· 6 min read
Japanese Phrases for Tourists: Say and Hear
By Language Lab editorial team
Japanese phrases for tourists in two lists: 12 to say and 6 you will hear from staff, with meanings. All taken from NHK WORLD-JAPAN's Easy Japanese lessons.
A tourist in Japan needs two short lists. The first is what to say: a dozen phrases such as Arigatoo gozaimasu, thank you very much; Kore o kudasai, I'll take this; Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka, can I use a credit card; and Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka, may I take photos here. The second is what you will hear from staff, which a list of your own lines does not prepare you for: Irasshaimase, may I help you; Gochuumon wa, what would you like; Shooshoo omachi kudasai, please wait a minute. Both lists below come from NHK WORLD-JAPAN's Easy Japanese course, with NHK's romanisation, which writes long vowels double.
12 phrases to say
| Japanese | How to say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとうございます。 | Arigatoo gozaimasu. | Thank you very much. |
| これをください。 | Kore o kudasai. | I'll take this. |
| これは何ですか。 | Kore wa nan desu ka. | What is this? |
| カードは使えますか。 | Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka. | Can I use a credit card? |
| おすすめは何ですか。 | Osusume wa nan desu ka. | What do you recommend? |
| 写真を撮ってもいいですか。 | Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka. | May I take photos here? |
| ゆっくり話してください。 | Yukkuri hanashite kudasai. | Please speak slowly. |
| すみません。よくわかりません。 | Sumimasen. Yoku wakarimasen. | I'm sorry. I don't quite understand. |
| どういう意味ですか。 | Doo iu imi desu ka. | What does that mean? |
| 初めてです。 | Hajimete desu. | This will be my first time. |
| おいしいです。 | Oishii desu. | It's delicious. |
| すごくよかったです！ | Sugoku yokatta desu! | That was wonderful! |
6 phrases you will hear
| Japanese | How it sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ。 | Irasshaimase. | May I help you? |
| ご注文は？ | Gochuumon wa? | What would you like? |
| 少々お待ちください。 | Shooshoo omachi kudasai. | Please wait a minute. |
| どうぞ。 | Doozo. | Please enjoy it. / Go ahead. / Here you are. |
| 大丈夫？ | Daijoobu? | Are you OK? |
| わかりました。 | Wakarimashita. | All right. |
These are lines to recognise more than to say. Knowing them means a question about your order does not catch you out.
Five all-purpose expressions
NHK also runs a beginner series called Easy Travel Japanese, which it describes as phrases to use on trips. Five of its short expressions are featured on NHK's Learn Japanese page.
- Sumimasen, which NHK calls a versatile word.
- Domo, also described as a versatile word.
- Doko desu ka: where is...?
- Ii desu ka: may I...?
- Daijobu desu ka: is it OK?
The last three are frames. Put a place before doko desu ka and you have a question about where it is. The full sentence in NHK's first conversation lesson is Haru-san-Hausu wa doko desu ka, where is Haru-san House?
A minute at the table
Here is how the two lists meet in a restaurant, using only phrases from the tables above.
- Staff greet you with Irasshaimase, may I help you?
- You ask Osusume wa nan desu ka, what do you recommend?
- You hear Gochuumon wa, what would you like?
- You point and say Kore o kudasai, I'll take this.
- You hear Shooshoo omachi kudasai, please wait a minute, and later Doozo, here you are.
- You say Oishii desu, it's delicious, and at the till Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka, can I use a credit card?
If you only learn three
- Arigatoo gozaimasu, thank you very much.
- Kore o kudasai, I'll take this.
- Yukkuri hanashite kudasai, please speak slowly.
How to remember them
Say each phrase aloud, then cover the Japanese and try to produce it from the English. Repeat the next day and again a few days later. A 2013 review of learning research rated this kind of practice testing, and spreading practice over time, as the two most useful study techniques, and rated rereading as low. Short sessions spread across a week will serve you better than one long session on the plane.
Language Lab's Japanese course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can practise both sides of the exchange: saying your line and catching the reply.
Frequently asked
What Japanese phrases should a tourist know?
Start with Arigatoo gozaimasu, thank you very much; Kore o kudasai, I'll take this; Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka, can I use a credit card; Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka, may I take photos here; and Yukkuri hanashite kudasai, please speak slowly.
What does irasshaimase mean?
NHK's Easy Japanese translates Irasshaimase as May I help you? As the translation shows, it is a line said by staff to a customer.
How do I ask if I can pay by card in Japanese?
Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka, can I use a credit card?
How do I ask permission to take a photo?
Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka, may I take photos here?
What does shooshoo omachi kudasai mean?
Please wait a minute. It is one to recognise when you hear it.
What do I say if I don't understand?
Sumimasen, yoku wakarimasen: I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Follow it with Yukkuri hanashite kudasai, please speak slowly.
Sources: NHK WORLD-JAPAN, Easy Japanese: Conversation lessons, Key Phrases and Bonus Phrases, and Learn Japanese (Easy Travel Japanese); Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Osaka Castle, Balon Greyjoy / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons).
