Speaking and pronunciation
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Speaking and pronunciation · Page 35
How to Say Check Please in Japanese: O-kaikei, the X Gesture and Paying Up
Check please in Japanese is o-kaikei onegaishimasu, said to any member of staff, and in most restaurants you then take the slip from your table to the register by the door rather than paying where you sit.
13 min readHow to Say Do You Have in Japanese: Arimasu ka, Motte imasu ka and Shop Replies
In a shop, do you have is simply the item plus wa arimasu ka; for something a person owns or carries it is motte imasu ka; and for people or pets it becomes imasu ka, because Japanese chooses the verb by what is being had.
13 min readHow to Say I Am on My Way in Japanese: Ima Mukatte imasu and Arrival Times
I'm on my way in Japanese is ima mukatte imasu, and you usually add how long you will be with a phrase such as mō sugu tsukimasu, I'll arrive soon, or ato go-fun de tsukimasu, I'll be there in five minutes.
12 min readHow to Say It Was Fun in Japanese: Tanoshikatta, Thank-yous and Follow-up Texts
It was fun in Japanese is tanoshikatta, or tanoshikatta desu when you are speaking politely, and it is almost always said together with a thank-you such as kyō wa arigatō and a wish to meet again like mata asobō.
12 min readHow to Say Where Are You From in Japanese: Asking, Answering and Following Up
The most natural way to ask where someone is from in Japanese is go-shusshin wa dochira desu ka, and the simplest answer is your country or city followed by shusshin desu, or kara kimashita if you have just arrived.
12 min readJapanese at a Driving School: Enrolling, Lessons and the Two Stages
A Japanese driving school, or kyōshūjo, takes you from enrolment through two stages of classroom and practical lessons to a graduation test, and the whole process runs on a small, repeated vocabulary you can learn before your first lesson.
13 min readJapanese at a Library: Cards, Borrowing, Holds and Quiet Rules
Japanese public libraries are free to join if you live, work or study in the municipality, and the whole visit runs on a handful of phrases: registering for a card, borrowing at the counter, returning to the box and asking a librarian for help.
13 min readJapanese at a Swimming Pool: Caps, Lanes, Rest Breaks and Rules
Japanese public pools run on a few firm rules, a swim cap, a shower before you enter, lanes sorted by speed and a short rest break every hour, and once you know the words for them the visit is easy.
12 min readJapanese for the Annual Health Check: Kenkō Shindan from Booking to Results
The kenkō shindan is the annual health check that Japanese employers arrange for staff, a fast circuit of a dozen short tests, and knowing the instructions, the station names and the four result grades makes a confusing morning routine.
13 min readJapanese at a Massage and Seitai Clinic: Kori, Hari and Asking for Less Pressure
Getting a massage in Japan means choosing between a relaxation salon, a seitai studio, a shiatsu practitioner or a seikotsuin bone-setting clinic, and then describing your stiff shoulders and sore back in a few words the therapist can act on.
13 min readJapanese for Printing at a Convenience Store: The Multicopy Machine Explained
Every Japanese convenience store has a multicopy machine that prints, copies and scans for a few coins, and once you can read a dozen words on its screen and say a few sentences to staff, you can print a boarding pass or a contract at two in the morning.
13 min readJapanese Toilet Buttons and Signs: Washlet Controls, Flush Levers and Etiquette
The buttons on a Japanese toilet panel follow one fixed vocabulary: oshiri and bide wash, tomeru stops, kansō dries, oto or otohime plays a masking sound, and nagasu flushes, with dai and shō on a lever for a big or small flush.
13 min readPractical guides
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