Japanese phrasebook - Sprachführer Japanisch

Japanese(日本語, nihongo) is practically exclusively in Japan(日本国, Nippon) spoken, but is also partly used as a second language in South Korea and some parts of China. The development of the Japanese writing was strongly influenced by Chinese and its grammar is related to Korean, but is otherwise not related to any other language. The writing system consists of a combination of Kanji 漢字 and the two syllable alphabets hiragana (ひ ら が な) and katakana (カ タ カ ナ). Also the Latin alphabet (ロ ー マ 字, rōmaji) is increasingly used nowadays.

Read and write

The Japanese writing system is extremely complex and difficult to master for most travelers. The basis is a set of over 40,000 Kanji, of which three to six thousand are in daily use among the educated - students learn the most important, almost 1900 Tōyō-Kanji, which is perfectly adequate for everyday life. These characters, originally adopted from China, each represent an object, a thing, a concept or an idea. Although the system works great in Chinese, the need for a sound-based alphabet soon emerged in Japan. Then the hiragana and katakana systems were derived, which can represent all sounds common in Japanese with around 50 characters each. While Hiragana are used to expand Kanji with grammatical inflections and to write Japanese words, Katakana have been used mainly for loan and foreign words since the writing reform in 1948.

Despite their mostly simple, figurative origin, a large part of the Kanji today can generally not be deciphered without lengthy study. However, the meanings of some simple kanji can be at least partially guessed at. The Kanji 人 z. B. represents a human being or a person. The Kanji 大 represents the concept “big” and appears like a person with arms outstretched. Together as 大人, literally “tall person”, they form the word “adult”. An agricultural example would be a tree 木, a forest 林 and a forest 森. A “word” usually consists of two, rarely three characters.

Traditionally, Japanese is written from top to bottom within a column, and columns from right to left. This is the usual type in newspapers and novels. Since the advent of electronic word processing, however, people have also written “quite normally” from left to right. In everyday use and especially in advertising, both writing directions and all four writing systems are often mixed. Old texts, especially from the time before the Pacific War or inscriptions in temples are also arranged right to left, but are rarely used today.

The pronunciation of a single kanji varies depending on the context in which it is used, as the Chinese meaning-based writing system was only later transferred to Japanese pronunciation. Most kanji have three to five possible pronunciations, and some even have a dozen or more. On top of that, Japanese is rich in homophones, words that have different meanings when pronounced the same. This can be confusing even for native speakers, sometimes requiring an alternate reading to explain a word or quickly scribbling the specific kanji on the hand.

pronunciation

The pronunciation of Japanese is very similar to that of German. The five vowels are almost identical, and among the consonants there are only a few sounds that differ from German or have no equivalent. In general, the throat is practically not used for pronunciation, all sounds are mainly formed in the mouth. The stress within a sentence is generally very flat. All syllables are spoken for the same length. Long vowels, marked with a dash (ā, ī, ū, ē, ō) in Latin transcription, are two syllables in length. Come with it - and ī Rare, ē only in foreign words. Combinations like き ゃ kya are spoken like a syllable.

Character combinations such as ai are not spoken as diphtong "ai" as in German, the vowels always keep their original sound. The only exception is that u after 'o' (お う ou, こ う kou, そ う sou, etc.), here it extends u the O' According to. In the Latin transcription, however, such a long vowel is rendered as 'ō' anyway (お う O, こ う kō, そ う so, etc.). Unfortunately, not all Japanese follow this and you can find wrong romanizations like fou.

In the following, all sounds are given first in the Latin alphabet, then as Hiragana and Katakana.

Vowels

a あ ・ ア

like 'a' in "apple"

i い ・ イ

like 'i' in “interesting”, often swallowed at the end of the word

u う ・ ウ

like 'u' in “Ulli”, often swallowed at the end of the word, so … of' and ... mas ’

e え ・ エ

like 'e' in "honest", short

o お ・ オ

like 'o' in "follow"

Consonants

With the exception of the endn (ん ・ ン) all consonants in Japanese always form a syllable together with a vowel. Some syllables, similar to German umlauts, can be marked with the pronunciation characters ゙ ("goosefoot") or kleiner (small circle), which affects the pronunciation of the consonant. Only those consonants that differ from the German pronunciation or that require explanation are listed below. See table on the right for all sounds and combinations.

Note: The Latin transcriptions follow Hepburn systemwhich is based on the English language. Therefore, some romanization like 'z', 'j' or 'y' may not be very intuitive for native German speakers.

s in さ す せ そ ・ サ ス セ ソ

like 'ss' in "street" (sharp s)

z in ざ ず ぜ ぞ ・ ザ ズ ゼ ゾ

like 's' in "sit" (soft s)

y in や ゆ よ ・ ヤ ユ ヨ

like 'y' in "yes"

r in ら り る れ ろ ・ ラ リ ル レ ロ

has no equivalent in German, between 'r' and 'l', with a slight 'd' accent

w in わ ・ ワ

very soft 'w', direction 'u'

sh in し ・ シ

like 'sch' in "ship"

j in じ ・ ジ

like 'j' in "Junkie" or 'dsch' in "jungle"

ch in ち ・ チ

like 'tsch' in "Czech Republic"

ts in つ ・ ツ

like 'z' in "to"

f in ふ ・ フ

breathed, sometimes "blown" 'f', between 'f' and 'h'

Consonant doubling through guttural stop っ ・ ッ (small tsu)

に っ ぽ ん nippon is spoken as "nip- (pause) -pon". The consonant is prepared, held and the breath stopped for a syllable. The previous vowel remains unaffected. Not to be confused with a “real” double 'n' as in こ ん に ち は konnichiwawhat i. A. in the Latin transcription as kon'nichiwa is identified.

Katakana

The katakana alphabet is used today to write loan and foreign words and is therefore particularly worthwhile for travelers to learn. It contains exactly the same sounds as the Hiragana alphabet, only the spelling is different. For reasons of space, only the basic characters are shown on the left, all umlauts (such as カ ka → ガ ga, modifiable rows marked accordingly), and combinations (キ ャ kya, シ ャ sha, etc.) exist as well. Officially there is the additional umlaut ヴ vu and combinations based on it like ヴ ェ veto be able to reproduce more foreign language sounds. Every now and then other imaginative modifications appear, which you should just pronounce by feeling.

Since all consonants (except finaln) occur exclusively as syllables, the Katakana transcription of a foreign word is generally only an approximation of the actual pronunciation. While some common terms such as café (カ フ ェ coffee) can be reproduced quite well, you have to like beer (ビ ー ル bīru) listen more closely. Many common terms from English are in daily use (rent-a-car → レ ン タ カ ー rentakā), and even some German, French, Dutch, and Portuguese can be found here and there. Often the exact meaning was slightly changed when it was taken over into Japanese (Arbeit → ア ル バ イ ト arubaito is used for "job work") or invented a new one (ワ ン マ ン カ ー wanmankā → “one-man car,” trains and buses without a controller, with only one Driver), but in general you can at least guess what it is about.

To identify a foreign katakana word, it is often helpful to repeat it out loud a few times and, if necessary, to swallow unnecessary vowels, especially the 'u' in ス see below and 'o' in ト to. This is how ラ イ ス becomes raisu quickly "rice" (aka "rice") and チ ケ ッ ト chiketto can be identified as “ticket.” Since they usually stand out due to their angular spelling, not all words written in katakana are actually foreign words. In advertising and design in particular, they are often used simply as a stylistic device, similar to the use of capital letters or italics in the Latin alphabet.

grammar

Basics

The basics of Japanese grammar are generally relatively simple. There is no article, declension, gender and no distinction between singular and plural. Nouns do not need to be declined, almost all verbs are regular, and there are only two tenses. On the other hand, there are some peculiarities such as negative adjectives and the (culturally very decisive) politeness system.

Japanese is a so-called agglutinating language, in which affixes with a purely grammatical meaning are attached to a word stem in order to identify the grammatical function of the word. The further the grammatical case deviates from the basic form of the word, the more affixes are added to the word. This scheme is used for both verbs and adjectives.

Sentence structure

In principle, the sentence structure follows the subject-object-verb scheme, but is relatively flexible, as the meaning of a word within a sentence mainly depends on the affix or particle that follows the word. By far the most important particles are the object particle は wa and the object particle を O.

It becomes more complicated when an object and a subject are used in the sentence and the subject particle が ga is used.

The concept is unfamiliar and it takes some time to understand the difference between は wa and が ga but in general you will be understood without any problems if you swap the two particles. Other useful and far easier to use particles are:

The auxiliary verb "to be"

An auxiliary verb like "sein" does not exist in Japanese. The words い る iru and あ る aru express the physical presence of a person or an object (駅 は あ そ こ にあ る。 Eki wa asoko ni aru. - "The station is(is located) over there. ”), but are in no way equivalent to“ being. ”It is often mistakenly assumed that で す desu takes on this role. Indeed it is desu or. de aru above all a politeness particle that has no real grammatical function. Since the politeness form is usually expressed in the verb of a sentence, one uses desuto give a sentence a polite form when it does not contain a verb, e.g. E.g .: 駅 で す。 Eki desu. - „This is the train station. ”This example also shows that sentences in Japanese are usually reduced to the essentials. The only word with a specific meaning in this short sentence is 駅 eki, “Station.” The actual statement should be clear from the context.
But there are also frequent “tapeworm sentences” in which, by the time you have reached the verb at the end, you have already forgotten the subject named five minutes before.

The direct salutation

Direct addressing is more of a cultural problem than a grammatical one. Although there are a large number of words that mean “you”, addressing someone directly is generally avoided. The most direct equivalent of “you” is あ な た anata, but is only used among peers or friends. Instead, it is preferred to address someone by their status or, if necessary, their name, with the additional help of suitable courtesy titles.

さ ん -san

The most frequently used title and roughly equivalent to Mr. or Mrs. (no distinction in Japanese).山田 さ ん Yamada-san: "Mr. Yamada"

様 -sama

One step more polite than -san, is used to address higher-ranking people.

お 客 さ ん okyaku-san

“Dear customer,” is used by employees of a shop or hotel to address you.

店長 さ ん tenchō-san

The best way to address a shopkeeper.

お 兄 さ ん onī-san, お 姉 さ ん onē-san

Literal “Brother” or “sister” is often used to address young people for whom one would otherwise not know a better title.

お 爺 さ ん ojī-san, お 婆 さ ん obā-san

"Grandpa" or "Grandma," is often used to address old people.

社長 shacho

The boss of the company.

そ ち ら sochira

Means as much as "on your side" and, accompanied by a corresponding hand movement, is usually used as the last straw if no better address can be found.

Tennō haika

is the only respectful way about the "emperor," d. H. to speak the "heavenly majesty". (The maiden name of a Tennō is not known to many Japanese. The one called Hirohito by disrespectful barbarians is correctly the Shōwa Tennō.)

There are also several ways of speaking about yourself, where 私 watashi is the most commonly used form and equates to a normally polite "I". However, since it is usually grammatically unnecessary to refer to yourself repeatedly, you can and should avoid the word “I” just like “you”. In certain situations it is also common to call yourself by name to refer to yourself. However, one must never do this -san or even -sama attach, this is reserved exclusively for others.

There are no special forms for "we," "her," or "they". To refer to a group of people, the plural affix た ち is used instead -tachi. This is attached to a member of a group or to a group identifier itself, if available. E.g .:

私 た ち watashi-tachi

literally "the group around me," in German "we"

あ な た た ち anata-tachi

"The group around you," "you"

子 供 た ち kodomo-tachi

"The group of children," the children

山田 さ ん た ち Yamada-san-tachi

"The group around Mr. Yamada," everyone that one would (contextually) associate with Mr. Yamada

Idioms

An overview of the most important idioms. The order is based on the likely frequency of their use.

Basics

Good day

こ ん に ち は。 Kon'nichiwa.

How are you?

お 元 気 で す か？ Ogenki desu ka?

Good thank you

元 気 で す。 Genki desu.

What's your name?

お 名 前 は 何 で す か？ Onamae wa nan desu ka?

My name is ...

... で す。 ... desu.
... と 申 し ま す。 ... to mōshimasu. (more polite)

Nice to meet you

始 め ま し て。 Hajimemashite (only at the very first meeting, usually visa cards are exchanged.)

Where are you from?

ど こ の 方 で す か？ Doko no kata desu ka?

I'm from ...

... か ら 来 ま し た。 ... kara kimashita.

I'm German)

〔ド イ ツ〕 人 で す。 (Doitsu) -jin desu.

Germany

ド イ ツ doitsu

Austria

オ ー ス ト リ ア ōsutoria

Switzerland

ス イ ス suisu

You're welcome (give it to me)

下 さ い kudasai

You're welcome (do it for me)

お 願 い し ま す onegai shimasu

Here you go (as an offer)

ど う ぞ dozo

thanks

あ り が と う arigatō

My pleasure

ど う い た し ま し て。 Dōitashimashite.

Yes

は い shark (In the sense of, "I heard you," does not necessarily indicate consent.)

Yes it is")

そ う で す sō des ’ (agreeing, a kind of "yes."

No

い い え iie(See box "No, thank you. Really.")

sorry

す み ま せ ん。 Sumimasen.

(Please excuse me

ご め ん な さ い。 Gomen'nasai.

Goodbye

さ よ う な ら。 Sayonara (only formal contact and among middle-aged women).

Bye (informal)

そ れ で は。 Sore dewa.
or ま た ね。 Mata ne.

I don't (hardly) speak Japanese

日本語 が （ほ と ん ど） 話 せ ま せ ん。 Nihongo ga (hotondo) hanasemasen.

Do you speak German / English?

ド イ ツ 語 ・ 英語 を 話 せ ま す か？ Doitsugo / eigo o hanasemasu ka?

Does anyone here speak German / English?

だ れ か ド イ ツ 語 ・ 英語 を 話 せ ま す か？ Dareka doitsugo / eigo o hanasemasu ka?

Please speak slowly

ゆ っ く り 話 し て く だ さ い。 Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.

Please repeat that again (slowly)

も う 一度 （ゆ っ く り） 言 っ て く だ さ い。 Mō ichido (yukkuri) itte kudasai.

Help!

た す け て！ Tasukete!

Attention!

あ ぶ な い！ Abunai!

Good Morning

お 早 う ご ざ い ま す。 Ohayō gozaimasu.

Good evening

こ ん ば ん は。 Konbanwa.

Good night

お 休 み な さ い。 Oyasuminasai.

I do not understand that

分 か り ま せ ん。 Wakarimasen (Often reinforced by an introduced zenzen & hellip "not at all").

Where is the toilet?

ト イ レ は ど こ で す か？ Toire wa doko desu ka?

Problems

You will hardly ever have to use the first five sentences in Japan.

Leave me in peace

ほ っ と い て。 Hottoite.

Do not touch me!

さ わ ら な い で！ Sawaranaide!

I'm calling the police

警察 を 呼 び ま す。 Keisatsu o yobimasu.

Police!

警察！ Keisatsu!

Stop the thief!

ど ろ ぼ う 待 て！ Dorobo mate!

I need help

た す け て く だ さ い。 Tasukete kudasai.

This is an emergency

緊急 で す。 Kinkyū desu.

I'm lost

迷 子 で す。 Maigo desu.

I lost my bag

鞄 を 無 く し ま し た。 Kaban o nakushimashita.

I lost my wallet

財 布 を 落 と し ま し た。 Saifu o otoshimashita.

I'm sick

病 気 で す。 Byōki desu.

I'm injured

け が を し ま し た。 Kega o shimashita.

Please call a doctor

医 者 を 呼 ん で く だ さ い。 Isha o yonde kudasai.

Can I use your telephone?

電話 を 使 っ て も い い で す か？ Denwa o tsukattemo ii desu ka?

Medical emergencies

Until 1948 medicine was taught exclusively in German at universities. So older doctors (still) understand it. Pharmacies are comparatively rare because doctors dispense drugs themselves.

In an emergency

I want to see a doctor

お 医 者 さ ん に 見 て も ら い た い で す。 Oisha-san ni mite moraitai desu.

Can I see a doctor who speaks German?

ド イ ツ 語 の 出来 る お 医 者 さ ん は い ま す か？ Doitsu-go no dekiru oisha-san wa imasu ka?

Please take me to a doctor

お 医 者 さ ん に 連 れ て 行 っ て 下 さ い。 Oisha-san ni tsurete itte kudasai.

My wife / husband / child is sick

妻 ・ 主人 ・ 子 供 が 病 気 で す。 Tsuma / shujin / kodomo ga byōki desu.

Please call an ambulance

救急 車 を 呼 ん で 下 さ い。 Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai.

I need first aid

応 急 手 当 を し て 下 さ い。 Ōkyū teate o shite kudasai.

I have to go to the emergency room

救急 室 に 行 か な け れ ば な り ま せ ん。 Kyūkyūshitsu ni ikanakereba narimasen.
Shorter: 救急 室 に 行 か な い と。 Kyūkyūshitsu ni ikanai to.

How long will it be before recovery?

治 る ま で ど の 位 か か り ま す か？Naoru made dono kurai kakarimasu ka?

Where is a pharmacy?

薬 局 は ど こ で す か？ Yakkyoku wa doko desu ka?

Explain symptoms

My ... hurts

... が 痛 い。 ... ga itai.

I have fever

熱 が あ り ま す。 Netsu ga arimasu.

I have cough

咳 が で ま す。 Seki ga demasu.

I feel listless

体 が だ る い。 Karada ga darui.

I feel sick

吐 き 気 が し ま す。 Hakike ga shimasu.

I feel dizzy

め ま い が し ま す。 Memai ga shimasu.

I'm cold / I have chills

寒 気 が し ま す。 Samuke ga shimasu.

I swallowed something

何 か を 呑 ん で し ま い ま し た。 Nanika o nonde shimaimashita.

I'm bleeding

出血 で す。 Shukketsu desu.

I have a broken bone

骨折 で す。 Kossetsu desu.

He / she is passed out

意識 不明 で す。 Ishiki fumei desu.

I burned myself

火 傷 で す。 Yakedo desu.

I have difficulty breathing

呼吸 困難 で す。 Kokyū konnan desu.

I / he / she is having a heart attack

心 臓 発 作 で す。 Shinzō hossa desu.

My eyesight has gotten worse

視力 が 落 ち ま し た。 Shiryoku ga ochimashita.

I have hearing problems

耳 が 良 く 聴 こ え ま せ ん。 Mimi ga yoku kikoemasen.

I have a heavy nosebleed

鼻血 が 良 く で ま す。 Hanaji ga yoku demasu.

Allergies

I am allergic to ...

私 は ... ア レ ル ギ ー で す。 Watashi wa ... arerugii desu.

Antibiotics

抗 生 物質 kōsei busshitsu (are very happy to be prescribed)

aspirin

ア ス ピ リ ン asupirin

peanuts

ピ ー ナ ッ ツ pīnattsu

codeine

コ デ イ ン codeine

seafood

魚 介 類 gyokairui

Dairy products

乳製品 nyūseihin

Nuts, fruits and berries from the tree

木 の 実 ki no mi

Food coloring

人工 着色 料 jinkō chakushokuryō

Food additives (glutamates)

味 の 素 ajinomoto

penicillin

ペ ニ シ リ ン penishirin

Mushrooms

菌類 kinrui

Mushrooms (such as mushrooms, etc.)

キ ノ コ kinoko

Pollen

花粉 kafun

Shellfish

貝類 kairui

sesame

ゴ マ goma

wheat

小麦 komugi

numbers

Although Arabic numbers are mainly used in Japan these days, you will occasionally find traditional Japanese numbers on menus in expensive restaurants or in marketplaces. These numbers are practically identical to those used in China, also in the sense that one counts in groups of four and not groups of three. One million is thus 百万 hyaku-man ("One hundred ten thousand"). The unit 万 man, Ten thousand, is commonly used in Japanese and in yen is on the order of the equivalent of 100 euros.

There is both Japanese and Chinese pronunciations for most numbers, with the Chinese pronunciation predominantly used. There shi can also mean “death”, for 'four' and 'seven' one also likes to use the Japanese alternatives yon and nana back.

In certain combinations, the pronunciation of some numbers or counting units changes, e.g. E.g .: 二百 ni-hyaku, but 三百 san-byaku;一杯 ippai, but 二 杯 ni-hai. This works in a similar way to German, when a connecting consonant is inserted between two words. The general rule is: If a combination of words is difficult to roll off the tongue, the "umlaut" version of the first syllable of the second word is used. But it doesn’t affect comprehensibility if you do it wrong.

0

〇 zero, ugs. maru ("rund")

1

一 ichi

2

二 ni

3

三 san

4

四 yon or shi

5

五 go

6

六 roku

7

七 nana or shichi

8

八 hachi

9

九 kyū

10

十 jū

11

十一 jū-ichi

12

十二 jū-ni

13

十三 jū-san

...

20

二十 ni-jū

21

二十一 ni-jū-ichi

22

二十二 ni-jū-ni

23

二十三 ni-jū-san

...

30

三十 san-jū

40

四十 yon-jū

...

100

百 hyaku

200

二百 ni-hyaku

300

三百 san-byaku

...

1000

千 sen

2000

二千 ni-sen

...

10.000

一万 ichi-man

12.345

一万二千三百四十五 ichi-man ni-sen san-byaku yon-jū go

1.000.000

百万 hyaku-man

100.000.000

一億 ichi-oku

1.000.000.000.000

一兆 itchō

0,5

〇・五 rei ten go

0,56

〇・五六 rei ten gō-roku

(Zug, Bus, etc.) Nummer ...

… 番 -ban

halb, die Hälfte

半分 hanbun

weniger/wenig

少ない sukunai

mehr/viel

多い ooi

Zeit

Ausführlich zu Japanische Zeitrechnung

Zeit

jetzt

今 ima

später

後で ato de

vorher

前に mae ni

heute

今日 kyō or kon'nichi

gestern

昨日 kinō

morgen

明日 ashita

übermrgen

assate

(der) Morgen

朝 asa

Mittag

昼 hiru

Abend

夕方 yūgata

Nacht

夜 yoru

Mitternacht

真夜中 mayonaka

Vormittag

午前 gozen

Nachmittag

午後 gogo

diese Woche

今週 konshū

letzte Woche

先週 senshū

nächste Woche

来週 raishū

Wochenende

週末 shūmatsu

Uhrzeit

ein Uhr

１時 ichiji

ein Uhr fünfundzwanzig

１時２５分 ichiji nijūgofun

halb drei

２時３０分 niji sanjuppun
２時半 niji han („zwei Uhr halb“)

ein Uhr nachmittags

午後１時 gogo ichiji
１３時 jūsanji

acht Uhr (morgens)

(午前)８時 (gozen) hachiji

acht Uhr abends

夕方８時 yūgata hachiji
２０時 nijūji (seltener)

Beachten Sie, dass für Uhrzeiten nach Mitternacht oft nach 24 Uhr weitergezählt wird. So haben viele Bars und Cafes bis 26 oder 28 Uhr geöffnet. Zeiten werden meist mit arabischen Zahlen geschrieben, Kanji kommen nur äußerst selten zum Einsatz.

Dauer

... Sekunde(n)

… 秒 byō

... Minute(n)

… 分 fun

... Stunde(n)

… 時間 jikan

... Tag(e)

… 日間 nichikan (s. unregelmäßige Liste japanischer Zählwörter)

... Woche(n)

… 週間 shūkan

... Monate(n)

… ヶ月 kagetsu

... Jahr(e)

… 年 nen

Tage

Montag

月曜日 getsuyōbi

Dienstag

火曜日 kayōbi

Mittwoch

水曜日 suiyōbi

Donnerstag

木曜日 mokuyōbi

Freitag

金曜日 kin'yōbi

Samstag

土曜日 doyōbi

Sonntag

日曜日 nichiyōbi

Monate

Januar

1月 ichigatsu

Februar

2月 nigatsu

März

3月 sangatsu

April

4月 shigatsu

Mai

5月 gogatsu

Juni

6月 rokugatsu

Juli

7月 shichigatsu

August

8月 hachigatsu

September

9月 kugatsu

Oktober

10月 jūgatsu

November

11月 jūichigatsu

Dezember

12月 jūnigatsu

Farben

Transport

Bus und Bahn

Zug (列車 ressha) kann in den folgenden Beispielen einfach gegen Bus (バス basu) oder (Straßen-)Bahn (電車 densha) ausgetauscht werden.

Was kostet eine Fahrkarte nach ... ?

… までの切符はいくらですか？
... made no kippu wa ikura desu ka?

Bitte eine/zwei/drei Fahrkarte/n nach ...

… までの切符を１/２/３枚ください。
... made no kippu o ichi/ni/san mai kudasai.

Wohin fährt dieser Zug?

この列車はどこ行きですか？
Kono ressha wa doko yuki desu ka?

Wo ist der Zug nach ... ?

… 行きの列車はどこですか？
... yuki no ressha wa doko desu ka?

Hält dieser Zug in (der Nähe von) ... ?

この列車は …（の近く）で停まりますか？
Kono ressha wa ... (no chikaku) de tomarimasu ka?

Wann fährt der Zug nach ... ab?

… 行きの列車はいつ出発しますか？
... yuki no ressha wa itsu shuppatsu shimasu ka?

Wann kommt dieser Zug in ... an?

この列車はいつ … に着きますか？
Kono ressha wa itsu ... ni tsukimasu ka?

taxi

Taxi!

タクシー！ Takushī!

Zum/zur/nach ... bitte

… までお願いします。 ... made onegai shimasu.

Wieviel kostet es bis zum/zur/nach ... ?

… までいくらですか？ ... made ikura desu ka?

Bringen Sie mich bitte dahin

そこまでお願いします。 Soko made onegai shimasu.

(Man darf von Taxlern in großen Städten keine Ortskunde erwarten.)

Richtungsauskünfte

Wie komme ich nach/zum/zur ... ?

… に行くにはどうしたら良いですか？ ... ni iku ni wa dōshitara ii desu ka?

Bahnhof

駅 eki

Bushaltestelle

バス停 basu tei

Airport

空港 kūkō

Jugendherberge

ユースホステル yūsu hosuteru

Hotel "..."

「…」ホテル "..." hoteru

deutschen/schweizer/österreichischen Botschaft

ドイツ／スイス／オーストリア大使館 doitsu/suisu/ōsutoria taishikan

Wo gibt es viele ... ?

… がたくさんあるのはどこですか？ ... ga takusan aru no wa doko desu ka?

Hotels

ホテル hoteru

Restaurants

レストラン resutoran

Bars

ナイトバー naitō bā

Kneipen/Pubs

パブ pabu

Tourist Attractions

見どころ midokoro

Können Sie mir das auf der Karte zeigen?

地図で指していただけますか？ Chizu de sashite itadakemasu ka?

road

通り dōri

links

左 hidari

rechts

右 migi

abbiegen

曲がる magaru

geradeaus

まっすぐ massugu

nach dem/der ..

… を過ぎて ... o sugite
… の後で ... no ato de

vor dem/der ..

… の前で ... no mae de

Achten Sie auf den/die/das ...

… に気を付けて。 ... ni kiotsukete.

Kreuzung

交差点 kōsaten

Ampel

信号 shingō

north

北 kita

south

南 minami

east

東 higashi

Westen

西 nishi

bergauf/aufwärts

上り nobori

bergab/abwärts

下り kudari

Geld

Akzeptieren Sie ... ?

…は使えますか？ ...wa tsukaemasu ka?

...Euro

ユーロ yūro

...amerikanische Dollar

アメリカドル Amerika doru

...schweizer Franken

スイスフラン Suisu furan

...britische Pfund

イギリスポンド Igirisu pondo

...Kreditkarten

クレジットカード kurejitto kādo

...Travelerchecks

トラベラーズチェック Toraberāzu chekku

Wie ist der Wechselkurs?

為替レートはいくらですか？ Kawase reeto wa ikura desu ka?

Können Sie mir Geld wechseln?

お金両替できますか？ Okane ryōgae dekimasu ka?

Wo kann ich Geld wechseln?

お金はどこで両替できますか？ Okane wa doko de ryōgae dekimasu ka?

Wo gibt es einen Geldautomaten?

ATMはどこにありますか？Ētīemu wa doko ni arimasu ka?

Wo ist eine Bank?

銀行はどこにありますか？ Ginkō wa doko ni arimasu ka?

Geld

お金 okane

Münze(n)

硬貨 kōka

Shopping

Gibt's das in meiner Größe?

私のサイズでありますか？ Watashi no saizu de arimasu ka? (Ab Schuhgröße 44 bzw. XL wird die Antwort fast immer „nein“ lauten)

Wie teuer ist das?

いくらですか？ Ikura desu ka?

Das ist zu teuer

高過ぎます。 Takasugimasu.

Wie wäre es, wenn ich ihnen dafür ... Yen gäbe?

... 円はどうですか？ ... en wa dō desu ka? (Gehandelt wird eigentlich nicht.)

teuer

高い takai, – Im Satz z. B.: Honto takai desu, „Das ist (mir) wirklich (zu) teuer.“

billig

安い yasui

Das kann ich mir nicht leisten

そんなにお金は持っていません。 Sonna ni okane wa motte imasen.

Ich will's nicht

要らないです。 Iranai desu.

Ich bin nicht interessiert

興味はありません。 Kyōmi wa arimasen.

Ok, ich nehme es

はい、それにします。 Hai, sore ni shimasu.

Könnte ich einen Beutel haben?

袋もらっても良いですか？ Fukuro moratte mo ī desu ka?
(Japan ist das Land des Verpackungswahns, häufiger gebarauchen wird man den Ausdruck: Fukuro iranai, „Ich brauche/will keine Tüte.“)

Liefern Sie das auch ins Ausland?

海外へ発送出来ますか？ Kaigai e hassō dekimasu ka?

Ich möchte ...

... が欲しいです。 ... ga hoshī desu.

...Zahnpasta

歯磨き hamigaki

...eine Zahnbürste

歯ブラシ haburashi

...Tampons

タンポン tanpon

...Seife

石鹸 sekken oder ソープ sōpu

...Shampoo

シャンプー shanpū

...Schmerzmittel (wie Aspirin etc.)

鎮痛剤 chintsūzai

...Erkältungsmittel

風邪薬 kazegusuri

...ein Magenmedikament

胃腸薬 ichōyaku

...eine Rasierklinge

剃刀 kamisori

...einen Regenschirm

傘 kasa

...Sonnenschutzmittel

日焼け止め hiyakedome

...eine Postkarte

葉書 hagaki

...Briefmarken

切手 kitte

...Batterien

電池 denchi

...Schreibpapier

紙 kami

...einen Stift

ペン pen

...englischsprachige/deutschsprachige Bücher

英語／ドイツ語の本 eigo/doitsugo no hon

...englischsprachige/deutschsprachige Zeitschriften

英語／ドイツ語の雑誌 eigo/doitsugo no zasshi

...eine englischsprachige/deutschsprachige Zeitung

英語／ドイツ語の新聞 eigo/doitsugo no shinbun

...ein Japanisch-Englisches Wörterbuch

和英辞典 waei jiten

...ein Japanisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch

和独辞典 wadoku jiten

Familie

Sind Sie verheiratet?

結婚していますか？ Kekkon shiteimasu ka?

Ich bin verheiratet

結婚しています。 Kekkon shiteimasu.

Ich bin ledig

独身です。 Dokushin desu.

Haben Sie Geschwister?

兄弟がいますか？ Kyōdai ga imasu ka?

Haben Sie Kinder?

子供がいますか？ Kodomo ga imasu ka?

Wieviele? (Geschwister, Kinder)

何人がいますか？ Nan-nin ga imasu ka?

Wenn man im Japanischen über Familien spricht ist es wichtig, für Mitglieder der eigenen Familie weniger höfliche Ausdrücke zu verwenden als für die Mitglieder anderer Familien. Beachten Sie außerdem, dass es kein allgemeines Wort für Bruder und Schwester gibt, es ist entscheidend, ob diese älter oder jünger sind.

accommodation

Do you have a room available?

空 い て る 部屋 あ り ま す か？ Aiteru heya arimasu ka?

What does a room cost for one / two people?

一 人 ／ 二人 用 の 部屋 は い く ら で す か？ Hitori / futari yō no heya wa ikura desu ka?

Does the room have ...?

部屋 は… 付 き で す か？ Heya wa ... tsuki desu ka?

... a duvet

ベ ッ ド カ バ ー beddo kabā

...a telephone

電話 denwa

...a TV

テ レ ビ terebi

Can I see the room first?

先 に 部屋 を 見 る こ と は で き ま す か？ Saki ni heya o mirukoto wa dekimasu ka?

Do you have something ... ?

も っ と… 部屋 あ り ま す か？ Motto ... heya arimasu ka?

... calmer

静 か な shizuka na

... bigger

広 い hiroi

... cleaner

き れ い な kirei na

... cheaper

安 い yasui

Ok I'll take it

は い 、 こ れ で 良 い で す。 Hai, kore de ī desu.

I want to stay ... night (s)

... 晩 泊 ま り ま す。 ...- ban tomarimasu.

Can you recommend another hotel?

他 の 宿 は ご 存 知 で す か？ Hoka no yado wa gozonji desu ka?

Do you have ... ?

... あ り ま す か？ ... arimasu ka?

... a safe

金庫 kinko

...Lockers

ロ ッ カ ー rokkā

Is breakfast / dinner included?

朝 食 ／ 夕 食 は 付 き ま す か？ Chōshoku / yūshoku wa tsukimasu ka?

What time is breakfast / dinner?

朝 食 ／ 夕 食 は 何時 で す か？ Chōshoku / yūshoku wa nanji desu ka?

Please clean my room

部屋 を 掃除 し て く だ さ い。 Heya o sōji shite kudasai.

Please wake me up ...

... に 起 こ し て く だ さ い。 ... ni okoshite kudasai.

I want to sign out

チ ェ ッ ク ア ウ ト で す。 Chekku auto desu.

eat

A table for one / two people, please

一 人 ／ 二人 で す。 Hitori / Futari desu.

Do you smoke?

タ バ コ を 吸 い ま す か？ Tabako o suimasu ka?

Smoking compartment

喫 煙 席 kitsuenseki

Non smoking area

禁煙 席 kin'enseki

Would you like to eat here? (if take away option is also available)

こ こ で 召 し 上 が り ま す か？ Koko de meshi agarimasu ka?

Take away please

持 ち 帰 り で。 Mochikaeri de.
テ ー ク ア ウ ト で。 Tēkuauto de.

Could I have the menu?

メ ニ ュ ー を 下 さ い。 Menyū o kudasai.

Do they have an English language menu?

英語 の メ ニ ュ ー も あ り ま す か？ Eigo no menyū mo arimasu ka?

Is there a house specialty?

お 勧 め は あ り ま す か？ Osusume wa arimasu ka?

Is there a local specialty?

こ の 辺 の 名 物 は あ り ま す か？ Kono hen no meibutsu wa arimasu ka?

I'm vegetarian

ベ ジ タ リ ア ン で す。 Bejitarian desu.

I do not eat pork

豚 肉 は だ め で す。 Butaniku wa dame desu.

I don't eat beef

牛肉 は だ め で す。 Gyūniku wa lady desu.

I don't eat raw fish.

生 の 魚 は だ め で す。 Nama no sakana wa dame desu. (... and in this case I should better look for another travel destination.)

(With sushi) Without Wasabi, You're welcome. / Wasabi on the side

Sabi nuki, onegeaishimasu. / Sabi betsu (ni).

Can you cook it low in fat (with less oil / butter / bacon)?

油 を 控 え め に し て く だ さ い。 Abura o hikaeme ni shite kudasai.

Menu of the day

定 食 teishoku

from the card

一 品 料理 ippin ryōri

breakfast

朝 食 chōshoku

Having lunch

昼 食 chushoku

dinner

夕 食 yūshoku

I would like ..

... を く だ さ い。 ... o kudasai.

chicken

鶏 肉 toriniku

beef

牛肉 gyūniku

ham

ハ ム hamu

fish

魚 sakana

sausage

ソ ー セ ー ジ sōsēji

cheese

チ ー ズ chīzu

Eggs

卵 tamago

salad

サ ラ ダ sarada

rice

ご は ん gohan
or also: ラ イ ス raisu

(fresh vegetables

（生） 野菜 (nama) yasai

(fresh fruits

（生 の） 果物 (nama no) kudamono

loaf

パ ン pan (is the cardboard Amivariant)

toast

ト ー ス ト tōsuto

Pasta

麺 類 menrui (Generic term, usually one speaks of the individual types: Soba, Udon, Ramen etc.)

Beans

豆 mame

Could I have a glass / cup ...?

... を 一杯 下 さ い。 ... o ippai kudasai. (Water or green tea are often brought free of charge without being asked.)

Could I have a bottle ...

... を 一 本 下 さ い。 ... o ippon kudasai.

coffee

コ ー ヒ ー kōhī

(Green tea

お 茶 ocha

black tea

紅茶 kōcha

juice

ジ ュ ー ス jūsu

Mineral water

ミ ネ ラ ル ウ ォ ー タ ー mineraru wōtā

water

水 mizu

Red wine / white wine

赤 ／ 白 ワ イ ン aka / shiro wain (if drinkable quality, expensive)

beer

ビ ー ル bīru

Could I have something ...

... は あ り ま す か？ ... wa arimasu ka?

salt

塩 shio

Pepper

胡椒 koshō

butter

バ タ ー batā

You're welcome ..

... を 下 さ い。 ... o kudasai.

... a fork

フ ォ ー ク fōku

... a knife

ナ イ フ naifu

... a spoon

ス プ ー ン supūn

... a pair of chopsticks

お 箸 ohashi; Disposable swabs: waribashi.

Sorry waiter?

す み ま せ ん。 Sumimasen.

I'm done

終 わ り ま し た。 Owarimashita.

It was delicious

ご 馳 走 さ ま で し た。 Gochisō sama deshita.

Please clear the table

お 皿 を 下 げ て く だ さ い。 Osara o said kudasai.

The Bill please

お 勘定 お 願 い し ま す。 Okanjō onegai shimasu. (Payment is then made at the cash register, not at the service.)

Pubs

Do you serve alcohol?

お 酒 あ り ま す か？ Osake arimasu ka?

Do you serve at the table?

テ ー ブ ル サ ー ビ ス あ り ま す か？ Tēburu sābisu arimasu ka?

One or two beers, please

ビ ー ル 一杯 ／ 二 杯 下 さ い。 Bīru ippai / nihai kudasai.

A glass of white / red wine, please

赤 ／ 白 ワ イ ン 一杯 下 さ い。 Aka / shiro wain ippai kudasai.

A liter of beer, please

ビ ー ル の ジ ョ ッ キ 下 さ い。 Bīru no jokki kudasai. ("Maß" is only available in the Hofbräuhaus in Tokyo and half of the waiters are from Bavaria. Otherwise, pitchers, in the sense of the American "pitcher") are served.)

A bottle, please

ビ ン 下 さ い。 Am kudasai.

... and please. (Mixed drink)

... と ... 下 さ い。 ... to ... kudasai.

japanese liquor

焼 酎 shochu (can only be enjoyed in mixed drinks)

whiskey

ウ イ ス キ ー uisukī (expensive prestige drink)

Vodka

ウ ォ ッ カ wokka

rum

ラ ム ramu

water

水 mizu

soda

ソ ー ダ soda

tonic

ト ニ ッ ク ウ ォ ー タ ー tonikku uōtā

orange juice

オ レ ン ジ ジ ュ ー ス orenji jūsu

cola

コ ー ラ kōra

on ice

オ ン ザ ロ ッ ク onzarokku

Do you have any snacks?

お つ ま み あ り ま す か？ Otsumami arimasu ka? (Beware, it can be a cost trap in entertainment districts.)

One more please

も う 一 つ 下 さ い。 Mō hitotsu kudasai, or Mō ippai / ippon, "Another bottle."

Another round, please. ("The same thing for everyone again.")

み ん な に 同 じ も の を 一杯 ず つ く だ さ い。 Minna ni onaji mono o ippai zutsu kudasai.

When do you close?

閉 店 は 何時 で す か？ Heiten wa nanji desu ka?

Road traffic

I would like to rent a car

レ ン タ カ ー お 願 い し ま す。 Rentakā onegai shimasu.

Can i have insurance?

保 険 入 れ ま す か？ Hoken hairemasu ka? (Is usually mandatory anyway.)

Do you have a driver's license?

免 許 証 を 持 っ て い ま す か？ Menkyoshō o moth imasu ka?

Stop (street sign)

止 ま れ ・ と ま れ tomare

one way street

一方 通行 ippō tsukō

Attention

徐 行 jokō

No parking

駐 車 禁止 chusha kinshi

speed limit

制 限 速度 seigen sokudo

Gas station

ガ ソ リ ン ス タ ン ド gasorin sutando

petrol

ガ ソ リ ン gasorin

diesel

軽 油 keiyu / デ ィ ー ゼ ル dīzeru

On the phone

phone

電話 denwa

Phone number

電話 番号 denwa bangō

phone book

電話 帳 denwa chō

Answering machine

留守 番 電話 rusuban denwa

Hello Hello?

も し も し moshi moshi they say always when taking off.

Mr / Ms ... please

... を お 願 い し ま す。 ... o onegaishimasu.

Is ... to speak?

... は い ら っ し ゃ い ま す か？ ... wa irasshaimasu ka?

Who is talking, please?

ど な た で す か？ Donata desu ka?

One moment please

ち ょ っ と お 待 ち く だ さ い。 Chotto omachi kudasai.

... is currently unavailable

... は 今 い ま せ ん。 ... wa ima imasen.

I'll call again later

又 後 で 電話 し ま す。 Mata ato de denwa shimasu.

I called the wrong number

間 違 え ま し た。 Machigaemashita.

It is occupied

話 し 中 で す。 Hanashichu desu.

What is your phone number?

電話 番号 は 何 番 で す か？ Denwa bangō wa nanban desu ka?

(At the end of a conversation)

Shizuraishimasu "I'm rude" or even more polite Yoroshiku, Shizuraishimasu.

(It is always amusing to see Japanese people bowing on the phone. If you start out as a foreigner yourself, you will be in the country too long!)

authority

I did nothing wrong

何 も （悪 い こ と） し て ま せ ん。 Nani mo (warui koto) shitemasen. (Is a statement interpreted as arrogant, the question form would be better.)

It was a misunderstanding

誤解 で し た。 Gokai deshita.

Where are you taking me

ど こ へ 連 れ て 行 く の で す か？ Doko e tsurete yukuno desu ka?

Am i arrested?

私 は 逮捕 さ れ て る の で す か？ Watashi wa taiho sareteru no desu ka?

I would like to speak to the German / Austrian / Swiss embassy

ド イ ツ ／ オ ー ス ト リ ア ／ ス イ ス 大使館 と 話 し し た い で す。 Doitsu / ōsutoria / suisu taishikan to hanashitai desu.

I want to speak to a lawyer

弁 護士 と 話 し た い で す。 Bengoshi to hanashitai desu.

Can't I just pay a fine?

罰金 で 済 み ま す か？ Bakkin de sumimasu ka?
(No, you must first show styles of Maoist self-criticism through a letter of apology in Japanese. Minor offenses can be eradicated.)

(It should be noted that arrested persons are allowed to stay for three days, or 23 days by order of the prosecutor incommunicado may be held - nothing with a lawyer etc. "We have our methods to get you to confess." i)

Typical Japanese expressions

そ う で す ね。 Sō desu ne

"That's it, isn't it?"
Is generally used to express approval. Thanks to the appended “isn't it?”, This sentence is often passed back and forth several times, especially among older people.

（大 変） お 待 た せ し ま し た。 (Taihen) omataseshimashita.

"I kept you waiting (terribly) for a long time."
"... but now it goes on." Often used to get things going again, even if you didn't really have to wait.

お 疲 れ さ ま で し た。 Otsukaresama deshita:

"It was an honored fatigue."
If you say to colleagues at the end of the day in the sense of “You made an effort, good job” or simply “Have a nice evening”. Also used at the end of other activities.

頑 張 っ て！ Ganbatte!

"Make an effort!"
Often used as an incentive or encouragement.

い た だ き ま す。 Itadakimasu: "I am received."
To yourself instead of “Bon appetit” or when you accept something on offer.

失礼 し ま す。 Shitsureishimasu

"I will disturb / be rude."
If you go into someone else's apartment or your supervisor's room, have to walk past someone, want to attract someone's attention, or in general have to disturb. Also as the final phrase of a phone call.

失礼 し ま し た。 Shitsureishimashita

"I bothered / was rude."
When leaving someone else's apartment, etc. or if you haven't told them beforehand.

大丈夫。 Daijōbu

"It's good / okay."
For general reassurance or insurance. With desu ka? used to inquire whether something or someone is okay.

凄 い！ Sugoi!

"Crazy !," "Great !," "Great!"
(Extremely popular and overused, especially among girls.)

可愛 い！ Kawaii!

"How sweet!"
(Also overused.)

え え ぇ 〜 Eee ~

"Eeeeech?"
Virtually a standard reaction to any kind of news. Endlessly stretchy and therefore useful when you need time to come up with a real answer.

ウ ソ！ Uso!

"Lie!"
Doesn't necessarily accuse you of lying, often used in the sense of “not serious, right ?!”.

Honto?

"Really?" A statement rather doubts.

Samui / Atsui, desu nē

“It's cold / hot today” is less of a statement about the weather than a form of greeting among friends / neighbors. (For the Japanese it is therefore always “cold” up to 21½ ° C and “hot” from 22½ ° - it fits in between.)

Swear words

Hopefully you never have to and never hear of them, but just in case, it's good to know some.

idiot

バ カ baka
ア ホ aho (Kansaidialect)

do something stupid

ま ぬ け manuke

Sleepyhead

の ろ ま noroma

bad (something ~ can)

下手 heta

Bungler

下手 糞 hetakuso

Stingy

ケ チ kechi

Ugly (about woman)

busu

Old man)

ジ ジ イ jijī

Old

バ バ ア babā

not cool

ダ サ イ dasai

annoying

ウ ザ イ uzai

(somebody is) creepy

気 持 ち 悪 い kimochi warui
キ モ イ kimoi

Fuck you!

く た ば れ！ Kutabare!

Fuck off!

ど け！ Doke!

Keep your mouth shut

う る さ い。 Urusai. (literally "loud", is also used in other contexts)

temes

“You” (mentioned above) is also highly offensive.

Web links

Further information on the Japanese writing system can be found on Wikipedia:

• Japanese writing
• Kanji
• Hiragana
• Katakana

This is a useful article. There are still some places where information is missing. If you have something to add be brave and complete them.