The Japanese language is considered unclear and debatable among scholars about its roots and genetic affiliation. Due to the uncertainty of the evidence from the sources offered, the language is considered isolated.
Where the spoken and written languages in Japan come from is mysterious and has many theories. There is a controversial story that anthropologists, linguists, and historians are still trying to debate and decipher.
Some link the Japanese language with Altaica, Polynesian, Korean and among others. However, the language is considered ambiguous.
Over the centuries, the Chinese have influenced the history and development of the Japanese language, much like Chinese texts. These developments can be categorized into four evolved stages: Old Japanese (up to the 8th century), Late Old Japanese (9th to 11th centuries), Middle Japanese (12th to 16th centuries), and Modern Japanese (17th to the present).
The most notable changes in these periods were the adoption of foreign words, changes in pronunciation, and the reduction of vowel sounds.
Many dialects in particular regions of Japan have developed since ancient times. The difference between dialects, generally tone accents, vocabulary, and use of particles. There are two main types of dialects which have been divided into “Tokyo Type” and “Kyoto-Osaka Type”. This is a division based on the north and south of Japan.
There are even dialects around Japan that may be incomprehensible to others from different parts of the country. For example, a native of an isolated island or mountain village may use a dialect derived from Old Japanese.
The specific dialects of your region in Japan have unique and distinct qualities to their versions of speaking Japanese. Although, today there is a form called the Japanese Standard. This form is taught in schools, used on television, and is an official communication.
Standard Japanese is known as the “common language”. However, with regard to dialects in regional varieties, they are considered valuable and as a form of local identity.
Japanese has a complex writing system consisting of three different character sets: Kanji (thousands of Chinese characters) and Hiragana and Katakana (two syllables of 46 characters each, together called Kana).
Japanese texts can be written in Western style, in the same way, horizontally from top to bottom. Or they can be written in traditional Japanese style, in vertical columns from right to left of the page. Both styles of writing are used today.
Compared to other languages, Basic Japanese is relatively simple. The distinctions between singular and plural, and other complicated factors, are almost completely lacking. The conjugation rules for verbs and adjectives are simple, and nouns appear in the same form.
Pronunciation presents minor problems for most students, but accents can be considered a difficulty for some. This is to a lesser extent than comparatively, the Chinese language.
There are also different words and expressions that are used to speak to an unknown or superior person, who are opposed to speaking to a close family member or friend. In fact, there are more than five different ways to use “I” depending on the context.
The Japanese language belongs to the Japanese family and is originally from Japan. There are approximately a total of 128 million people who speak Japanese in the world.
Basic Japanese Phrases
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Yes | Hai |
| No | No |
| Thanks | Arigatou |
| You’re welcome | Dou-itashimashite |
| excuse me | Sumimasen |
| Please (when offering something) | Douzo |
| Give me / Please (when requesting something) | Kudasai o Onegai shimasu |
| Good Morning | Ohayou gozaimasu |
| good evening | Konnichiwa |
| Goodnight | Konbanwa |
| Goodnight | Oyasumi nasai |
| Bye | Sayonara |
| Pleased to meet you | Hajime mashite |
| I do not understand Japanese | Nihongo wa wakarimasen |
| Do you speak English? | Eigo o hanashimasu ka? |
| Where is the…? | … wa doko desu ka? |
| Where is the train station? | Eki wa, doko desu ka? |
| Please write it down | Sore o kaite kudasai |
| Just a moment, please | Chotto mate kudasai |
| Do you have a menu in English? | Eigo no menyuu wa arimasuka? |
| How much is it? | Ikura desu ka? |
| I’d like a reserved seat, please | Shiteiseki o kudasai |
| I do not understand | Wakarimasen |
| What time is it? | Nanji desuka. |
| How do you say this in [English]? | Kore wa [nihongo] de nan to iimasuka? |
| Do you speak… ?: Anata wa… go wo hanasemasuka | Nanji desuka. |
| English | Eigo |
| French | Furansugo |
| German | Doitsugo |
| Spanish | Supeingo |
| Chinese | Chuugokugo |
Personal introductions
| What is your name? | Anata no namae wa nan to iimasu ka? |
|---|---|
| Lovely to meet you | O-ai dekite ureshii desu |
| How are you | O-genki desu ka |
Shopping
| How much is this? | Korewa ikura desuka |
|---|---|
| What is this? | korewa nan desuka |
| I’ll take it | Sore wo kaimasu |
| I would like to buy… | Sore wo kaitai nodesu |
| Have …? | …wa arimasuka |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Kurejiti to kahdo de kaemasuka |
| How much is (this, that)? | (Kore,Are) wa ikura desu ka? |
| I wish to prove myself (this, that) | (Kore,Are) wo shichaku sitai no desuga |
| Give me a little discount, please | Kurejiti to kahdo de kaemasuka |
| Can you give me a little discount? | Hágame un poco de descuento, por favor: Yasuku nari masu ka?/Yasuku site kudasai |
| I’m only seeing | Mite iru dake desu |
| Can I use the credit card? | Kurejitto kaado wa tsukae masu ka? |
| Can you wrap it around me, please? | Tsutsunde morae masu ka? |
| What is your size? | Anata no saizu wa ikutsu desu ka? |
| My size is | Watashi no saizu wa—-desu |
Trips and directions
| Where is it? | wa doko desuka |
|---|---|
| How much is everything? | Unchin wa ikura desuka |
| A ticket for … please | Kippu wo ichimai onegaishimasu |
| Where are you going? | Dokoe ikimasuka |
| Where do you live? | Dokoni sunde imasuka |
| Are there free places for tonight? | Aita heyaga arimasuka |
| Where is it? | wa doko desuka |
| Where is it? | wa doko desuka |
| Where is it? | wa doko desuka |
Japanese for hotels and restaurants
| Do you have a spare room? | Oheya wa aite imasu ka? |
|---|---|
| I want to make a reservation | Yoyaku wo irete kudasai. |
| Give me the key / The key does not work | Kagi wo kudasai / Kagi ga hiraki masen. |
| Bring me the menu, please | Menyuu wo misete kudasai |
| Bring me the menu, please | mei de yoyaku wo iretai no desuga. |
| What dish do you recommend for me? | Osusume no ryouri wa nan desu ka? |
| Delicious./Very delicious | Oishii desu./Tottemo oishii desu |
| The check, please | Okanjou wo onegai shimasu |
| Can I stay tonight? | Kyou tomare masu ka? |
| Do you have a spare room for tonight? | Heya wa aite imasu ka? |
| Yes, you can stay / Yes, we have a free room | Hai tomare masu / Hai aite imasu |
| Sorry, but we are complete. / I’m sorry, but we don’t have a spare room | Iie manshitsu desu./ Iie aite imasen. |
| How much is it for one night? | Ippaku ikura desu ka? |
| Does it cost —- yen for one night | Ippaku—-en desu. |
| Do you have a budget room? | Yasui heya wa arimasu ka? |
| Yes we have | Hai arimasu |
| No we don’t have | Iie arimasen |
| Is breakfast included? | Choushoku dai wa fukumarete imasu ka? |
| Yes, it is included | Hai fukumarete imasu |
| No, gift is not included | Iie fukumarete imasen |
Important Japanese Phrases
| Tasukete kudasai | Please help me! |
|---|---|
| (Keisatsu,Isha,kyukyu sha)wo yonde kudasai | Call (police, doctor, ambulance), please. |
| (Saifu,Psupooto,Kaban)wo nakushi mashita | I have lost (wallet, passport, suitcase). |
| (Atama,Ha,Mune)ga itai desu: | It hurts (head, tooth, chest) |
| Kibun ga warui desu | I feel bad |