Here are some expressions you'll find useful every day. (Click on the red text to hear a pronounciation.)

• ohaiyoo gozaimasu - good morning
• ohaiyoo - good morning (informal)
• kon-nichi wa - good day
• kon-ban wa - good evening
• ya - hi, hello (informal)

 

• mata - [see you] later
• ja, mata - well, [see you] later
• mata ashita - [see you] tomorrow
• mata aimashoo - let's meet again
• o-yasumi nasai - good night; rest well
• sayonara - goodbye

 

• hai - yes, uh-huh, OK, go on; not necessarily agreement
• ee - yes (informal)
• iie - no
• chigaimasu - it's different; it's wrong; it's not like that
• ii desu - it's good; OK; right
• warui desu - it's bad
• soo desu ka - really? is that so?
• soo desu - that's so; that's true

 

• doozo - please (more in the sense of "please go ahead" rather than "please may I")
• doomo - 1) thank you; 2) ever so much
• arigatoo - thank you
• arigatoo gozaimasu - more polite thank you
• doomo arigatoo - thank you very much
• doomo arigatoo gozaimasu - more polite thank you very much
• sumimasen - excuse me; pardon me; thank you
• doo itashimashite - you're welcome; don't think of it; think nothing of it

 

• ikimashoo - let's go!
• kaimono ni ikimashoo - let's go shopping!
• tabemashoo - let's eat!
• nomimashoo - let's drink!

 

• wakarimasu ka - do you understand?
• wakarimasu - I understand
• wakarimasen - I don't understand