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.
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She Had to Walk Around for Your Chicken.
jibun de o-tori kudasai · Please take it yourself
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POV: The Guard Pointed at Your Backpack. Then at a Tiny Window.
kurōku wa arimasu ka? · Is there a cloakroom?
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POV: You Walked Out of the Museum for a Bathroom. The Gate Thinks You Left.
sai-nyūjō dekimasu ka? · Can I re-enter?
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Did You Catch That? You Nodded. That Was Not Large.
Nami de onegai shimasu · Regular size, please.
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They Served You a Fish That Still Has a Face.
sanma no shioyaki o onegai shimasu · salt-grilled saury, please
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You're Both at Tokyo Station. You Will Not Find Each Other.
kaisatsu no soto de matte imasu · I'm waiting outside the ticket gates.
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You Dumped Unlabeled Grapes on the Belt. The Whole Line Just Died.
keiryō wa doko desu ka? · Where do I weigh this?
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The Izakaya Is Empty. They Still Said No. You Were One Person.
kauntaa de onegai shimasu · the counter, please
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The Onsen Said No Tattoos. Then They Pointed at a Door You Can Rent by the Hour.
Kazoku-buro wa arimasu ka · Do you have a family bath?
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Both Trains Say Yamanote. One of Them Is the Long Way Around.
uchimawari · inner loop
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She Handed You the Thin One. Accounting Will Throw It Out.
ryōshūsho o onegai shimasu · An official receipt, please.
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POV: The Ginger Jar at Conveyor-Belt Sushi Is Gone. It Is Not a Shortage.
gari kudasai · pickled ginger, please
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She Said Three Words and Walked Off. That Was Your Table Leaving.
kochira e dōzo · This way, please
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They Did Not Ask If You Booked. They Asked Whose Name It Is Under.
go-yoyaku no o-namae wa? · What name is the reservation under?
Beginner
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You Missed the Driver by Four Minutes. The Pink Slip Is the Whole Game.
saihaitatsu o onegai shimasu · please redeliver it
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She Took Your Cookies Behind a Curtain. You Are Eating Them on the Train.
kan'i hōsō de onegai shimasu · simple wrapping, please
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Your App Taught You a Whole Sentence to Take a Seat. Locals Ask Three Syllables.
aitemasu ka? · is this seat free?
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The Ryokan Bath Closes at 11. You Found That Out With a Towel In Your Hand.
ofuro wa nan-ji made desu ka? · What time does the bath close?
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In Autumn Japan Goes Hunting for Grapes. You Can Come, and It's All-You-Can-Eat.
budō-gari · grape picking (the orchard all-you-can-eat visit)
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The Glass at Immigration Wants One Finger
hitosashiyubi o oite kudasai · Please place your index finger.
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Stop Waiting for the Check. It's Already on Your Table.
denpyō o motte reji e okoshi kudasai · Please take your slip to the register.
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You Felt Dizzy in the Heat. She Skipped the Fridge and Handed You a Box.
keikō hosuieki o kudasai · Oral rehydration drink, please.
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Your Textbook Said Never Ask for a Box. Ask Anyway.
pakku ni dekimasu ka? · Can you box this up?
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The Best Shop Has No Website. One Phone Sentence Is the Trick.
ima kara itte mo daijōbu desu ka? · Is it okay if we come now?
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You Introduced Yourself in Japanese and Accidentally Called Yourself Sir.
Jon desu · I am John (never Jon-san)
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The Photo Booth Corner in Japan Has a Sign About You. It Isn't What You'll Assume.
dansei dake demo daijōbu desu ka? · Is it okay if it's just guys?
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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.
Beginner
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Wallet Gone, No Way Home. The Japanese Police Box Has a Form for This.
kaeri no denshachin o kashite itadakemasen ka. · Could you lend me the fare to get home?
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Your App Says It Means "Nice to Meet You." People Say It to Their Dentist.
yoroshiku onegai shimasu · I'm in your hands, please treat me well
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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?
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You Came for Conveyor Belt Sushi. Most Chains Stopped Rotating It.
chūmon wa tatchi paneru desu ka? · Do I order on the touch panel?
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You Asked Them to Say It Again. They Said the Same Word Again, Just Slower.
dō iu imi desu ka? · What does that mean?
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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?
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You Nodded at One Polite Question. That Is Why Your Food Is Arriving One Plate Every Eight Minutes.
o-ryōri wa issho ni onegai shimasu · The food all together, please.
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You Buy a Cake in Tokyo in August and the Shop Asks How Long You Will Be Carrying It. They Are Counting Ice Packs.
sanjuppun kurai desu. · About thirty minutes.
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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?
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One Question at a Japanese Register Decides Whether Your Food Comes in a Bag or on a Tray
ie, mochikaeri desu. · No, it's takeout.
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Your Glasses Went Crooked in Kyoto. The Right Glasses Chain Straightens Them at the Counter, Usually Free.
megane no chousei, onegai dekimasu ka? · Could you adjust my glasses?
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Your Etiquette Guide Said Always Use Chopsticks. Nigiri Was Built to Be Eaten With Your Fingers.
te de tabete mo ii desu ka? · Is it okay to eat this with my hands?
Beginner
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Everyone at the Table Ordered Beer. You Don't Drink. One Sentence Ends It on the First Ask.
osake, nomenai n desu · I can't drink alcohol
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You Rented a Car in Japan and Drove Into the Purple Lane. The Barrier Isn't Going Up.
ītīshī kādo wa kariraremasu ka? · Can I rent an ETC card?
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Every Japanese Department Store Has a Free Room With a Sofa and Hot Water. It's Not on the English Floor Map.
omutsu-gae no basho wa arimasu ka? · Is there somewhere to change a nappy?
Beginner
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You Ask a Japanese Drugstore for Sunburn Cream and Get Sent Back to the Sunscreen. One Word Fixes It.
hiyake de hirihiri suru n desu · I'm sunburnt and it stings.
Beginner
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You Gave Up Your Seat in Japan and Got Turned Down. There's a Tiny Lie That Fixes It.
tsugi de orimasu node, dōzo · I'm getting off at the next stop, so please, go ahead.
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You Asked for the English Menu in Japan. You Just Got the Short Version.
nihongo no menyuu mo onegai shimasu · The Japanese menu too, please.
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The Card Reader in Japan Offers to Charge You in Dollars. That's Not a Favour.
nihon'en de onegai shimasu · In yen, please.
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The Bill Is Paid and Nobody Is Standing Up. Japan Has a Word for What Happens Next.
mou ikken ikimasen ka? · Want to go to one more place?
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You Made It to the Japanese Clinic. Reception Opens by Asking for a Card You Were Never Going to Have.
nihon no hokenshō wa arimasen · I don't have Japanese insurance
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