33 Cool Japanese Phrases You Can Begin Utilizing As we speak

One of many vital parts of studying a language is the vocabulary. If you be taught phrases which might be pleasant to say, you’ll need to say them extra continuously, and consequently use the language extra. Learn on to be taught a choice of cool Japanese phrases you’ll need to check out straight away!

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Understanding cool Japanese phrases extra totally

Many cool phrases in Japanese grow to be even cooler while you perceive kanji. Kanji can both discuss with one of many three writing methods within the Japanese alphabet or the Chinese language-derived characters of that system. By understanding the kanji, you’ll perceive the vocabulary on a deeper degree.

You’ll additionally be capable to extra successfully make the most of the cool Japanese phrases on this record if you already know Japanese grammar, notably how totally different Japanese components of speech work. Parts like i-adjectives and verbs comply with the identical conjugation guidelines as traditional. That stated, the phrases on this record are sensible even when stated individually!

I-adjectives

In Japanese, i-adjectives all finish with an i (い) hiragana character. If you might want to conjugate an i-adjective, take away the final i and add on the brand new acceptable ending. Nonetheless, it’s widespread to make use of i-adjectives on their very own as quick response phrases.

Natsukashii

Natsukashii (懐かしい) means “nostalgic” and can be utilized in lieu of the phrase “that takes me again.” Folks wish to bask in nostalgia sometimes. That is additionally the case in Japan, contributing to the continued success of franchises like Pokémon and Doraemon, each of which have maintained reputation for many years.

Urayamashii

Urayamashii (羨ましい) is the phrase for “jealous.” When your good friend shares about one thing cool they skilled or an important reward they acquired, it’s pure to reply with urayamashii in a lighthearted method.

Omoshiroi

Omoshiroi (面白い) can both imply “humorous” or “fascinating.” Whereas these two definitions appear fairly totally different to English audio system, to Japanese audio system it’s pure to bundle them collectively. Conversely, when Japanese folks be taught English, they often battle to grasp the excellence between “humorous” and “fascinating.”

The kanji within the phrase omoshiroi are fascinating themselves! The omo (面) character denotes “face” or “floor,” and shiroi (白い) is “white.” There’s no apparent connection between the which means of the characters to the which means of the phrase, and the phrase’s precise origin is unknown. Probably the most prevalent principle is that while you encounter one thing omoshiroi, it metaphorically seems like earlier than your “face” issues have been “brightened.”

Kyōmi-bukai

Kyōmi-bukai (興味深い) may also be outlined as “fascinating” however on a deeper degree than omoshiroi and should higher be translated as “fascinating.” You could typically say omoshiroi on autopilot, as might be the case with “fascinating” in English. Kyōmi-bukai, nonetheless, is at all times wholehearted.

The phrase kyōmi (興味) means curiosity, and bukai comes from the phrase fukai (深い), which implies “deep,” making the literal definition “deep curiosity.”

Yabai

In the event you’ve realized any Japanese slang, you’ve possible encountered the phrase yabai (やばい). It’s a cute Japanese phrase due to its pronunciation, but additionally a cool one due to its flexibility. It could actually talk an array of sturdy reactions, similar to “harmful,” “horrible,” “loopy,” “superb,” and “cool.” As a result of ambiguity, you ought to be cautious of your tone when saying yabai!

Ki-mazui

That is the phrase for “awkward.” In the event you break down ki-mazui (気まずい), you get ki (気), which signifies “ambiance,” and mazui (まずい), which implies “horrible” or “unpalatable.”

Itai

Itai (痛い) is the phrase for “painful” and can also be the Japanese model of “ouch!” Paying homage to the English phrase “it’s painful to look at,” itai also can stand for “cringy.” That is the origin of the title itasha (痛車) given to vehicles coated with anime characters.

Hageshii

Hageshii (激しい) signifies one thing “intense.” Widespread makes use of of hageshii can be to explain a contest, climate, or persona.

Erai

Erai (偉い) means “admirable” and is a typical praise amongst Japanese folks. It’s used for recognizing when somebody has gone above and past and may apply to on a regular basis actions, similar to learning for a very long time or doing a form favor.

From erai comes erasou (偉そう), which is the perspective of somebody who thinks they’re erai however they’re not. It may be translated as “self-important” or “immodest.” Erasou is an na-adjective.

Na-adjectives

Utilizing an na-adjective typically requires the usage of an na (な) particle. However like i-adjectives, you should use na-adjectives individually as response phrases.

Jouzu

It’s an inside joke amongst Japanese learners that in case you can say even a easy factor in Japanese, you’ll rapidly obtain the praise nihongo ga jouzu desu ne, which means “your Japanese is basically good.” On this translation, jouzu (上手) means “good,” however because it particularly refers to means, a safer translation can be “skillful.”

The kanji are “above” (上) and “hand” (手). The “hand” is a illustration of “ability,” so you may interpret the characters as “above common ability.”

With jouzu, watch out that you just don’t use it to discuss with your self. Japanese tradition as an entire values humility, and jouzu is sort of a excessive praise. It’s an important factor to say to associates and acquaintances!

Nigate

Nigate (苦手) is utilized in two alternative ways; both you’re conveying you’re “not good at one thing” otherwise you’re “not good with one thing.”

The primary definition is about ability degree, which is mirrored within the kanji. The primary kanji represents “hardship” or “bitter” (苦) and the second kanji is identical “hand” (手) character in jouzu.

The second definition offers along with your tolerance. You could specific mushi ga nigate (I can’t deal with bugs), or karai mono ga nigate (I’m not good with spicy meals).

Oshare

Oshare (おしゃれ) is “stylish” or “fashionable.” It usually describes trend or cool hangouts similar to cafes and bars. Whereas oshare is an na-adjective, it may also be became a suru verb to say that you just “acquired dressed up.”

Dentō-teki

Dentō-teki (伝統的) is the time period for “conventional” in Japanese. It’s at all times cool to study dentō-teki facets of a tradition!

Teki (的) is a typical ending in different na-adjectives, similar to kihon-teki (elementary) and shinri-teki (psychological).

Muchū

In case you are “obsessed” or are utterly centered to the purpose that you just tune out different issues, you’re muchū (夢中). The kanji in muchū are the kanji for “dream” (夢) and “center” (中) and might be interpreted as “in the course of a trance.”

The everyday sentence sample is [noun] ni a lotū. It’s principally used with hobbies, however may even describe romantic emotions.

Tekitō

The distinctive factor about tekitō (適当) is it may be optimistic or unfavourable relying on context. This makes it a bit tough to translate, however you may evaluate it to the phrase “ok” with totally different implications based mostly on tone.

On the optimistic finish, it might denote “appropriate,” similar to when on the lookout for somebody to fill a job. On the unfavourable finish, it might indicate a job was accomplished in a “haphazard” method—on this case, it issues much less how properly one thing is finished, simply that it’s accomplished.

Dame

Relying on the state of affairs, dame (駄目) can imply “not allowed,” “no good, “or “ineffective.” If somebody’s doing one thing they shouldn’t, you may warn them with dame. If a plan of yours received’t work anymore, that’s additionally dame. And if one thing has damaged, it’s now dame. There’s a extra informal connotation to dame and it may be utilized in a joking method.

Nouns

Japanese Nouns are normally easy in which means, however you’ll nonetheless typically end up pleasantly shocked!

Konsento

Inside Japanese vocabulary, there are various Japanese loanwords or gairaigo (外来語), and nearly all of these come from English. Due to the presence of gairaigo, it’s much less arduous to be taught Japanese than you may first assume!

Konsento (コンセント) is a gairaigo, but it surely doesn’t have the anticipated definition of “consent.” Fairly, it was derived from “concentric outlet.” If you might want to cost your electrical units, it’s useful to know the phrase konsento.

Baikingu

Baikingu (バイキング) can also be a gairaigo and technically comes from an English phrase, but it’s utilized in a very totally different method! The which means is “buffet,” but it surely comes from the phrase “viking.”

What connection do vikings need to buffets? A Japanese man encountered smorgasbords in Scandinavia and needed to convey that model of eating to Japan. He then opened a restaurant known as Imperial Viking. Over time, the in depth servings of meals turned related to the “viking” title.

Kikkake

A kikkake (きっかけ) is an “impetus.” As a Japanese language learner, that is an particularly useful phrase for explaining why you determined to check Japanese! You may phrase your clarification as nihongo o benkyou shi hajimeta kikkake wa [reason].

Keshiki

Keshiki (景色) is the phrase for “surroundings” in Japanese. In the event you’re touring in Japan, you’re certain to see some utsukushii keshiki (stunning surroundings).

Jishin

Jishin (自信) is the phrase for “confidence” and is actually represented as “imagine” (信) in “your self” (自). It may be paired with the verb aru which means “to have” or the verb motsu which means “to carry.” In the event you’d wish to encourage somebody to trust, you may say jishin o motte!

Kinchō

Kinchō (緊張) is “nervousness” and may very well be considered the alternative of jishin. Nonetheless, it’s helpful to acknowledge the sensation; in case you verbalize it, the strain is damaged, and also you’ll obtain encouragement to attempt regardless of your kinchō. By including suru, you may make kinchō into the verb “to be nervous.” Utilizing kinchō as a suru verb, you may kindly encourage another person with kinchō shinai de (don’t be nervous).

Verbs

In Japanese grammar, the inclusion of Japanese verb conjugations makes verbs particularly vital. The verbs on this record are all u-verbs/godan verbs and comply with commonplace conjugation guidelines.

Yaku ni tatsu

This phrase will certainly be “helpful,” as that’s its definition! Whereas yaku ni tatsu (役に立つ) is technically a verb, it’s quite common to construction a sentence as [noun] wa yaku ni tatsu to specific that somebody or one thing is beneficial. Yaku (役) is “function” and tatsu (立つ) is “to face,” giving the impression of a job being crammed.

Ma ni au

Ma ni au (間に合う) means “to make it on time.” It’s used along with the particle ni in sentences like kurasu ni ma ni au (I’ll make it on time for sophistication) or densha ni ma ni au (I’ll make it on time to experience the practice). The kanji for ma (間) is within the phrase for “time” (jikan, 時間). Au (合う) is the verb “to match.”

Niau

Niau is “to swimsuit” within the sense of “that coloration fits you.” It’s employed within the sentence sample [thing] wa [person] ni niau. The ni (似) character means “to resemble” and au (合う) is identical as in ma ni au and means “to match.”

Ochi-tsuku

Ochi-tsuku (落ち着く) is “to relax” or “to calm down,” which is an efficient reminder in case you really feel kinchō (nervous). It could actually specific that one thing helps you chill out, similar to ocha o nomu to ochi-tsuku (after I drink tea I really feel relaxed). In a steady kind conjugation, it might describe somebody’s persona as calm, similar to saying kanojo wa ochi-tsuiteiru (she is calm).

Cool Japanese phrases used as phrases

Typically concepts that require a sentence to clarify in a single language might be expressed in only one phrase in one other language. These are sometimes among the most cool Japanese phrases!

Sou

There are quite a few translations of sou (そう) relying on the circumstance, however to simplify we may outline it as “that’s the case.” Sou is likely one of the most typical aizuchi (相槌), or interjections that exhibit energetic listening. In the event you’ve listened to a Japanese dialog between native audio system, you’re certain to have heard aizuchi and should have particularly heard sou or the phrase sou desu ne.

Sou might be remarked to point out settlement as we might use the phrases “that’s proper” or “you’re proper.” With a questioning intonation it turns into the inquiry “is that so?”

Otsukare

Otsukare (お疲れ) just isn’t at all times taught alongside different Japanese greetings, but it surely’s useful if you wish to combine with Japanese folks. It’s much like proclaiming “good work immediately.” Good instances to supply it are while you see a coworker heading dwelling, while you’re heading dwelling, or while you meet up with a good friend after work. This phrase is derived from tsukareru (疲れる) which means “to grow to be drained.”

There are totally different ranges of politeness with otsukare; simply otsukare may be very informal and may solely be stated to associates, otsukare sama is pretty well mannered, and otsukare sama deshita is probably the most well mannered.

Mendōkusai

Shut equivalents to mendōkusai (面倒くさい) can be phrases like “it’s an excessive amount of bother” or “it’s an excessive amount of work” declared with exasperation. You need to use it when there’s a job you don’t need to do for no matter motive, whether or not it’s tedious, annoying, otherwise you’re simply feeling lazy. The phrase mendō (面倒) means “bother” and kusai (臭い) means “smelly.”

Shōganai

Shōganai (しょうがない) is usually interpreted as “it might’t be helped.” In Japanese tradition, folks have a tendency to treat unhealthy information with detachment and never be as involved with taking private duty to repair one thing. This phrase communicates a “no use wallowing” perspective and an acceptance that “it’s what it’s.”

Sasuga

Sasuga (さすが) signifies “simply as you’d count on from [noun].” Whereas it’s principally utilized in a complimentary sense, it may be utilized in a impartial or unfavourable sense. It could actually both indicate that you just predicted one thing would occur or somebody would act in a sure method, or be stated in hindsight.

Mottainai

Mottainai (勿体無い) means “it’s such a waste.” It could actually specific disappointment, but it surely may also be used within the sense of “it’s such a waste to remain inside the home,” which in Japanese is ie no naka ni iru no ga mottainai.

Ichi-go ichi-e

Ichi-go ichi-e (一期一会) is a succinctly conveyed Japanese proverb. The character for ichi (一) means “one,” the character for go (期) means “time,” and the character for e (会) means “assembly.” It may be translated as “one alternative, one encounter.”

This proverb displays a price in Japanese tradition to totally embrace the current as you’ll by no means have the very same experiences once more. But these transient moments can depart a profound impression. Ichi-go ichi-e pertains to the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of wabi-sabi: an appreciation of impermanent and imperfect issues.

Make language studying enjoyable with cool Japanese phrases

With a big number of cool Japanese phrases in your arsenal, you’ll have much more enjoyable assembly new folks and making small discuss. And while you’re having enjoyable in your language studying journey, you possible received’t even be involved with one thing like how lengthy it takes to be taught Japanese!

It’s regular to be kinchō about talking a brand new language, however while you embrace a wabi-sabi mindset, you’ll admire that it’s all a part of the method. Rosetta Stone’s classes assist you to be taught in a low-pressure atmosphere and are designed to foster pure language studying with the Dynamic Immersion methodology. So don’t be afraid to place your self on the market and begin studying Japanese with Rosetta Stone!