Learn Japan in 30-second reels
Real phrases for the konbini, the restaurant, the train — each with romaji and English, ready to use the second you land.
All videos
Survival
▶
That Deer Just Headbutted You. You Held the Crackers Like a Snack.
shika senbei, hito-fukuro kudasai · One pack of deer crackers, please
Beginner
▶
You Stepped Out for Ice in a Yukata. The Door Clicked Behind You.
heya ni kagi o wasuremashita · I left my key in the room.
Survival
▶
You Missed Your Reserved Shinkansen. Do Not Buy Another Ticket.
noriokuremashita. · I missed my train.
Survival
▶
A Hotel Room in Japan Without a Kettle? Just Ask for One.
ketoru arimasu ka? · Is there a kettle?
Beginner
▶
Your Pile of One-Yen Coins Has a Legal Limit. It Is Twenty.
kozeni demo ii desu ka · is it okay if I pay in coins?
Survival
▶
A Stranger Offers You a Half-Price Bar Upstairs. This Is the One You Walk Past.
machiawase desu · I'm meeting someone
Survival
▶
No Eating While You Walk, No Bins. So Where Does the Skewer Go?
gomi, onegai dekimasu ka? · Could you take this rubbish for me?
Beginner
▶
Japan Went Cashless. This Cafe Still Will Not Take Your Card for a Four Hundred Yen Coffee.
kādo wa ikura kara tsukaemasu ka? · From how much can I use a card?
Beginner
▶
Eleven Minutes in a Tokyo Izakaya and Nobody Has Taken Your Order. It Was Never Going to Happen at the Table.
chūmon wa dō sureba ii desu ka? · How do I order?
Survival
▶
It Is Thirty Five Degrees and Your Nose Will Not Stop Running. You Did Not Catch a Cold in Japan.
kafunshou desu. · I have hay fever.
Beginner
▶
It's Six in Kyoto and You're Still in a Rented Kimono. The Shop Shut at Five Thirty.
henkyaku wa nanji made desu ka? · What time do I have to bring it back by?
Survival
▶
Seven Bites on One Ankle. The Word That Fixes It Is Not Mosquito.
mushi ni sasaremashita · I got bitten by an insect.
Survival
▶
You Made the Last Train Back to Your Kyoto Guesthouse. The Front Door Still Won't Open.
mongen · the curfew, the hour the front door locks
Beginner
▶
The Japanese Cold Medicine Box Is All Kanji. One Question Gets You the Dose.
kore, ichinichi nankai nomeba ii desu ka? · How many times a day should I take this?
Survival
▶
A Stranger Stops in the Shinkansen Aisle, Checks His Ticket, Then Looks at You.
machigaemashita · I got it wrong. My mistake.
Survival
▶
The Fireworks Are Tonight. So Is the Typhoon.
sumimasen, chuushi desu ka? · Excuse me, is it cancelled?
Beginner
▶
You Missed the Last Train in Tokyo. There Is a Door That Costs Two Thousand Yen.
naito pakku arimasu ka? · Do you have a night pack?
Beginner
▶
You Fell Asleep on a Japanese Train and Woke Up Somewhere Else. Say This at the Gate.
norisugoshimashita · I missed my stop.
Beginner
▶
Your Flight Just Got Cancelled by a Typhoon. Check Out Is in Forty Minutes.
mou ippaku dekimasu ka? · Can I stay one more night?
Survival
▶
One Short Line Makes Japanese Staff Slow Down and Walk You Through It. Say It Before You Panic.
koko, hajimete nan desu · It's my first time here.
Survival
▶
Train Leaves in 4 Minutes. This Station Has 17 Platforms.
nanbansen desu ka? · which platform is it?
Survival
▶
This Train Looks Right, But It Skips Your Stop
kakueki teisha desu ka? · Is this the local (all-stops) train?
Get the free phrasebook
15 essential phrases for your trip — romaji included, zero studying.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.