10 Must Learn Japanese Words When Traveling to Japan

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Traveling to a nation with entirely different customs and where you don’t even know the native language can be really a daunting task-especially when the major population there does not speaks English. Japan is one such country that gives utmost preference to their mother tongue – Japanese, and moreover there are almost no signs or maps in English language. In such a situation, it is always better to learn few words in Japanese before you travel so that is easy to communicate and the vacation go a lot easier. So, here are 10 Japanese words you must know and memorize before traveling to Japan.

Sumimasen (pronunciation: “sue-me-mah-sen”)
The closest English translation of the word sumimasen would be “excuse me”, but it is also a phrase and can be even used for saying “sorry”, “thanks” or as an introduction before asking a question. This multipurpose Japanese word is sure to get you a lot of mileage.

Doko (pronunciation: “do‧ku”)
Doko in English means “where”. This is no doubt one of the very common words used by a person while traveling. Some of the great examples of this word are:
Doko (where?)
wa doko desu ka (where is?)
eki wa doko desu ka (where is the station?)
toire wa doko desu ka (where is the toilet?)

Hai (pronunciation: “hanyu-pinyin”)
Hai means “I'm satisfied”. Do remember, it never necessarily means yes. For instance, if someone asks you if you want more rice, you may say Hai-“I'm satisfied”. This word is a great deal in Japanese as it sounds very polite.

Arigatou (pronounced: “ah-ree-gah-toe”)
As mentioned above, politeness goes a long way in Japan so it is very important to be appreciative of others and thank them as and when possible. The easiest way to say “thank you” in Japanese would be by simply saying arigatou. It works best especially as a foreigner.

Itsu (pronounced: “i - t - su”)
Interrogative words like itsu are important and helpful when traveling. The Japanese word itsu in English means “when”. You may combine them with other words to form a sentence like:
Basu ga itsu desu ka (when is the bus?)
Densha ga itsu desu ka (when is the train?)

Wakarimasen
The word wakarimasen means “I don't understand”. It is good to often use this phrase as it is always important to be able to indicate that don't understand something. You may use them in sentences to convey what you want to like:
Wakarimasen (I don't understand)
Nihongo wa wakarimasen (I don't understand Japanese)

Toire (pronounced: “toy-reh”)
Surprisingly, finding public toilets (or more specifically western-style toilets) in Japan can be really hard. It is equally important to know how to ask people where you may find one in case of an emergency. Japanese word toire in English means “toilet” and even if you are not aware about the full phrase, you may simple ask for “toire” and people will understand.

Ikura (pronounced: “ee-koo-rah”)
This word is indeed a must-know for you as ikura means “how much” and you will need to ask this every time you go out to buy something to eat, drink or shop. Though, most of the price tags, signs and cash registers are all displayed using the western numerals.

Kudasai (pronounced: “koo-dah-sigh”)
Kudasai is a much more casual word for “please” and can be used to be more polite in the foreign land. The word can be used while asking for favors and even for ordering food at restaurants. You just need to point at something and say kore (ko-reh) kudasai (“this please”).

Gomennasai
Just in case you feel that you have offended someone intentionally or unintentionally, feel free to say gomennasai, which means “I'm sorry”. This way you can get out of any possible mess.