The basics of Japanese

[Neversoft]

Great thread. I'd just like to point out that sumimasen doesn't necessarily mean excuse me, however. A lot of Japanese words mean different things in different context, and sumimasen is one of those words. It's basically a word you use when you believe you have bothered someone. When you say 'excuse me' to someone, you're interrupting what they are currently doing, so that is why sumimasen is used. Sumimasen can also be used to apologise when you have inconvenienced someone or have asked them to go out of their way for something. Unlike gommen or gomennsai, sumimasen also expresses a feeling of gratitude. If you ask someone for a favour and they do it for you, you can reply with sumimasen and it would mean both sorry for bothering you and thank you. Sumimasen is also a more mature word than gomennasai, which you would use to your superiors or perhaps people you don't know when apologising. In short, it can mean excuse me, thank you or sorry depending on the context.

Here are a few other words and phrases I have picked up that might help

I don't know - Shirimasen
What - Nani
Where - Doko
Who - Dare (prenounced da-reh)
Which - Dore (prenounced do-reh)
When - Itsu
Everyone - Minna
Please - Onegai
Welcome back - Okaeri
Dad - Tou-san
Mum - Ka-san
Wait - Matte
Help - Tasukete
What are you doing? - Nani o ****e imasuka?
Nothing - Betsuni
Really - Hontou

One - Ichi
Two - Ni
Three - San
Four - Yon
Five - Go
Six - Roku
Seven - Nana
Eight - Hachi
Nine - Kyuu
Ten - Juu
Eleven - Juu ichi
Twelve - Juu ni
Thirteen - Juu san
Fourteen - Juu yon
Fifteen - Juu go
Sixteen - Juu roku
Seventeen - Juu nana
Eighteen - juu hachi
Nineteen - juu kyuu
Twenty - Ni juu

[Black_Apalachi]

Wow awesome thread! Thanks . I'm amazed at how much I already knew or at least recognised (in both the OP and Neversoft's post). I also already knew how to count to twenty in Japanese!

Edit @Neversoft: I was taught She as four and Sich as seven as well as Juu-- for fourteen and seventeen respectively (I'm just making up the spellings there based on pronunciation).

[Neversoft]

Four can be said as either si or yon, and seven can be said as either nana or sichi. Though I am unsure of the context you use each in, so I just went with what I've heard the most. I have noticed that si seems to be used for four a lot however, but when saying fourteen, twenty four, thirty four, etc yon is used.

[Black_Apalachi]

Ah right, thanks .

[Sunnily]

I've heard people speak japanese it sounds so cute when people speak it. I dont know if that applies everywhere but you know

[Dilusionate]

Great job. I always wanted to speak a few words!

[Josh]

Arigatou.

ありがとう

[Zak]

I have no idea how to say most of these words. I have got a friend who speaks chinese though, that's a cool language as well

No point in saying thanks as this stickied thread is 1 year old

[GirlNextDoor15]

That's gonna help my brother in his Japanese exam. Thank you very much

[Andy-]

I only know a few japaneese words like 1 or 2.