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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Booking Japan for the Autumn Leaves? One Question Saves the Whole Trip.
kōyō wa mō migoro desu ka? · Are the autumn leaves at their peak yet?
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You Walked Thirty Minutes to That Restaurant in Japan. It Needed a Booking.
yoyaku wa hitsuyō desu ka · Do I need a reservation?
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One Japanese Sentence Gets You Anything a Shop Might Have
~ wa arimasu ka? · Do you have ~?
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At a Japanese Festival Stall, Pointing Isn't Enough. They Need How Many.
hitotsu kudasai / futatsu kudasai · One, please / Two, please
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The Claw Machine Wedged Your Prize Flat Against the Glass. Staff Will Move It If You Ask.
sumimasen, kore ugokashite moraemasu ka? · Excuse me, could you move this?
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You Bought the Prettiest Charm on the Shrine Counter for Your Boss. Congratulations on Their Safe Delivery.
kore wa nan no omamori desu ka? · What's this charm for?
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Your Textbook Taught You the Days of the Week Wrong. Well, Too Long.
kin'you · Friday (casual, dropping the last part of the full word)
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You Pull Into a Japanese Gas Station and Three People in Uniform Run at Your Car.
regyuraa mantan de onegai shimasu · Regular, fill it up, please.
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Two Minutes Into Your Taxi Ride the Driver Asks a Question. Nodding Costs You Money.
kōsoku, tsukaimasu ka? · Shall I take the expressway?
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Your Sushi Video Taught You an Insider Word for Tea. It Belongs to the Guy Behind the Counter.
ocha kudasai · Tea, please.
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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?
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Every Cafe in Japan Asks You This in August. The Answer Is One Word.
aisu de onegai shimasu · iced, please
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The Ramen Shop Has No Line. There's a Clipboard by the Door and Your Name Isn't on It.
koko ni namae o kakeba ii desu ka? · Should I write my name here?
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The Konbini Sells Fireworks All August. Where You Can Light Them Is the Catch.
koko de hanabi o shite mo ii desu ka? · Is it okay to do fireworks here?
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Haggling in Japan Does Not Work. There Are About Four Places Where It Quietly Does.
mō sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka? · Could it be a little cheaper?
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Twenty Five Thousand Steps a Day. The Massage Shop Asks You One Question and You Need One Answer.
mō sukoshi tsuyoku onegai shimasu · A little stronger, please.
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Two Seats on the Same Shinkansen Cost the Same. Only One of Them Sees Mount Fuji.
madogawa de onegai shimasu · A window seat, please.
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You Booked Two Shinkansen Tickets. Japan Gave You Two Seats in Different Rows.
sumimasen, seki, kawatte moraemasen ka? · Excuse me, could we swap seats?
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That Chicken Is Pink in the Middle. In Japan That Might Be the Whole Point.
kore, nama desu ka? · Is this raw?
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A Typhoon Just Ate Your Plans. Don't Cancel Them. Move Them.
hinichi o henkō dekimasu ka? · Can I change the date?
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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?
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You Want a Real Japanese Souvenir. A Lot of That Shelf Was Made Somewhere Else.
kore, nihonsei desu ka? · Is this made in Japan?
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Two One Way Tickets in Japan. You Just Paid Extra for the Exact Same Trip.
oufuku de onegai shimasu · Round trip, please.
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The Machine Just Ate Your Five Hundred Yen. Do Not Walk Away From It.
kowarete imasu · It's broken. It isn't working.
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The Cash Machine in Japan Just Gave You a Note the Bus Will Refuse.
ichiman-en satsu demo ii desu ka? · Is a ten thousand yen note okay?
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Say Two Words of Japanese and Someone Will Call You Fluent. Now What?
mada mada desu · I've still got a long way to go
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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?
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Riding the Subway All Day in Japan? Say This at the Window and Stop Paying Per Ride.
ichinichi jōshaken o kudasai · A one-day pass, please
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A Phone Is Sitting Alone on a Table in Tokyo. It Is Not Lost. It Is a Fence.
seki, totteru n desu · Sorry, this seat's taken
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That Cheerful Jingle on the Japanese Platform Is Not Decoration. It Is a Countdown.
doa ga shimarimasu · The doors are closing
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The Ramen Shop Asks How You Want Your Noodles. Say Nothing and You Get the Boring Answer.
katame de onegai shimasu · Firm, please
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A Stranger in Japan Will Ask You One Question. Most Tourists Just Smile and Nod.
sugoku tanoshii desu · I'm having a great time.
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"Sorry, We Are Full." In Japan That Is Not the End of the Conversation.
kyanseru-machi wa dekimasu ka? · Can I go on the cancellation waiting list?
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You Fell Asleep on a Japanese Train and Woke Up Somewhere Else. Say This at the Gate.
norisugoshimashita · I missed my stop.
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That Ryokan Costs Forty Thousand Yen a Night. You Can Use Its Hot Spring for About a Thousand.
higaeri nyuuyoku, dekimasu ka? · Can I use the bath just for the day?
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The Kyoto Bus Has Not Moved in Ten Minutes. Everyone Overtaking It Is on a Bicycle.
jitensha o karitai desu · I'd like to rent a bicycle.
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Your Flight Just Got Cancelled by a Typhoon. Check Out Is in Forty Minutes.
mou ippaku dekimasu ka? · Can I stay one more night?
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Your Ryokan Is a Two Thousand Yen Taxi From the Station. It Also Runs a Free Van.
sougei basu wa arimasu ka? · Is there a shuttle bus?
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The Phone in Your Karaoke Room Rings. Nobody Told You It Was a Countdown.
enchō dekimasu ka? · Can I extend?
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You Land at Nine. Check In Is at Three. Here Is the Sentence, and the Answer You Will Actually Get.
hayame ni chekku-in dekimasu ka · Can I check in early?
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A Hand Reaches for Your Plate in Japan. You Are Not Finished.
mada tabete imasu · I'm still eating.
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The Karaoke Desk Asks One Thing Before They Hand You a Room.
nijikan de onegai shimasu · Two hours, please.
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Mid August You Walk to That Ramen Shop and It Is Dark. The Whole Street Took the Same Week Off.
obon wa oyasumi desu ka? · Are you closed for Obon?
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You Just Bought 3,000 Yen of Kyoto Sweets. It Is 36 Degrees. Ask for This at the Register.
horeizai o irete moraemasu ka? · Could you put in an ice pack?
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Two ATMs on the Same Street in Japan. Only One Takes Your Foreign Card.
kaigai no kaado wa tsukaemasu ka? · Can I use a foreign card?
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In Japan the Ramen Shop Is Not Down the Street. It Is on the Seventh Floor.
nangai desu ka · What floor is it on?
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The Noodles Are Sliding Down a Bamboo Pipe. Nobody Told You the Rules.
kore, dō yatte tabemasu ka · How do I eat this?
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Booked a Ryokan? Breakfast Is Half the Reason You Came. Ask What Time It Starts.
asagohan wa nanji desu ka · What time is breakfast?
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