How to Speak Japanese Key Phrases

Japan has the third largest economy in the world.

Japanese is spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and abroad. The language uses a pitch-accent system which describes how a word is stressed when spoken. Japanese language uses an extensive system of honorifics, which reflects the status of the speaker and the listener through verb forms and vocabulary. Learning the Japanese language can be challenging, but it can be done with practice and commitment. Basic knowledge of sounds, grammar and social styles will aid in learning and speaking Japanese. Although there are many dialects spoken throughout the islands of Japan, most people speak a common dialect for communication as well as their own.

Things You'll Need

• Japanese phrase book
• Language CD's
• Index cards
• Japanese vocabulary book
• Japanese grammar
• Electronic translator (optional)
• Electronic dictionary (optional)

Instructions

1. Practice daily. There are many Internet resources that offer free lessons with pronunciations of key phrases to incorporate into your daily practice (See Resources). Rent Japanese movies with subtitles to pick up on the keywords you have learned, or you can use Hulu.com to watch some free movies. Purchase a Japanese phrase book from your local bookstore or an online store such as Barnes and Noble.com or Amazon.com. If you want to be more tech-savvy, you can get an electronic speaking dictionary or a talking translator. These can be found at online stores, like Brookstone or picked up locally at some mass retailers.

   Here are some key words/phrases for speaking Japanese:

   Hello: konnichi wa (kon-nichiwa)

   Goodbye: sayounara (sigh-own-narah)

   Excuse me: sumimasen (sue-me-ma-sen)

   Thank you: domo arigato (do-mo a-ri-ga-tow)

   Yes: hai (hi)

   No: Iie (y-yeh)

   Nice to meet you: Hajimemashite (Ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te)

   Like: suki (ski) If someone asks you if you like something you can reply "Honto ni suki desu", meaning, "I really like it."

   How are you? genki (gen-key) The formal version is "O Genki Desu ka"? You would reply with "Genki desu", which is "I'm fine". Note: the u sound in desu in unheard.

2. Learn basic grammar. This will give you an understanding of how words and sentences are formed and help you when speaking. You can pick up a basic grammar book at a bookstore, or use the resources listed. English grammar has the order of subject, verb, and object, whereas with Japanese the subject is first, (just like English) but then the object is second and the verb is last. Additionally, the Japanese verb does not indicate whether gender or number is used, or for that matter, for a person. Instead they are inflected by modifying words to reflect tense, number, gender or grammatical voice.

3. Study basic vocabulary. The Japanese language uses an open-syllable sound pattern, which means that most syllables end in a vowel. The five vowels are "a", which is pronounced like "ahh"; "e", pronounced like "get"; "i", pronounced like the "e" in the word "eat"; "o", which would sound like "coal" and "u", which is pronounced like the word "you". This is where a Japanese learning CD can help you in your pronunciations. Purchase a vocabulary book from a bookstore, online bookstore or rent from your local library. There are also websites that offer free snippets of key phrases (see Resources). Make flash cards with pictures to help you associate words with objects and test yourself daily.

4. The Japanese use an honorifics system, called "keigo", which literally means "respectful language", and although there are many sub levels within the honorific speech, it can be broken down into three main categories: respectful language, humble, and polite. Respectful language should be used when talking about others such as a superior, but not used to refer to oneself. It is also used when speaking to family members or close friends. Humble language is used when speaking about oneself and implies consideration to the listener. Polite language is used universally by Japanese television reporters and is the best form to learn for beginners. There are gender differences in the speech of Japanese. Women use more inflection and speak in higher tones, as well as elongate certain vowel sounds. They also tend to use the polite form of speech.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to your language CD's on your daily commute to work. Immersing yourself in the Japanese culture will help your learning experience.

• Since Japanese is based on a pitch-accent, different accents on syllables of the same word can mean totally different things. Be sure to use the correct pitch to communicate what you mean to say.

References

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: The Japanese Language
• Mike Porter's mykpcouk: Learn Useful Japanese Phrases, Basic Japanese for Travellers
• Japanese Language and Culture: Japanese Verbs
• Japanese Phrases: Phrases in Japanese

Resources

• Free Japanese Lessons: Introduction
• Free Japanese Lessons: Basic Japanese Grammar
• Ninja Japanese: The Language Experts: Japanese Phrases
• Japanese Online: Japanese Language Lessons