There’s a gap between “textbook Japanese” and “real Japanese.” These 50 expressions bridge that gap. Master them and you’ll sound dramatically more natural.
Greetings & Daily Rituals
| # | Expression | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | おはよう | Morning! | Casual morning greeting |
| 2 | お疲れ様です | Good work / Thanks for your effort | Leaving work, greeting colleagues |
| 3 | いただきます | I humbly receive | Before eating (always!) |
| 4 | ごちそうさま | Thank you for the meal | After eating |
| 5 | 行ってきます | I’m heading out | Leaving home |
| 6 | 行ってらっしゃい | Take care (go and come back) | Response to #5 |
| 7 | ただいま | I’m home | Arriving home |
| 8 | おかえり | Welcome back | Response to #7 |
| 9 | おやすみ | Good night | Before sleeping |
| 10 | お先に失礼します | Excuse me for leaving first | Leaving work before others |
Reactions & Responses
| # | Expression | Meaning | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | マジで？ | Seriously? / For real? | Casual surprise |
| 12 | すごい！ | Amazing! / Wow! | Universal positive reaction |
| 13 | やばい | Crazy / Amazing / Terrible | Context-dependent — can be good or bad |
| 14 | なるほど | I see / Makes sense | Showing understanding |
| 15 | そうですね | That’s right / I agree | Polite agreement |
| 16 | 確かに | Indeed / True | Strong agreement |
| 17 | 微妙 | Hmm... not great | Soft negative — “it’s iffy” |
| 18 | 別に | Not really / Whatever | Indifference (can sound cold) |
| 19 | しょうがない | It can’t be helped | Acceptance of a situation |
| 20 | さすが！ | As expected (of you)! | Complimenting someone’s known strength |
Conversation Fillers & Connectors
| # | Expression | Meaning | Like English... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | えっと... | Um... | “Let me think...” |
| 22 | あのう... | Excuse me / Um... | Getting someone’s attention politely |
| 23 | ちなみに | By the way | Adding related info |
| 24 | とりあえず | For now / First of all | “Let’s just start with...” |
| 25 | 一応 | Just in case / Tentatively | “To be safe...” |
| 26 | やっぱり | As I thought / After all | Confirming a suspicion |
| 27 | まあまあ | So-so / Not bad | “It’s okay, I guess” |
| 28 | ちょっと... | A little... (soft refusal) | “That’s a bit...” = polite no |
| 29 | そろそろ | It’s about time to... | “We should probably...” |
| 30 | なんか | Like, somehow, kind of | Japanese “like” (filler word) |
Useful Daily Phrases
| # | Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | お願いします | Please (requesting something) |
| 32 | すみません | Excuse me / Sorry (multi-purpose) |
| 33 | 大丈夫です | It’s fine / No thank you / I’m okay |
| 34 | ちょっと待って | Wait a moment |
| 35 | 気をつけて | Be careful / Take care |
| 36 | 頑張って | Do your best / Good luck |
| 37 | 久しぶり | Long time no see |
| 38 | よろしくお願いします | Please take care of this / Nice to meet you |
| 39 | お手洗いはどこですか | Where is the restroom? |
| 40 | これ、いくらですか | How much is this? |
| 41 | もう一度お願いします | One more time please |
| 42 | わかりました | Understood / Got it |
| 43 | ごめんなさい | I’m sorry (sincere apology) |
| 44 | 楽しみにしています | I’m looking forward to it |
| 45 | お邪魔します | Excuse the intrusion |
| 46 | どうぞ | Go ahead / Here you are |
| 47 | なんとかなる | It’ll work out somehow |
| 48 | めんどくさい | What a hassle / So annoying |
| 49 | 懐かしい | Nostalgic / Brings back memories |
| 50 | もったいない | What a waste (uniquely Japanese concept) |
From This List to Your Active Vocabulary
Reading this list once won’t make these stick. You need to encounter them again and again at just the right intervals. Add your favorites to Kanjijo and the SRS algorithm does the rest — surfacing each expression right before you’d forget it.
Plus, add the Kanjijo Lock Screen widget to see a new expression every time you check your phone. Passive exposure adds up fast.
Learn Expressions with SRS
Flashcards, lock screen widget, mnemonics. Make daily expressions stick. Free on iOS.