How do you say "excuse me / please / thank you very much" in Japanese?

Name: The 3 Japanese Words That Unlock 80% of a Trip
Uploaded: 2026-06-14T22:31:22Z
Duration: 28 s
Description: Learn to say すみません / お願いします / ありがとうございます (sumimasen / onegaishimasu / arigatō gozaimasu) — excuse me / please / thank you very much. A 30-second Japanese lesson for travelers from Kōfuku.

← All videos

The 3 Japanese Words That Unlock 80% of a Trip

To say excuse me / please / thank you very much in Japanese, say すみません / お願いします / ありがとうございます (sumimasen / onegaishimasu / arigatō gozaimasu).

If you only learn 3 Japanese words before your trip — make it these.

すみません / お願いします / ありがとうございます sumimasen / onegaishimasu / arigatō gozaimasu excuse me / please / thank you very much

Intermediate Mini-Lesson #learnjapanese #japantravel #japanesephrases #traveltips #japan

Watch on Facebook ↗

In this video

3つだけ覚えて！ Mittsu dake oboete! Only have time for 3 Japanese words? These 3.
①「すみません」— Excuse me, and also Sorry. Ichi: “Sumimasen” — excuse me, and also sorry. 1) Sumimasen — 'excuse me' AND 'sorry'. The Swiss-army-knife word.
②「お願いします」— Please / I'll have this. Ni: “Onegaishimasu” — please / I'll have this. 2) Onegaishimasu — 'please', or 'I'll take this one'. Point + say it.
③「ありがとうございます」— Thank you very much. San: “Arigatō gozaimasu” — thank you very much. 3) Arigatō gozaimasu — the full, polite 'thank you'.
これで大丈夫。いってらっしゃい！ Kore de daijōbu. Itterasshai! That's honestly enough to get by. Have a great trip 👇 save this.

Why this phrase

Give a total beginner the three highest-leverage phrases for traveling in Japan: sumimasen, onegaishimasu, arigatou gozaimasu. One clean example each.