Roman-ji (romanization) Alphabet
['i's are pronounced as long 'e's]
[Their alphabet is read as akasatanahamayarawagazadabapa)]
['r's are pronounced with an 'l' sound]
a.............i..............u.............e............o................(aiueo)
ka...........ki............ku...........ke...........ko
sa............shi/si......su...........se...........so
ta............chi/ti......tsu/tu......te............to
na...........ni............nu...........ne...........no
ha...........hi............fu/hu......he............ho
ma..........mi...........mu..........me..........mo
ya...........................yu..........................yo
ra (la)......ri (li)........ru (lu)......re (le)......ro (lo)
wa.......................................................wo (o) (prounounced as
o,' is for objects)

ga......gi..........gu...........ge......go
za......ji/zi.......zu...........ze......zo
da......ji/di......zu/du......de......do
ba......bi..........bu...........be......bo
pa......pi..........pu...........pe......po

kya...................kyu...................kyo
sha/sya............shu/syu............shy/syo
cha/tyu............chu/tyu............cho/tyo
nya..................nyu...................nyo
hya..................hyu...................hyo
mya.................myu..................myo

Greetings and Polite Expressions
Arigatoo.............................................................Thank you.
Arigatoo gozaimasu.............................................Thank you. (formal)
Doo itashimashie..................................................You are welcome.
Doomo................................................................Thanks. (very informal)
Doomo arigatoo...................................................Thank you very much.
Doozo yoroshiku..................................................Thank you very much. (most formal)
Genki desu...........................................................I am fine.
Hajimemashite......................................................How do you do?
Ii o-tenki desu ne.................................................It’s fine weather, isn’t it?
Ja (de wa)...........................................................See you.
Ja (de wa) mata...................................................See you. (formal)
Kekkoo desu........................................................No thanks.
Konban wa ..........................................................Good evening.
Konnichi wa.........................................................Good afternoon.
O-genki desu ka...................................................How are you?
Ohayoo...............................................................Good morning. (informal)
Ohayoo gozaimasu...............................................Good morning. (formal)
O-hisashiburi desu ne...........................................I haven’t seen you for a long time.
Okagesama de genki desu....................................Thanks to you, I am fine.
O-negai shimasu..................................................Please (give me)...
O-yasumi nasai....................................................Good night.
Sayonara............................................................Good-bye. (formal)
Shitsuree shimasu................................................Good-bye.
Sumimasen..........................................................Excuse me, thank you.


Questions
O-namae wa........................................................May I have your name?

Classroom
booru-pen............................................................Ballpoint pen.
chooku................................................................Chalk.
denki...................................................................light, lamp.
doa.....................................................................door.
enpitsu................................................................pencil.
gakusee..............................................................student.
hon.....................................................................book.
isu......................................................................chair.
jisho...................................................................dictionary.
kaaten................................................................curtain.
kaban.................................................................bag; briefcase.
kabe...................................................................wall.
kami...................................................................paper.
keshigomu...........................................................eraser.
kokuban..............................................................chalkboard.
kokuban-keshi.....................................................eraser (for blackboard).
kyookasho ..........................................................textbook.
kyooshitsu ..........................................................classroom.
mado..................................................................window.
mannenhitsu........................................................fountain pen.
nooto..................................................................notebook.
sensee (or sensei)................................................teacher, professor.
shaapu penshiru...................................................mechanical pencil.
teeburu...............................................................table.
tenjoo.................................................................ceiling.
tsukue................................................................desk.
yuka...................................................................floor.

Other Nouns
daikaku...............................................................university.
meeshi................................................................name card, business card.

Other Useful Words
desu....................................................................to be. (copula)
doozo..................................................................please.
Hai, soo desu.......................................................Yes, that’s right.
iie.......................................................................no.
ka.......................................................................(a '?' for something you don’t know. Put at the end of a sentance)
kore....................................................................this (thing)
ne.......................................................................(Assumption. Put at the end of a sentance)
no.......................................................................(possessive marker)
watashi................................................................I
yo.......................................................................(a '?' you have full info about, but you assume they don’t. Don’t use on someone higher rank)

Expressions
Student
Book wa Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka.......................................................................How do you say book in Japanese?
Chooto matte kudasai ...........................................Please wait a moment.
Hon to iimasu..............................................(you) say hon.
Moo ichido onegai shimasu...............................................................Please say that again.
Shitsumon ga arimasu...........................................I have a question.
Wakarimas...........................................................I know.
Wakarimasen........................................................I don’t understand.
Wakarimashita......................................................I understand.

Instructor
Hon o akete kudasai..............................................Please open your book.
Hon o tojite kudasai...............................................Please close your book.
Hon o mite kudasai................................................Please look at your book.
Hon wa minaide kudasai.........................................Please don’t look at your book.
Kiite (ite) kudasai...................................................Please listen.
Mite kudasai...........................................................Please look at (me, it, this, etc).
Itte kudasai...........................................................Please say it.
Moo ichido itte kudasai...........................................Please repeat again.
Yonde kudasai.......................................................Please read (it).
Nigongo de itte kudasai..........................................Please say it in Japanese.
Kurikaeshite kudasai..............................................Please repeat.
Kaite kudasai.........................................................Please write.
Renshuu shite kudasai............................................Please practice.
Pea o tsukutte kudasai...........................................Pair off with a classmate.
Nooto o dashite kudasai..........................................Please take out your notebook.
Nooto ni kaite kudasai .............................................Please write in your notebook.
Nani mo kakanaide kudasai.....................................Please don’t write anything down.
Wakarimasu ka......................................................Do you understand?
-------------Hai, wakarimasu....................................Yes, I understand.
-------------Iie, Wakarimasen...................................No, I don’t understand.
Shitsuan ga arimasu ka...........................................Do you have any questions?
-------------Hai, arimasu..........................................Yes, I do (have a question).
-------------Iie, arimasen..........................................No, I don’t (have any questions).

Other
Haijememashoo.....................................................Let’s begin.
Moo ichido.............................................................Once again, please.
Minasan, issho ni....................................................Everyone (do it) together.
Ii desu ka.............................................................Is that all right?
Ii desu ne.............................................................That’s fine
Yoku dekimashita..................................................Well done.
De wa mata kono tsugi..........................................See you next time.

Conversations

Meeting for first time
A) Hajimemashite. Kawamura desu.........................Hello (first time). I am Kawamura.
B) Hajimemashite. Buraun desu..............................Hello. I am Buraun.
A) Doozo yoroshiku...............................................Please take care of me.
B) Doozo yoroshiku...............................................Please take care of me.

Asking/confirming someone’s name and greeting
A) Sumimasen. Chin-san desu ka...........................Excuse me. You are Chin-san?
B) Hai, soo desu....................................................Yes, I am. (Yes, what you say)
A) Buraun desu. Hajimemashite. Doozo yoroshiku....I’m Buraun. Hello. Please take care of me.
B) Chin desu. Hajimemashite. Doozo yoroshiku.......I’m Chin. Hello. Please take care of me.


Asking for someone’s name
A) Hajimemashite. Buraun desu. Onamae wa?...........Hello. I am Buraun. What’s your name? (respectful)
B) Chin desu. Hajimemashite....................................I am Chin. Hello.

Meeting a neighbor
A) Hajimemashite. Tookyoo Daigaku no Buraun desu.......Hello. I, Buraun, am from Tokyo University.
B) Hajimemashite. Sonii no Takada desu..................Hello. I, Takada, am from Sonii.
A) Kore. Watashi no meeshi desu............................This is my name card.
B) Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu................................Thank you very much.
Kore, watashi no meeshi desu.................................This is my name card.
A) Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu................................Thank you very much.

Morning greetings
A) Yokoi-sensee, Ohayoo gozaimasu............................................................Yokoi-sensee, good morning.
B) Aa, Buraun-san, Ohayoo....................................Yes, Buraun-san, good morning.
A) Ii, O-tenki desu ne.............................................It is good/okay weather (assume),
B) Ee, soo desu ne.................................................Yes, it is.