Useful Words, Phrases, Gestures

The Japanese are quite appreciative of any effort a gai jin (foreigner) makes to try to speak Japanese. If one ever gets out a couple of sentences, any Japanese people listening would quickly compliment you. Partly, of course, it is the culture (see "Personal Relationships"). However, it is partly a recognition of the fact that, outside of Japan, most people don't speak the language. Written Japanese is very difficult to learn - for a good source of tutorials, see Japan Guide

*Note: No one really uses "sayonara", which everyone in the West knows as "goodbye", as it implies that they won't see you again.

The Japanese have a phrase said before and after meals that, although not a religious saying, does give thanks for the meal:

The phrase	Phonetic Pronunciation
prior to eating ("May I begin / looks great")	ita da ki mas
after eating ("That was a treat/good food")	gochiso sama deshita

English	Japanese Phonetic Pronunciation
delicious	oishi
great!	segoi!
like (to favour)	ski
favourite	daiski
welcome (heard as you enter businesses)	irasshaimasse
hot towel given at beginning of a meal	oshi bori
green tea	ocha
any eating place (has plastic food in window)	shokudo
a pub	izakaya
a restaurant where you cook own food	okonomiyaki
fried noodles (in above restaurant)	yaki soba
restaurant serving grilled skewers of chicken	yakitori
fish fried in a fluffy batter	tempura
bowls of noodles in a meat broth	ramen
dumplings with fried veggies & pork	gyoza
raw fish served in small bits	sashimi
Japanese horseradish root	wasabi
sweet rice that is firm and elastic	mochi
soup made of fermented soybeans & salt	miso

English	Japanese Phonetic Pronunciation
a bad thing (a "no-no" / "faux pas")	da may
difficult	mus kushi
different	che goi
same	onegai
heated table under which you sit	katatsu
reed mats covering the floor	tatamee

*Note: Rooms in Japan often are referred to by the number of tatame mats to give their size.

English	Japanese Phonetic Pronunciation
cute	kawaii
beautiful	kire
fun	ta no shi
foreigner	gai jin
English	eggo
I don't understand	Wa ka nai
Let's go!	Iki masho!
Don't worry	shim pai shi tenai
Japanese cartoon stories	manga

It's the sound of the language that's really important - it's musical. I noticed that even our daughter's English had changed.

Gestures

It is best not to use hand or other gestures as you might mistake the meaning of the signal or use the gestures at inappropriate times. The following is a short list so you are aware of some signs of communication amoung the Japanese.

Gesture	Action taken
"me"	pointing to one's nose or touching the nose
"listening"	nodding one's head up and down -- this should not be mistaken for a "yes"gesture. It means that one is listening, not necessarily agreeing.
"negative"	fanning one's hand back and forth in front of the face as if to nod "no" with the hand or fan away flies.
"embarrassment"	covering the mouth with a hand, usually by women
"anger"	pointing the index fingers up from the temples - mimicking a devil with horns
"money"	forming a circle with the thumb and index fingers together - similar to what is sometimes used in the West to mean "OK"
"eating"	holding an imaginary rice bowl in the left hand while pretending to shovel rice into the mouth with the other
"drinking"	miming the wrist action of taking a drink from a small sake cup
"come here"	waving the hand in a back and forth motion with the fingers pointed downwards

Useful Words, Phrases and Gestures

Gestures