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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

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Editor

Holly Tarbet

Contributors

Tessa Carroll

Harumi Currie

Miyoko Yamashita

For the Publisher

Gerry Breslin

Janice McNeillie

Using your phrasebook

Whether you’re on holiday or on business, your Collins Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary is designed to help you locate the exact phrase you need, when you need it. You’ll also gain the confidence to go beyond what is in the book, as you can adapt the phrases by using the dictionary section to substitute your own words.

The Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary includes:

• Over 60 topics arranged thematically, so that you can easily find an expression to suit the situation

• Simple pronunciation which accompanies each word and phrase, to make sure you are understood when speaking aloud

• Tips to safeguard against any cultural faux pas, providing the essential dos and don’ts of local customs or etiquette

• A basic grammar section which will help you to build on your phrases

• FACE TO FACE dialogue sections to give you a flavour of what to expect from a real conversation

• YOU MAY HEAR sections for common announcements and messages, so that you don’t miss important information when out and about

• A dictionary with over 1,000 words and their translations, to ensure you’ll never be stuck for something to say

• A short chapter of LIFELINE phrases for quick reference. These basic words and phrases will be essential to your time abroad

Before you jet off, it’s worth spending time looking through the topics to see what is covered and becoming familiar with pronunciation.

Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Using your phrasebook

Pronouncing Japanese

Top ten tips

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

Key phrases

Work

Weather

Getting around

Asking the way

Bus and coach

Metro

Train

Taxi

Boat and ferry

Air travel

Customs control

Car hire

Driving

Petrol

Breakdown

Car parts

Road signs

Staying somewhere

Hotel (booking)

Hotel desk

Camping

Self-catering

Shopping

Shopping phrases

Shops

Food (general)

Food (fruit and veg)

Clothes

Clothes (articles)

Maps and guides

Post office

Technology

Leisure

Sightseeing and tourist office

Entertainment

Nightlife

Leisure/interests

Hot springs/public baths

Music

Theatre/opera

Sport

Walking

Communications

Telephone and mobile

Messaging

Internet

Practicalities

Money

Paying

Luggage

Repairs

Laundry

Complaints

Problems

Emergencies

Health

Pharmacy

Body

Doctor

Dentist

Eating out

Food in Japan

In a bar/café

Menu reader

Reading the menu

In a restaurant

Dietary requirements

Wines

Reference

Measurements and quantities

Numbers

Days and months

Time

Time phrases

Public holidays

Signs and notices

Pronouncing place names

Grammar

Dictionary

English – Japanese

A – C

D – F

G – I

J – L

M – O

P – R

S – U

V – Z

LIFELINE words and phrases

About the Publisher

Pronouncing Japanese

Although the Japanese writing system is rather complicated, pronouncing Japanese is easy once you know the few basic rules. This book has been designed so that as you read the pronunciation of the phrases, you can follow the Japanese. This will help you to recognize the different sounds and give you a feeling for the rhythm of the language. Below are a few rules for you to note.

In Japanese the basic unit of speech is the syllable. Each syllable is pronounced approximately the same length and rather flatly. Japanese has a pitched accent (high and low) but syllables do not have tones as they do in Chinese. It is more important not to stress any one part of a word. For example, in English the word Paris is pronounced paris and in French paree. Japanese gives equal strength to both syllables: pari.

Japanese has relatively few sounds. Each vowel has only one sound.

Japanese vowels

Japanesesounds likeexampleaabathiipoliceuuputeeletoogot

Long vowel sounds

aa, ii, uu, ee, ooapproximately double the length of other syllables

15 basic consonants

k, s, sh, t, ts, ch, n, h, m, y, r, w, g, z, d, b, p, n/m Each consonant is followed by one vowel to create a syllable as in

ki-mo-notraditional Japanese costumeTa-na-kaJapanese surname

These consonants are close to their English equivalents but note the following:

g is pronounced as in golf, not as in Germany y is pronounced as in young, not as in cry.

The consonant n/m, which appears at the end of the list above, counts as a syllable in its own right. It is pronounced like the nasal n in sing when it appears at the end of words, e.g. en ‘yen’, and before most other sounds, e.g. onsen ‘hot spring’. Before p, b and m, it sounds more like m and is therefore written here as m, e.g. shimbun ‘newspaper’. When n appears before a vowel or y, it is written as n’ to distinguish it from the syllables beginning with n, e.g. kin’en ‘non-smoking’ compared with kinen ‘commemoration’.

Since Japanese lacks the consonants l and v, foreign loanwords with these letters are pronounced with r and b, respectively. Thus, English words ‘love’ and ‘rub’ both become indistinguishable as ra-bu in Japanese.

Japanese also lacks the si sound (as in ‘to sit’): shi is used instead, sometimes with embarrassing results! Other English sounds that do not exist in Japanese are hu (as in ‘hook’: fu is used instead); th (as in ‘thin’: shi is used instead); and ti (as in ‘tin’: chi is used instead).

Double consonants kk, pp, ss and tt are written before a vowel, which indicates a pause equivalent to one syllable in length before that consonant. The sound before the pause tends to become sharper than at other times.

JapanesePronunciationMeaningkitteki (pause) testampkippuki (pause) puticket

ki, shi, chi, ni, hi, mi, ri, gi, ji, bi and pi sounds can be combined with ya, yu or yo to create combined syllables. For example, ki + ya become kya, ki + yu become kyu and ki + yo become kyo. Examples of this can be found in the words Tookyoo and Kyooto, where the combined syllable is pronounced as two sounds, but said very quickly with the same length as one syllable.

JapanesePronunciationMeaningmatchima (pause) chimatch

In the case of the chi syllable, a double consonant sound is written as tchi as in the example above.

You should also remember that Japanese does not have a silent e at the end of a word such as in the English ‘to take’. If ‘take’ is read as the Japanese word take (bamboo), it should be pronounced tah-keh. Similarly sake (rice wine), is pronounced sah-keh, etc.

However, the vowel u at the end of a word such as desu will sound very weak.

Top ten tips

1 Always remember to remove your shoes before entering someone’s home. Before stepping on tatami matting, slippers must also be removed. Slippers must be changed when going to the toilet. Remember not to leave the toilet still wearing the toilet slippers, as it would be very embarrassing!

2 Always make sure that you do not have any holes in your socks or tights, as you may have to take your shoes off unexpectedly.

3 Shaking hands is uncommon in Japan; Japanese people greet each other by bowing. However, foreigners are sometimes greeted with a handshake.

4 Sumimasen is a word with many purposes: it can be used to attract someone’s attention before making a request, or to get past people on a crowded train. It can also be used to say ‘sorry’.

5 Credit cards are only accepted in the more expensive hotels, shops and restaurants.

6 If you receive a gift from a Japanese visitor, ask if you can open it before doing so. If you are invited to a Japanese person’s house, make sure you take a gift-wrapped present with you.

7 You can only buy cigarettes and alcohol if you are over 20 years of age. You will be asked to produce ID to prove your age.

8 Japanese people tend not to use assertive words such as ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Good alternatives are ii desu ne, which literally means ‘that sounds good’, for ‘yes’ and chotto for ‘no’.

9 Cleanliness is important to Japanese people. Never drop or leave rubbish.

10 It’s advisable that you carry proof of identity at all times, so make sure that you always have your passport with you.

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

In Japanese there is no exact equivalent for the word ‘hello’ – different greeting words are used based on the time of the day. Similarly, the word chotto (whose literal meaning is ‘a bit’) is influenced by body language: if said with one’s head slightly tilted, it means ‘no’.

HelloこんにちはkonnichiwaGood morningおはようございますohayoo gozaimasuGood eveningこんばんはkombanwaGood nightおやすみなさいoyasuminasaiGoodbyeさようならsayoonaraSee you laterじゃまたja mataSee you tomorrowまた明日mata ashitaHow are you?お元気ですかogenki desu ka?Fine, thanksはい､元気ですhai, genki desuAnd you, Mr/Ms...?...さんは...san wa?Pleaseお願いしますonegai shimasuThank youありがとう (ございます)arigatoo (gozaimasu)You’re welcomeどういたしましてdoo itashimashiteExcuse me!ごめんなさいgomennasai!Sorry!すみませんsumimasen!YesはいhaiNoいいえiieUm...ちょっと…chotto...Yes, pleaseはい、お願いしますhai, onegai shimasuNo, thanksいいえ、結構ですiie, kekkoo desuSir……氏…shiMr…/Madam…/Mrs…/Ms…/Miss……さん…sanI don’t understandわかりませんwakarimasenI don’t speak Japanese私は日本語を話せませんwatashi wa nihongo o hanasemasenEngland/Englishイングランド／イングランド人ingurando/ingurando-jinScotland/Scottishスコットランド／スコットランド人sukottorando/sukottorando-jinWales/Welshウェールズ／ウェールズ人weeruzu/weeruzu-jinIreland/Irishアイルランド／アイルランド人airurando/airurando-jinUSA/Americanアメリカ／アメリカ人amerika/amerika-jinAustralia/Australianオーストラリア／オーストラリア人oosutoraria/oosutoraria-jin

Bowing おじぎ ojigi

Japanese people bow to express their respect and appreciation. People bow along with greetings, words of appreciation or apologies. The strength of the respect, gratitude or apology, dictates how low your bow should be.

Key phrases

There are no genders, articles or singular/plural forms in Japanese. Different counters are used together with numbers.

museum美術館bijutsukanthe station駅ekithe shops店misethe houses家ie/uchia/one一つhitotsua ticketチケット一枚chiketto ichimaione stamp切手一枚kitte ichimaia room一部屋hito heyaone bottle一本ipponsome (countable)いくつかikutsukasome (uncountable)いくらかikurakasome wineワインいくらかwain ikurakasome fruitフルーツいくつかfuruutsu ikutsukasome biscuitsビスケットいくつかbisuketto ikutsukaDo you have…?…はありますか…wa arimasu ka?Do you have a timetable?時刻表はありますかjikokuhyoo wa arimasu ka?Do you have a room?部屋はありますかheya wa arimasu ka?Do you have milk?牛乳はありますかgyuunyuu wa arimasu ka?I/We’d like to……(動詞) たいです…(verb) tai desuI/We’d like……(名詞) をお願いします…(noun) o onegai shimasuI’d like an ice creamアイスクリームをお願いしますaisukuriimu o onegai shimasuWe’d like to go home家に帰りたいですie ni kaeritai desuAnother……おかわり…okawariSome more……もう少し…moo sukoshiSome more breadパン、もう少しpan moo sukoshiAnother Japanese teaお茶、おかわりocha okawariAnother beerビール、おかわりbiiru okawariSome more waterお水、もう少しomizu moo sukoshiHow much is it?これはいくらですかkore wa ikura desu ka?large大きいookiismall小さいchiisaiwithとtowithout抜きでnukideWhere is/are…?…はどこですか… wa doko desu ka?Where is/are the nearest…?一番近い … はどこですかichiban chikai … wa doko desu ka?How do I get to…?…へはどうやって行きますか…ewa dooyatte ikimasu ka?to the museum美術館へはbijutsukan ewato the station駅へはeki ewato Kyoto京都へはKyooto ewaThere is/are……があります…ga arimasuThere isn’t/aren’t any……がありません…ga arimasenWhen?いつitsu?At what time…?何時に…nan-ji ni…?today今日kyootomorrow明日ashitaMay I…?…もいいですか…mo ii desu ka?May I smoke?タバコを吸ってもいいですかtabako o sutte mo ii desu ka?How does this work?これはどうやって使いますかkore wa dooyatte tsukaimasu ka?What does this mean?これはどういう意味ですかkore wa doo iu imi desu ka?

Work

Japanese people tend to tell you where they work rather than what they do.

Where do you work?お勤めはどちらですかotsutome wa dochira desu ka?How’s your work?仕事はどうですかshigoto wa doo desu ka?I’m…私は…watashi wa…a doctor医者ですisha desua managerマネージャーですmaneejaa desua housewife主婦ですshufu desuI work from home私は在宅勤務ですwatashi wa zaitaku-kimmu desuI’m self-employed私は自営業ですwatashi wa jieigyoo desu

Weather

天気予報 tenki-yohooweather forecast晴れ harefine悪い waruibad曇り kumoricloudy変わりやすい天気 kawariyasui tenkichangeable weather

sunny天気がいいですtenki ga ii desuIt’s muggy蒸し暑いですmushiatsui desuIt’s raining雨が降っていますame ga futte imasuIt’s snowing雪が降っていますyuki ga futte imasuIt’s windy風が強いですkaze ga tsuyoi desuWhat a lovely day!なんていい日nante ii hi!What awful weather!なんてひどい天気nante hidoi tenki!What will the weather be like tomorrow?明日の天気はどうですかashita no tenki wa doo desu ka?Do you think it’s going to rain?雨が降りそうですかame ga furisoo desu ka?It’s very hot today今日はとても暑いですkyoo wa totemo atsui desuIt’s very cold today今日はとても寒いですkyoo wa totemo samui desuDo you think there will be a storm?嵐になると思いますかarashi ni naru to omoimasu ka?Do you think it will snow?雪になると思いますかyuki ni naru to omoimasu ka?Will it be foggy?霧になると思いますかkiri ni naru to omoimasu ka?What is the temperature?気温は何度ですかkion wa nando desu ka?

Getting around

Asking the way

反対 hantaiopposite…の隣 …no tonarinext to……の近く …no chikakunear to…信号 shingootraffic lights横断歩道 oodan-hodoopedestrian crossing(道路の) 角 (dooro no) kadocorner (of road)

FACE TO FACEすみません、駅までどうやって行きますか sumimasen, eki made dooyatte ikimasu ka? Excuse me, how do I get to the station?まっすぐ行って、一つ目の角を右/左に曲がってください massugu itte, hitotsu-me no kado o migi/hidari ni magatte kudasai Keep straight on, turn right/left at the first corner遠いですか tooi desu ka? Is it far?いいえ､200メートル/5分くらいです iie, nihyaku-meetoru/go-fun kurai desu No, about 200 metres/five minutesありがとう arigatoo! Thank you!どういたしまして doo itashimashite You’re welcome

We’re lost道に迷ってしまいましたmichi ni mayotte shimaimashitaWe’re looking for……を探しています…o sagashite imasuIs this the right way to…?…に行くのはこれでいいですか…ni iku no wa kore de ii desu ka?Can I/we walk there?そこまで歩けますかsoko made arukemasu ka?How do I/we get…?どうすれば … に行けますかdoo sureba … ni ikemasu ka?to the station駅にeki nito the museum美術館にbijutsukan nito the shopsお店にomise niCan you show me on the map?地図で示してもらえますかchizu de shimeshite moraemasu ka?

YOU MAY HEAR…下った所 kudatta tokorodown there後ろ ushirobehindもう一度聞いてください moo ichido kiite kudasaithen ask again

Bus and coach

Places such as Kyoto have tourist day passes and bus route maps in English, which you can obtain at a bus station. Local buses usually board from the rear door, but if your journey is not covered by a flat fee you may need to pick up a numbered ticket. A board at the front of the bus displays the fares, based on the numbers. You will need to know your destination in Japanese characters. Some buses board from the front door and require you to pay as you enter. Tickets for long/middle distance coach trips, as well as express buses, are usually sold at the coach counter or ticketing machine.

FACE TO FACEすみません、どのバスが中心部に行きますかsumimasen, dono basu ga chuushimbu ni ikimasu ka?Excuse me, which bus goes to the centre?15番ですjuugo-ban desuNumber 15バス停はどこですかbasutei wa doko desu ka?Where is the bus stop?すぐそこ、右にありますsugu soko, migi ni arimasuThere, on the rightどこで乗車券を買えますかdoko de jooshaken o kaemasu ka?Where can I buy the tickets?売店で買えますbaiten de kaemasuAt the news-stand

Is there a bus/tram to…?…に行くバス/路面電車はありますか…ni iku basu/romen-densha wa arimasu ka?Where do I/we catch the bus to…?どこで …行きのバスに乗れますかdoko de … iki no basu ni noremasu ka?Where do I/we catch the tram to…?どこで … 行きの路面電車に乗れますかdoko de … iki no romen-densha ni noremasu ka?I/we would like to go to……に行きたいんですが…ni ikitain desu gaHow much is it to go to…?…までいくらですか…made ikura desu ka?the centre中心部chuushimbuthe beach浜辺hamabeHow often are the buses to…?…に行くバスはどのぐらい出ていますか…ni iku basu wa donogurai dete imasu ka?When is the first bus to…?…行きの始発バスはいつですか…iki no shihatsu basu wa itsu desu ka?When is the last bus to…?…行きの最終バスはいつですか…iki no saishuu basu wa itsu desu ka?Please tell me when to get offいつ降りたらいいか教えてくださいitsu oritara ii ka oshiete kudasaiPlease tell me when we are at...…に着いたら教えてください...ni tsuitara oshiete kudasaiPlease let me offすみません、降ろしてくださいsumimasen, oroshite kudasaiI got on at...…から乗りました...kara norimashitaSorry, I forgot to take a ticket (on entering bus)すみません、整理券を取りませんでしたsumimasen, seiriken o torimasen deshitacoach長距離バスchookyori-basushuttle busシャトルバスshatoru-basu

YOU MAY HEAR…ここ/このバス停ですよ koko/kono basutei desu yoThis is it/your stop地下鉄の方が、速いですよ chikatetsu no hoo ga hayai desu yoTake the metro, it’s quicker

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