikaeri desu ka)
店内ですか、お持ち帰りですか | tennai desu ka, omochikaeri desu ka | Eat here or take away?
Common at cafes and fast food shops. Say 店内で (tennai de — eat in) or 持ち帰りで (mochikaeri de — take away).
袋はいりますか (fukuro wa irimasu ka)
袋はいりますか | fukuro wa irimasu ka | Do you need a bag?
A paid plastic bag question at most shops since Japan’s 2020 plastic bag regulation. Say はい (hai — yes) or けっこうです (kekkou desu — no thank you) or just shake your head. You can also say いりません (irimasen — I don’t need one).
お支払いはどうされますか (oshiharai wa dou saremasu ka)
お支払いはどうされますか | oshiharai wa dou saremasu ka | How would you like to pay?
You will hear this at many registers. Respond: 现金で (genkin de — cash) or カードで (kaado de — card).
レシートはいりますか (reshiito wa irimasu ka)
レシートはいりますか | reshiito wa irimasu ka | Do you need a receipt?
Simple yes/no. はい、お願いします (hai, onegai shimasu) or けっこうです (kekkou desu — no thank you).
Travel Japanese by Situation
| Situation | Key Phrases to Say | What to Listen For |
|---|---|---|
| Airport & immigration | 観光です (kankou desu — I’m a tourist); パスポートを見せてください (please show your passport) | こちらへどうぞ, immigration desk directions |
| Train stations | この電車は――に止まりますか; 大人一枚; 乗り換えはどこですか | 次の駅は―― (next stop is ――); 終黢です (end of line) |
| Taxis and buses | ――までお願いします (to ―― please); ここで止めてください (please stop here) | Fare announcements; 終点 (last stop) |
| Hotels and ryokan | チェックインお願いします; 部屋の鍵はどこですか | 食事は――時からです (breakfast from ――) |
| Restaurants and cafes | 一人です/二人です; これをください; お会計お願いします | 店内ですか、お持ち帰りですか; ご注文は |
| Convenience stores | 温めてください (please heat this); 袋はいりません | 温めますか; 袋はいりますか |
| Shopping | これをみせてください (please show me this); いくらですか; 試着してもいいですか | Size and stock announcements |
| Tourist information centers | 地図をください (a map, please); 英語は話せますか | おすすめは――です (we recommend ――) |
| Hospitals and pharmacies | 頭が痛いです (I have a headache); アレルギーがあります; 保険証を持っています | この薬を飲んでください (please take this medicine) |
How Much Grammar Should Travelers Learn?
です and ます
です (desu) and ます (masu) are the polite verb endings that appear in almost every phrase you learn. You do not need to understand their full grammatical function — just know that any sentence ending in desu or masu is polite and appropriate to use with strangers.
ください and お願いします
Both mean “please,” but they function slightly differently. ください (kudasai) follows a noun directly: 水（みず）をください (mizu o kudasai — water, please). お願いします (onegai shimasu) is more versatile and can follow a noun or stand alone as a general “please.” In practice, for travel, you can use either and be understood.
どこ、いくら、いつ
Three question words that will carry you far:
- どこ (doko) — where
- いくら (ikura) — how much
- いつ (itsu) — when
Add ですか to the end of any of these to make a question: いつですか (when is it?).
ありますか
ありますか (arimasu ka — do you have it / is there?) is perhaps the most powerful travel grammar pattern. 英語のメニューはありますか (Eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka — do you have an English menu?). Learn this pattern and you can ask about Wi-Fi, vegetarian options, luggage storage, ATMs, and more.
できますか
できますか (dekimasu ka — can you do it / is it possible?) follows a verb: 英語で話せますか (Eigo de hanasemasu ka — can you speak English?).
Why travelers do not need full grammar mastery
Japanese grammar is deep. Studying all of it before a trip would take years and would not meaningfully improve your travel experience. What matters is that your phrases sound polite (desu/masu endings), that you can slot vocabulary into simple patterns, and that you can listen for key words in a response even if you miss the surrounding grammar.
Travel Listening Practice
Listen for numbers
Numbers appear in prices, times, floor numbers, platform numbers, and addresses. Train your ear to catch ichi, ni, san, yon, go first — then work up to hyaku (100), sen (1,000), and man (10,000). Practice by watching Japanese price display videos on YouTube.
Listen for place names
Japanese place names often repeat the same kanji: 駅（えき） (eki — station), 公園（こうえん） (kouen — park). If you can catch the name plus the category word (eki, deguchi, hoomu), you know what is being said even without understanding the full sentence.
Listen for yes/no questions
Questions in Japanese typically end in か (ka). When you hear a rising intonation with か at the end, a yes/no answer is expected. Prepare your defaults: はい (hai — yes/understood) or けっこうです (kekkou desu — no thank you).
Listen for common staff phrases
Drill the seven “you will hear” phrases from the section above until you can recognize them instantly. These are the most frequent, highest-stakes phrases staff will say to you.
Practice with short role-play audio
Use apps like Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone Audio, or free resources like JapanesePod101 for listening practice. Even 10 minutes a day in the last week before your trip will significantly improve your in-the-moment comprehension.
Japanese Phrases Tourists Should Avoid
Saying あなた too much
あなた (anata) technically means “you,” but using it frequently can sound cold, distant, or even confrontational in Japanese service contexts. Native speakers almost never use it with people they are not close to. Instead, they use the person’s name, their job title (店員（てんいん）さん, ten’in-san — staff member), or simply drop the pronoun entirely. For travelers, the solution is easy: just omit “you” from your sentences. Instead of “Do you have…?” simply say “Is there…?” (ありますか).
Saying いいえ too directly
いいえ (iie) is the dictionary word for “no,” but saying it bluntly in response to a service question can sound rude or abrupt in Japanese. A more natural response in most situations is:
- けっこうです (kekkou desu) — No thank you / I’m fine
- いりません (irimasen) — I don’t need it
- いえ、ちょっと… (ie, chotto…) — Well, it’s a bit… (softly declining)
In Japanese, indirect refusal is standard and polite. Dropping to a soft “well, actually…” is not evasive — it is the culturally expected way to say no.
Using casual Japanese with staff
Textbooks often teach casual forms alongside polite forms. If you mix casual speech with staff or service people, it can come across as rude or dismissive. Stick to desu/masu form for all interactions with people you do not know. Casual Japanese is for friends and family.
Overusing 私の名前は
私の名前は。。。です (Watashi no namae wa … desu) is the first Japanese sentence many learners study, but it sounds stiff and unnatural to native speakers. Native Japanese speakers almost never introduce themselves this way. The natural alternatives are:
- ――と申します (… to moushimasu) — My name is … (formal, humble)
- ――といいます (… to iimasu) — My name is … (standard, natural)
The phrase “私の名前は” is not grammatically wrong, but it sounds like a textbook exercise to a native speaker — similar to saying “I am called [name]” in English. For travelers, a simple ――です when you hand over a reservation card is all you need.
Copying anime phrases while traveling
Anime vocabulary is often exaggerated, archaic, or simply inappropriate in daily life. 俺（おれ） is a very rough masculine first-person pronoun. 貴様（きさま） sounds like a slur to modern Japanese ears despite meaning “you” in old texts. Keep anime phrases for anime discussions and use standard polite speech everywhere else.
How to Use Translation Apps Without Sounding Rude
Prepare phrases before the trip
The worst time to open a translation app is mid-conversation when someone is waiting for your answer. Before your trip, use Google Translate or DeepL to pre-prepare written cards for your most common needs (dietary restrictions, medical allergies, hotel name and address). Save these as screenshots you can show instantly.
Use short sentences
Translation apps break down with long, complex sentences. Keep your input to 10 words or fewer. “I am allergic to shellfish” translates better than “I am wondering if you might be able to tell me whether any of the dishes contain shellfish.”
Show text politely
When showing a translated message on your phone, hold the phone with two hands and tilt it toward the other person. This is standard Japanese etiquette for showing documents or items — it shows respect.
Confirm with はい and softer alternatives
After a staff member reads your translation and responds, confirm understanding with はい (hai — I understand) rather than immediately reaching for another translation. This keeps the interaction human rather than robotic.
Do not rely on translation apps for emergencies
Apps fail when your battery is low, your internet connection drops, or stress causes you to mistype. For medical and safety situations, pre-prepared printed cards in Japanese are more reliable. Include: your name, blood type if known, your allergies, your hotel name and address, and the Japanese emergency numbers: 110 (police) and 119 (ambulance and fire).
Travel Japanese Mini Role-Plays
Ordering ramen
Yukaすみません、これをください。 (sumimasen, kore o kudasai.) — Excuse me, this one please. [points at menu]
Rei味はどうなさいますか？醤油味、味噌、塩からお選びください。 (Aji wa dou nasaimasu ka? Shouyu, miso, shio kara oerabi kudasai.) — How would you like the flavour? Please choose from soy sauce, miso, or salt.
Yukaもう一度お願いします。 (mou ichido onegai shimasu.) — Could you say that again, please?
Rei醤油、味噌、塩！ (Shouyu, miso, shio!) — Soy sauce, miso, or salt!
Yuka味噌でお願いします。 (miso de onegai shimasu.) — Miso, please.
Buying a train ticket
Yukaすみません、大阪まで一枚ください。 (sumimasen, Oosaka made ichimai kudasai.) — Excuse me, one ticket to Osaka, please.
Rei片道ですか、往復ですか？ (katamichi desu ka, oufuku desu ka?) — One-way or round trip?
Yuka片道でお願いします。 (katamichi de onegai shimasu.) — One-way, please.
Asking where the restroom is
Traveler: すみません、トイレはどこですか？ (sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka? — Excuse me, where is the restroom?)
Staff: あそこをまっすぐ、左側です。 (asoko o massugu, hidarigawa desu — Straight ahead, on the left.)
Traveler: ありがとうございます。 (arigatou gozaimasu — Thank you very much.)
Checking into a hotel
Traveler: すみません、チェックインお願いします。予約名はスミスです。 (sumimasen, chekkuin onegai shimasu. Yoyakumei wa Sumisu desu. — Excuse me, I’d like to check in. My reservation name is Smith.)
Staff: 少々お待ちください。 (shoushou omachi kudasai — One moment, please.)
Explaining an allergy
Traveler: すみません、小麦アレルギーがあります。小麦は入っていますか？ (sumimasen, komugi arerugii ga arimasu. Komugi wa haitte imasu ka? — Excuse me, I have a wheat allergy. Does it contain wheat?)
Staff: 少々お待ちください、確認します。 (shoushou omachi kudasai, kakunin shimasu — Please wait a moment, I’ll check.)
Key allergy vocabulary: 小麦（こむぎ） wheat ・ そば buckwheat ・ 海老（えび） shrimp/prawn ・ 魚（さかな） fish ・ 貝（かい） shellfish ・ 落花生（らっかせい） peanut
Asking for help when lost
Traveler: すみません、迂ってしまいました。この地図でどこにいるか教えていただけますか？ (sumimasen, mayotte shimaimashita. Kono chizu de doko ni iru ka oshiete itadakemasu ka? — Excuse me, I’m lost. Could you show me where I am on this map?)
Final Pre-Trip Japanese Checklist
| 20 Phrases You Can Say | 20 Phrases You Can Recognize | 10 Signs You Can Read |
|---|---|---|
| こんにちは | いらっしゃいませ | 入口 (entrance) |
| すみません | 少々お待ちください | 出口 (exit) |
| ありがとうございます | こちらへどうぞ | 女性用 (women) |
| これをください | 店内ですか、お持ち帰りですか | 男性用 (men) |
| お願いします | 袋はいりますか | 気をつけて (Caution) |
| どこですか | お支払いはどうされますか | 乗車口 (boarding gate) |
| いくらですか | レシートはいりますか | 禁止 (prohibited) |
| アレルギーがあります | ご注文はお決まりですか | 受付 (reception) |
| 英語でもいいですか | いっていらっしゃいませ | 整備中 (Under maintenance) |
| もう一度お願いします | 次の駅は――でございます | 出口 (exit — different direction) |
| 现金でお願いします | 温めますか | — |
| チェックインお願いします | はい、どうぞ | — |
| 小麦アレルギーがあります | お会計はこちらです | — |
| 病院はどこですか | 失礼します | — |
| 一人です | 第 [N] 番線でご乗車ください | — |
| 二人です | 口座と窓座どちらになさいますか | — |
| お会計お願いします | おっしゃる週は | — |
| 迂ってしまいました | 小計――円でございます | — |
| カードでもいいですか | ありがとうございました | — |
| けっこうです | またお越しくださいませ | — |
What to do if communication breaks down
- Stay calm — Japanese people are generally patient and helpful with foreign visitors
- Show your phone screen with a written message in Japanese (pre-prepared or translated)
- Point at a map, menu item, or sign to anchor the conversation visually
- Ask: 英語でもいいですか？ (Is English okay?) — someone nearby often speaks some English
- Contact your hotel — most hotel staff can translate over the phone for you in emergencies
Quick Quiz: Test Your Travel Phrases
Try answering before checking the key below.
- A convenience store clerk says: 袋はいりますか？ What are they asking, and what do you say if you do not want a bag?
- You want to order the item in the photo on the menu. What do you say?
- A staff member guides you with こちらへどうぞ. What should you do?
- You want to ask if they have an English menu. Which phrase do you use: 英語のメニューはありますか or メニューをください?
- A staff member says something you did not understand. What is the polite phrase to ask them to repeat?
Answer key:
- They are asking if you need a bag. Say けっこうです or いりません.
- これをください while pointing at the photo.
- Follow them — they are guiding you somewhere.
- 英語のメニューはありますか — the second phrase only requests the menu, not specifically an English one.
- もう一度お願いします
Recommended Next Articles
💬 Want to practice these phrases with a real person? Find a Japanese conversation partner or tutor on italki — speaking practice you can start today.
About the Author
Daisuke is the creator of JP YoKoSo — a Japanese learning site for English speakers. Every article is written to explain Japanese clearly, with real examples, grammar notes, and practical tips for learners at every level.
💬 Found a mistake or have a question? Contact us here — we review and update articles regularly.