Survival Japanese – using the train

Trains are the most economic and fastest way to move around in Japan. Nowadays many signs are bi-lingual but it still can be a little bit confusing to find the right platform andtrain.Here are a couple of useful expressions which will help you to find your way by train.

Expressions

Kanji	「東京駅」に行きたいですが。
Furigana	「とうきょうえき」にいきたいですが。
Romaji	[toukyou eki] ni ikitai desu ga.
English	I want to go to  [Tokyo station].

Kanji	「山の手線」はどこですか？
Furigana	「やまのてせん」はどこですか？
Romaji	[yamanote sen] wa doko desu ka?
English	Where is the [yamanote line]?

Kanji	この電車は「東京駅」行きですか？
Furigana	このでんしゃは「とうきょうえき」ゆきですか？
Romaji	kono densha wa [toukyou eki] yuki desuka?
English	Is this train going to [Tokyo station]?

Kanji	「中央線」のホームはどこですか？
Furigana	「ちゅうおうせん」のホームはどこですか？
Romaji	[chuuou sen] no hoomu wa doko desu ka?
English	Where is the platform for the [chuo line]?

Vocabulary

English	Romaji	Furigana	Kanji
change train	norikae	のりかえ	乗り換え
last train	shuuden	しゅうでん	終電
station	eki	えき	駅
ticket	kippu	きっぷ	切符
ticket barrier	kaisatsuguchi	かいさつぐち	改札口
track number	hoomu	ホーム	ホーム
train	densha	でんしゃ	電車

Survival Japanese – self introduction

When you come to Japan you will probably meet many people. Even if you don’t speak the language, using a little bit of Japanese to introduce yourself will bring you a lot of sympathy for making the effort. This is a collection of useful phrases that can be used to introduce yourself in Japanese.

Simple:

This is a simple but polite self introduction that can be used in any situation. It also can be used in a business situation without being regarded as rude or too casual.

Kanji	初めまして。Michaelです。よろしくお願いします。
Furigana	はじめまして。Michaelです。よろしくおねがいします。
Romaji	hajimemashite.Michael desu.Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
English	Nice to meet you.My name is Michael.It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Business:

The Japanese language used in business is more formal and more polite than the day to day language. If you represent your company it also is common to mention your company name and eventually your department when you introduce yourself. Please also be aware that in Japanese usually the last name is mentioned before the first name.

Kanji	初めまして。Coca Colaの営業のMichael Smithと申します。どうぞよろしくお願いします。
Furigana	はじめまして。Coca ColaのえいぎょうのMichael Smithともうします。どうぞよろしくお願いします。
Romaji	hajimemashite.Coca Cola no eigyou no Michael Smith tomoushimasu.Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
English	Nice to meet you.My name is Michael Smith from Coca Cola sales.It is a pleasure to meet you.

When you handover your business cards, make sure to hand it over holding it with two hands and also receive your business partner’s card with two hand. It is polite to have a short look at the card in order to check the position and title of the other person. When you return to the meeting table you should line up the business cards in front of you and arrange them in the same order as the people are sitting (This can be difficult sometimes). Do not write on a business you received in front of the people since this is regarded as un-polite.

List of Japanese classificators

When counting in Japanese certain special counters need to be applied depending on the objects or subject, which is being counted. Below you will find a list of the most commonly used counters.

Objects

Subject	Kanji	Furigana	Romaji	Examples
books	冊	さつ	satsu	一冊 (issatsu), 二冊 (nisatsu), etc.
buildings	軒	けん	ken	一軒 (ikken), 二軒 (niken), etc.
cups	杯	はい	hai	一杯 (ippai), 二杯 (nihai), etc.
flat objects	枚	まい	mai	一枚 (ichimai), 二枚 (nimai), etc.
floors	階	かい	kai	一階 (ikkai), 二階 (nikai), etc.
machines, cars	台	だい	dai	一台 (ichidai), 二台 (nidai), etc.
small objects	個	こ	ko	一個 (ikko), 二個 (niko),
Yen	円	えん	en	一円 (ichien), 二円 (nien),

Living things

Subject	Kanji	Furigana	Romaji	Examples
people	人	にん	nin	一人(hitori), 二人 (futari), 三人 (sannin) etc.
small animals	匹	ひき	hiki	一匹 (ippiki), 二匹 (nihiki), etc.
birds & rabbits	羽	わ	wa	一羽 (ichiwa), 二羽 (niwa), etc.
large animals	頭	とう	tou	一頭 (ittou), 二頭 (nitou), etc.

Occurrences & ranking

Subject	Kanji	Furigana	Romaji	Examples
stays over night	泊	はく	haku	一泊 (ippaku), 二泊 (nihaku), etc.
times	回	かい	kai	一回 (ikkai), 二回 (nikai),
times	度	ど	do	一度 (ichido), 二度 (nido),
rank	番	ばん	ban	一番 (ichiban), 二番 (niban),
book, newspaper issue	号	ごう	gou	一号 (ichigou), 二号 (nigou),

Time

Subject	Kanji	Furigana	Romaji	Examples
seconds	秒	びょう	byou	一秒 (ichibyou), 二秒 (nibyou),
minutes	分	ふん	fun	一分 (ippun), 二分 (nifun, etc.),
clock hours	時	じ	ji	一時 (ichiji), 二時 (niji, etc.),
hours (duration)	時間	じかん	jikan	一時間 (ichijikan), 二時間 (nijikan, etc.),
weeks (duration)	週間	しゅうかん	shuukan	一週間 (isshuukan), 二週間 (nishuukan, etc.),
months (duration)	ヶ月	かげつ	kagetsu	一ヶ月 (ikkagetsu), 二ヶ月 (nikagetsu, etc.),
years (duration)	年間	ねんかん	nenkan	一年間 (ichinenkan), 二年間 (ninenkan, etc.),
years (age)	才	さい	sai	一才 (issai), ニ才 (nisai, etc.),
years (age)	歳	さい	sai	一才 (issai), ニ才 (nisai, etc.),

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Calendar days in Japanese

The expression of calendar days requires the Japanese as well as the Chinese basic numbers systems. Japanese numbers are used from the first to the tenth as well as for the 14th and 24th day. All other days use the Chinese numbering system. Be careful for the 20th day, which is irregular.

Day	Kanji	Furigana	Romaji
1	一日	ついたち	tsuitachi
2	二日	ふつか	futsuka
3	三日	みっか	mikka
4	四日	よっか	yokka
5	五日	いつか	itsuka
6	六日	むいか	muika
7	七日	なのか	nanoka
8	八日	ようか	youka
9	九日	ここのか	kokonoka
10	十日	とおか	tooka
11	十一日	じゅういちにち	juuichinichi
12	十二日	じゅうににち	juuninichi
14	十四日	じゅうよっか	juuyoka
15	十五日	じゅうごにち	juugonichi
20	二十日	はつか	hatsuka
21	二十一日	にじゅういちにち	nijuuichinichi
24	二十四日	にじゅうよっか	nijuuyokka
31	三十一日	さんじゅういちにち	sanjuuichinichi

Ordinal numbers using the Chinese system and Japanese system

When using the Chinese system for ordinal numbers 番目 (banme) is added at the end of the Onyomi reading of the basic number. Alternatively the Japanese system can also be used for the first nine numbers.

一番目 – ichibanme – the first

二番目 – nibanme – the second

三番目 – sanbanme – the third

四番目 – yonbanme – the fourth

五番目 – gobanme – the fifth

六番目 – rokubanme – the sixth

七番目 – nanabanme – the seventh

八番目 – hachibanme – the eighth

九番目 – kyuubanme – the ninth

十番目 – juubanme – the tenth

百番目 – hyakubanme – the hundredth

千番目 – senbanme – the tousandth

Japanese basic numbers become ordinal numbers simple by adding a 目 (me) at their end. The Japanese system only goes until nine. The Chinese system can also be used and it goes beyond the first nine numbers.

一つ目 – hitotsume – the first

二つ目 – futatsume – the second

三つ目 – mittsume – the third

四つ目 – yottsume – the fourth

五つ目 – itsutsume – the fifth

六つ目 – muttsume – the sixth

七つ目 – nanatsume – the seventh

八つ目 – yattsume – the eighth

九つ目 – kokonotsume – the nineth