Learning simple Japanese words and phrases

“Good Morning” is pronounced exactly like the state “Ohio,” at least if using a rounded O as spoken in the Upper Midwest or say in Germany or Mexico where the lips make a circle and don’t move during the sound, unlike some places in the UK or US South or US NE where the long O is diphthongy: aw-oh-oo with lots of lip movement.

Use Google translate.

I’m lucky because my 3rd grade teacher was Miss Kitagawa. She shared her language with us.

Haven’t been to Japan to use it though.

Ohio (good morning), Kohneechooah (good afternoon/evening), and arigato (thank you) will cover 99% of what you need. Toss in a muttered "seemee-mahsenn" (excuse me) and that's probably enough for most people. "Please" is more of a tongue twister - Onegaishimasu, pronounced roughly "oh-nay-GAI-shee-mass".

Thank you Toby

Although have been in Austin a very long time, I was raised in an immigrant neighborhood of Boston.

Have a very strong working class Boston accent but I will try it.

Claudia

Thank you. i have been doing a lot of research and it might be worth going to Japan for many reasons including trying out what your elementary school teacher taught you.

David

Thank you

I will leave out Please.....

You might want to check out NHK's learning web pages:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/activateyourjapanese/

NHK has quite a few English language programs - I think it is well worth spending some time checking out all the available info.
Actually, I believe quite a few of the programs are available in multiple languages.

After I posted I realized that a language translation app on your phone could be helpful.

On one of my recent trips, while waiting in line for the ferry to Naoshima, the couple behind me started a conversation - though they did not speak English and I have only about ten words of Japanese. Fortunately the gentleman behind them in line did speak English and he translated for us. When we got on the ferry, I realized I could "converse" with them using Google Translate on my phone. I typed in a message, translated it into Japanese and showed it to them. Then they are typing in their phones and showing them to me so we had a brief conversation via our phones. I have also used the same technique to take a taxi, typing where I want to go before I hail the cab and then showing it to the driver.

See if your public library offers free access to online language programs such as Mango or Bluebird, etc

adgaliani

Thank you. I had already discovered NHK learning programs. Thank you for reminding me.

And I have downloaded Google Translate on my iPad which I prefer to my Android phone.

SQ

Someone else suggested Mango to me. Have not yet heard of Bluebird.

Thank you for the tips.

I study languages for several months of where I will be traveling. I have found searching on YouTube for “country” “tourist language words” will usually yield some nice results for the most basic words to get you started that are free and give pronunciations.

I used "Coffee Break Japanese" - free 20-25 minute podcasts that I listened to while I commuted to/from work. Each lesson briefly reviews the prior podcast and then they move on. Lots of basic phrases taught by a Japanese teacher to a Scottish learner in a conversational manner, with pauses for you to repeat the phrases. The coffee break podcast does multiple languages and I also learned the first 20 episodes of Italian before my recent trip to Sicily.

Thank you Jean and sloo

Usually I do not try to learn the language when I go to Europe but this time, I will make an attempt to learn some Japanese.

I will be spending 4 nights pre cruise in Yokohama and because excursions are so expensive, I might be forced to do my own thing when in port.

I have heard that learning.a new language is good for the aging brain.

I would just add that as a 'woman of a certain age' people will be differential to you. This means they're very likely going to use 'Keigo', which is an honorific form of Japanese. I would just ignore it and incline your head a bit. That's good enough. They'll be thrilled! Please don't bow too low, an older gentleman made this mistake when visiting us, then everyone else had to bow LOWER! HA. GREAT you're interested!!!

As a general comment, younger people tend to speak more English. And incredibly, in preparation for the Olympics, many restaurants produced English language menus!

Thank you Sandancisco

I am sometimes finding that age does have its advantages.

I have to be very careful of bowing because i might lose my balance and end up flat on my face,

HA! OK, well no one will expect it of you so that's great! Another thing - body language is important in Japan. Don't stick your hands in your pockets like Mccarther did in that famous picture with the emperor. That's why I suggested a small head bow.

DON'T leave your chopsticks in your rice bowl! It's only done for the deceased at funerals.

Check what others are doing entering buildings. VERY often you need to sit down and remove your shoes, put on their slippers. Now that you're inside wearing slippers, if you use the loo, you put on toilet slippers (clearly marked with a toilet), then exiting, remove those and put back on their slippers. I know, I know, foreigners forget, ah well.

You might consider taking something to sit on - had a standing cane / plus seat? If you're going to Kyoto temples, you would need to sit on the floor with your legs dangling down.

I used DuoLingo for 5 months before my trip to Japan last year. Of course, I never ended up using even a tenth of what I learned, and my spoken Japanese was usually only the basic pleasantries, but I did find it helped to read basic hiragana/katakana script in addition to basic phrases.

Sandancisco

Well I can not use chopsticks so I do not have to worry about what to do with them. I will probably mostly be eating take out and street food.

I am going to bring my simple cane because the four foots are too heavy and bulky.

I love sitting on the floor but I might need help getting up. If I get up without help, I often have to get in a very unglamorous position.

I will watch and see what others do.

In some ports, I will be on a group excursion.

Thank you GregW

I am probably going to stick with simple words and phrases. And probably not very many.

Would love tp learn some script but do not think it will happen.

At the Higashi Hongan Temple in Kyoto, we happened to arrive during a service. Seeing my walking cane, an attendant quickly brought me a chair to sit in so I would not have to get down on the floor to sit. It is very true that the Japanese show reverence to the elder of the population and visitors.

Try Duolingo for quick easy phrases. It's a free and fun little app.

Thank you Anne

I will also have a walking cane with me. Sometimes I need it and sometimes I don't. Sometimes, I wish that i did not have it and other times, I am glad for it. I am a faller and have to be careful when walking but sometimes I do real well when walking although I now am always slow. .

I was first floored by Japanese words and names because I have never seen some of them before.

But now they are becoming more familiar and I am learning that often even the long names are easy to read and maybe pronounce. I am only saying the words and names out loud to myself but they flow easily.

Japanese seems to be a pretty language

”I have heard that learning.a new language is good for the aging brain.“

I like to think so - just another benefit! : ). I also do the NYT puzzles each day on my iPad and then occasionally do 1-2 at night to exercise my recall ability to see how fast I can finish the same puzzles I completed that morning.

Hi Jean

I am not one for puzzles but I have heard that they are also good for the brain.

I believe that planning travel to a place that I have never been to is good for the brain. I do not think I have ever read that but I believe that.

Planning my trip to Japan has been frustrating at times but also fun and so educational.

I have just finished watching an excellent youtube video on ancient Japan that was over an hour long. I plan to watch it again,

I can not believe how little I knew about Japan, not that I know so much now but I really have learned a lot in planning my trip. It must be good for my old brain.

If you are not using chopsticks and you want to eat takeaway food, I suggest you bring your own set of utensils such as a couple of sporks or a set of lexan/wheat straw utensils. You can usually find these in camping stores like REI. Also available on Amazon. If you are checking luggage you can get metal ones but they must go in your checked in bags.

Don't forget to check out the "conbibi"--convenince stores like 7/11, Lawson and Family Mart. You probably can't walk more than five minutes without finding at least one. They are not like our convenience stores. They have fresh foods and meals that the staff will heat up for you. Many also have tables where you can eat. Their ATM's mostly accept foreign debit cards where not all banks do. And, in times of emergency, you can use their toilets. They won't turn you away. Many of the items you purchase will have English on the labels.

It will also give you a chance to try their Egg Salad sandwiches. Anthony Bourdain used to say that one of the first things he did when landing in Japan was to get an egg salad sandwich from the nearest one.

Also regarding food....never walk and eat at the same time. It is considered very rude. If you get takeaway food, find a place to sit first. If you get something from a vending machine, you can consume it near the vending machine. (There are more vending machines per capita in Japan than anywhere else.) You will be hard pressed to find a trash can. People will carry their trash until they find one. You can usually find one near a Conbibi.

Many restaurants either have photos of their food on their menus or plastic models in the window. You can just point to what you want.

Hello Frank II

Thank you fo the tips especially about bringing my own utensils. I can not use chopsticks.

My trip is 2 1/2 months away. Can you believe this? It was a post on forum that got me thinking about Japan over a year ago and now here I am close to going.

But unfortunately for me, because life happens, I have been diagnosed with kidney disease. I am going through diagnostics and do not yet know how bad the situation is but for now my diet is horribly restricted. Even with kidney disease, I am going to Japan and going on a cruise.

My suggestion is that when there is a formal and an informal variant of a phrase, learn and use the formal. I thought I’d take the shortcut and memorized the easiest expression. We were treated quite differently. I greeted a restaurant hostess with “Ohio” and was summarily ignored. The next day, determined, I returned and greeted her with the longer formal form and her glare (she obviously remembered us) was instantly converted to a smile and open arms seating us. Have a wonderful trip. Japan is fantastic but quite different. Learn a few customs…do not eat while walking, make any effort to bow, use two hands to exchange, for example, cash or credit cards, etc. seemingly minor but made a big impact.

Hi Denny,

Thank you for the tips.

I guess they appreciate and desire formality and tradition in Japan.

What do you mean by this ", use two hands to exchange, for example, cash or credit cards, etc" Should I use both hands to pay with credit card or cash? I thin k that I have read something about using both hands with plates and cups.

And you said that you greeted the hostess with 'Ohio" receiving a cold reception but the next day you returned and used a more formal greeting which got you friendlier treatment.

I notice that you live in Ohio.

Were you trying to be friendly by saying Ohio or is that a way of saying hello. And what was the more formal way you used the next day that elicited a warmer response from the host.

I will have no trouble bowing some. I can certainly bow my head but I have to be careful that I do not lose my balance by bowing my whole body. Maybe I should start practicing. When do you bow?

I have come across links on etiquette when researching Japan. Did not think that it was necessary to read thoroughly but maybe I better

Well, I’m not an expert in Japanese etiquette for sure but a few of my experiences….as for the greeting “Ohio”…Apparently that short form is used among friends, the more formal phrase would be “Ohayō gozaimasu” to be used with superiors, strangers or in more formal situations …all this according to AI google search, but was in fact the case as I asked around in Japan what I had done wrong. It may be akin to Spanish tú and usted, a distinction unfamiliar to me as an English speaker. But it certainly made a difference and I made an effort to learn a few more syllables. Truth be told, I wasn’t trying to be friendly , I was just lazy and took the easy way out Wrong. As for bowing, I’d read the proper bending techniques and the subtleties conveyed by the depth of the bow and frankly just felt self conscious as if appropriating a cultural more that wasn’t mine, but that was silly on my part and the effort was appreciated. I tried just nodding my head at first but improved my behavior as time went on. The important bit I think is to bow from the waist even if only slightly. I bowed when greeting, asking a question or expressing thanks. Correct? Don’t know. It will be appreciated and smilingly reciprocated. Eating while walking drew daggers from passersby….we raced to the street bench with our ice cream cones but one lick to keep from dripping on our hands caused people to literally stop and gawk. When I offhandedly handed a bill to a cashier with one hand, she merely stared at me until I remembered to place the bill on the palms of both hands and extend them to her facing up. On another occasion the cashier did not accept my one handed offer but kept glancing at the small tray on the counter until I caught on, placed the money in that dish and offered it to her with both hands. Mission accomplished and happiness prevailed. The Japanese we interacted with with unfailing polite and averse to any confrontation. When I asked the concierge “Is this was the bus to take for my destitination.” the answer I eventually guessed was essentially “Well, yes if you want to travel there via Chicago “ rather than a simple “No. You want the other bus”, which I think would have been considered a rude response, perhaps confrontational or argumentative, behaviors I believe the Japanese in general disdain. But everyone was kind and helpful and I truly believe no one was being intentionally ‘mean’ but that my behavior simply confused them, much like my failure to begin with “Bonjour Madam” in a French shop resulted in a blank response. I fondly recall the very elderly women who simply saw two utterly confused Americans in the train station and dragged a conductor to rescue us. And yes, I’d read up and studied customs and did in fact underestimate their importance. I think you are correct in thinking traditions and polite behaviors are very important to the Japanese. You’ll have a wonderful time. And your efforts will be rewarded with wonderful memories of a fascinating country and warm people.

Denny, this is hilarious, you're absolutely right -

When I asked the concierge “Is this was the bus to take for my destitination.” the answer I eventually guessed was essentially “Well, yes if you want to travel there via Chicago “ rather than a simple “No. You want the other bus”, which I think would have been considered a rude response, perhaps confrontational or argumentative.

NO ONE in Japan ever says 'no'. It's a very long winded response which basically means, 'well actually not like that, it's a bit different', (but said much more politely).

Yes, 'Ohio' is only used among friends, but bostonphil, you're a lady of a 'certain age' I would expect them just to be thrilled you're trying. "Ohio gozaimasu' is much more polite. But only used in the daytime. In the evening, it's "Kon ban wah".

We could go on endlessly about Japanese etiquette, frankly bowing is SO subtle. I recall my boss receiving an honor that got photographed for the newspaper, the guys cut it out of the paper to keep so they could LAUGH at him. BTW, he'd lived in Japan for 20 years, his Japanese was perfect.

Just do your best, relax and smile, never show anger, and compliment them on their amazing, beautiful country and culture. You'll do great!!

Funny - I used the term "ohio" all the time when I was in Japan, and I never got any glares. Maybe because I was usually speaking to younger people than myself? (Coffee shop staff and so on - and I wouldn't even consider myself that old!). In any case, now I feel kind of mortified if I was being impolite, lol.

Sandancisco

I love "but bostonphil, you're a lady of a 'certain age' "

I am old and sometimes use a cane. It is possible that I will have my cane with me when I am out and about.

One of the advantages of being old is that often people can be kinder and more understanding.

I am feeling good about this trip and hope to post reviews as I go along. I am thankful for all the tips.

Denny

You have given me some good reminders and tips such as using both hands when paying..I had read something about using both hands and now I know that using one hand can be a problem. Good to know in advance

GregW

Maybe they won't remember you if you go back and use the correct words.

You were probably not the first nor the last person to use Ohio when a more formal greeting would be the correct way.