Learn Nihongo, learn Japanese vocabulary, grammar and kanji
Watch this video and learn why Japanese people say “itadakimasu” before starting to eat. You will also understand why you do not say it to a person who starts eating as we do in other countries in terms of “enjoy your meal”. It is only used by the person who actually starts eating.
What do you say in your country before you or someone else starts eating? Please share it with us in the comment section.
Many people around the globe know the Japanese word to say good bye sayonara (さようなら). But do you know what it literally means and what its origins are? Find out watching this video.
Did you like this article? There are more similar ones:
Do you know the origin of the Japanese word for thank you – arigatou? Watch this nice video and find out.
Here are the two kanji mentioned in the vide0:
有 - ari - to exist
難 (no kanji card yet). This is the kanji used in 難しい – muzukashii – difficult
How do you say thank you in your language? Let us know in the comment section.
Here is a list of expressions relevant for the JLPT N5. This list was created based on historical tests since no official lists are published. Press the share button on the button of the list and select the printer symbol for a printer friendly view.
| Kanji | どうもありがとうございます。 |
| Furigana | どうもありがとうございます。 |
| Romaji | doumo arigatou gozaimasu. |
| English | Thank you very much. |
| Kanji | いただきます。 |
| Furigana | いただきます。 |
| Romaji | itadakimasu. |
| English | literally: “I start eating”. You say this before you start eating like an announcement. |
| Kanji | いらっしゃいませ。 |
| Furigana | いらっしゃいませ。 |
| Romaji | irasshaimase. |
| English | Welcome (to our shop). You will hear this almost every time to enter a shop or restaurant in Japan. |
| Kanji | （では）お元気で。 |
| Furigana | （では）おげんきで。 |
| Romaji | (dewa) o genki de. |
| English | literally: stay healthy. A way of saying good bye. |
| Kanji | お願いします。 |
| Furigana | おねがいします。 |
| Romaji | onegai shimasu. |
| English | Please (do this for me) |
| Kanji | お早うございます。 |
| Furigana | おはようございます。 |
| Romaji | ohayou gozaimasu. |
| English | Good morning. |
| Kanji | お休みなさい。 |
| Furigana | おやすみなさい。 |
| Romaji | oyasumi nasai. |
| English | Good night. |
| Kanji | ごちそうさまでした。 |
| Furigana | ごちそうさまでした。 |
| Romaji | gochisousama deshita. |
| English | Literally: thank you for the food. You say this when you leave a restaurant or when a waiter takes away finished plates from the table. In private you also say this when you get invited by someone at home or eating outside. |
| Kanji | こちらこそ。 |
| Furigana | こちらこそ。 |
| Romaji | kochirakoso. |
| English | It is I who should say so. |
| Kanji | ごめんなさい。 |
| Furigana | ごめんなさい。 |
| Romaji | gomennasai. |
| English | I am sorry. |
| Kanji | 今日は。 |
| Furigana | こんにちは。 |
| Romaji | konnichi wa. |
| English | Hello, have a good day. |
| Kanji | 今晩は。 |
| Furigana | こんばんは。 |
| Romaji | konban wa. |
| English | Good evening. |
| Kanji | さようなら。 |
| Furigana | さようなら。 |
| Romaji | sayounara. |
| English | Good bye. (farewell) |
| Kanji | 失礼します or 失礼しました。 |
| Furigana | しつれいします or しつれいしました。 |
| Romaji | shitsurei shimasu or shitsurei shimashita. |
| English | Literally: “I will commit a rudeness / I committed a rudeness”. It is most often used when asking someone to make space or when you really want to apologize for something. |
| Kanji | すみません。 |
| Furigana | すみません。 |
| Romaji | sumimasen. |
| English | excuse me. This is a lighter form of “shitsurei shimasu.” |
| Kanji | では、また。 |
| Furigana | では、また。 |
| Romaji | dewa, mata. |
| English | See you later. |
| Kanji | （いいえ）どういたしまして。 |
| Furigana | （いいえ）どういたしまして。 |
| Romaji | (iie) dou itashimashite. |
| English | (Not at all), it’s my pleasure. |
| Kanji | 初めまして。 |
| Furigana | はじめまして。 |
| Romaji | hajimemashite. |
| English | Nice to meet you. |
| Kanji | どうぞよろしく。 |
| Furigana | どうぞよろしく。 |
| Romaji | douzo yoroshiku. |
| English | pleased to meet you. |
This is the list of all verbs you need to know in order to pass the JLPT N5. Click on the “Share” button at the end of the article and press the printer symbol in order to change to a printer friendly version.
| Kanji | Furigana | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
| 会う | あう | au | to meet | |
| 開く | あく | aku | to open | |
| 開ける | あける | akeru | to open | |
| あげる | ageru | to give | ||
| 遊ぶ | あそぶ | asobu | to play | |
| 浴びる | あびる | abiru | to take a shower | |
| 洗う | あらう | arau | to wash | |
| 有る | ある | aru | to be, to exist | |
| ある | ある | aru | to possess | |
| 歩く | あるく | aruku | to walk | |
| 言う | いう | iu | to say, to tell | |
| 行く | いく | iku | to go | |
| いる | iru | need, must haven be required | ||
| いる | iru | to exist | ||
| 入れる | いれる | ireru | to insert, to put in | |
| 歌う | うたう | utau | to sing | |
| 生まれる | うまれる | umareru | to be born | |
| 売る | うる | uru | to sell | |
| 起きる | おきる | okiru | to get up, to stand up | |
| おく | oku | to put | ||
| 送る | おくる | okuru | to send | |
| 押す | おす | osu | to push | |
| 覚える | おぼえる | oboeru | to memorize, to remember | |
| 泳ぐ | およぐ | oyogu | to swim | |
| 降りる | おりる | oriru | to get off | |
| 終わる | おわる | owaru | to end | |
| 買う | かう | kau | to buy | |
| 返す | かえす | kaesu | to return an object | |
| 帰る | かえる | kaeru | to return home | |
| かかる | kakaru | to take time or money | ||
| 書く | かく | kaku | to write | |
| かける | kakeru | to wear | ||
| かける | kakeru | to make a phone call | ||
| 貸す | かす | kasu | to lend | |
| 冠る | かぶる | kaburu | to put on a hat | |
| 借りる | かりる | kariru | to borrow | |
| 消える | きえる | kieru | to go out, to vanish | |
| 聞く | きく | kiku | to listen | |
| 切る | きる | kiru | to cut | |
| 着る | きる | kiru | to wear, to put on | |
| 来る | くる | kuru | to come | |
| 消す | けす | kesu | to turn off, to switch off | |
| 答える | こたえる | kotaeru | to answer | |
| 困る | こまる | komaru | to be in trouble | |
| 咲く | さく | saku | to blossom | |
| さす | sasu | to open an umbrella | ||
| 死ぬ | しぬ | shinu | to die, to pass away | |
| 閉まる | しまる | shimaru | to close | |
| 閉める | しめる | shimeru | to close | |
| 締める | しめる | shimeru | to fasten a belt | |
| 知る | しる | shiru | to know | |
| 吸う | すう | suu | to breath, to smoke | |
| 住む | すむ | sumu | to live, to reside somewhere | |
| する | する | suru | to do | |
| 座る | すわる | suwaru | to sit | |
| 出す | だす | dasu | to take out, hand in | |
| 立つ | たつ | tatsu | to stand | |
| 頼む | たのむ | tanomu | to ask, to request | |
| 食べる | たべる | taberu | to eat | |
| 違う | ちがう | chigau | to be different | |
| 使う | つかう | tsukau | to use | |
| 疲れる | つかれる | tsukareru | to get tired | |
| 着く | つく | tsuku | to arrive | |
| 作る | つくる | tsukuru | to make, to produce | |
| 点ける | つける | tsukeru | to turn on | |
| 勤める | つとめる | tsutomeru | to work for someone | |
| 出かける | でかける | dekakeru | to go out | |
| 出来る | できる | dekiru | can do | |
| 出る | でる | deru | to leave | |
| 飛ぶ | とぶ | tobu | to fly | |
| 止まる | とまる | tomaru | to stop | |
| 取る | とる | toru | to take | |
| 撮る | とる | toru | to take a photo | |
| 鳴く | なく | naku | to sing, mew, moo | |
| 並ぶ | ならぶ | narabu | to form a line | |
| 並べる | ならべる | naraberu | to line up | |
| なる | naru | to become | ||
| 脱ぐ | ぬぐ | nugu | to take off clothes | |
| 寝る | ねる | neru | to sleep | |
| 登る | のぼる | noboru | to climb up | |
| 飲む | のむ | nomu | to drink | |
| 乗る | のる | noru | to take, to ride | |
| 入る | はいる | hairu | to enter | |
| 履く | はく | haku | to put on shoes | |
| 始まる | はじまる | hajimaru | to begin, to start | |
| 走る | はしる | hashiru | to run | |
| 働く | はたらく | hataraku | to work | |
| 話す | はなす | hanasu | to talk, to speak, to tell | |
| 張る | はる | haru | to put something on, to stick | |
| 晴れる | はれる | hareru | to clear up | |
| 引く | ひく | hiku | to pull | |
| 弾く | ひく | hiku | to play an instrument | |
| 吹く | ふく | fuku | to blow (wind) | |
| 降る | ふる | furu | to fall (rain, snow) | |
| 曲がる | まがる | magaru | to turn | |
| 待つ | まつ | matsu | to wait | |
| 磨く | みがく | migaku | to polish, to brush | |
| 見せる | みせる | miseru | to show | |
| 見る | みる | miru | to see, to watch | |
| 持つ | もつ | motsu | to have, to own | |
| 休む | やすむ | yasumu | to rest | |
| やる | yaru | to do | ||
| 呼ぶ | よぶ | yobu | to call | |
| 読む | よむ | yomu | to read | |
| 分かる | わかる | wakaru | to know, to understand | |
| 忘れる | わすれる | wasureru | to forget | |
| 渡す | わたす | watasu | to hand over | |
| 渡る | わたる | wataru | to cross | |
Learn more about Japanese verbs:
NIHONGO ICHIBAN 