learn japanese
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Japanese Phrases
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English Phrases Japanese Phrases
English Greetings Japanese Greetings:
Hi! Yaa. *1 やあ。
Good morning! Ohayou gozaimasu. おはようございます。
Good evening! Konbanw こんばんは。
Welcome! (to greet someone) Youkoso irasshai mashita. ようこそいらっしゃいました。
How are you? Ogenki desuka? お元気ですか?
I'm fine, thanks! Watashi wa genki desu. Arigato! わたしは元気です。ありがとう
。
And you? Anatawa? あなたは?
Good/ So-So. Genki desu. / maa-maa desu. 元気です。/ まあまあです。
Thank you (very much)! Arigatou! *2 ありがとう!
You're welcome! (for "thank you") Dou itashi mashite. どういたしまして。
I missed you so much! Samishi katta desu. *3 さみしかったです。
What's new? Saikin dou desuka? 最近どうですか?
Nothing much Kawari nai desu. 変わりないです。
Good night! Oyasumi nasai. おやすみなさい。
See you later! Mata atode aimashou! またあとで会いましょう!
Good bye! Sayonara! さようなら!
Asking for Help and Directions
I'm lost Mayotte shimai mashita. 迷ってしまいました。
Can I help you? Otetsudai shimashouka? お手伝いしましょうか?
English Phrases Japanese Phrases
Can you help me? Tetsudatte kuremasuka? *4 手伝ってくれますか?
Where is the (bathroom/
pharmacy)?
(Toire/yakkyoku) wa doko desuka? (トイレ/薬局) はどこですか
?
Go straight! then turn left/ right! Massugu itte kudasai. Soshite, hidari / migi ni magatte kudasai まっすぐ行ってください。そして、 左/右にまがってください。
I'm looking for john. John wo sagashite imasu. Johnを探しています。
One moment please! Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと待ってください。
Hold on please! (phone) Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと待ってください。
How much is this? Kore wa ikura desuka? これはいくらですか?
Excuse me ...! (to ask for
something) Sumimasen! すみません!
Excuse me! ( to pass by) Sumimasen! すみません!
Come with me! Watashi to issho ni kite kudasai. 私といっしょに来てください。
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How to Introduce Yourself
Do you speak (English/ Japanese)? Anata wa eigo/nihongo wo hanashimasu ka? あなたは(英語/日本語)を話しますか?
Just a little. Sukoshi dake. 少しだけ。
What's your name? Namae wa nandesu ka? 名前は何ですか?
My name is ... Watashi no namae wa ….. 私の名前は・・・
Mr.../ Mrs.…/ Miss… *5 “san” is adequate for all. ・・・さん
Nice to meet you! Hajimemashite! or Oai dekite ureshii desu. *6 はじめまして!/お会いできてうれしいです!
You're very kind! Anata wa totemo shinsetsu desu. あなたはとてもしんせつです
。
How to Introduce Yourself
Where are you from? Doko no shusshin desu ka? どこの出身ですか?
I'm from (the U.S/ Japan) Amerika/Nihon kara desu. アメリカ/日本からです。
I'm (American) Watashi wa Amerika jin desu. 私はアメリカ人です。
Where do you live? Doko ni sun de imasu ka? どこに住んでいますか?
I live in (the U.S/ Japan) Watashi wa amerika / nihon ni sundeimasu. 私はアメリカ/日本に住んでいます。
Did you like it here? Kokowa suki ni narimashita ka? ここは好きになりましたか?
Japan is a wonderful country Nihon ha subarashii kuni desu. 日本は素晴らしい国です。
What do you do for a living? Osigoto wa nandesu ka? お仕事は何ですか?
I work as a (translator/ businessman) Osigoto wa nandesu ka? ほんやく/会社員として働いています
。
I like Japanese Watashi wa nihongo ga suki desu. 私は日本語が好きです。
I've been learning Japanese for 1
month
Watashi wa nihongo wo ichikagetu narrate imasu. 私は日本語を一ヶ月習っています。
Oh! That's good! Sorewa iidesu ne. それはいいですね。
How old are you? Toshi wa ikutsu desu ka? 年はいくつですか?
I'm (twenty, thirty...) years old. Watshi wa (20, 30) sai desu. 私は(20,30)才です。
I have to go Ikanakutewa narimasen. 行かなくてはなりません。
I will be right back! Sugu modori masu. すぐ戻ります。
Wish Someone Something
Good luck! Ganbatte ne! *7 がんばってね!
Happy birthday! Tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu! 誕生日おめでとうございます
!
Happy new year! Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. あけましておめでとうございます。
Merry Christmas! Merii Kurisumasu! *8 メリークリスマス!
How to Introduce Yourself
Congratulations! Omedetou! おめでとう!
Enjoy! (for meals...) (noun, etc) wo tanoshinde kudasai. ( ) を楽しんでください。
I'd like to visit Japan one day Ituka nihon wo otozure tai. いつか日本を訪れたい。
Say hi to John for me John ni yoroshiku to tsutaete kudasai.
Johnによろしくと伝えてください。
Bless you (when sneezing) Odaiji ni. お大事に。
Good night and sweet dreams! Oyasumi nasai. おやすみなさい。
Solving a Misunderstanding
I'm Sorry! (if you don't hear
something) Sumimasen. すみません。
Sorry (for a mistake) Gomenasai. ごめんなさい。
No Problem! Daijyoubu desu. 大丈夫です。
Can You Say It Again? Mouichido itte kuremasuka? もういちど言ってくれますか?
Can You Speak Slowly? Yukkuri shabette kuremasuka? ゆっくりしゃべってくれますか
?
Write It Down Please! Kaite kudasai. 書いてください。
I Don't Understand! Wakarimasen. わかりません。
I Don't Know! Shirimasen. 知りません。
I Have No Idea. Wakarimasen. わかりません。
What's That Called In Japanese? Arewa nihongo de nanto iimasu ka? あれは日本語で何といいますか?
What Does "gato" Mean In English? “Omedeto” wa eigo de douiu imi desu ka?
Omedeto は英語でどういう意味ですか?
How Do You Say "Please" In
Japanese?
“Please” wa nihongo de nanto iimasu ka?
“Please” は日本語で何と言いますか?
What Is This? Korewa nandesu ka? これは何ですか?
How to Introduce Yourself
My Japanese is bad. Watashi no nihongo wa heta desu. 私の日本語はへたです。
I need to practice my Japanese Nihonn go wo renshu suru hitsuyou ga arimasu. 日本語を練習する必要があります。
Don't worry! Goshinpai naku. ご心配なく。
Japanese Expressions and Words
Good/ Bad/ So-So. Yoi / Warui / maa-maa よい/悪い/まあまあ
Big/ Small Ookii/Chiisai 大きい/小さい
Today/ Now Kyou / Ima 今日/今
Tomorrow/ Yesterday Ashita / Kinou 明日/昨日
Yes/ No Hai / iie はい/いいえ
Here you go! (when giving
something) Hai, douzo! はい、どうぞ。
Do you like it? Suki desu ka? 好きですか?
I really like it! Honto ni suki desu. ほんとに好きです。
I'm hungry/ thirsty. Onaka ga suki masita. / Nodo ga kawaki mashita. おなかが空きました。/のどがかわきました。
In The Morning/ Evening/ At Night. Asa ni, yuugata ni, yoru ni 朝に/夕方に/夜に
This/ That. Here/There Kore / Are Koko / Asoko これ/あれ ここ/あそこ
Me/ You. Him/ Her. Watashi / anata Kare / Kanojyo 私/あなた 彼/彼女
Really! Honto! ほんと!
Look! Mite! 見て!
Hurry up! Isoide! 急いで!
What? Where? Nani? Doko? 何? どこ?
What time is it? Nanji desu ka? 何時ですか?
How to Introduce Yourself
It's 10 o'clock. 07:30pm. Jyuji desu. Gogo hichi ji sanjyu pun desu. 十時です。午後7時30分です。
Give me this! Kore wo kudasai! これをください。
I love you! Daisuki desu./ Anata wo aishite imasu. *9
大好きです。/あなたを愛しています。
I feel sick. Choshi ga warui desu. 調子が悪いです。
I need a doctor Byouin ni ikitai. 病院に行きたい。
One, Two, Three Ichi, ni, san いち、に、さん
Four, Five, Six Yon, go, roku よん、ご、ろく
Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten Nana (shichi) hachi, kyuu, jyuu なな(ひち)、はち、きゅう、
じゅう
*1 This may be a kind of literary/writing expression… and it’s seldom used in conversation. But
never is unnatural.
*2 Arigato and Arigato gozaimasu. There’s no big difference between them, “Arigato gozaimasu” is
more polite.
*3 (Anata ga inakute) Samishi katta desu : Abbreviated Anata ga inakute.
*4 Usually we just say “Excuse me/ Sumimasen”, and “Can you help me” is included in this
“Sumimasen”.
*5 ...san is a very normal way. Add after both first and family name like Koizumi san or Jyunichiro
san.
*6 This sentence can directly be Oai dekite ureshii desu. If you meet person for the first time, you
can say Hajimemashite.
*7 Direct translation is Kouun wo inorimasu.
*8 Christmas is not really celebrated by the Japanese and therefore Merry Christmas is not a
common greeting you would hear.
*9 This is one of the Japanese language mysteries, I love you is expressed in progressive aspect
like “I am loving you”. But basically it’s seldom used. Instead, Daisuki desu is used casually.
I hope the content of this page was useful to you, and that you learned some Japanese phrases,
expressions and words. Make sure to memorize them to be able to use them in your daily
conversation. If you want to practice what you have learnt here, go to Language Test.
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Japanese Alphabet
This page contains a table including the following: Japanese alphabet, including Kana,
Hiragana, and Katakana, letters which help you pronounce the words in a given language, you
will also learn about the different consonants and vowels. Make sure to check our Learn
Japanese page, which contains several lessons that might help you in your learning process.
Japanese Alphabet
The Japanese alphabet is usually referred to as kana, specifically hiragana and katakana. While the
Hiragana consists of 48 syllables, it is a phonetic alphabet where each alphabetic combination represents
just a single sound. Thus any Japanese word can be written in a way that can be read without having to
remember how the word is pronounced. So the Japanese kana are much simpler, the way something is
written is the way it sounds. There is also Kanji, a Japanese system of writing based on borrowed or
slightly modified Chinese characters.
Hiragana Syllables (Alphabet)
The table below shows the 48 Hiragana syllables:
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EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
a あ ka か sa さ ta た na な
i い ki き shi し chi ち ni に
u う ku く su す tsu つ nu ぬ
e え ke け se せ te て ne ね
o お ko こ so そ to と no の
ha は ma ま ya や ra ら wa わ
hi ひ mi み
ri り wi ゐ
fu ふ mu む yu ゆ ru る n ん
he へ me め
re れ we ゑ
ho ほ mo も yo よ ro ろ wo を
Maybe you have noticed that many sounds are missing, that’s why Japanese added some additional
sounds using diacritics or combinations of syllables, the table below shows the additional sounds in
Hiragana:
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EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
ga が za ざ da だ ba ば pa ぱ
gi ぎ ji じ ji ぢ bi び pi ぴ
gu ぐ zu ず zu づ bu ぶ pu ぷ
ge げ ze ぜ de で be べ pe ぺ
go ご zo ぞ do ど bo ぼ po ぽ
kya きゃ sha しゃ cha ちゃ hya ひゃ pya ぴゃ
kyu きゅ shu しゅ chu ちゅ hyu ひゅ pyu ぴゅ
kyo きょ sho しょ cho ちょ hyo ひょ pyo ぴょ
gya ぎゃ ja じゃ nya にゃ bya びゃ mya みゃ
gya ぎゅ ju じゅ nyu にゅ byu びゅ my みゅ
gyo ぎょ jo じょ nyo にょ byo びょ myo みょ
rya りゃ ryu りゅ ryu りょ (ja) ぢゃ (ju) ぢゅ
Katakana Syllables (Alphabet)
Katakana are most often used for transcription of words in foreign languages. used to represent sounds,
technical and scientific terms.
Katakana's main feature is short straight strokes and angular corners, that’s why Katakana is considered
the simplest of the Japanese scripts.
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EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
a ア ka カ sa サ ta タ na ナ
i イ ki キ shi シ chi チ ni ニ
u ウ ku ク su ス tsu ツ nu ヌ
e エ ke ケ se セ te テ ne ネ
o オ ko コ so ソ to ト no ノ
ha ハ ma マ ya ヤ ra ラ wa ワ
hi ヒ mi ミ
ri リ (wi) ヰ
fu フ mu ム yu ユ ru ル n ン
he ヘ me メ
re レ (we) ヱ
ho ホ mo モ yo ヨ ro ロ (w)o ヲ
For a modern Katakana there was a necessity to add some sounds, below is a list of additions to the
katakana, used mainly to represent sounds from other languages:
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EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
ga ガ za ザ da ダ ba バ pa パ
gi ギ ji ジ ji ヂ bi ビ pi ピ
gu グ zu ズ zu ヅ bu ブ pu プ
ge ゲ ze ゼ de デ be ベ pe ペ
EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
go ゴ zo ゾ do ド bo ボ po ポ
kya キャ sha シャ cha チャ hya ヒャ pya ピャ
kyu キュ shu シュ chu チュ hyu ヒュ pyu ピュ
kyo キョ sho ショ cho チョ hyo ヒョ pyo ピョ
gya ギャ ja ジャ nya ニャ bya ビャ mya ミャ
gya ギュ ju ジュ nyu ニュ byu ビュ my ミュ
gyo ギョ jo ジョ nyo ニョ byo ビョ myo ミョ
rya リャ ryu リュ ryu リョ (ja) ヂャ (ju) ヂュ
Kanji Characters (Alphabet)
Kanji are used together with three other systems to write modern Japanese, Kanji which is a Japanese
system of writing based on borrowed or slightly modified Chinese characters is used to write parts of the
language such as nouns, adjective stems and verb stems. For Kanji characters refers to the Chinese
characters.
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EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
ye イェ va (ヷ) va ヴァ she シェ
wi ウィ vi (ヸ) vi ヴィ je ジェ
we ウェ vu ヴ ve ヴェ che チェ
wo ウォ ve (ヹ) vo ヴォ
vo (ヺ) vya ヴャ
ti ティ tsa ツァ fa ファ
EN JP EN JP EN JP EN JP
tu トゥ tsi ツィ fi フィ
tyu テュ tse ツェ fe フェ
di ディ tso ツォ fo フォ
du ドゥ
fyu フュ
dyu デュ
Japanese Cardinal Numbers
Numbers in Japanese can either be written in the usual "Arabic numbers" fashion (0...9), or using
kanji. 0...9 is more often used when writing horizontally, kanji when writing vertically, although
there are plenty of exceptions to both.
When using kanji to write numbers, a positional system is employed. 25 is "two ten five", 3479 is
"three thousand four hundred seven ten nine", etc. Note that there is a character and word for
10,000 (man), but not for a million. To say a million, you have to say "one hundred ten-thousand".
Cardinal numbers are digits like 1, 2, 3, 4 … There are two ways of writing the numbers in
Japanese, in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) or in Chinese numerals (一, 二, 三). The Arabic numerals
are more often used in horizontal writing, and the Chinese numerals are more common in vertical
writing.
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English Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji Kanji
0 rei [rei] 零
1 Iti [ichi] 一
2 ni 二
3 san 三
4 Shi 四
5 go 五
6 roku 六
English Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji Kanji
7 nana 七
8 hati [hachi] 八
9 kyu 九
10 jyu 十
11 jyu ichi 十一
20 ni jyu 二十
100 hyaku 百
Here are some examples of some other numbers which will give you an idea on how the structure
of several numbers is made:
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English Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji Kanji
17 jyu nana, jyu shichi 十七
151 hyaku go-jyu ichi 百五十一
302 san-byaku ni 三百二
469 yon-hyaku roku-jyu kyu 四百六十九
2025 ni-sen ni-jyu go 二千二十五
Japanese Ordinal Numbers Ordinal numbers are used to determine a position or a rank, for example: first, second, third ...
please look at the table below:
Katakana's main feature is short straight strokes and angular corners, that’s why Katakana is
considered the simplest of the Japanese scripts.
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English Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji Kanji
English Japanese Cardinal Numbers in Romaji Kanji
first tuitati 1日
second hutuka 2日
third mikka 3日
fourth yokka 4日
fifth ituka 5日
sixth muika 6日
seventh nanoka 7日
eight youka 8日
ninth kokonoka 9日
tenth touka 10日
eleventh zyuuitiniti 11日
twentieth hatuka 20日
hundredth hyakka 100日
Japanese Verbs
This page contains a table including the following: Japanese Verbs and tenses. Try to memorize
the way they're used because they're very important in communication, and might be very helpful
to convey your most important expressions. Make sure to check our Learn Japanese page,
which contains several lessons that might help you in your learning process.
Japanese Verbs
When it comes to learning the Japanese Verbs, there is good news, unlike English or most
European language, Japanese verb conjugation is the same for all subjects, first person ("I", "we"),
second person ("thou", "you") and third person ("he/she/it" and "they"), singular and plural. The
plain form of all verbs ends in u. There are very few irregular verbs, but if you master the regular
verbs and how to use them, then you would have taken care of 98% of the verbs use.
Japanese Present Tense
More good news is that the present and the future are the same in Japanese. To understand that
better we will take examples in English, in English sometimes you can refer to the future using the
present tense, for example a person might say: I'm taking the kids with me next time, even though
the present tense was used here, it still refer to the future, usually it's understood by context or
using words refering to the future "next time", "tomorrow"... The same goes with the Japanese
future tense. For example:
(私は)買い物をする (watashi wa) kaimono wo suru: "(I) shop", or "(I) will shop". (私は)明日 勉強す
る (watashi wa) ashita benkyou suru: "Tomorrow, (I) will study". (Japanese pronouns usually are
omitted when it is clear about whom the speaker is talking.) (check the list of verbs below)
Japanese Past Tense
The easiness of the Japanese Verbs doesn't stop with the present and future tense. Even the past
tense is very easy to conjugate. The past tense is very similar in conjugation to the "te" form. Most
of the past tenses are formed by replacing "te" with "ta". Examine the table below:
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Verbs Ending Past Form
Raw Example Past Form
う u った tta
使う tsukau (use) 使った tsukatta
く ku いた ita
焼く yaku (burn) 焼いた yaita
ぐ gu いだ ida
泳ぐ oyogu (swim) 泳いだ oyoida
す su した shita
示す shimesu (show) 示し
た shimeshita
つ tsu った tta
待つ matsu (wait) 待った matta
ぬ nu んだ nda
死ぬ shinu (die) 死んだ shinda
Verbs Ending Past Form
Raw Example Past Form
ぶ bu んだ nda
呼ぶ yobu (call) 呼んだ yonda
む mu んだ nda
読む yomu (read) 読んだ yonda
る ru (consonant stem) った tta
走る hashiru (run) 走った hashitta
いる iru, える eru (vowel
stem)
いた ita, えた
eta
着替える kigaeru (change
clothes) 着替えた kigaeta
As you can see, the table above shows the Japanese verbs in the raw format and then when it's in
the past tense very straight forward method. There are some irregular forms but they're not too
many, here are some examples:
する suru (do) becomes した shita.
来る kuru (come) becomes 来た kita.
行く iku (go) becomes 行った itta.
Japanese Verbs in the Negative Form
To use the negative with verbs it's very easy as well. The basic pattern is that "u" becomes "anai",
for example: 焼く yaku (to burn) becomes 焼かない yakanai (not to burn). 読む yomu (to read)
becomes 読まない yomanai (not to read), easy right?
Japanese Verb List
One of the characteristics of the Japanese language is that the verb generally comes at the end of
the sentence. Japanese has two types of regular verbs:
consonant stem, godan katsuyō (五段活用?), Group I, or u verbs.
Vowel stem, ichidan katsuyō (一段活用?), Group II, or ru verbs.
Here is a list of verbs ending in "eru" which are Group 1 Verbs:
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English Group I Japanese Verbs
to act violently takeru
to attend on haberu
to be absorbed in fukeru
to be crooked kuneru
to be hatched (see kaeru above) kaeru
to be overturned kutsugaeru
to be slippery numeru
to become cloudy kageru
to become damp shikeru
to carve eru
to chatter daberu
to choose (see eru above) eru
to compete seru
to decrease heru
English Group I Japanese Verbs
to decrease meru
to fall forward nomeru
to feel hot hoderu
to flatter omoneru
to flush, to feel hot hoteru
to grow thick shigeru
to hide, lie in ambush fuseru
to humble oneself heru
to hurry aseru
to kick keru
to lie sprawled soberu
to pick, play with seseru
to pinch tsumeru
to pinch tsuneru
to return (see kaeru above) kaeru
English Group I Japanese Verbs
to ridicule azakeru
to ridicule (see eru above) eru
to rise from the dead yomigaeru
to root with the nose useru
to shine teru
to slip suberu
to soar kakeru
to talk, to chat shaberu
to temper, to refine, to knead neru
to turn over kaeru
to turn over, to wave hirugaeru
to twist hineru
to undulate uneru
This is a list of verbs ending in "iru" which are Group 1 Verbs
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English Group I Japanese Verbs
to abuse verbally nonoshiru
to be frightened tamagiru
to be greasy aburagiru
to be surprised bibiru
to become misty kishiru
to become misty kiru
to become sultry ikiru
to belittle; to despise mikubiru
to boil down iru
to boil, to seethe tagiru
to come/go - humble mairu
to curse kashiru
to cut (see kiru above) kiru
to dare to omoikiru
English Group I Japanese Verbs
to edge forward nijiru
to enter hairu
to fall, sink ochiiru
to feel depressed meiru
to fiddle with ijiru
to gnaw kajiru
to go in (see iru above) iru
to gouge, scoop kujiru
to gouge, wrench kojiru
to grasp nigiru
to grip, strangle kubiru
to grumble guchiru
to gush tobashiru
to gush, spurt hotobashiru
to jeer at yajiru
English Group I Japanese Verbs
to know shiru
to limit kagiru
to mess up dojiru
to mingle majiru
to muff lines tochiru
to need (see iru above) iru
to overflow minagiru
to parody, to twist mojiru
to pass by, to drop in yogiru
to pester for sebiru
to pick, dig out hojiru
to pledge chigiru
to pluck, to pick, to tear mushiru
to ponder, to contemplate omoiiru
to rebuke najiru
English Group I Japanese Verbs
to roast (see iru above) iru
to run hashiru
to scatter chiru
to slander soshiru
to squeak, creak kishiru
to torment, roast ibiru
to traverse yokogiru
to twist nejiru
to twist, distort yojiru
to winnow hiru
to wrench mogiru
to wriggle sujiru
This is a list of the most commonly used verbs:
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English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Verbs
Arrive 到着 touchaku
Live 生活する seikatsu suru
Ask 尋ねる tazune ru
Look 見る miru
Be 存在する sonzai suru
Love 愛 ai
Become 〜になる ~ ninaru
Make 作る tsukuru
Begin 開始する kaishi suru
Mean 意味する imi suru
Break 壊す kowasu
Meet 会う au
Bring 持ってくる motte kuru
Need 必要性 hitsuyousei
Build 建てる tate ru
Open 開く hiraku
Burn 燃える moe ru
Play 遊ぶ asobu
Buy 買う kau
Push プッシュ pusshu
Call 呼ぶ yobu
Read 読む yomu
Choose 選ぶ erabu
Remember 思い出す omoidasu
Clean 汚れのない yogore nonai
Return 戻る modoru
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Close 閉じる toji ru
Run 走る hashiru
Come 来る kuru
Say 言う iu
Cut 切る kiru
See 見る miru
Dance ダンス dansu
Sell 売る uru
Do する suru
Send 送る okuru
Dream 夢 yume
Sit 座る suwaru
Drink 飲む nomu
Sleep 眠る nemuru
Eat 食べる tabe ru
Speak 話す hanasu
Fall 落ちる ochiru
Take 取る toru
Find 見つける mitsu keru
Talk 離す hanasu
Forget 忘れる wasure ru
Teach 教える oshie ru
Get 手に入れる teniire ru
Tell 教える oshie ru
Go 行く iku
Think 考える kangae ru
Hear 聞く kiku
Understand 理解する rikai suru
Help ヘルプ herupu
Wait 待つ matsu
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Kiss キス kisu
Want 欲しい hoshii
Know 知っている shitte iru
Work 働く hataraku
Laugh 笑う warau
Japanese Adjectives
An adjective is a word whose main role is to modify a noun or pronoun, giving more information about
the noun or pronoun's definition. Some examples are: That is a green tree. I met a very old man.
However in Japanese it's a bit different.
There are three types of words that can be considered to be adjectives in Japanese:
Adjectival verbs (Japanese: 形容詞, keiyōshi, "(true) adjective"), or i-adjectives
These have a conjugating ending -i which can become, for example, past or negative. For example,
atsui (暑い) "hot":
暑い日 (Atsui hi) ("a hot day")
今日は暑い。(Kyō wa atsui.) ("Today is hot.")
Adjectival nouns (形容動詞, keiyō-dōshi, "adjectival verb"[1]), or na-adjectives.
These attach to a form of the copula, which then inflects. For example, hen (変) "strange":
変な人 (Hen na hito) ("a strange person")
彼は変だ。(Kare wa hen da.) ("he is strange.")
attributives (連体詞, rentaishi, "attributive")
These may only occur before nouns, not in a predicative position. They are various in derivation and
word class. For example, ōki na (大きな) "big":
大きなこと(Ōki na koto) ("a big thing").
Japanese Adjectives Types
So Basically Japanese adjectives come in two main forms: "true" and "adjectivial nouns." In some circles
they are also known as "i adjectives" and "na adjectives" because those are the suffixes they get when
they're followed by a noun. Nevertheless, we can call them "true" and "adjectivial nouns" in this page,
here are some examples of both types:
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True Adjectives Adjectivial Nouns
True Adjectives Adjectivial Nouns
ii: good kantan na: easy, as in easy to do
yoi: good raku na: easy, as in an easy situation; comfortable
warui: bad kara na: empty
takai: expensive; high; tall kirei na: pretty; clean
yasui: cheap kechi na: stingy (not generous)
hikui: low binbou na: poor; destitute
nagai: long hinpan na: frequent
mijikai: short benri na: convenient
katai: hard fuben na: inconvenient
yawarakai: soft busaiku na: clumsy; awkward
atsui: hot tanki na: impatient; quick-tempered
samui: cold ganko na: stubborn
tsumetai: cold byouki na: sick
hiroi: wide; spacious genki na: healthy; to be feeling well
True Adjectives Adjectivial Nouns
semai: narrow; cramped shizen na: natural, proper
tsuyoi: strong yutaka na: full; abundant
yowai: weak anzen na: safe
kitsui: strong kanzen na: perfect
abunai: dangerous
akarui: bright
kurai: dark
karui: light
omoi: heavy
furui: old
hayai: fast; early
osoi: slow; late
omoshiroi: interesting
Here is a list of the most used Japanese adjectives, try to memorize them because they're used very
often:
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English Japanese Adjectives Pronunciation
Bad 悪い warui
Beautiful 美しい utsukushi i
Cheap 安い yasui
Clean 汚れのない yogore nonai
Cold 冷たい tsumeta i
Different 異なる kotonaru
Difficult 困難 konnan
Early 早く hayaku
Easy 簡単な kantan na
Friendly フレンドリー furendori^
Good 良い yoi
Heavy 重い omoi
Important 重要な juuyouna
Married 結婚 kekkon
English Japanese Adjectives Pronunciation
Natural 自然 shizen
Nice 素敵な suteki na
Open 開く hiraku
Polite 丁寧 teinei
Poor 貧しい mazushii
Rich リッチ ricchi
Sad 悲しい kanashi i
Simple 単純な tanjunna
Slow ゆっくりした yukkurishita
Small 小さな chiisa na
Sweet 甘い amai
Tall 背が高い sega takai
Warm 暖かい atataka i
Well 上手に jouzu ni
Worse 悪化 akka
English Japanese Adjectives Pronunciation
Worst 最悪 saiaku
Wrong 間違った machigatta
Japanese Vocabulary
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English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Animals
Adjectives
Bear 熊 kuma
Angry 怒って ikatte
Bird 鳥 tori
Bad 悪い warui
Cat 猫 neko
Beautiful 美しい utsukushi i
Cow 牛 ushi
Cheap 安い yasui
Dog 犬 inu
Clean 汚れのない yogore nonai
Fish 魚 sakana
Cold 冷たい tsumeta i
Horse 馬 uma
Different 異なる kotonaru
Monkey サル saru
Difficult 困難 konnan
Mouse マウス mausu
Early 早く hayaku
Pig 豚 buta
Easy 簡単な kantan na
Sheep 羊 hitsuji
Friendly フレンドリー furendori^
Good 良い yoi
Body Parts
Heavy 重い omoi
Arm 腕 ude
Important 重要な juuyouna
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Back 後ろの ushiro no
Married 結婚 kekkon
Chest 金庫 kinko
Natural 自然 shizen
Ear 耳 mimi
Nice 素敵な suteki na
Eye アイ ai
Open 開く hiraku
Face 顔 kao
Polite 丁寧 teinei
Finger 指 yubi
Poor 貧しい mazushii
Fingers 指 yubi
Rich リッチ ricchi
Foot 足 ashi
Sad 悲しい kanashi i
Hair 髪 kami
Simple 単純な tanjunna
Hand 手 te
Slow ゆっくりした yukkurishita
Head 頭 atama
Small 小さな chiisa na
Heart 心臓 shinzou
Sweet 甘い amai
Leg 脚 ashi
Tall 背が高い sega takai
Mouth 口 kuchi
Warm 暖かい atataka i
Neck 首 kubi
Well 上手に jouzu ni
Nose 鼻 hana
Worse 悪化 akka
Shoulder 肩 kata
Worst 最悪 saiaku
Stomach 胃 i
Wrong 間違った machigatta
Teeth 歯 ha
Tongue 舌 shita
Tooth 歯 ha
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English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Objects
Food
Bathroom バスルー
ム basuru^mu
Apple リンゴ ringo
Bed ベッド beddo
Apricot あんず anzu
Bedroom 寝室 shinshitsu
Banana バナナ banana
Ceiling 天井 tenjou
Bread パン pan
Chair 椅子 isu
Breakfast 朝食 choushoku
Clothes 衣類 irui
Butter バター bata^
Coat コート ko^to
Candy キャンディ kyandei
Cup カップ kappu
Carrot ニンジン ninjin
Desk デスク desuku
Cheese チーズ chi^zu
Dress ドレス doresu
Chicken チキン chikin
Floor 床 toko
Dessert デザート deza^to
Fork フォーク fo^ku
Dinner 夕食 yuushoku
Furniture 家具 kagu
Fish 魚 sakana
Glass ガラス garasu
Food 食べ物 tabemono
Hat 帽子 boushi
Fruit フルーツ furu^tsu
House 家 ie
Grapes ブドウ budou
Ink インク inku
Ice cream アイスクリー
ム aisukuri^mu
Jacket ジャケッ
ト jaketto
Lamb 子羊 kohitsuji
Kitchen 台所 daidokoro
Lemon レモン remon
Knife ナイフ naifu
Lunch 昼食 chuushoku
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Lamp ランプ ranpu
Meal 食事 shokuji
Letter 手紙 tegami
Meat 精肉 seiniku
Map 地図 chizu
Onion タマネギ tamanegi
Newspaper 新聞 shinbun
Orange オレンジ orenji
Notebook ノート no^to
Pork 豚肉 butaniku
Pants パンツ pantsu
Potato ジャガイモ jagaimo
Paper 紙 kami
Salad サラダ sarada
Pen ペン pen
Salt 塩 shio
Pencil 鉛筆 enpitsu
Sandwich サンドイッ
チ sandoicchi
Pharmacy 薬局 yakkyoku
Sausage ソーセージ so^se^ji
Picture 写真 shashin
Soup スープ su^pu
Plate プレート pure^to
Sugar 砂糖 satou
Refrigerator 冷蔵庫 reizouko
Supper 夕食 yuushoku
Restaurant レストラ
ン resutoran
Turkey トルコ toruko
Roof 屋根 yane
Vegetables 野菜 yasai
Room 部屋 heya
Rug 敷物 shikimono
Miscellaneous
Objects
Scissors はさみ hasami
Art アート a^to
Shampoo シャンプ
ー shanpu^
Book 本 hon
Shirt シャツ shatsu
Dictionary 辞書 jisho
Shoes 靴 kutsu
Geography 地理 chiri
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Soap せっけん sekken
History 歴史 rekishi
Socks 靴下 kutsushita
Math 数学 suugaku
Spoon スプーン supu^n
Music 音楽 ongaku
Table テーブル te^buru
Science 科学 kagaku
Toilet トイレ toire
Bank 銀行 ginkou
Toothbrush 歯ブラシ haburashi
Beach 浜辺 hamabe
Toothpaste 歯磨き粉 hamigakiko
By bicycle 自転車で jitensha de
Towel タオル taoru
By bus バスで basu de
T-shirt Tシャツ shatsu
By car 車の場合 kuruma no baai
Umbrella 傘 kasa
By train 電車で densha de
Underwear 下着 shitagi
Cafe カフェ kafe
Wall 壁 kabe
Country 国 kuni
Wallet ウォレッ
ト uoretto
Desert 砂漠 sabaku
Window ウィンド
ウ uindou
Flowers 花 hana
Football フットボール futtobo^ru
People
Forest 森 mori
Aunt 叔母 oba
Game ゲーム ge^mu
Baby 赤ちゃん akachan
Garden 庭 niwa
Brother 兄弟 kyoudai
House 家 ie
Cousin いとこ itoko
Island 島 shima
Daughter 娘 musume
Lake 湖 mizuumi
Dentist 歯医者 haisha
Library 図書館 toshokan
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Doctor 医師 ishi
Mountain 山 yama
Father 父 chichi
Movies 映画 eiga
Granddaughter 孫娘 magomusume
Ocean オーシャン o^shan
Grandfather 祖父 sofu
Office オフィス ofisu
Grandmother 祖母 sobo
On foot 徒歩で toho de
Grandson 孫 mago
Player プレーヤー pure^ya^
Husband 夫 otto
River 川 kawa
Mother 母 haha
Sea 海 umi
Nephew 甥 oi
Soccer サッカー sakka^
Niece 姪 mei
Supermarket スーパーマー
ケット su^pa^ma^ketto
Nurse 看護師 kango shi
Swimming pool スイミングプ
ール suimingupu^ru
Policeman 警官 keikan
Theater 劇場 gekijou
Postman ポスト posuto
Tree 木 ki
Professor 教授 kyouju
Son 息子 musuko
Teacher 先生 sensei
Uncle 叔父 oji
Wife 妻 tsuma
Verbs
Arrive 到着 touchaku
Live 生活する seikatsu suru
Ask 尋ねる tazune ru
Look 見る miru
Be 存在する sonzai suru
Love 愛 ai
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Become 〜になる ~ ninaru
Make 作る tsukuru
Begin 開始する kaishi suru
Mean 意味する imi suru
Break 壊す kowasu
Meet 会う au
Bring 持ってく
る motte kuru
Need 必要性 hitsuyousei
Build 建てる tate ru
Open 開く hiraku
Burn 燃える moe ru
Play 遊ぶ asobu
Buy 買う kau
Push プッシュ pusshu
Call 呼ぶ yobu
Read 読む yomu
Choose 選ぶ erabu
Remember 思い出す omoidasu
Clean 汚れのな
い yogore nonai
Return 戻る modoru
Close 閉じる toji ru
Run 走る hashiru
Come 来る kuru
Say 言う iu
Cut 切る kiru
See 見る miru
Dance ダンス dansu
Sell 売る uru
Do する suru
Send 送る okuru
Dream 夢 yume
Sit 座る suwaru
Drink 飲む nomu
Sleep 眠る nemuru
Eat 食べる tabe ru
Speak 話す hanasu
Fall 落ちる ochiru
Take 取る toru
Find 見つける mitsu keru
Talk 離す hanasu
Forget 忘れる wasure ru
Teach 教える oshie ru
Get 手に入れ
る teniire ru
Tell 教える oshie ru
English Japanese Romaji
English Japanese Romaji
Go 行く iku
Think 考える kangae ru
Hear 聞く kiku
Understand 理解する rikai suru
Help ヘルプ herupu
Wait 待つ matsu
Kiss キス kisu
Want 欲しい hoshii
Know 知ってい
る shitte iru
Work 働く hataraku
Laugh 笑う warau
Japanese Sayings
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
悪妻は百年の不作。 (Akusai wa hyaku-nen no fusaku) Literally: A bad wife spells a hundred years of
bad harvest.
Meaning: A bad wife is a ruin of her husband.
残り物には福がある。 (Nokorimono ni wa fuku ga aru) Literally: Luck exists in the leftovers.
Meaning: There is luck in the last helping.
虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず。 (Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu) Literally: If you do not enter the tiger's
cave, you will not catch its cub.
Meaning: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. / You can't do anything without risking something.
夏炉冬扇 (karo tōsen) Literally: Summer heater winter fan
Meaning: Something which is out of season and therefore rendered useless.
花鳥風月 (Kachou Fuugetsu) Literally: Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon
Meaning: Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself.
起死回生 (kishi kaisei) Literally: Wake from death and return to life
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
Meaning: To come out of a desperate situation and make a complete return in one sudden burst.
自業自得 (Jigou Jitoku) Literally: One's Act, One's profit/Advantage.
Meaning: That's what you get, Just desserts, You reap what you sow.
瓜田李下 (kaden rika) Literally: Melon field, under a plum tree
Meaning: Stepping into a melon field, standing under a plum tree (, such behavior causes
misunderstanding that you want to steal those fruits); implying that you must avoid actions which
could be taken on a bad faith.
晴天の霹靂 (Seiten no heki-reki) Literally: Thunderclap from a clear sky.
Meaning: A bolt from the blue. / A complete surprise.
猿も木から落ちる。 (Saru mo ki kara ochiru) Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees.
Meaning: Everyone makes mistakes. / Nobody's perfect.
蓼食う虫も好き好き (Tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki) Literally: There are even bugs that eat knotweed.
Meaning: There's no accounting for taste. / To each his own.
井の中の蛙大海を知らず。 (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu) Literally: A frog in a well does not
know the great sea.
Meaning: People are satisfied to judge things by their own narrow experience, never knowing of the
wide world outside.
蛙の子は蛙。 (Kaeru no ko wa kaeru) Literally: Child of a frog is a frog.
Meaning: Like father, like son.
鳶が鷹を産む。 (Tonbi (or Tobi) ga taka wo umu) Literally: A kite breeding a hawk.
Meaning: A splendid child born from common parents.
覆水盆に帰らず。 (Fukusui bon ni kaerazu) Literally: Spilt water will not return to the tray.
Meaning: It's no use crying over spilt milk. / A separated couple can never go back to as it was.
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず。 (Ni usagi wo ou mono wa ichi usagi wo mo ezu) Literally: One who
chases after two hares won't catch even one.
Meaning: Trying to do two things at once will make you fail in both.
継続は力なり。 (Keizoku wa chikara nari) Literally: Continuance (also) is power/strength.
Meaning: Don't give up. Just continuing to hold on will yield/reveal strength and power. Continuing on
after a setback is its own kind of strength. Perseverance is power.
門前の小僧習わぬ経を読む。 (Mon zen no kozō narawanu kyō wo yomu) Literally: An apprentice near a
temple will recite the scriptures untaught.
Meaning: The environment makes our characters.
知らぬが仏 (Shiranu ga hotoke) Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / It's better to not know the truth.
見ぬが花 (Minu ga hana) Literally: Not seeing is a flower.
Meaning: Things will never be as you imagine, so you're better off not seeing them. / Reality can't
compete with imagination.
猫に小判 (neko ni koban) Literally: gold coins to a cat.
Meaning: Giving a gift to someone who can't appreciate it; A useless gesture; "Pearls before swine."
猫に鰹節 (neko ni katsuobushi) Literally: fish to a cat.
Meaning: A situation where one can not let their guard down (because the cat can't resist stealing your
fish).
七転び八起き (nanakorobi yaoki) Literally: stumbling seven times but recovering eight.
Meaning: perseverance is better than defeat.
三日坊主 (mikka bōzu) Literally: a monk for (just) three days.
Meaning: Giving up at the first sign of difficulty.
案ずるより産むが易し。 (Anzuru yori umu ga yasashi) Literally: Giving birth to a baby is easier than
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
worrying about it.
Meaning: Fear is greater than the danger. / An attempt is sometimes easier than expected.
馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない。 (Baka wa shinanakya naoranai) Literally: Unless an idiot dies, he won't be
cured.
Meaning: Only death will cure a fool. / You can't fix stupid.
出る杭は打たれる。 (Deru kui wa utareru) Literally: The stake that sticks out gets hammered down.
Meaning: Don't make waves / Apply your effort where it will do the most good / Excellence breeds
envy and/or enmity / It's better to conform than to stick out.
挨拶は時の氏神。 (Aisatsu wa toki no ujigami) Literally: A greeting is the local deity who turns up
providentially.
Meaning: Arbitration in a quarrel is a godsend.
秋茄子は嫁に食わすな。 (Akinasu wa yome ni kuwasuna) Literally: Don't let your daughter-in-law eat
your autumn eggplants.
Meaning: Don't let yourself be taken advantage of.
花よりだんご (hana yori dango) Literally: dumplings over flowers
Meaning: The person to whom it is directed prefers practical gain to aesthetics.
水に流す (mizu ni nagasu) Literally: let flow in the water
Meaning: Forgive and forget; water under the bridge
雤降って地固まる (ame futte chi katamaru) Literally: after the rain, earth hardens
Meaning: Adversity builds character./After a storm, things will stand on more solid ground than they
did before.
油を売る (abura o uru) Literally: to sell oil
Meaning: to spend time chitchatting or to waste time in the middle of a task.
竜頭蛇尾 (ryuutou dabi) Literally: dragon, head, snake, tail
Japanese Sayings and Wisdom Words
Meaning: Anticlimax, the beginning is like a dragons head, great and majestic and the ending is like a
snakes tail, tiny and pathetic.
晴耕雤読 (seiko udoku) Literally: clear sky, cultivate, rainy, reading
Meaning: Farm when it's sunny, read when it rains.
四面楚歌 (Shimen soka) Literally: Chu songs on all sides
Meaning: Defeat is clear; Situation is desperate beyond hope.
十人十色 (jūnin toiro) Literally: ten men, ten colors
Meaning: To each his/her own. / Different strokes for different folks.
三日坊主 (mikka bouzu) Literally: 3 day monk.
Meaning: Someone who gives up easily or is adverse to work.
大同小異 (daidō shōi) Literally: big similarity, small difference
Meaning: Similarities outweigh the differences.
一石二鳥 (isseki nichō) Literally: one stone, two birds
Meaning: Killing two birds with one stone; Doing 2 things with one action.
雲散霧消 (unsan mushō) Literally: scattered clouds, disappearing mist
Meaning: Disappear without a trace.
我田引水 (gaden insui) Literally: pulling water to my own rice paddy
Meaning: Doing/speaking about things in a way to benefit yourself.
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Other Japanese Proverbs
Other Japanese Proverbs
Ayamachitewa aratamuruni habakaru koto nakare. If you make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct it.
Aho ni toriau baka. It is foolish to deal with a fool.
Aite no nai kenka wa denkinu. One cannot quarrel without an opponent.
Ame futte ji katamaru. Rained on ground hardens (Adversity builds character).
Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice inside the
ceiling laugh (Nobody knows what tomorrow might bring).
Baka ga atte riko ga hikitatsu. Due to the presence of fools wise people stand out.
Baka na ko hodo kawaii. The more stupid the child the dearer it is.
Bushi wa kuwanedo taka-yoji. A samurai, even when he has not eaten, uses his toothpick.
Chisa wa madowazu, yusha wa osorezu. A wise man does not lose his way, a brave man does not fear.
Deta-toko shobu. To gamble as the dice fall.
Doku kurawaba sara made. If eating poison finish up the plate (or, If eating poison don't forget to lick
the plate)..
Gaden insui. To draw water into one's own rice field
Inu o mikka kaeba san-nen on o wasurenu, neko wa san-nen katte mikka de on o wasureru. Feed a
dog for three days and it is gratefull for three years. Feed a cat for three years and it forgets after
three days.
Ippai-me wa hito sake o nomi, nihai-me wa sake sake o nomi, sanbai-me wa sake hito o nomu. With
Other Japanese Proverbs
the first glass a man drinks wine, with the second glass the wine drinks the wine, with the third glass
the wine drinks the man.
Koji ma Oshi. Good things, many devils.
Ko-in ya no gotoshi. Time flies like an arrow.
Kuni yaburete, sanga ari. The country is in ruins, and there are still mountains and rivers.
Kokai saki ni tatazu. Repentance never comes first.
Me wa kuchi hodo ni mono o ii. The eyes speak as much as the mouth.(love needs no words)
Me wa kokoro no kagami. The eyes are the mirror of the soul.
Mime yori kokoro. Heart rather than appearance.
Mimi o oute, suzu o nusumu. Cover the ears and steal the bell.
Migi no mimi kara hidari no mimi. to go in the right ear and out the left.
Mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made. The soul of a three year old until a hundred.
Mizukara boketsu o horu. to dig one's grave
Muri ga toreba, dori hikkomu. If unreason comes, reason goes.
Muyo no cho-butsu. a useless long object
Naite kurasu mo issho, waratte kurasu mo issho. It is the same life whether we spend it crying or
Other Japanese Proverbs
laughing.
Nana korobi, ya oki. to fall seven times, to rise eight times
Nurenu saki koso tsuyu omo itoe. People want to avoid the dew before they become wet.
Shunsho ikkoku, atai senkin. Half an hour in a spring evening is worth a thousand gold pieces.
Sode fure-au mo tasho no en. Even when our sleeves brush together it is our karma.
Sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi. Let what is past flow away downstream.
Tazei ni buzei. Few against many.
Nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu. The hawk with talent hides its talons (The person who knows most
often says least).
Hotoke no kao mo san-do made. Even the Buddha's face, only until the third [slap], meaning even the
most mild-mannered person will lose his/her temper eventually.
Saru mo ki kara ochiru. Even monkees fall from trees (Even an expert can make mistakes).
Tonari no shibafu wa aoi. The neighbour's lawn is green (The grass is always greener on the other side
of the fence).
Gou ni itte wa, gou ni shitagae. Entering the village, obey the village (When in Rome, do as the
Romans do)
Iwanu ga hana. Not-speaking is the flower (Silence is golden)
Fuku sui bon ni kaerazu. Overturned water doesn't return to the tray (There's no use crying over spilt
Other Japanese Proverbs
milk).
Atama kakushite, shiri kakusazu. Cover your head, and not cover your bottom (Don't cover your head
but expose your bottom, ie: you have to be careful not to expose your weak point while attempting to
protect yourself).
Uma no mimi ni nembutsu. A sutra (Buddhist prayer) in a horse's ear (A wasted effort).
Baka mo ichi-gei. Even a fool has one talent (Even a fool may be good at something).
Neko ni koban. A coin to a cat (Don't offer things to people who are incapable of appreciating them).
Yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu. Poke a bush, a snake comes out (Let sleeping dogs lie).