🇯🇵 Japanese Greetings & Basics
The polite essentials — hello, thank you, sorry. Twelve phrases that set the tone of every conversation you'll ever have. Read them below — then actually say them: recognising a phrase and producing it out loud are different skills, and only one helps you in the moment.
| English | Japanese | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | こんにちは | konnichiwa |
| Good morning | おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu |
| Good evening | こんばんは | konbanwa |
| Goodbye | さようなら | sayōnara |
| Please | お願いします | onegai shimasu |
| Thank you | ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu |
| You're welcome | どういたしまして | dō itashimashite |
| Yes | はい | hai |
| No | いいえ | iie |
| Excuse me | すみません | sumimasen |
| I'm sorry | ごめんなさい | gomen nasai |
| How are you? | お元気ですか？ | o-genki desu ka? |
How to make these stick
- Say each phrase out loud three times — your mouth learns separately from your eyes.
- Rehearse the scene: imagine the café or the street corner and act out both sides.
- Then use them in a real conversation — Yap gives you a 30-second spoken role-play with an AI tutor that responds, corrects gently, and never judges.
More Japanese phrases
Ordering Food & DrinksAsking for DirectionsNumbers 1–10Shopping & MoneyEmergencies & HealthSmall Talk & IntroductionsDays & Telling TimeHotel & Check-in