In this guide
- The 20% of Japanese that does 80% of the work
- Phrases you’ll use every single day
- At restaurants and konbini
- Getting around
- The hard part: reading menus & signs
- FAQ
The 20% of Japanese that does 80% of the work
You don’t need grammar. Japanese hospitality meets effort halfway: a single well-placed arigatou gozaimasu changes the temperature of an interaction completely. Learn a dozen set phrases, point at things, and let your phone handle the reading. That’s the whole strategy.
Phrases you’ll use every single day
| English | Japanese | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | ありがとうございます | a-ri-ga-tou go-zai-mas |
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみません | su-mi-ma-sen |
| Yes / No | はい / いいえ | hai / iie |
| Do you speak English? | 英語は話せますか？ | eigo wa hanasemas ka? |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ | ikura des ka? |
Don’t worry about perfect pronunciation. Sumimasen alone — which works as “excuse me,” “sorry,” and “thank you for the trouble” — will carry you through half your interactions.
At restaurants and konbini
- Two people — futari des (二人です), said while holding up two fingers at the door.
- This one, please — kore o kudasai (これをください), pointing at the menu or the plastic food model.
- Check, please — o-kaikei onegaishimas (お会計お願いします).
- It was delicious — gochisousama deshita, said on the way out. Staff love it.
At a konbini you barely need words at all — see our konbini guide — but “fukuro wa daijoubu des” (no bag needed) is a handy one.
Getting around
Stations are bilingual, but these help: … wa doko des ka? (where is …?) and the magic word eki (station). If you get lost, show the staff your destination on your phone. For the systems themselves, see our Suica & IC card guide and Tokyo–Kyoto transport guide.
The hard part: reading menus & signs
Speaking is easy; reading is where travelers get stuck — a handwritten izakaya menu with no pictures, an allergy label, a train notice. This is exactly where Hirameki Japanese earns its place on your home screen: point your camera at the text for an instant translation, get furigana and romaji over kanji so you can sound things out, and because it works fully offline, it keeps working underground in the subway or out in the countryside where your data drops. It’s free, no login, and there are 314 flashcards if you want to pick up more before you go.
Pair it with a few of the phrases above and you have everything you need: speak the pleasantries, point at what you want, and let the app read the things you can’t.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really travel Japan without speaking Japanese? Yes — major cities and tourist areas are very navigable in English. A few phrases and a translation app cover the rest.
What’s the single most useful word? Sumimasen — excuse me / sorry / thanks-for-the-trouble, all in one.
How do I handle menus with no pictures? Use a camera-translation app like Hirameki to read them on the spot; it works offline too.
Do I need to learn to read kanji? No. Furigana/romaji overlays and camera translation mean you can recognize what matters without studying.
Is it rude to speak English first? Not at all — but opening with sumimasen or konnichiwa is always appreciated.
Going to Japan? Talk to locals with confidence.
Hirameki Japanese — instant offline translation, camera translation, furigana + romaji, and 314 free flashcards. No login. Works without internet.
Plan your Japan trip
Two things every first-timer should book
Some links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
