Japango

How to say “Could you include Tokyo Tower in the picture please?” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:15th June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You can use the above phrases to ask someone to take a picture of you with Tokyo Tower in the background. It is good to say “Sumimasen” (excuse me) first before you use the above […]

15 must-know Japanese phrases for Business telephone calls

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:15th June 2018

Business

Talking on the phone is an essential skill if you want to enhance your career in Japan, or maintain a good relationship with a Japanese client. During these phone calls you may need to: make an appointment greet your client […]

How to say “I’m just looking” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:10th June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You can use the first expression to mean “I’m just looking…”. Ending the sentence with hesitation expresses a non-verbal meaning which can be left to the interpretation of the listener. In this case, the sales […]

How to say “May I leave my luggage here?” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:2nd June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation (1) is a direct way of asking the hotel staff for permission to leave your luggage at the hotel. For (2) and (3), the sentences are left hanging and they are supposed to be said […]

How to say “Could you call a taxi for me please?” in Japanese?

Updated:8th June 2019
Published:2nd June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You can use either one of the above phrases to ask the hotel staff to call a taxi for you. “~ itadakemasu ka” and “~ moraemasu ka” both means “would you do (something) for me”. […]

How to say “you” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:27th May 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher When you do not know the other person’s name, ask for his/her name first and then address him/her using the “name + san” format. (1) Sumimasen, onamae wa? すみません、お名前は Excuse me, what’s your name? Business setting […]

How to say “I” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:26th May 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You’re right. There are many ways of saying “I” in Japanese depending on the situation, gender, and self-image that you want to project to the listener. The most standard and gender-free term would be “watashi”. […]

Introduction to Japanese Word Order

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:26th May 2018

Basic

We’ve looked at the characteristics of the Japanese language previously in “Is Japanese language difficult to learn? Let’s look at the characteristics of the language.” Today, let’s talk a little bit more about the word order in Japanese. Basic word […]

How to say “Please thin out my hair” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:25th May 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation If this is your first time going to a hair salon in Japan, it could be a bit intimidating because of the language problem. However, it is a great experience and I’m sure you would […]

11 slick ways to end a business email in Japanese

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:20th May 2018

Business

When you need to send a business email in Japanese, you may find that there are many expressions that you can use in business emails. And they are sometimes quite different from the expressions in normal conversational emails. Here are […]