Learning Japanese can feel intimidating at first glance , three writing systems (hiragana, katakana, kanji), unique grammar, and complex levels of politeness...
But here's the good news: with just 100 carefully chosen words, you can already communicate in most everyday situations in Japan.
In this article, we'll explore the 100 MOST useful Japanese words for beginners, organized by category. Each word comes with:
- The hiragana spelling (Japanese phonetic system)
- The romanization (romaji) for pronunciation
- The English translation
- Practical usage examples
- きょうはあついです。 = Today is hot.
- あしたきます。 = I'll come tomorrow.
- これはなんですか？ = What is this?
- トイレはどこですか？ = Where is the bathroom?
- Anki (flashcards with spaced repetition algorithm)
- Memrise (memory games)
- Drops (10 min/day)
- ❌ "たべます = to eat"
- ✅ "わたしはラーメンをたべます。" (I eat ramen.)
- ドア (doa) on the door
- まど (mado) on the window
- つくえ (tsukue) on the desk
- HelloTalk (mobile app)
- Tandem (mobile app)
- おばさん (obasan) = Aunt
- おばあさん (obāsan) = Grandmother
- Vocabulary alone ≠ language mastery
- You also need to work on grammar, conjugation, listening comprehension
- A native teacher to correct your accent
- Structured courses (hiragana, katakana, kanji, grammar)
- Regular oral practice
- A progressive path adapted to your level
Ready to unlock the basics of Japanese? Let's go!
1. Greetings and Politeness (15 words) 2. Numbers and Counting (20 words) 3. Time and Frequency (10 words) 4. Food and Restaurants (15 words) 5. Transport and Directions (10 words) 6. Essential Questions (10 words) 7. Basic Adjectives (10 words) 8. Indispensable Verbs (10 words) 9. Everyday Practical Words (10 words) 10. Tips to Memorize All 100 Words
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1. Greetings and Politeness (15 words)
Japanese people are VERY attached to politeness. Mastering these expressions is essential.
Basic Greetings
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| おはよう |
| Good morning |
| こんにちは |
| Hello / Good afternoon |
| こんばんは |
| Good evening |
| おやすみ |
| Good night |
| さようなら |
| Goodbye |
| じゃあね |
| See you! / Bye! |
| また |
| See you soon |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| ありがとう |
| Thank you |
| どうも |
| Thanks (casual) |
| すみません |
| Excuse me / Sorry |
| ごめんなさい |
| I'm sorry |
| いいえ |
| No / You're welcome |
| はい |
| Yes |
| うん |
| Yeah |
| お願いします |
| Please |
| Hiragana |
| Number |
| ---------- |
| -------- |
| いち |
| 1 |
| に |
| 2 |
| さん |
| 3 |
| し / よん |
| 4 |
| ご |
| 5 |
| ろく |
| 6 |
| しち / なな |
| 7 |
| はち |
| 8 |
| きゅう / く |
| 9 |
| じゅう |
| 10 |
| Hiragana |
| Number |
| ---------- |
| -------- |
| じゅう |
| 10 |
| にじゅう |
| 20 |
| さんじゅう |
| 30 |
| よんじゅう |
| 40 |
| ごじゅう |
| 50 |
| ひゃく |
| 100 |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| きょう |
| Today |
| あした |
| Tomorrow |
| きのう |
| Yesterday |
| いま |
| Now |
| あとで |
| Later |
| まえ |
| Before |
| あと |
| After |
| いつ |
| When |
| とき |
| Moment / When (in time) |
| じかん |
| Time / Hour |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| たべもの |
| Food |
| のみもの |
| Drink |
| みず |
| Water |
| おちゃ |
| Tea (usually green tea) |
| ビール |
| Beer |
| ごはん |
| Rice / Meal |
| すし |
| Sushi |
| ラーメン |
| Ramen |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| ください |
| Give me / Please |
| おいしい |
| Delicious |
| メニュー |
| Menu |
| おかわり |
| Refill / More |
| チェック |
| The bill |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| でんしゃ |
| Train |
| バス |
| Bus |
| タクシー |
| Taxi |
| えき |
| Station |
| ホテル |
| Hotel |
| みぎ |
| Right |
| ひだり |
| Left |
| まっすぐ |
| Straight ahead |
| ちかい |
| Near |
| とおい |
| Far |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| なに / なん |
| What |
| どこ |
| Where |
| だれ |
| Who |
| いつ |
| When |
| なぜ |
| Why |
| どう |
| How |
| どれ |
| Which |
| いくつ |
| How many |
| どうして |
| Why (polite) |
| どのくらい |
| How long |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| おおきい |
| Big |
| ちいさい |
| Small |
| あつい |
| Hot / Thick |
| さむい |
| Cold |
| あたらしい |
| New |
| ふるい |
| Old |
| たかい |
| Expensive / High |
| やすい |
| Cheap |
| むずかしい |
| Difficult |
| かんたん |
| Easy |
| Hiragana (polite form) |
| English |
| ------------------------ |
| --------- |
| します |
| To do |
| いきます |
| To go |
| きます |
| To come |
| たべます |
| To eat |
| のみます |
| To drink |
| みます |
| To see / Watch |
| ききます |
| To listen / Ask |
| かいます |
| To buy |
| わかります |
| To understand |
| います |
| To be (animate) |
| Hiragana |
| English |
| ---------- |
| --------- |
| これ |
| This (near you) |
| それ |
| That (near the other) |
| あれ |
| That over there (far from both) |
| ここ |
| Here |
| そこ |
| There |
| あそこ |
| Over there |
| ひと |
| Person |
| もの |
| Thing |
| トイレ |
| Toilet |
| でんわ |
| Phone |
| Period |
| Words/Day |
| -------- |
| ----------- |
| Weeks 1-2 |
| 5 words/day |
| Weeks 3-4 |
| 5 words/day |
| Weeks 5-6 |
| 5 words/day |
| Weeks 7-8 |
| 5 words/day |
| Weeks 9-10 |
| 5 words/day |
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Common Pronunciation Mistakes
Mistake #1: The Japanese "R"
The Japanese "r" (ら, り, る, れ, ろ) sounds neither like English "r" nor like "l". It's a quick flap of the tongue between the palate and the teeth.
Mistake #2: Vowel Length
In Japanese, vowel length changes meaning:
Mistake #3: The "tsu" つ
The sound "tsu" doesn't exist in English as a standalone consonant. It's a quick "ts" sound like in "tsunami".
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Conclusion: Your Foundation is Set!
With these 100 words, you now have solid foundations to communicate in Japanese.
But remember:
Japanese is a beautiful but demanding language. With consistency and the right methods, anyone can master it.
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Ready to Take It to the Next Level?
These 100 words are an excellent start. But to truly speak Japanese fluently, you need:
At Targumi, our native Japanese teachers guide you from zero to fluent conversation.
Discover our Japanese courses Live courses in small groups • Interactive lessons with native audio • Certified progression---
Article written by Yuki Tanaka, native Japanese teacher from Tokyo with 7 years of experience teaching English speakers.