The Most Commonly Used Japanese Words for Beginners

Maybe you just started watching that crazy show that somehow had these flashy action scenes that just makes you feel motivated. Or maybe you have an acquaintance that just pesters you to watch the latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen so they can talk your ears out on their theories on why Sukuna just loves Megumi. Or maybe you wanted to dive deeper into a series that you’ve been watching and discover more episodes that haven’t been translated yet.

Getting into anime means getting into the culture. Which also means in getting into the culture, you also have to understand its language.

To aid you in setting off into this wondrous journey which is the study of the Japanese Language, here are some of the top 50 most commonly-used words (at least, from our perspective!) for you to get used to. Normally I would advise against memorizing these words; BUT, with enough practice and memorization, reading, writing, or listening to these phrases will help you launch into the knowledge of the Language.

Here are the top 50 most commonly used Japanese words/expressions for everyday use!

Essential Japanese Greetings and Basics

• こんにちは (Konnichiwa) – Hello/Good afternoon.
• ありがとう (Arigatou) – Thank you.
• はい (Hai) – Yes.
• いいえ (Iie) – No.
• おはよう (Ohayou) – Good morning.
• こんばんは (Konbanwa) – Good evening.
• さようなら (Sayounara) – Goodbye.

Common Nouns

• 人 (Hito) – Person.
• 友達 (Tomodachi) – Friend.
• 水 (Mizu) – Water.
• 食べ物 (Tabemono) – Food.
• 学校 (Gakkou) – School.
• 仕事 (Shigoto) – Work/job.
• 家 (Ie/Uchi) – House/home.

Useful Verbs

• 食べる (Taberu) – To eat.
• 行く (Iku) – To go.
• 見る (Miru) – To see/watch.
• 来る (Kuru) – To come.
• 飲む (Nomu) – To drink.
• する (Suru) – To do.

Descriptive Adjectives

• 大きい (Ookii) – Big.
• 小さい (Chiisai) – Small.
• 新しい (Atarashii) – New.
• 古い (Furui) – Old.
• 良い (Yoi/Ii) – Good.

Key Adverbs and Connectors

• とても (Totemo) – Very.
• あまり (Amari) – Not much.
• でも (Demo) – But.
• そして (Soshite) – And then.
• また (Mata) – Again.

Essential Everyday Japanese Expressions

• すみません (Sumimasen) – Excuse me/I’m sorry.
• お願いします (Onegaishimasu) – Please.
• それ (Sore) – That.
• これ (Kore) – This.
• どうして (Doushite) – Why?

Numbers

• 一 (Ichi) – One.
• 二 (Ni) – Two.
• 三 (San) – Three.
• 四 (Shi/Yon) – Four.
• 五 (Go) – Five.

Essential Japanese Words and Phrases

• 私は…です (Watashi wa…desu) – I am…
• 何 (Nani/Nan) – What?
• どこ (Doko) – Where?
• いつ (Itsu) – When?
• どう (Dou) – How?

Essential Question Words

• 誰 (Dare) – Who?
• どれ (Dore) – Which?
• いくつ (Ikutsu) – How many?
• どのように (Dono you ni) – In what way?
• どんな (Donna) – What kind of?

Learning these words is the first step to understanding the rich Japanese culture and language. Remember, language learning is a journey – take it one word at a time. For additional reading, you can check out our series, the Japanese word of the day.

がんばって (Ganbatte) – do your best!

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