100 Basic Japanese Words to Learn for Beginners 🌸
🗣️ 1. Greetings & Daily Expressions
These essential Japanese greetings will help you make a polite first impression:
| Japanese | Romaji | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こんにちは | Konnichiwa | Hello / Good afternoon |
| おはよう | Ohayou | Good morning |
| こんばんは | Konbanwa | Good evening |
| おやすみ | Oyasumi | Good night |
| さようなら | Sayounara | Goodbye |
| はい | Hai | Yes |
| いいえ | Iie | No |
| ありがとう | Arigatou | Thank you |
| すみません | Sumimasen | Excuse me / Sorry |
| ごめんなさい | Gomen nasai | I’m sorry |
👤 2. Personal Pronouns
Learn how to talk about yourself and others in Japanese:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| わたし | Watashi | I / Me |
| あなた | Anata | You |
| かれ | Kare | He / Him |
| かのじょ | Kanojo | She / Her |
| わたしたち | Watashitachi | We / Us |
⏰ 3. Time & Numbers
Numbers and time-related vocabulary are used everywhere:
| Japanese | Romaji | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いち | Ichi | One |
| に | Ni | Two |
| さん | San | Three |
| よん / し | Yon / Shi | Four |
| ご | Go | Five |
| ろく | Roku | Six |
| なな / しち | Nana / Shichi | Seven |
| はち | Hachi | Eight |
| きゅう / く | Kyuu / Ku | Nine |
| じゅう | Juu | Ten |
🍙 4. Food & Drink Vocabulary
Know what to order in a Japanese restaurant with these words:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| みず | Mizu | Water |
| おちゃ | Ocha | Tea |
| ごはん | Gohan | Rice / Meal |
| パン | Pan | Bread |
| にく | Niku | Meat |
| さかな | Sakana | Fish |
| たまご | Tamago | Egg |
| やさい | Yasai | Vegetables |
| くだもの | Kudamono | Fruit |
🏠 5. Places & Daily Objects
Common words used in daily life or while traveling:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いえ | Ie | House |
| がっこう | Gakkou | School |
| みせ | Mise | Shop / Store |
| えき | Eki | Train Station |
| くるま | Kuruma | Car |
| でんしゃ | Densha | Train |
| でんわ | Denwa | Telephone |
| かさ | Kasa | Umbrella |
💬 Bonus Section: 10 Essential Japanese Verbs
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| たべる | Taberu | To eat |
| のむ | Nomu | To drink |
| いく | Iku | To go |
| みる | Miru | To see |
| はなす | Hanasu | To speak |
| よむ | Yomu | To read |
| かく | Kaku | To write |
| する | Suru | To do |
| あるく | Aruku | To walk |
| ねる | Neru | To sleep |
🌸 Final Thoughts
Learning just these 100 Japanese words will dramatically boost your ability to speak, listen, and understand basic Japanese. The best part? These words appear frequently in conversations, travel, anime, and daily life. Practice a few words each day, and you’ll see results in no time.
